Property management remains one of the most taxing sectors within real estate, burdened by relentless deadlines, emotional demands, and minimal tolerance for mistakes. The core issue extends beyond daily stress—it lies in retaining skilled managers when exhaustion and turnover rates refuse to improve.
Ashleigh Goodchild, who leads PM Collective and serves as director of SOCO Realty, rejects the idea that conventional wellness benefits, such as extra vacation days or small gifts, can address the problem. Last year, the company experimented with a $1,000 annual wellness fund for services like spa treatments. The initiative failed to reduce burnout, leaving the fundamental pressures intact.
This approach changed in 2024. Instead of superficial perks, SOCO Realty partnered with Updoc, a telehealth platform providing free, immediate doctor visits, referrals, and prescriptions without appointment delays or leaving the workplace. Within a month, a quarter of the 20-person onshore team had scheduled consultations.
Privacy is protected by requiring employees to register using personal email addresses rather than company accounts. Goodchild emphasizes that time constraints prevent managers from addressing health issues, taking sick leave often feels impractical. Telehealth eliminates this friction by allowing quick prescriptions and rapid returns to work.
The service extends to children covered under parents’ Medicare, further reducing disruptions. Working parents no longer face the choice between handling minor illnesses and maintaining productivity. “They can address the issue efficiently and return to their responsibilities without delay,” Goodchild explains.
Beyond employee welfare, the program delivers measurable business outcomes. Fewer sick days ease the workload for remaining staff, ensuring smoother operations and uninterrupted client service. Goodchild frames this as a leadership responsibility: “When teams are frequently absent or overworked, it signals deeper management failures.”
Most workplace wellness initiatives address symptoms rather than root causes, often relying on stress-relief workshops or generic support. Goodchild’s strategy targets the core obstacle: lack of accessible healthcare. “Everyone will need medical attention at some point,” she states. “This isn’t about adding extras, it’s about simplifying essential needs.”
The company’s shift aligns with industry-wide discussions on workforce well-being. As expectations evolve, reliable healthcare may soon rank alongside salary and flexible hours as a non-negotiable benefit, particularly in high-stakes roles like property management. Goodchild’s stance is unambiguous: “Discussions about well-being must translate into concrete actions.”
Early results validate the approach. In an industry plagued by chronic burnout, removing obstacles to basic healthcare has proven effective. The focus now is on scaling solutions that address systemic inefficiencies rather than superficial fixes.
For property owners seeking to streamline transactions, similar operational efficiencies could apply, though the core challenge remains human-centered: sustainable retention through practical support.
