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Assistant Property Manager Interview Questions

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Assistant Property Manager interview questions and answers.

  1. How do you organise and prioritise your tasks in managing properties? See answer
  2. What personality and character traits make you stand out in a property management role? See answer
  3. What experience do you have that will help you in this position? See answer
  4. What experience do you have with working with property management software? See answer
  5. What challenges are you looking for in a property management position? See answer
  6. What steps have you taken with regard to personal development, especially as it relates to this role? See answer
  7. Can you describe a conflict that happened on the property you managed and how you overcame it? See answer
  8. Share an example of a time in which you experienced a major challenge in your work. See answer
  9. Walk me through the process of how you choose prospective tenants for the properties under your control. See answer
  10. Please illustrate an example of how you go about attracting prospective tenants. Were you satisfied with the outcome? See answer
  11. Describe your typical work week in your property management role. See answer
  12. How would you describe your leadership style as an Assistant Property Manager? See answer
  13. What factors are essential within an organisation for you to work efficiently? See answer
  14. What does it take to motivate junior employees effectively, and how would they describe you?
  15. Without going into details, what drives you to want to work with us in this position?
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Assistant Property Manager Interview Questions and Answers

How do you organise and prioritise your tasks in managing properties?

An important quality in an assistant property manager is excellent organisation skills. Since they are often responsible for several simultaneous duties, they can benefit from having a rational system to keep track of their workload. Here's what to look for:

  • How they prioritise tasks
  • Experience maintaining organisation
  • Explanation of how they manage their time

Example:

"Besides using organisation tools like planners, calendars and reminders, I am an excellent time manager and have a wonderful memory. I can manage a tight schedule while simultaneously engaging prospective tenants, inspecting building units, and following up with payments."

What personality and character traits make you stand out in a property management role?

This question assesses the candidate's personality and people skills. A good candidate has the ability to balance relationships with various stakeholders at different levels, like tenants, property owners, and contractors. You should look for:

  • Ability to solve problems
  • A friendly, personable personality
  • Ability to develop relationships with different stakeholders

Example:

"I have learned to be patient and flexible, while not losing my assertiveness. Patience is important when working with different stakeholders with varying expectations. However, sometimes I need to be firm, especially when handling payment issues. All this requires a great level of professionalism and a balanced approach."

What experience do you have that will help you in this position?

Suitable candidates usually have practical real estate experience combined with excellent administrative and property maintenance skills. Even if they have a small amount of direct experience, they could still provide examples of related experience or relevant skills. Look out for:

  • Technical understanding of rental properties maintenance
  • Can conduct well-documented inspections
  • Explain how to satisfy customers' expectations

Example:

"During my past seven years in property management, I have had many opportunities to develop within this role. I have managed single-family homes, apartments, and commercial properties. I am also an expert in planning for and understanding typical issues at rental units."

What experience do you have with working with property management software?

If a candidate has several properties in their portfolio, they have probably used property management software. You are looking for a candidate who can manage properties at your scale. It helps if you know how they can use software to bring about efficiency in management. Look for these things in their answer:

  • Working knowledge of various software
  • Ability to adjust to your current system and recommend better ones
  • Explain how to improve efficiency using software

Example:

"I love working with Buildium property management software because it allows me to take control of every aspect of the business including managing my tenants, improving operations, and rent collection. I have also worked with MRI software in my past engagements. This was an excellent platform, too, thanks to its analytics capabilities and rich partner ecosystem."

What challenges are you looking for in a property management position?

If you are operating a large portfolio or a dynamic facility, then you can benefit from a candidate who can adapt to the challenges. Candidates should be motivated to solve problems in innovative ways. Look for these things in an answer:

  • How they can effectively use their skills to solve problems
  • Explain some examples of challenges they have met
  • Demonstrate flexibility and enthusiasm

Example:

"I am motivated by challenges, and it's what I look for in any new position I take. One specific challenge I am looking for is to build my skills in renovation projects. While I have not encountered a major challenge I could not work through, if a challenge surpasses my capacity, I do not shy away from seeking support from my team."

What steps have you taken with regard to personal development, especially as it relates to this role?

This question allows prospective candidates to demonstrate their efforts towards personal and professional development. It should tell you if the candidate is self-motivated and growth-oriented. Look for these things in the answer:

  • Self-driven
  • Demonstrate their ability to adapt to industry trends
  • Explain their plans for professional development

Example:

"I took it upon myself to pursue a real estate administration course at a local college. Through this course, I sharpened my communication and teamwork skills, while improving my property managerial skills."

Can you describe a conflict that happened on the property you managed and how you overcame it?

