The statistics are confronting.

Of the 542 property managers who responded to a recent REINSW survey:

  • 85.8% had experienced burnout
  • 82.8% had felt physically unsafe
  • 76.6% had experienced verbal abuse
  • 70.5% had considered leaving the profession
  • 49.3% said recent reforms added at least four hours to their working week

These findings reveal much more than dissatisfaction with a demanding job. They point to a serious workforce problem affecting the people responsible for keeping rental properties, tenancies and agency businesses functioning.

REINSW’s separate analysis of 42 areas of legislative reform affecting the real estate industry during 2025 and 2026 helps explain how this pressure is accumulating.

Reform is consuming the working week

Almost half of the property managers surveyed said reforms were adding four or more hours to their working week.

That is effectively half a working day spent absorbing, interpreting and administering legislative change – before accounting for the existing demands of inspections, repairs, arrears, applications, complaints, tribunal matters and communication with landlords and tenants.

Routine tenancy work now involves more rules, exceptions, prescribed grounds, supporting evidence, approved forms and commencement dates.

Property managers must determine which rules apply to each tenancy, explain those rules accurately and ensure every procedural requirement is met. They must manage pet applications within strict timeframes, apply revised rent increase requirements, provide approved payment options and submit prescribed information when certain bond claims are made.

A missed document or incorrect process can invalidate a notice, delay possession, escalate a dispute or expose the agency to regulatory action.

This is not simply more paperwork. It is more responsibility, greater risk and less time to complete the work clients already expect.

Burnout has become the norm

The survey found 85.8% of respondents had experienced burnout.

That figure should concern every agency principal. Burnout affects judgement, productivity, communication and staff retention. It also places additional pressure on colleagues when experienced property managers reduce their hours or leave the profession.

The cycle is difficult to break. As property managers leave, their portfolios and responsibilities must be transferred to those who remain. Workloads increase, service becomes harder to maintain and further departures become more likely.

The loss is not limited to recruitment costs. Agencies lose relationships, practical knowledge and continuity. Landlords and tenants must adjust to new contacts, while remaining team members carry the additional workload.

Safety and abuse cannot be accepted

The survey also found 82.8% of property managers had felt physically unsafe and 76.6% had experienced verbal abuse.

Property managers regularly enter unfamiliar homes, conduct inspections, deal with disputes and deliver unwelcome news. They may face people who are distressed, angry or experiencing financial hardship.

They are also frequently blamed for decisions beyond their control.

A property manager may need to tell an owner that a tenancy cannot be ended as expected, that consent for a pet can only be refused on limited grounds or that further evidence is required. The same property manager must explain the resulting process to the tenant and ensure the agency complies with every step.

When either party objects, the property manager is usually the person answering the telephone, attending the property or receiving the complaint.

Government messaging and public discussion do not always recognise this position. Agents can be portrayed as the cause of housing problems when they are often the people required to implement policies developed elsewhere.

Complex cases carry an emotional burden

Some reforms require property managers to deal with domestic abuse, privacy, personal safety and confidential information.

These situations demand care and sound judgement. Property managers may need to communicate with victim-survivors, landlords, co-tenants and alleged perpetrators while protecting sensitive information and following strict legal procedures.

REINSW warns that this can increase emotional strain and role conflict. Property managers must balance legal obligations, client instructions and personal safety while working within tight timeframes.

Errors can have serious consequences for everyone involved. That knowledge adds another layer of pressure to an already demanding role.

Seven in ten have considered leaving

Perhaps the most troubling finding is that 70.5% of respondents had considered leaving property management.

Replacing that level of experience would be extremely difficult. Property management already requires detailed legislative knowledge, strong communication skills, sound judgement and an ability to manage conflict.

Driving experienced people from the profession will not improve the rental system. It will weaken the capacity of agencies to provide landlords and tenants with informed, timely and consistent service.

Governments must consider the cumulative effect of reform, not simply assess each change in isolation. New obligations require clear guidance, approved forms, realistic lead times and enough certainty for agencies to train their teams before commencement.

Property managers cannot continue to be treated as an unlimited administrative resource or the convenient public face of every housing problem.

Thank you, Alexandra Haggarty

First National acknowledges Alexandra Haggarty’s contribution as a member of the REINSW Property Management Committee.

We thank Alexandra for helping bring the experiences of property managers to the attention of government and ensuring their workload, safety and wellbeing form part of the discussion.

The survey gives government clear evidence of what property managers are experiencing. The next step must be to listen – and to consider the people expected to turn each new policy into daily practice.

Sources: REINSW Property Manager Survey results and Legislative Reforms Affecting the Real Estate Industry 2025–2026