A Day in the Life of a Property Manager: Behind the Scenes at Sterling West
At Sterling West Property Management, our days are not just collecting rent and handing over keys. They are packed with problem-solving, people skills, and the kind of flexibility only honed by years of unexpected curveballs—like, say, our building being hit by a car… twice. In three months.
Yes, really.
So, what does a “normal” day look like for us? Here’s a peek behind the scenes—and a walk through the current maze (literally) of our working life.
8:30 AM – Coffee & Chaos Planning
We start the day caffeinated and cautiously optimistic. Emails are already piling up, and texts from the night before start rolling in.
Emergency maintenance
A new 30 day notice to handle
A downstairs tenant asking why their upstairs neighbor is walking so loud!
But unlike before, we’re not congregating in our lobby to discuss the morning issues—we’re having our morning huddle in the back of the building, because our lobby and reception area are still out of commission. These days, our “reception area” is a plastic folding table that doubles as both a workspace and a barricade for wandering tenants, in a space between the bathroom and the back door, featuring one slightly overworked service bell.
All of it hits us before 9 a.m.
9:00 AM – Let the Maze & the Toni Requests Begin
If you’ve visited us recently, you know: our office experience has become a Choose Your Own Adventure.
To reach us, visitors now have to follow a winding trail of signs from the front of the building… around the side… past the dental office… up a flight of stairs… and through our back entrance.
Once they arrive we’re often greeted with the same question (at least a dozen times a day):
“So… when is your office going to be fixed?”
Believe us—we’d love to know, too.
And then, the phone calls begin.
And the walk-ins.
And every single one starts with:
“Is Toni available?”
We love Toni. We adore Toni. Toni is a rockstar who holds so many pieces together. But Toni is just one person—and while she’s trying to return calls, answer emails, and put out a dozen fires, she’s also jumping up every time someone says her name (which is approximately every 90 seconds).
The rest of us? Also capable, qualified, and happy to help! But convincing someone to accept help from anyone otherthan Toni is like trying to convince a die-hard Dutch Bros fan to go to Starbucks—expect resistance.
So we laugh, we tease, and we keep the day moving.
11:00 AM – On the Road: Inspections, Showings & Vendor Meetings
After the morning rush (and encouraging Toni to stay seated), it’s time to hit the road. Today’s lineup includes:
- Jen is out doing property Inspections
- Kade has been on hold with Pacific Power for about 30 mins now trying to get utilities turned back on
- Crystal is processing applications and meeting a new tenant at a property to sign the lease
- Kim is dealing with a water leak
- Lusina is at the office making new “Office This Way →” signs that blew off again.
12:30 PM – Lunch
On magical days — aka when Danielle buys us lunch—we actually eat in the same room like a real, civilized team. The rest of the time, lunch is a solo mission: a desk sandwich, a protein bar in the car, or whatever we can grab between appointments. Still, even in the middle of our scattered lunches, we always find a reason to laugh—usually when someone yells “Is Toni here?!” mid-bite, and she nearly launches her sandwich into orbit trying to answer.
2:00 PM – Paperwork, Processing & Problem Solving
Back at HQ (a.k.a. the folding-table command center), we tackle the unglamorous but essential stuff:
· Running background checks
· Updating owners so they know what’s going on with their properties
· Rent price analysis
· Preparing and delivering notices
· Banking, mail runs and Court paperwork
It’s not the kind of work that makes for a dramatic TV montage, but it’s the backbone of keeping our properties—and our sanity—intact. Between the to-do list and the phone ringing off the hook, we manage to squeeze in sarcastic commentary, questionable snack choices, and the occasional “Did you hear what happened at…” office gossip. It’s part therapy, part comedy show, and exactly what keeps our team bonded through the daily chaos.
5:00 PM – Wrapping Up (and Putting Out Fires)
As the day winds down, the last-minute curveballs roll in:
- A garage door that won’t close
- A tenant showing up at our office with a moving truck full of furniture ready to sign a lease and get keys without an appointment
- A flooded apartment
But we handle it. Because that’s what we do.
Why Do We Do It?
Seriously—we ask ourselves that every day! Kidding (mostly). The truth is, we do it because we love it. We thrive on a little chaos, we care deeply about the people who live in the homes we manage, the owners who trust us with their investments, and the team we show up with every single day.
Our building might be under repair. Our front door might be closed. And Toni might still be ducking another “Is Toni here?!” from across the office.
But our energy? Still strong. Still committed. Still laughing.
So, the next time you wonder what a property manager actually does all day, just know this: it’s never boring. It’s teamwork, quick thinking, and plenty of laughter—because even in the middle of the madness, we genuinely love what we do.
Call Sterling West—no matter what the day throws at us (or at our building), we’ll keep the doors open and the laughter going.
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