Key takeaways
Lessons on teams and tenants from York Realty
- Hire for values, then teach the rest. Skills can be learned. What sets great teams apart is people who share values and never gatekeep information.
- Look for curiosity and self-awareness. Stephanie wants property managers who constantly ask how things work and can name their own strengths and weaknesses.
- Remember what tenants have at stake. Their business may be their life savings. Empathy and respect go a long way, especially in hard conversations.
- Add visible value to capital projects. Tenants rarely see an HVAC retrofit, so tell them about it, and look for small extras, like a bench, during bigger projects.
- Spend time on site. Walk your buildings, say hello to tenants, and learn from your operators. They know far more about the building than you do.
About the guest
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Stephanie Lemieux
Director of Property Management, York Realty
Stephanie leads property management at York Realty, a family-owned Edmonton company that owns and manages more than 9 million square feet, mostly industrial. She started as a property administrator in 2009, worked her way up through office and retail portfolios at Triovest and First Capital, and joined York Realty in 2022.
Episode summary
In this episode
Stephanie Lemieux started in commercial real estate as a property administrator in 2009 and chose the career because she could learn on the job and keep growing. She built her skills in office, retail, and enclosed shopping centres before joining York Realty to gain development experience.
She describes the lightning strike teams that shaped her career, where everyone shared values and taught each other freely, and explains what she looks for in property managers. She also shares how York Realty plans capital work, uses simple technology, and keeps tenants talking directly to people.
Stephanie covers the trends she sees in industrial buildings, her advice for new property managers, the hardest part of stepping into leadership, and what makes a service partner worth keeping.
Chapters
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:34About York Realty
- 2:38Stephanie’s path into property management
- 11:40Building a lightning strike team
- 14:54What makes a good property manager
- 21:31Where her leadership comes from
- 25:35Communicating with stakeholders
- 28:24Capital planning that adds value
- 31:04Technology at York Realty
- 33:44Trends in industrial property
- 35:45Advice for new property managers
- 39:25Stepping into leadership
- 43:13What she looks for in service partners
- 45:36Dream property
- 47:46Book recommendation
Jump to a chapter (15)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:34About York Realty
- 2:38Stephanie’s path into property management
- 11:40Building a lightning strike team
- 14:54What makes a good property manager
- 21:31Where her leadership comes from
- 25:35Communicating with stakeholders
- 28:24Capital planning that adds value
- 31:04Technology at York Realty
- 33:44Trends in industrial property
- 35:45Advice for new property managers
- 39:25Stepping into leadership
- 43:13What she looks for in service partners
- 45:36Dream property
- 47:46Book recommendation
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
There’s a certain type of person that makes a good property manager and it’s someone who’s just… curious… there’s just a never-ending curiosity about everything.
Stephanie LemieuxPlay from 0:08
This is a career that you can’t be selfish in.
Stephanie LemieuxPlay from 0:55
Everyone was on the same page about what was important and everyone was so willing and open to educating everybody…
Stephanie LemieuxPlay from 5:43
Want a cleaning team that acts as your eyes and ears?
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 does Stephanie look for in janitorial and other service partners?
Be her eyes and ears. Property managers cannot be everywhere, so she values companies that communicate actively, even about small things. Partners that overcommunicate help her anticipate tenant needs, and those are the ones that last.
What advice does Stephanie give new property managers?
Go to site, walk your properties, and get to know your tenants before something goes wrong. Learn from your building operators, ask lots of questions, and be willing to do things that scare you.
What book does Stephanie recommend?
The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest. She says it shows how many of the obstacles we face come from ourselves, and how to remove them and move forward.
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