Bloom Property Management

16/09/2026

Want to make your own home, and/or your rental property, more sustainable?

More comfortable and benefits occupants health and wellbeing?

Less likely to have weather related insurance claims?

More resilient in an emergency?

Be cheaper to live in?

Want ideas to extend your retirement years in your own home, rather than aged care?

Want to know what is real and what is greenwashing when it comes to home improvements?

I'm hosting this course through Tawa Community Education that's a must attend if any of these issues are relevant to you.

https://tawacomed.co.nz/course/future-proofing-your-home-term-3/

Can't make this date? Ask to go on the wait list for next term.

Tawa College Community Education offers a wide range of affordable courses, workshops, and seminars designed to help people in our community learn new skills, explore creative interests, and connect with others.

02/09/2026

Check out some of my story on Opes Property Podcast

She Was Broke. Now She Owns 10 Rental Properties.… | Opes Partners

In this Case Study Sunday, Jackie shares how she went from being too poor to heat her flat at uni to a place of security. Want to share your story on Case…

12/08/2026

Should you “test” prospective property managers you want to hire by pretending to be a tenant?

I saw a post recently suggesting landlords should pose as prospective tenants to see how a property manager treats them. As a property manager, I can tell you — that “test” won’t show you what you think it will.

Here’s what people often forget:
We want to rent your property just as much as you do. If it’s empty, we don’t get paid. Every viewing costs us time, money, and opportunity, so we’re motivated to secure the right person quickly. We also juggle multiple commitments, so we can’t always drop everything for an after‑hours viewing. Good managers know how to prioritise and work with people for mutually beneficial outcomes.

The original poster was upset that the manager they “tested” wouldn’t make a special after‑hours appointment for them (as a fake tenant) and felt they were being rude. I wasn’t the manager involved, but I can take a pretty good guess at what was happening.

Great property managers have finely tuned instincts — a kind of professional Spidey sense — for authenticity and for how well a long‑term relationship is likely to go. If you call with a fake story and immediately start being difficult about viewings, you’re not going to pass that instinct test. You will not be a good enough liar to convince an experienced PM you’re a genuine tenant. We are, frankly, living lie detectors.

So yes, they’ll be resistant to wasting time on someone who already feels like a “nope”. That’s not rudeness — that’s protecting the landlord (and themselves) from future grief. If you don’t understand that not everyone is the right fit for your property and your mental health, you’re in the wrong business.

How accurate is that instinct?
Pretty accurate. I can usually tell from the very first interaction whether I’ll enjoy working with a tenant — how they enquire, how they talk about themselves, how they communicate availability, and how they handle potential issues. Is that a skill or a bias? Let me give you an example.

One day, my team got a call from someone who didn’t seem “right”. They tried to schedule them into a group viewing. The caller refused. The team member passed them to me. My instinct also said “heck no”, but I couldn’t pinpoint why, so I foolishly agreed to meet them. Every day is a school day, and wow, did I learn.

They weren’t interested in the property at all. They were targeting property managers and real estate agents with the intent to assault. I stayed safe — thankfully — and was very glad I hadn’t sent one of my younger team members. When I alerted the PM community, many others reported the same caller, and many had already refused to meet them because their instincts screamed “no”. Police were involved.

I’m not saying every odd caller is dangerous — far from it. Plenty of people are just socially awkward (that’s half my friend group). I can tell the difference.

But remember: we spend our days alone in other people’s houses. We have to keep our self‑defence instincts sharp. So if you ring a property manager with a fake story, don’t be surprised if they don’t want to make special accommodations. Their lie‑detector is carefully honed, and they intend to keep surviving this job.

So what should you do instead?

Match your ethics and values with those of your property manager. It’s a partnership, not a dictatorship.

Have a conversation - find out how they would deal with certain situations, listen for their confidence that comes with experience, ask yourself if you like them?

I’m an open book, and I love clients and tenants who are the same. I keep confidences, I work best with honesty, and I match the energy I’m given.

I’ve turned down prospective clients who play things too close to their chest — trust is vital in this industry - I can't do my job if I need to check in with you on every decision, and I need you to honour the commitments you make too. I’ve done the same with tenants. If I don’t feel someone is being fully honest, they don’t get the property. It’s simple.

