Property management leadership has never been more demanding, but it’s also never been more rewarding. When leaders focus on clarity, communication, and care, they don’t just reduce turnover; they build teams who feel valued, trusted and motivated to grow.
In this episode I chat with Rachel Atkin who is a respected property management leader with more than 20 years’ experience in real estate. As the Property Management Operations Manager and Performance Coach for Harcourts Victoria, she focuses on business growth, team development, and practical support across the network.
Named one of Elite Agent’s Top 50 Industry Influencers, Rachel is also a RiSE Initiative Influencer, Mental Health First Aid Practitioner, and Inspirational Women Ambassador for Harcourts Victoria. She’s a regular speaker at events across Australia and New Zealand, known for her people-first approach to leadership, training, and growth in property management.
Rachel reminds us that effective leadership in real estate isn’t about knowing it all, it’s about understanding your people, showing up with empathy, and committing to your own development as much as theirs.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing your team, this episode will remind you that great leadership isn’t about perfection it’s about connection.
“ I think people misunderstand that sometimes kindness and calmness in leadership means that you are soft. But actually it’s a superpower.You know why? Because it’s all about no shades of gray. There is transparency, there’s clarity, there is kindness and a supporting factor of people behind that.”
— Rachel Atkin
In this episode we explore:
- The importance of having real conversations with your team about how they like to work and what drives them
- Ways to attract and keep great people in your property management business
- Why clear development plans help your team grow and stay on track
- What servant leadership really means and how kindness can still be strong leadership
- Supporting your team’s wellbeing through things like the Harcourts Real Care app and mental health first aid
- Tips for managing recruitment and retention challenges in today’s property management market
- How to handle tricky client conversations with confidence and empathy
- Using feedback and surveys to build better relationships with both owners and renters.
- Finding and fixing small communication gaps before they turn into bigger problems
- The value of staying curious and always learning as a leader
Connect with Done For You Services
- Done For You Services – https://dfys.com.au/
- Find out about our Done For You Social Media Management – https://dfys.mykajabi.com/done-for-you-sm
- Find out about our Done for You Lead Generation – https://dfys.mykajabi.com/done-for-you-lead-generation
- Connect with Done For You Services: https://www.instagram.com/doneforyouservices_/
Resources:
- Property Management Growth School: https://that-property-mum.mykajabi.com/TPM-BDMSchool
- Digital Marketing School: https://courses.thatpropertymum.com.au/digitalschool
- That Property Mum Courses: https://www.thatpropertymum.com.au/courses/
- The PM Accelerate Membership: https://that-property-mum.mykajabi.com/accelerate
- Book a Strategy Call with Kylie: https://calendly.com/kylie-tpm/coaching-call
- Kolmeo: https://kolmeo.com/
- Sensor Insure: https://sensorinsure.com/
- HD&U Sales Bundle: https://www.hdandu.com.au/that-property-mum-sales-readiness-bundle-0
- Find out about our Done for You Lead Generation – https://calendly.com/kylie-tpm/done-for-you-leads-discovery-call
- 35 AI Prompts to help you Grow your Business on Social Media: https://that-property-mum.mykajabi.com/35-prompts-to-grow-your-property-management-business-on-social-media
- Join the PM Book Club What’s App Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LE0BQOCnKH9LLqMhkWpcf1?mode=ems_copy_t
Connect With Rachel Atkin
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-atkin-0136ba172/
- https://www.instagram.com/rachelatkin.harcourts/?hl=en
- https://www.facebook.com/rachel.atkin.79
Connect with Kylie:


