Key takeaways
What property managers can take from Lizaine’s approach
- Treat every owner the same. UnitiiPM’s buildings range from 6 to 598 units, and Lizaine reviews each budget as if she owned the building herself.
- Bring property management in at the design stage. Choices like paint and amenities should depend on whether the owner plans to hold or sell, and early input can save money.
- Work hard, play hard, and lead by example. Lizaine never asks her team to do something she wouldn’t do, from stuffing envelopes to cleaning up a unit.
- Alberta’s rental market is a roller coaster. After a post-pandemic surge in demand following eight years of flat rents, she sees the market correcting rather than crashing.
- Meet residents where they are. Digital leases and self-serve tools are what most renters and many employees now prefer, so technology is no longer optional.
About the guest
LW
Lizaine Wheeler
President and Owner, UnitiiPM
Lizaine owns UnitiiPM, a third-party property management company that manages just over 4,500 apartment units in Calgary, Edmonton, and nearby communities. She started as a leasing agent with Boardwalk about 30 years ago, rose to vice president for Western Canada, and later held senior roles at Mainstreet Equity and Northview, where she oversaw about 35,000 units across Canada.
Episode summary
In this episode
Jared Sarbit talks with Lizaine Wheeler, president and owner of UnitiiPM, a third-party residential property management company in Alberta. Lizaine studied human resources, took a leasing agent job with Boardwalk in Edmonton, and spent the next 30 years in senior roles at Boardwalk, Mainstreet Equity, and Northview before starting her own company.
Lizaine explains why she chose to start a business instead of retiring, how her HR background shapes the way she manages people, and what reimagining property ownership means in practice. She covers why owners should involve property managers early in new developments, how she builds teams that want to work for her, and her read on Alberta’s multi-family market.
She also talks about attracting the next generation of property managers, embracing technology, and what she looks for in janitorial partners, especially for emergencies at 2 a.m.
Chapters
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:22Introducing Lizaine Wheeler
- 1:35Who UnitiiPM is
- 2:20From leasing agent to vice president
- 5:40Why she started her own company
- 8:18Traits behind her success
- 10:52How an HR background helps
- 12:11Lessons from managing across Canada
- 13:35Reimagining property ownership
- 15:10Staying ahead of Alberta’s rental shifts
- 17:28Building high-performance teams
- 19:59Alberta’s multi-family market today
- 22:36Attracting and keeping talent
- 26:22Advice for aspiring property managers
- 28:32What she looks for in a janitorial partner
- 30:43The property she would love to manage
- 32:24Book recommendation
Jump to a chapter (17)
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:22Introducing Lizaine Wheeler
- 1:35Who UnitiiPM is
- 2:20From leasing agent to vice president
- 5:40Why she started her own company
- 8:18Traits behind her success
- 10:52How an HR background helps
- 12:11Lessons from managing across Canada
- 13:35Reimagining property ownership
- 15:10Staying ahead of Alberta’s rental shifts
- 17:28Building high-performance teams
- 19:59Alberta’s multi-family market today
- 22:36Attracting and keeping talent
- 26:22Advice for aspiring property managers
- 28:32What she looks for in a janitorial partner
- 30:43The property she would love to manage
- 32:24Book recommendation
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
I would rather try… and see where this goes than to have turned down that partnership.
Lizaine WheelerPlay from 0:10
I’m looking at it from an owner’s point of view. So I’m looking at saying okay if I own this building what would I want to see…
Lizaine WheelerPlay from 14:37
You want to have people that want to work for you and not be here for the paycheck… because of how you can lead them.
Lizaine WheelerPlay from 0:49
Managing apartments in Calgary or Edmonton?
We’ll walk your building with you and send a written cleaning scope and price. Free, no obligation.
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Full episode transcript
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FAQ
Questions about this episode
What is UnitiiPM?
UnitiiPM is a third-party residential property management company in Alberta. It has been managing properties for about four years and now looks after just over 4,500 apartment units, mostly in Calgary and Edmonton, for buildings ranging from 6 to 598 units.
Why should owners involve a property manager early in a new development?
Lizaine says property managers look at a building through an operational lens. They can recommend finishes, like the type of paint, and amenities based on whether the owner plans to keep or sell the building, which helps avoid unnecessary costs.
What is happening in Alberta's rental market?
Lizaine describes it as a roller coaster. A wave of migration and immigration after the pandemic pushed demand and rents up after about eight years without increases. Now that demand has eased, she sees it as a correction rather than a downturn.
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