Real Property Management Express, a third-party property management company “dedicated to making investment easy and profitable through exceptional asset management,” was facing a critical issue. Their employee turnover had reached an alarming number.
“We had reached an all-time high at 114% turnover. Imagine hiring everybody and then losing more over the course of a year,” explains Maddie Todd, Systems Champion at Real Property Management Express.
The company had scattered documentation across various platforms, with different regions following their own unique procedures for identical tasks. This inconsistency created confusion for employees and delivered unpredictable experiences for clients.
Finding Direction Through SYSTEMology
The turning point came when the leadership team read SYSTEMology. This opened their eyes to the critical importance of standardizing processes for sustainable growth.
“What really still stands out to me is the ability to scale as a business. You can grow without nearly as many pains as you would before if you have these processes documented,” Maddie shared.
Initially using Asana for process documentation, they were creating extensive task lists with embedded Loom videos. However, the approach wasn’t driving adoption – employees were overwhelmed by checklists with 40+ tasks for processing a single application.
“Initially there was not a huge adoption rate. They’re like, ‘why are we doing it this way?'” She recalls. The breakthrough came when their CEO Josh and Maddie recognized the need for a different approach.
Implementation: Systematizing for Success
Real Property Management Express transformed their operations by:
- Consolidating scattered documentation into systemHUB while maintaining Asana for project management
- Implementing inspiration from David Jenyns’ video on integrating systemHUB with Asana
- Separating procedural documentation (how-to) from task management (what to do)
- Standardizing processes across all regions – going from six different ways of processing applications to one streamlined approach
- Incorporating systems review into their company culture to ensure continuous improvement
- Creating standardized onboarding processes that gave new employees a clear roadmap
- Leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT to accelerate process documentation (added after initial implementation)
Results: Dramatic Reduction in Turnover and Improved Consistency
The impact of this systematization effort was remarkable. After implementing systemHUB and standardizing processes, employee turnover dropped from 114% to 72% in the first year, then further decreased to 56% the following year – better than their 2019 baseline when they began tracking.
“We’re really seeing employees feel like they have a place to go when they have questions. For onboarding, you have a roadmap, you have an understanding of what’s to come, what comes next. How do I do this? Go look it up and find the answer. People really appreciate that,” Maddie explains.
Beyond employee retention, the customer experience improved through consistency. “Not only are people in the company knowing what’s going on, but the customer experience improved overall because people are getting the same consistent experience.”
Key Lessons for Aspiring Systems Champions
For businesses looking to implement systems in their organizations:
- “Find that key person and invest your time into them. That person is going to come out on the other side truly believing in the mission and the goals you’re trying to achieve in your vision.”
- Business owners must demonstrate to the team that systematization is important, not just delegate it
- A successful Systems Champion needs attention to detail, comfort with technology, and genuine curiosity about how the business works
- Leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to accelerate documentation – “With the right prompt engineering, it’s really something that’s achievable at a much faster pace than you think.”
- Standardized processes significantly improve both employee onboarding efficiency and customer experience consistency
When someone understands the end goal deeply, “they’re gonna take that way further than you expected,” Maddie emphasizes. The Systems Champion role can become a pathway to broader leadership positions as these individuals gain visibility across the entire organization.
The Journey Continues
Today, Mouneeb’s business continues to thrive with systems as its foundation. What began as a financial crisis has transformed into a sustainable business model that delivers consistent results for clients.
“We’re way better off today than we were back then,” Mouneeb reflects. “Now we’re set up for scaling our agency and also launching our platform Optimize.net for helping other businesses scale their marketing services as well.”
Ready to Build Your Systems?
Are you ready to reduce employee turnover and create consistent customer experiences in your property management business? Take the next step with a 30-day free trial of systemHUB and begin documenting your critical business processes today.
