There are too many opportunities for poor communication in a workplace. Awareness of this is the first step toward discovering the issues and solving them. No matter how big or small your agency is, communication is always the main reason behind the complaints we receive. If the BDM is not confident about the way the team members are communicating amongst themselves and with the landlords/tenants, it will be extremely difficult for them to sell the product and the property management department guarantee. 

Are my current clients happy with the level of communication they are receiving from the agency?

Do the property managers and support staff communicate with each other in a positive and productive manner?

If you have said no to the above two questions then, as a BDM, you need to bring that information to the attention of your principal. If your current landlords are complaining and individual property management department members are coming to you and whingeing about each other, then you have a very clear communication problem.

The best way to ensure your PM department is engaging in effective communication with the landlords/tenants is to conduct client surveys and put a detailed follow up strategy in place. If you complete a short client service survey over the phone or by email, it will provide you with positive and negative information about your service and team. Once you have collated the information, you should hold a team meeting to share the feedback with everyone. If you have direct negative feedback about a certain team member’s performance, come up with a solution before you speak with them about it. While it is hard to give someone negative feedback, it is vital for the growth of your PM department that you do. 

Don’t only focus on negative feedback though! Always share and celebrate the positive feedback! Your team members will feel fantastic when they hear that the landlords are happy. It will boost team morale, and everyone will enjoy coming to work knowing they are making a difference.

Positive and productive communication is the key to a strong business relationship. Therefore, it is vital that internal relationships within an agency are focused on just as strongly as the relationships between the agency and clients.