Anyone who has an estate manager is aware of the immense value this person brings to their life and their sanity. They give new meaning to “holding down the fort,” handling everything from making sure the household staff has stocked the fridge to overseeing maintenance on physical assets such as artwork and automobiles. Bottom line, they provide employers with peace of mind – the knowledge that whether they are in their office across town or thousands of miles away things at home are running like clockwork. Whether you already have an estate manager or are in the process of hiring one, here are some qualities they should possess and how digital tools, such as all-in-one estate management platforms, can help them take their performance to a whole new level.
Estate managers play well with others – all others. There are not too many jobs that require one to deal with so many diverse personalities simultaneously. Estate managers must be able to set strong boundaries and communicate effectively with everyone connected with the property, from you and your family and guests to vendors and service providers. This can mean being both deferential and ready to stand their ground in order ensure that excellent service is provided on a consistent basis. You can use an all-in-one solution to create a digital inventory of the household – valuable information that your estate manager has 24/7 access to and allows them to shift seamlessly between parties.
They go with the flow – the workflow. Estate managers need to simultaneously be on top of everything and understand that there will be variables they cannot control. A staff member has a family emergency and has to take a leave of absence; a storm arrives on the day outdoor renovations are scheduled to begin; or one of your oldest friends arrives in town unexpectedly and takes you up on that standing offer to visit. And this doesn’t even begin to cover all that can go awry if a special event like a wedding or gala is taking place on the property. A talented estate manager has not only the skillset, but the temperament to put out fires while keeping their cool. All-in-one solutions allow them to keep a running schedule of everything that needs to be managed and pivot when unforeseen circumstances arise.
They put everything in “the vault.” A commitment to privacy is perhaps the most important quality an estate manager can have. Organizational skills are great, but they mean little if the goings-on in your home are fodder for neighborhood gossips, social media, or some other news outlet. Your estate manager is not only the picture of discretion, but makes sure the rest of staff is as well. That said, we’ve all had those facepalm moments when we texted or emailed the wrong person by mistake. All-in-one solutions take that risk out of the equation. They create communications hubs where only trusted partners have access to-do lists and schedules; the messaging feature allows them to respond in one thread, with no need to jump back and forth between apps. Clearly, being an estate manager requires a particular set of skills, as well as a high threshold for stress. Giving them access to all-in-one solutions is a win-win, providing them with the support they need to work more efficiently while creating more balance in your household, and likely more job satisfaction for them as well.
