Nicole Read

The best career advice I've ever received is going to sound a little cliche, but I was told: don't chase the money, chase the reward. That could not be more true. Just because a position offers you more financial freedom doesn't necessarily mean that you will be happy in the position or that you will have the freedom to do what needs to be done. I've learned that finding fulfillment and the ability to do meaningful work is far more valuable than simply pursuing a higher salary.

Especially on the commercial side, this industry is predominantly male-driven. Most property managers, especially in commercial, are men. Most brokers are men. So it's really about learning how to be assertive and confident in what you're speaking to. Don't undervalue yourself just because you're maybe the only female in the room. Trust what you know, be humbly confident, and be ready to say those things out loud. Know who you are, because it is very easy to quickly lose yourself in an industry like this and fall into people-pleasing. Stand firm in your expertise and don't let being outnumbered diminish your voice or your value.

Some of the biggest challenges in property management are getting clients aligned with realistic goals. Oftentimes, clients have goals that are loftier than what the property can sustain immediately, so there are growing pains in making sure everybody's aligned and getting the property to a position where it is cash flowing and maintained well. Sometimes you're working with accidental owners who were gifted real estate in trust or thought it was a great investment but don't really understand what they purchased. Your biggest challenge is really just that learning curve - working with them to understand where and how the property needs to be positioned for them to really get a return on that investment. Once you get through it and you've got the knowledge base that both parties need to have and goals are aligned, it goes pretty smoothly from there.

There is a book that changed my perspective on a lot of things early in my career called The Four Agreements. One of those agreements is to be impeccable with your word, and that has resonated with me throughout my career. For me, it's about integrity, transparency, and meeting people where they are. Sometimes, especially in residential property management, you are meeting people at a moment of crisis. Something has happened in the home, they are frustrated, it's not personal, they just want it fixed. Having that integrity, that respect, and understanding of others' dignity - all of those things working together - is what guides me in both my work and personal life.