The 5 Fundamentals of Property Management: Fundamental 1 - Leasing
The Multifamily Ethos Podcast, hosted by Carlyle Swafford, has launched a new series centered on the Five Fundamentals of Property Management: leasing, turns, collections, reputation, and talent.
The series brings experienced multifamily professionals into the conversation to share practical strategies for coaching teams, establishing expectations, and improving property performance. The first episode focuses on leasing and features a seasoned property manager sharing insights and resources from her 20 years of experience.
Building the Right Leasing Team
Strong leasing performance starts with people. Amber Short, a property manager with more than two decades of experience, emphasizes hiring for qualities that can be difficult to teach: “What you want to have is the attitude and the aptitude. And that’s what I look for in any new hire.”
She also stresses that leasing and maintenance cannot operate as separate groups: “While we may have different focuses, at the end of the game, we have to work as one team.” That collaborative mindset creates a stronger resident experience while helping every department work toward the same property goals.
Coaching and Creating Accountability
Carlyle and Amber agree that successful leasing requires clear expectations, ongoing coaching, and measurable goals. Teams should understand core metrics such as occupancy, lead-to-lease conversion, closing ratios, average days vacant, retention, and net effective rent—not simply receive a leasing target. Amber recommends regular shadowing and coaching that begins by recognizing what employees do well before identifying opportunities for improvement. Carlyle similarly encourages leasing professionals to evaluate their own performance, helping turn coaching into ownership and accountability rather than simple criticism.
Knowing Your Market and Selling the Benefits
Great leasing professionals understand both their own community and the competition. Market surveys, pricing information, competitive specials, and leasing technology provide valuable intelligence, but Amber also recommends physically visiting competing properties to understand details that data alone may miss. That knowledge should translate into benefit selling: rather than simply listing a feature such as a pantry, leasing professionals should be prepared to explain how that feature benefits the prospect and differentiates the community. Combined with consistent screening, lease documentation, and Fair Housing practices, this creates a leasing process that is both persuasive and disciplined.
Understanding What Winning Looks Like
The Five Fundamentals ultimately connect individual responsibilities to the performance of the entire property. Daily team huddles are essential for bringing leasing, maintenance, and management together around leads, tours, move-ins, apartment turns, challenges, and shared goals.
As Carlyle explains, “If you want to be successful and you want to succeed, the entire team needs to know what the whole team is doing at the same time.”
His message to leaders is equally important: establish realistic expectations, create development plans, and give employees an active role in setting and measuring their goals. “We want them to feel like they’re playing an active part in the success of that team.”
Tune in to the full episode of The Leasing Fundamental with guest, Amber Short.
Subscribe to Multifamily Ethos so you don’t miss out as the conversations around the remaining 4 fundamentals: turns, collections, reputation, and talent continue.
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