What Makes a Great Property Management Team?
By Mark Hamblyn, Terri Scheer Distribution Manager
The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) recently named the state’s best of the best in property management.
Melbourne-based agency LongView took home this year’s Residential Property Management Team of the Year award – proudly sponsored by Terri Scheer.
We spoke with LongView’s Alicia Lecky, who shared the keys to her team’s success and insight into the 2025 rental market outlook.
Interview with Alicia Lecky, Head of Property Management at LongView:
Q: Congratulations on LongView’s recent win at the REIV Awards for Excellence. What has driven your team to success?
A: Thank you! We’re incredibly proud of this achievement.
We’re a large team managing around 3500 properties across 155 suburbs in Melbourne which is no small feat. I believe LongView’s proactive approach in supporting clients with their rental properties is crucial to our success – we have risk and the ‘what-if’ front of mind to help landlords make informed decisions.
Also, we have a really great team. We foster a positive work culture because we know this translates to strong relationships with our clients.
Q: How is the Victorian rental market performing, and what can we expect heading into 2025?
A: Landlords and investors are facing an increasingly difficult market in Victoria in the wake of additional land taxes, rising interest rates and rental reforms. Recent legislative changes mean that properties must meet a set of minimum requirements to meet tenant comfort and safety standards.
Further proposed changes will require landlords to comply with ceiling insulation, fixed air-conditioning, and energy efficiency standards.
The market has potential to become even more challenging next year with the possibility for even more stringent compliance standards on the horizon.
Despite this, rental prices in Victoria have begun to slowly increase, providing some well-needed relief for landlords.
Going into 2025, it’s important for both landlords and property managers to be across these legislative changes and to ensure that compliance checks and rectifications are being carried out by qualified trades.
Q: How has LongView adapted to this increasingly challenging market?
Our team is working with landlords to be on the front foot and ensure their properties are compliant with Victorian minimum standards. We’ve employed a full-time compliance officer who is well-versed in the legislation to ensure our clients are informed of their obligations. Compliance checks are conducted by reputable, individual trades that we directly engage, which ensures a more personable experience for our clients.
Q: Why is landlord insurance important to your clients, and what is the benefit of holding a policy?
A: Many of our team are distributors of Terri Scheer Landlord Insurance because we know how important it is to consider future risk – and our clients do too.
Damages and loss of rent are serious risks that rental owners face that can carry a massive financial impact, which is why it was a no-brainer for us to offer our clients a product that is designed specifically for landlords.
Hundreds of our clients have taken out insurance through Terri Scheer for the peace of mind that a tailored policy provides.