Key takeaways
What property managers can take from Justin’s approach
- Be comfortable as a generalist. Justin says property managers need to know enough about everything, and he hires for curiosity, empathy, and strong communication.
- Let people make mistakes inside guard rails. Most real lessons come from fixing your own mistakes, so leaders should make sure errors are never terminal.
- Explain the why before a big change. Lay out the steps, let strategy drive the structure, and celebrate early wins to build buy-in.
- Manage proactively and improve a little every day. Foresee problems, prepare for them, and use the data you now have to test better ways of working.
- Build real relationships with service providers. Quality, culture, and ESG alignment are table stakes. The real question is who will show up at 2 a.m. in an emergency.
About the guest
JD
Justin Deknatel
Senior Vice President, Property Management, Warrington PCI Management
Justin leads property management at Warrington PCI Management, which he describes as BC’s largest commercial property manager. Over 25 years he has led teams at REITs, developers, and national platforms, starting with a marketing co-op at an Ottawa shopping centre and working across retail, office, industrial, and residential.
Episode summary
In this episode
Jared Sarbit talks with Justin Deknatel, Senior Vice President of Property Management at Warrington PCI Management. Justin oversees a team of about 140 to 150 people managing just over 16 million square feet of industrial, office, retail, and residential property in British Columbia.
Justin shares how a shopping centre co-op launched a 25-year career across retail, office, industrial, and residential, and the traits he looks for in property managers. He explains how he leads teams through change, how Warrington PCI puts people, process, and property into practice, and what separates award-winning operations from good ones.
He also covers how the company keeps quality consistent across a large portfolio, how it builds a talent pipeline from administrators and building operators, and what he looks for in janitorial and other service partners.
Chapters
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:31Introducing Justin Deknatel
- 1:56Warrington PCI Management at a glance
- 3:03From a shopping centre co-op to senior leadership
- 5:44Traits of successful property managers
- 9:56Letting people make mistakes
- 11:44Leading change and building culture
- 13:44People, process, and property
- 17:13Community, sustainability, and inclusion
- 21:11What award-winning property management looks like
- 23:33Keeping a large portfolio consistent
- 24:53The next five years
- 28:10Advice for aspiring property managers
- 30:24What he looks for in a janitorial partner
- 32:11The property he would love to manage
- 34:31Book recommendations
Jump to a chapter (16)
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:31Introducing Justin Deknatel
- 1:56Warrington PCI Management at a glance
- 3:03From a shopping centre co-op to senior leadership
- 5:44Traits of successful property managers
- 9:56Letting people make mistakes
- 11:44Leading change and building culture
- 13:44People, process, and property
- 17:13Community, sustainability, and inclusion
- 21:11What award-winning property management looks like
- 23:33Keeping a large portfolio consistent
- 24:53The next five years
- 28:10Advice for aspiring property managers
- 30:24What he looks for in a janitorial partner
- 32:11The property he would love to manage
- 34:31Book recommendations
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
I like to tell… myself every day a little better. So like a mindset of continuous improvement.
Justin DeknatelPlay from 0:24
Real estate happens to be the product but we’re in the service business.
Justin DeknatelPlay from 7:09
The question… for me is always who, you know, who’s going to be there at 2:00 a.m. in an emergency?
Justin DeknatelPlay from 31:14
Need a cleaning partner who answers the 2 a.m. call?
We’ll walk your building with you and send a written cleaning scope and price. Free, no obligation.
Read the conversation
Full episode transcript
Show transcript
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FAQ
Questions about this episode
What is Warrington PCI Management?
Justin Deknatel describes Warrington PCI Management as BC’s largest commercial property manager, with just over 16 million square feet under management. The portfolio is mostly industrial and office, plus a couple of million square feet of retail and about 1,500 residential units, all in British Columbia.
What does award-winning property management look like?
Justin says it comes back to fundamentals: attention to detail, pride of ownership, and proactive rather than reactive management. He adds a mindset of continuous improvement, using data to find a better way to do things each day.
What does Justin Deknatel look for in a janitorial company?
Quality, responsible procurement, company culture, and alignment with ESG goals are the starting point. After that it comes down to the relationship and who will show up in an emergency. He also believes landlords need to treat service providers well in return.
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