Mary’s a country girl at heart, but what she doesn’t know about city property management isn’t worth knowing. Born and raised in the Waikato, within a property-obsessed family, she worked as a school teacher before being lured into property management in 1995 by her husband Pat Taylor.

“Reflecting on how things have changed since I first ventured into property management is a revelation. Back then, property management was seen as the ‘Cinderella’ of the real estate world. That certainly isn’t the case anymore. As home ownership levels decline and tenancies lengthen, the need for expert property management has increased. Our relationships with tenants and owners are much more enduring, which makes property management more interesting and rewarding as a career choice.”

A great believer in work/life balance, Mary encourages her team to stay fit and take regular holidays. She knows that property management is a demanding vocation, so she prefers her managers to focus on quality rather than quantity within their portfolio. Mary also insists that best-practice property management is not compatible with a big ego. The best property managers have a humble streak, which means they put client satisfaction and tenant happiness ahead of their own glory.

“The challenges of new legislation are constant and require careful handling, because we don’t want our property owners to get stung with penalties for non-compliance. By working together, we’ve found the best ways to stay on top of Healthy Homes standards. There’s an immense pool of knowledge within the Taylor Rentals team. Everyone’s willing to share their ideas and experiences, so sticky problems get thrashed out until the best solution is found.”

When she’s not managing the managers at Taylor Rentals, Mary enjoys walking her dog on Mt Eden. She and her husband Pat also love catching up with their adult children – they have a daughter in the Auckland advertising industry and a son who’s into property investment in Minnesota, USA.