Ideally, you should be looking for a passionate and tactical manager who can navigate issues arising from the management of the property. Candidates with specific examples can often be more credible. In their answer, look for:

  • Genuine examples of past conflicts
  • Demonstrate emotional maturity and ability to manage stressful situations
  • Lessons learned from past disagreements

Example:

"There was one tenant who had a distasteful reputation for playing loud music which was disturbing neighbours. To aid in resolution, I had to remind him politely of the terms of the contract and possible consequences. I also had several other meetings with him, which resulted in better relations with his neighbours."

Share an example of a time in which you experienced a major challenge in your work.

The reason for asking this question is to find out candidates' attitudes towards challenges and what they consider difficult. Look out for:

  • Not afraid of challenges
  • Going beyond the call of duty to deliver in challenging situations
  • Readiness to learn and adapt to changes

Example:

"I experienced a challenge in my work when one of my properties flooded due to a storm. In order to mitigate damage, I contacted flood control maintenance workers as soon as possible and hired their services. We were able to minimize water damage and replace the carpets immediately to avoid mould. In this situation, I learned the importance of planning ahead to prevent the hazards that weather can cause to properties."

Walk me through the process of how you choose prospective tenants for the properties under your control.

A candidate needs to demonstrate their ability to keep a property consistently occupied and profitable. In their response to this question, the candidate should show confidence in the process of acquiring tenants. Answers should include:

  • Explain their operation strategy to improve the property performance
  • Show their professionalism in the hiring, especially when it comes to profiling tenants
  • Creativity in sourcing for the right tenants

Example:

"In order to choose prospective tenants for the properties under my control, I confirm whether the tenant meets the requirements of the property manager by analyzing their identification, proof of income, credit history and other application information. In order to reach a wide audience and get the attention of potential tenants, I usually market the property on social media."

Please illustrate an example of how you go about attracting prospective tenants. Were you satisfied with the outcome?

Attracting quality tenants to your rental property is crucial to sustaining an uninterrupted income supply from your property. This question can help you understand which candidates can go out of their way to find the right tenants. Look out for:

  • Ability to take initiative
  • Creativity in sourcing for the right tenants
  • Demonstrate a history of running cost-effective operations

Example:

"To attract good tenants, I usually find out what renters are looking for and where they are looking. I prefer a diversified approach to advertise rental properties, including online and local classified ads. However, the actual work starts when communicating with clients. That is when I can understand their concerns. Most of them usually expect a quick response to their question."

Describe your typical work week in your property management role.

The reason for asking this question is to allow prospective candidates to discuss what they do while handling their roles. It will also let you gauge if these candidates match the current job opening. Look for these things in the answer:

  • Flexibility to adjust to a new position
  • How they organise and prioritise their work
  • Explain how they handle their tasks

Example:

"On a typical Monday morning, I go through my email and voicemail. After that, I check into my task planner and allocate time for all the tasks at hand, including meetings and inspections. I also leave time for unexpected events."

How would you describe your leadership style as an Assistant Property Manager?

If you have several properties, then your assistant property manager will likely be working with a team. That's why it's important to find out from the candidate how they work with people, be they customers or co-workers. Here's what to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to collabourate and build a team
  • Demonstrate experience in delegating responsibilities
  • Mentorship and feedback

Example:

"I believe in empowering and building a close team. While each team member will have set roles, they should be interdependent on one another. Each member of the team should also grow as an individual. That is why I delegate responsibilities and authority to my team. I also believe in providing real-time feedback."

What does it take to motivate junior employees effectively, and how would they describe you? 

It's important that a candidate can demonstrate their ability to lead a team, inspire others and manage group tasks. Look for these things in their answer:

  • Explain how they build their team
  • Demonstrate experience working in a team
  • Guidance and direction

Example:

"Positive feedback is critical in motivating junior employees. I believe in empowering and supporting my staff. My colleagues can count on me, and I also enjoy working with them. If you were to meet them today, they will tell you I am a team player and collabourator. My direct reports will also tell you I am a positive and encouraging leader."

Without going into details, what drives you to want to work with us in this position? 

This is a great way to test your applicants' proactiveness. You may be interested in seeing how a candidate understands your company's culture, values, drive, or even competitive advantage. Look out for:

  • Understanding of your company
  • Explain their motivation to pursue their dreams in your organisation
  • What they will bring on board

Example:

"Obviously, I am impressed with many things about this company. One thing that motivates me to pursue this position is your emphasis on integrity because that's something I identify with. Aside from this, I'm impressed by the extensive range of properties you have, which may offer a lot of opportunities to use my skills and experience to find new growth paths."

What factors are essential within an organisation for you to work efficiently?

Consider trying to understand the candidate's drive, value system, and their version of a pleasant work environment. For instance, some may value ethical leadership, stability, or even employee benefits packages. You should look for these things in their answer:

  • What drives a candidate
  • Values and principles
  • How they relate with the employer and senior management

Example:

"Trust is important to me. When my superiors trust me to deliver on a given job, I usually exceed expectations. Lack of trust will likely impede daily operations. To some extent, this might jeopardize my ability to work at my best level."

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