Scaling Property Management Without Burning People Out

When I spoke with Mel Jerzyna, the conversation didn’t start with growth. It started with control.

Mel runs one of the more operationally mature property management businesses I come across. She’s pragmatic, direct, and very clear on what does and doesn’t work at scale. So when she talks about growth, it’s never abstract. It’s grounded in what her team can actually sustain.

“We’ve been on Ailo just over a year now,” she told me. “Best decision. I’ve got no complaints whatsoever.”

That wasn’t said lightly. It came after a year of real-world use, not a honeymoon period.

Over the last year, Mel’s business has materially increased capacity. Where portfolios once sat around 120 properties per manager, they’re now comfortably operating well above 200.

What mattered wasn’t the headline number. It was how little drama came with it.

That framework has become the backbone of how her team works. Projects define the work. Actions surface what matters. Visibility replaces guesswork.

And that visibility extends across the team.

That shift has changed how the team supports each other. Instead of work being hidden in individual inboxes or heads, it’s shared and visible.

“They jump in and help each other because it’s so transparent,” she said.

One of the most striking parts of our conversation was Mel’s story about Wayne.

Wayne joined the business in December. He came from recruitment, not property management. No PM background. No trust accounting history. Three months in, he’s managing over 200 properties.

“He’s running 218,” Mel said, almost casually. “And his response time is 6.9 minutes.”

That number matters because it reframes the conversation entirely. This isn’t about heroic individuals. It’s about systems doing the heavy lifting.

When I asked why she hired him, Mel didn’t talk about experience.

“It was his common sense,” she said. “Recruitment is dying. He knew it. He could see that property management isn’t going anywhere. That told me he wasn’t stupid.”

She also noticed how prepared he was.

“He came to the interview with the legislation printed out,” she said. “He’d already rattled off half of it.”

But here’s the critical part. Three years ago, Wayne wouldn’t have been a viable hire.

“You would’ve needed someone with ten years’ experience,” I said to her. “The risk would’ve been too high.”

She didn’t disagree.

“With Ailo and the projects in place, it’s pretty much foolproof,” she said. “You follow the steps. That’s it.”

Technical knowledge still matters, but it no longer defines who can succeed. Transferable skills do.

Relationship management, organisation, energy & judgment capabilities. Those are now the attributes Mel looks for.

Across the team, the numbers tell the story.

“We’ve got portfolios at 162, 218, 225,” she said. “Most of the team is over 200 now.”

Response times are measured in minutes, not days.

“In the old world, we measured reply time in days,” I said. “Now you’re talking minutes.”

Mel nodded.

“Our average is 7.6 minutes,” she said.

What that means for clients is consistency. What it means for leaders is predictability.

“I can see exactly what’s happening,” she said. “Who’s got actions outstanding. Where we need to help.”

That visibility has also changed how Mel leads.

“I’m not guessing anymore,” she said. “I’m not waiting for something to blow up.”

Towards the end of our conversation, Mel touched on something that comes up often in this industry. Fear of change.

Then she paused.

That insight is consistent with everything else she described. When systems reduce mental load, people stop resisting change because it no longer feels like risk.

“It was the best change I made without knowing it,” she said.

Mel’s story isn’t about chasing growth at all costs. It’s about creating the conditions where growth becomes possible without breaking people.

By putting structure in place, she’s changed who she can hire, how quickly people can succeed, and how confidently the team can scale.

Ailo didn’t replace experience in her business. It redistributed it.

And in doing so, it’s allowed Mel to build a team that grows together, supports each other, and keeps raising the bar without burning out.

That’s not a feature story. It’s a growth story.