“I remember asking property managers to recall their first day on the job – that morning commute, the sense of possibility,” says Ailo founder Ben White.
“Their faces light up, remembering that initial excitement. Then I ask how the job turned out, and often they get sad. That disconnect is a tragedy we need to fix.”
It’s a familiar story in property management. New professionals enter the industry ready to make an impact, only to find themselves drowning in fragmented systems and constant demands.
But Ben, who is celebrating two decades in property management, sees a path to recapturing that early enthusiasm—one that starts with fundamentally reimagining the role.
“The job you thought you were getting is possible,” he insists. “You’ve just got to break out of that loop.”
Breaking free from legacy thinking
Ben has watched property management evolve through distinct phases.
First came the digitisation of paper processes, followed by cloud-based solutions.
Now, he says, we’re entering an era focused entirely on experience.
“Property management is much more than collecting rent, fixing things when they break, and finding tenants,” he explains.
“It’s about building relationships in your community.”
This shift is already happening. Across Ailo’s network of agencies using the platform, from major franchises to independent operators, Ben sees property managers transforming their roles through better technology and smarter workflows.
“Take something as simple as tenant communication,” he says.
“We analysed millions of interactions and found the very best performers respond, on average, within an hour.”
“But here’s what’s interesting – they’re not writing lengthy formal emails. They send quick responses, use emojis, and communicate like humans. And their clients love it.”
The transparency advantage
One property manager shared a telling story about chasing a late payment: “In the old world, you’d print your arrears list, start calling tenants, and get told, ‘I’m pretty sure I paid yesterday.’ Then you’d have to check again tomorrow and call back—it was this endless loop of stress.”
“Now, with live payment tracking, that same conversation becomes collaborative.
“The tenant can log in while you’re talking, make the payment, and you both see it instantly. These moments of friction disappear.”
“Property managers used just to get up earlier and work harder to meet rising expectations,” Ben says.
“But technology should reduce your workload while delivering better service. That’s what drove us to build the Ailo platform.”
Leading from the frontline
Ben believes property managers are uniquely positioned to drive positive change in their agencies because they understand what works in practice.
“We see property managers making suggestions that transform their whole business.
How property managers can drive positive change in their office
- Don’t just track the problems – track the wins. Log positive feedback, maintenance jobs closed ahead of schedule, and rent paid on time. Use this data to demonstrate the value of proactive property management.
- Share insights from tenants and landlords about what they actually want from their property manager. Often this isn’t what business owners expect.
- Document time spent on manual tasks that could be automated. This helps build the business case for better systems.
- Focus on response times. Ben says this single metric predicts almost everything else: “If you show a business owner that faster responses lead to fewer arrears and happier clients, you’ve got their attention.”
“For instance, one PM noticed their chat response times predicted everything from arrears rates to client satisfaction.
“Now their whole team uses rapid responses as their north star metric.”
This insight has proven true across agencies of all sizes. The data shows that property managers who maintain quick response times typically have lower arrears, faster maintenance resolution, and higher client satisfaction—regardless of portfolio size.
“It turns out in all our analytics, chat response time predicts almost every other performance metric.
“The best performers average about an hour, while others can take thousands of minutes. Sometimes, those two people sit beside each other, using the same software and processes.”
Building a sustainable career
For property managers concerned about AI and automation threatening their roles, Ben offers reassurance.
“There’s so much humanity in property management. Having someone in the middle who’s an expert, who helps resolve issues and coordinates solutions – that’s going to be valuable forever.
“The type of things they coordinate might change as we automate money flow and routine tasks, but relationship management becomes more important, not less.”
He sees property managers increasingly offering expanded services beyond traditional scope.
“Owners live in homes too. They want cleaners, gardeners, all sorts of services.
“I think we’ll see property managers become deeper involved in mortgages, utilities, and maintenance planning. Not just tick-and-flick referrals, but genuine service delivery.”
5 signs you’re ready for better systems:
- You’re spending more time updating multiple platforms than talking to clients
- Basic tasks like arrears management involve multiple manual steps
- Clients frequently ask for information you can’t easily access
- You’re working longer hours but not delivering better service
- Your team struggles to maintain consistent processes
Looking ahead
Ben believes the industry is approaching a watershed moment where property managers who embrace change will thrive.
For those still hesitant about technology changing their role, Ben offers this perspective: “No one chose a property manager because they were really good at accounting for money.
“They choose you for your ability to solve problems, coordinate solutions and maintain relationships.”
“The future property manager will spend less time on transaction processing and more time on relationship building. That’s not just better for business – it’s more rewarding for you.”
“You’ve just got to break out of the traditional loops.”
Ben’s final advice for property managers looking to elevate their role?
“Remember that morning you first started, full of possibilities. That enthusiasm wasn’t misplaced – you just needed the right tools and support to make it happen.
“Now, those tools exist. The future you imagined is possible.”
Read Part 1 of our exclusive with Ben White here.
For more information about Ailo, visit ailo.io
