Why Community is Key for Property Managers

With over a decade of experience in property management, I can confidently say that the community in this industry is one of our greatest assets. If you’re looking to learn from others to strengthen your business, advocate for change, or make meaningful impacts on people’s lives, there’s a community out there to help you do it.

In this article, I’ll talk a little bit about my experience in property management communities, why it’s important for PMs at all experience levels to find their community, and how you can get involved today.

Community was core to my experience from day one

I was extremely lucky to be thrust into the property management community as soon as I started at Hendricks Property Management. I was sent to my first NARPM conference, the NARPM Annual Convention, just three weeks after I got licensed, so in a lot of ways I’ve never been a property manager without NARPM.

My first conference was more than a little bit overwhelming, but it was also incredibly exciting. I met so many influential property managers there, like John Bradford, Tracey Norris, Mike Mumford, Bart Sturzl, Kevin Knight, and Stephen Foster. I walked out realizing that everyone there was probably a little bit odd, but so was I, and it was a place that I belonged.

Finding my community locally

Pretty much immediately after that conference, I signed up for my local San Antonio NARPM chapter. I’m fortunate to live in a city with one of the strongest chapters in the country, and we also have a Texas state chapter on top of that.

My father in-law was involved in our chapter for decades, and he actively tried to foster the next phase of leadership in our chapter. My husband and I were both part of that, and we’ve since each chaired our chapter, served on national committees, and chaired the National Governmental Affairs Committee.

Joining committees is the fastest way to get involved

Being so involved in committee boards was one of the most important things I did to grow my skillset. I gained so much knowledge and built so many relationships. In particular, being part of strategic planning for NARPM National introduced me to great leaders. It was equally rewarding to get to know the staff and the inner workings of the association.

These planning sessions aren’t just about logistics and business; you get to know people on a personal level, too. You just naturally have downtime and meal breaks together where you talk about business, family, and life in general. NARPM also organized some planned activities like escape rooms, which really builds camaraderie.

Chairing a national committee is more of a time commitment, but as a committee member it’s often as little as an hour per month. It’s a pretty small investment with a huge return.

There’s a community for every interest

If you’re not interested in NARPM specifically, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of opportunities to find a community.

PM Systems Conference is one great example. What started as a mastermind of about 10 people has grown into a fantastic annual conference. It’s probably the closest thing in the industry to a true proptech conference that isn’t focused on one specific product. It’s designed as an opportunity to have a fireside chat about technology and how to use it for your business, and a lot of those conversations continue long after the conference.

There’s also Crane, which is focused on helping property managers work on their business rather than in their business. It’s all about making your business less dependent on you as an individual, and putting processes in place so that the business can run smoothly without you.

Even within larger organizations like NARPM, NAR, and NAA, there are specific subcommittees that might fit your particular interests. I’ve been most involved with the governmental affairs committee through NARPM, Texas REALTORS, and the San Antonio Board of REALTORS, all focused on helping to shape policy by working with lawmakers, but each with a unique perspective and new group of people to learn from.

Whatever your interest is, find your community and get involved.

Communities make a real difference

In 2020, I had just had a baby and decided to step back from the board of my local NARPM chapter, but continued serving on the governmental affairs committee. During COVD, the federal government started sending money to states and cities to disburse for rent payments. The city of San Antonio had an established process for disbursing payments to residents in need, but it had never handled the volume that we started to see in 2020.

That’s when I started to have regular meetings with Lorena Jáuregui de Birdy (San Antonio NARPM Chapter President), Governmental Affairs Director for the San Antonio Board of REALTORS, the city manager, and CEO of the San Antonio Apartment Association, and others about how we could improve this program and make sure that our clients—mom and pop landlords—were actually receiving rent payments.

The city had originally been sending money directly to residents, but when we looked at the first month of payouts, we realized it wasn’t actually being used to pay rent. Together, we rebuilt the disbursement program in about six weeks, directing that money straight to property managers and landlords on behalf of those tenants, making sure rent was paid and residents remained in place.

To me, this was one of the clearest examples of community. A group of people who had met through various local and national associations and events making a real difference in people’s lives.

Community is about finding solutions and supporting each other

At this point, I’ve met so many people through property management that if I got a flat tire anywhere in the country, I could probably have someone to call who could be there in an hour.

The people I’ve met through this industry are my colleagues—and in some cases my direct competition—but they’re truly my friends. The people that I’ve served on boards and committees with will be my friends forever. They’re more than just people that I can commiserate with when things are tough. They’re people who can provide solutions and actually help me through those tough times, whether it’s business or personal.

The truth is, you don’t become a property manager without being a helper and a problem solver, so the people that you meet in this industry are all the ones who will be there to help you when you need it, too.

My advice to all property managers, no matter how new or how experienced, is simple: get involved in any capacity. Whether it's NARPM, Crane, PM Systems, or something different entirely, find your community. You’re only going to make your business better when you have the resources to talk through your problems and help each other.