Why do I need a property manager, anyway?
Raine and Horne Murraylands’ Henry Cahillane and Skye Stewart introduce themselves and answer a common question.
This sponsored story is brought to you by Raine and Horne Murraylands.
So you’re looking at investing in real estate in the Murraylands.
Perhaps you’ve seen the headlines: Murray Bridge properties have grown in value more quickly than those in any other Australian town over the past five years.
Just this week, market analysts PropTrack report that regional South Australia remains the best-performing property market in the country, with 11.6 per cent growth so far in 2025.
But when you’re investing a serious amount of money, you want to be sure it is working for you, say Raine and Horne Murraylands’ Henry Cahillane and Skye Stewart.
That’s where a property manager comes in.
Here’s how the professionals can help you maximise your investment while minimising your stress.
Introducing two new faces at Raine and Horne Murraylands
Henry and Skye are two of the newest members of the Raine and Horne Murraylands team, having come on board in March and last December, respectively.
Henry brings with him 12 years’ experience in property management, trust management and marketing services with an Adelaide firm.
“I’ve been in real estate property management since I was 18 – it’s about all I know,” he says.
He takes a great deal of satisfaction in seeing the value of clients’ investment properties grow, and in making the process of investing in real estate as stress-free as possible.
“I get a lot of pleasure out of what I do,” he says.
“I get to meet a lot of tenants, a lot of property owners, and I enjoy building a rapport with people.
“I really like taking negative situations ... and, through having positive relationships with people, turning those negatives into positives.”
Skye is a Murray Bridge local but new to the industry, and undertaking a traineeship in residential property management.
She is already enjoying learning about what to look for during a routine property inspection, and which local suppliers to turn to when maintenance issues crop up.
The pair are joined in Raine and Horne’s property management team by property management assistant Meaghan Watkins, plus commercial property managers Jo Grosser and Emma Weckert.
What do I need to think about if I invest in property?
As a landlord, you will have a lot of legal responsibilities, especially since a major update to South Australia’s residential tenancy laws last July.
Landlords are required to:
- Ensure any rental property meets minimum standards
- Make sure contracts include all the necessary language and clauses, and insurance is up to date
- Process rental and other payments
- Maintain appropriate records
- Keep up to speed with legislative changes
“You can do that yourself, but it’s a lot,” Henry says.
“Landlords that do have a property manager don’t have to worry about those things – they can leave it with an expert who they know and trust.”
You’ll also want to make sure you are renting your property out at an appropriate market rate.
Fail to keep up with the market and you could do yourself out of $1000 per year or more – and that’s cash you won’t be able to turn around and spend on property maintenance or paying off a mortgage.
“It’s worth counting the cost before you decide to do it all yourself rather than getting a property manager to put in all the blood, sweat and tears,” Henry says.
What can a property manager do for me?
The job of a property manager is not just to deal with problems – like a broken bathroom fan or leaky tap – when they arise.
A good property manager will anticipate all of the problems that may arise during the course of a residential or commercial tenancy and put in place systems to address them before they can give you a headache.
“When it comes to contracts and insurance policies and all of those little things that can go wrong, it’s essential to have expert knowledge,” Henry says.
“An agency like Raine and Horne Murraylands has been managing properties for, what, 27 years?
“That sort of experience is irreplaceable.”
Ultimately, at the end of the day, you want your investment to continue growing in value, too.
That’s something a property manager can keep at the front of his or her mind.
“For (a property to increase in value), you’ve got to manage the place, do maintenance, have tenants moving in and out,” Henry says.
“I get a lot of joy out of taking that stress away from investors so they can have their money in a safe place and have it grow for them, so they can have a good retirement and do all the things they look forward to.”
- More information: Visit www.raineandhorne.com.au/murraylands, call 8532 3833 or drop into Raine and Horne Murraylands’ office at 4 Seventh Street, Murray Bridge.
Advertising to more than 20,000 highly engaged locals can do wonders for your business. Call Murray Bridge News’ Jane Intini on 0418 835 768 or email jane@murraybridge.news.
Peri Strathearn
