Staff losses aren’t a new challenge in property management. In multifamily housing, turnover averages 33% annually—well above the national average.¹
When leasing agents resign and support staff exit, coverage gaps appear. Those vacancies slow operations and reduce resident satisfaction.
A talent pipeline changes that. By keeping a pool of qualified leasing and support staff ready to step in, property managers can turn Q4 losses into an opportunity to rebuild stronger teams for the year ahead.
What a Talent Pipeline Really Means
A talent pipeline is a pool of qualified, pre-screened candidates—both internal and external—who can step in as soon as vacancies appear.
Companies build these lists by staying in touch with good candidates, interns, and people they’ve met at job fairs or through networking. When a job opens up, they can quickly contact these people instead of starting their search from zero.
This saves time and reduces disruption in your community. Because candidates are already familiar with your property or brand, they’re more likely to adapt quickly and succeed on site.
Read more: How to Spot a Great Property Management Candidate—Before the Interview Even Starts
Practical Steps to Build Your Pipeline Before the New Year
Here are five ways to start building your talent pipeline now:
1. Run a Staffing Assessment
A staffing assessment is the first step toward rebuilding with intention. Instead of reacting to the vacancy in front of you, an assessment gives you a clear picture of your team.
It answers questions like:
- Which roles are most critical to daily operations?
- Which vacancies are costing the most time and resources?
- Where can existing staff cover temporarily, and where is outside help required?
Think of it as a diagnostic check for your property teams. With the results, managers can prioritize the hires that matter most and avoid wasting time on roles that won’t move the needle.
The Liberty Group supports this process with its Staffing Health Assessment. Designed specifically for multifamily housing, it pinpoints weak spots, ranks priorities, and provides a roadmap to stabilize your team before the new year.
2. Recruit Early and Keep Talent Warm
January is one of the busiest hiring months of the year. Waiting until then means competing with dozens of other employers for the same candidates.
The smarter move is to recruit early:
- Stay connected with former applicants who impressed you but weren’t hired.
- Revisit part-timers or interns who may be ready for full-time roles.
- Use AI recruiting tools to filter resumes faster and focus only on the best fits.
Early recruiting gives you a warm bench of candidates you can call the moment a vacancy opens. This is especially critical in leasing agent staffing, where even a short coverage gap can result in lost prospects or delayed renewals.
3. Redeploy Internal Talent
Your best hire might already be on your team. Redeployment means moving current employees into roles where they can add more value with minimal training.
In property management, this could look like:
- A leasing agent transitioning into an assistant property manager role.
- A maintenance technician stepping into a supervisory position.
Promoting from within fills roles faster, reduces recruiting costs, and strengthens retention. It also signals to employees that there’s room to grow—boosting loyalty at a time when keeping staff is just as important as hiring new ones.
4. Retain the People You Have
No pipeline can succeed if current staff keep leaving. That’s why retention is a pipeline strategy in itself.
During Q4, small actions can prevent costly exits:
- Offer flexible scheduling to balance holiday workloads.
- Recognize and reward high performers when stress levels peak.
- Provide spot bonuses or incentives to reinforce that their efforts matter.
Retention reduces turnover risk, saves on recruiting costs, and ensures stability during the busiest time of year.
5. Use Temporary and Temp-to-Hire Staffing
Some properties enter Q4 with little or no pipeline. In these cases, temporary staffing provides the fastest path to stability.
Temps can:
- Keep leasing desks covered.
- Handle phone calls and tours.
- Process applications and service requests.
Temp-to-hire arrangements go further. They let you “test drive” a candidate before making a long-term commitment, reducing the risk of a poor fit.
This is where a staffing partner like The Liberty Group makes a measurable difference. With a deep bench of pre-vetted, multifamily-experienced talent, Liberty can supply leasing agents, maintenance staff, and support personnel on demand. Whether you need short-term coverage or permanent placements, Liberty accelerates the pipeline-building process.
Choose The Liberty Group for your next hire.
Since 1977, property management leaders have trusted The Liberty Group to provide leasing agents, maintenance professionals, and support staff who keep communities running smoothly. Contact us today and start the new year with confidence—and a fully staffed team.
Reference
- Elliott, Kent, and Erika Daniel. “The Great Resignation Challenge.” National Apartment Association, 14 June 2022, https://naahq.org/news/great-resignation-challenge.