Her Story
About Tiarra
Tiarra Townsend is a licensed property manager in South Carolina with five years of experience in the property management industry, and she also serves as a South Carolina notary public. She holds a bachelor's degree in youth development from Rhode Island College, where her studies included social work, special education, and communications. Her commitment to helping residents secure and maintain stable housing is rooted in her earlier career in healthcare and substance abuse treatment, where she worked as a case manager for adults in crisis, a substance abuse worker at a male reinstitution facility and a registered behavioral technician for children. Townsend entered property management through a role coordinating renovation of a low-income housing community and advanced to assistant property before reaching her current licensed position. Today, she oversees backend operations, including asset performance, training for leasing agents and assistant managers, and coordination with maintenance supervisors on unit turns and service requests. She is known for turning around struggling properties, having reduced delinquency from more than $100,000 to under $20,000 at multiple sites and achieved two consecutive months of zero-$100 delinquency at her current property. Beyond her professional achievements, Townsend is a member of the American Society of Notaries and credits her family for inspiring her success. She values integrity, transparency, and communication, and she hopes to move into a mentoring role in which she can help develop training programs that reduce employee turnover in the industry. She is also grateful for the guidance of her mentor, Ciara Nordberg, who supported her early in her career. Outside of work, she enjoys watching Disney movies and spending time at the beach, and she remains focused on her family's happiness and health.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tiarra
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success in part to my family and my partner. My little brother has been a driving force, and I have always strived to be the best big sister I can be, though our roles have since reversed, and I am proud to admire him in his journey as a real estate agent. My partner has shown me a level of resilience I have never seen demonstrated before, and the way he bounces back reminds me that anything can be overcome if you allow yourself grace and put God first. My son is also a major part of my success, as I have always wanted him to have a stable life and upbringing. To demonstrate safety and confidence even in failure.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is to stay true to myself and keep pushing forward, regardless of pushback. I’ve learned never to silence myself, in wanting to do right by others, even when the popular voice says contrary. I regained my confidence through controversy and amazing support systems, who consistently reminded me that I am knowledgeable and valuable. Reminded I should never let anyone make me think otherwise simply because they disagree.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise young women to never waver from knowing their worth while learning everything they can. No job is too big or too small, and being hands-on, knowledgeable, and proactive rather than reactive shows the team around you and organization’s, that you are a capable leader, which builds longevity in this field. I would also urge them to know their limits and keep healthy boundaries, because burnout is real in an industry where we often work around the clock and serve as the front line of defense when something happens on a property. It is important to know when to turn it off.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in working across so many different groups, including multiple property management companies, ownership, management, and site teams, often intentions and messages can get lost in translation and on-site needs are difficult to convey to each party as intended. Training is another area where many professionals struggle. On the opportunity side, the community within property management is wonderful, offering the chance to meet and network with a wide variety of people from many regions and areas.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is a core personal value for me, along with integrity, which includes being transparent and following through on what I say, and communicating openly when I cannot. Communication is equally important, as I have learned that the more we communicate, the less room there is for misunderstanding or misinterpretation. Even when a conversation is uncomfortable, it can be talked through, and I have always been able to de-escalate situations through communication.
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