Key takeaways
What property managers can take from Melissa’s approach
- Check in for no reason. Melissa schedules time to reach out to every tenant just to say hi, and often learns things they never thought to mention.
- Build relationships so you never dread the phone. When tenants know you care, calls bring fewer confrontations and less anxiety.
- Know how you react to conflict. Whether you get defensive, avoid, or panic, recognizing it is the first step to responding in a way that protects the relationship.
- Take care of yourself first. Exercise, meditation, and time for things you love help you reset after a day of complaints and pressure.
- Prioritize capital with purpose. Safety comes first, tenant comfort second, and curb appeal third, with a few visible upgrades so tenants see the investment.
About the guest
MF
Melissa Ferguson
President, Symmetry Commercial Real Estate
Melissa founded Symmetry Commercial Real Estate in 2018 and manages about 550,000 square feet across 18 properties in Alberta. She started as an unlicensed assistant at a commercial real estate brokerage, moved into property management across office, retail, and industrial, and ran her own business unit at a young age. She also created an online course for property managers called Service Mindset Transformation.
Episode summary
In this episode
Jared Sarbit talks with Melissa Ferguson, president of Symmetry Commercial Real Estate in Alberta. Melissa started as an assistant at a commercial brokerage, moved into property management because she wanted long-term relationships with tenants, and founded Symmetry in 2018 so she could offer more customized service.
Melissa explains why many owners complain that property managers never answer the phone, and how building relationships removes that fear. She walks through the Service Mindset Transformation course she created, including self-awareness, self-care, and the three types of empathy, and shares how proactive communication strengthens tenant relationships.
She also covers how she prioritizes capital projects, her move to new property management software, the trends she sees ahead, and what she looks for in a janitorial partner.
Chapters
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:18Introducing Melissa Ferguson
- 1:52From brokerage to property management
- 4:50Starting Symmetry
- 6:04Why property managers avoid the phone
- 8:40Building a team that shares your values
- 11:03The Service Mindset Transformation course
- 16:43Disconnecting from negative energy
- 19:47Three types of empathy
- 24:07Proactive communication with tenants
- 27:29Prioritizing capital projects
- 29:41Moving to new property management software
- 32:47Trends shaping property management
- 34:26Advice for aspiring property managers
- 35:41What she looks for in a janitorial company
- 37:02Symmetry’s next five years
- 38:00The property she would love to manage
- 39:32Book recommendation: Emotional Intelligence
Jump to a chapter (18)
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:18Introducing Melissa Ferguson
- 1:52From brokerage to property management
- 4:50Starting Symmetry
- 6:04Why property managers avoid the phone
- 8:40Building a team that shares your values
- 11:03The Service Mindset Transformation course
- 16:43Disconnecting from negative energy
- 19:47Three types of empathy
- 24:07Proactive communication with tenants
- 27:29Prioritizing capital projects
- 29:41Moving to new property management software
- 32:47Trends shaping property management
- 34:26Advice for aspiring property managers
- 35:41What she looks for in a janitorial company
- 37:02Symmetry’s next five years
- 38:00The property she would love to manage
- 39:32Book recommendation: Emotional Intelligence
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
The reason we’re property managers is because we love dealing with people.
Melissa FergusonPlay from 0:46
Every time I do that I might only get a handful who respond, not everybody responds but everyone sees it.
Melissa FergusonPlay from 0:31
I might not always know the answer but I know when that’s not right.
Melissa FergusonPlay from 4:33
Want a cleaning partner your tenants like seeing?
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
Paste the edited transcript here.
FAQ
Questions about this episode
What is Symmetry Commercial Real Estate?
Symmetry is an Alberta commercial property management company Melissa Ferguson founded in 2018. It manages about 550,000 square feet across 18 properties and focuses on customized service, such as special reports on the schedule a client needs.
What is the Service Mindset Transformation course?
It is an online course Melissa created for property managers. It uses emotional intelligence as its base, with journal prompts, personality tests, real-life examples, and self-care practices to help managers handle tenant conflict more effectively.
How should property managers prioritize capital projects?
Melissa starts by aligning with the owner’s goals. From there, tenant safety and liability come first, tenant comfort second, and curb appeal third, and she tries to include a visible improvement so tenants see the investment.
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