Introduction

Property management is arguably one of the most understudied topics in the real estate literature. It receives less attention from scholars than issues related to real estate development, finance and investment, leaving a notable gap in the existing body of knowledge. This is unfortunate given the profound effects property management decisions can have not only on the performance of real estate assets, but also on the individuals who occupy those assets as residents or tenants.

With the relative dearth of property management research in mind, this Virtual Special Issue showcases five recently published articles from Property Management that focus on achieving operational excellence in the field. They collectively suggest sound property management practices are both performance enhancing and value accretive. Further, they indicate that there are best practices real estate owners and operators should adopt, and common pitfalls they should avoid, to ensure effective management of the properties in their care. Notable examples include aligning operational models with organizations’ core competencies, conforming to regulatory requirements, adopting new technologies, and embracing a customer service-oriented approach to management tasks.

The Property Management editorial team hopes this Virtual Special Issue will serve as a resource for real estate practitioners involved in property management, as well as a call for additional research on the topic among members of the academic community.

This Virtual Issue will be freely accessible between the 28th of October and the 26th of November, 2024.

VSI Guest Editor: Dustin C. Read, Virginia Tech, USA