by Nada Edwards, Property Manager
We caught up with Nada to discuss her ‘typical day.’ She manages a diverse retail portfolio of 15 properties…
Much of my day is spent on-site and on the phone to landlords and tenants. This is a relationship-based job and communication is key. I consider myself a hands-on manager, always striving to achieve the best outcomes for my clients and their assets.
My morning usually involves dealing with urgent maintenance/reported incidents. Property maintenance consumes part of each day – managing scheduled work and tracking compliance. I cannot understate the importance of maintaining a property to a high standard and the need to be pre-emptive, not reactionary.
On occasion, I may have dealt with an incident before reaching my desk. Recently, a criminal incident occurred after hours and I was assisting police, accessing CCTV, coordinating with tenants and working on incident reports until the early hours (with the assistance of fantastic colleagues). Thankfully, though, this is rare!
Part of my day is assigned to managing leasing documentation to ensure details are correctly recorded, lease incentives are delivered, tenants remain compliant with their lease terms and that we’re operating in accordance with the Retail Leases Act.
Overseeing property financials is an important part of my day and I work with detailed budgets that guide day-to-day operations, whilst ensuring strong returns for our landlords. I provide monthly financial reports to our clients, offering clear insights into performance and accountability.
We are very lucky to have Mel, our Compliance & Risk Manager – a fountain of knowledge on policies and procedure – who I consult roughly every 5 mins throughout my day (sorry Mel!) on all things compliance and risk.
It’s not uncommon for our properties to undergo renovations. One of my assets recently upgraded to include a F&B facility, thus impacting security requirements, traffic volume etc. It can be a stressful time for owners and tenants and I need to carefully manage expectations. At key points during a development, my work day shifts to allow a focus on relieving the pressure on tenants and for additional site visits/needs assessments.
My day usually ends with an updated to-do list and a follow-up on urgent maintenance matters. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, which can be both a hindrance and a help! I’m always looking for value-add opportunities and what’s best for an asset.
This is a pretty demanding job and you need to be passionate about property. I’ve only ever worked in this industry and I love it. I’m also lucky to work within a very supportive team. Of course, no two days are ever the same, but I’d say that just keeps me on my toes.