A familiar face in property management returns with a new team

During the past few years, Eton Property Group, one of Melbourne’s leading agencies specialising in both off the plan apartments and townhouses, has carved out its mark on our city’s property scene.

With major residential developments from North Melbourne to Malvern East, or bespoke townhouses from Fairfield to Cheltenham, the company is growing at a steady pace.

Under the tutelage of seasoned property manager Jennelle Marden, Eton Property Group has added property management to its long list of services, only strengthening its grip on Melbourne’s real estate market.

Since founding the company’s property management arm more than four years ago, Ms Marden has grown her rent roll from zero properties in 2018 to a current total of north of 400 properties.

With more than 60 years of combined experience, Ms Marden’s team of property managers is what she described as “the best team I think I have ever worked with”.

“We have a huge breadth of experience. We are only as small agency, we never want to be a big agency,” Ms Marden said.

“Sticking to that boutique feel is really important for us. That means handing out our mobile numbers, speaking to clients over the phone, being accessible to our clients. We pride ourselves on communication and efficiencies.”

“We like to pride ourselves on being the apartment specialists. We make sure we pay all outgoings for our landlords; we want to make their life as stress-free as possible, so all they need to do is collect the rent each month.”

Eton Property handles the leasing and management of properties from all over Melbourne, including Point Cook, Bundoora, Camberwell, Brighton, Docklands, and here in Southbank.

While 25 years of experience working with some of the city’s biggest agencies moulded her into the agent she is today, Ms Marden wants to keep her team small and her rent roll growing at a manageable rate, which will see its boutique and personal service continue for years to come.

“I’ve worked with larger agencies, and you can become a bit of a number, they don’t know you and they don’t know your property,” she said. “Whereas at Eton Property, I know all my landlords across our 400 properties, because as the leader of our team, I put them on.”

“We spend a lot on programs and technology that help immensely in giving a better service to owners. Whether that be a portal where they can get access to all their documents like routine inspections or conditions reports, or whether it is basic maintenance, we need to cover off.”

“Property management can be easy when it’s done correctly and by a professional. By having the experience, it pays. The experience of my team pays to invest in; you can always get cheap property management, but will that be in the best interest of landlords? The answer will almost always be no.”

According to Ms Marden, she expected the rental market to dry up, with the hope government would step in to entice investors.

“We have always maintained a under two per cent vacancy rate on our rent roll, even throughout lockdowns we managed to keep that number around the two per cent mark,” Ms Marden said.

“Using our professional skills and the latest technology, we find quality tenants, minimise vacancies and handle marketing, repairs, maintenance, accounting and legal compliance efficiently and cost-effectively.” •

For more information: etonproperty.com.au/property-management