Honest conversations prevent difficult conversations.
If you feel you need to start a relationship with deceit, is that really a relationship the other person wants to be in? For me — and for most experienced property managers with healthy boundaries — it’s a hard no.

04/08/2026

Ready for anything... including inspections in snow flurries.
It's cold today, that's for sure.

17/07/2026

Things escalated quickly, and it’s clear my sense of humour didn’t translate yesterday, so let’s unpack that. I owe everyone some context — and some accountability.

Yesterday I made what I thought was a light hearted post about people asking to negotiate rent because they consider themselves “perfect tenants.” It went viral, and not in the way I expected.

A lot of people read my humour as malice, elitism, or even unlawful intent. That wasn’t my intention, and I can see now that my wording didn’t land the way I meant it to.
In this economy, people are understandably sensitive about housing and affordability. I’m living in the same economy — hoping my 21 year old Mazda with the check engine light on will pass its WOF, juggling my own obligations, and doing my best like everyone else. I would never mock someone’s ability to pay rent. That fear is real, and I know it personally.
My humour is how I cope. As a GenX, late diagnosed neuro spicy human, I sometimes miss the mark and don’t realise it until the comments section is on fire. This was one of those times.

Some people interpreted my joke as “soliciting tenants to pay more rent,” which is absolutely not what I was doing. I can see how the phrasing created that impression, and that’s on me. It was a flippant remark, not a request, and certainly not an attempt to pressure anyone. Tenants can offer more rent if they choose — that’s simply how the law works — but I wasn’t asking for that. I should have been clearer.

If I were saying it again, I’d phrase it safely and plainly: “You can offer whatever rent you like as part of your application; we will consider it.” Not funny, but definitely less explosive.

The real point I was trying (and failing) to make is that when someone calls themselves a “perfect tenant,” their definition often doesn’t match the landlord’s. Asking for a discount doesn’t make someone bad — it just means our criteria aren’t aligned yet. Peace of mind does matter to landlords, but we usually need to see it in practice before reflecting it in rent reviews.

I’ve had many genuinely perfect tenants — modest, responsible people who hold themselves to a high standard and never call themselves perfect. I’d choose humility over bravado any day.

I also want to be clear about something important: I genuinely want to educate tenants. Not in a patronising way, but because good information helps people secure the homes they want. I see so many applicants who are doing their absolute best but have been given advice that doesn’t match how the process actually works. If I can demystify things, reduce stress, and help people present strong applications, that’s a win for everyone. Education is one of the few tools that makes the housing process less intimidating and more empowering.

I also want to address the broader perception that landlords and tenants are on opposing teams. I don’t believe that. I work hard to make homes warmer, more comfortable, more affordable, and more environmentally responsible. I try to operate in partnership with tenants, not in competition with them. I’m a real person doing my best, and sometimes that includes saying something stupid that doesn’t land.

So yes — I’m taking ownership of my poor choice of words. There was no malice, no prejudice, and no unlawful intent. Just humour that didn’t translate and a reminder that online, context gets lost fast.

Not all landlords are right wing a holes. Some of us care deeply — and sometimes we mess up publicly while trying to be human.

17/07/2026

What would you say to this? Here's my actual answer:

Kia ora ######X,

Thank you for asking, I’m always happy to be transparent with all our processes. My answer whenever someone asks this is ‘yes, I’m happy to accept a higher rent’ because that really would make them the perfect tenant. For some reason, no one ever means what I hope they mean when they ask if the rent is negotiable. By all means surprise me by being the exception. 😊

We keep rent increases lower for our tenants who are meeting the ‘perfect’ criteria, so yes, there is movement in the price for the right people. We can’t do it right at the outset as we would miss out on another perfect tenant who is willing to pay the advertised price. Of course, we have had people nominate themselves perfect, then fail to live up to that high expectation, so we prefer to defer judgement and reward proven performance.

Hope that helps clarify our stance on rent movement, and I look forward to seeing you at the next viewing. Please confirm you are able to make it, I love meeting perfect people, it keeps me humble.

Kind regards,
Jackie Thomas-Teague
Chief Problem Solver

09/06/2026

I'm currently working through a complex issue with a large corporation. It's been an exercise in frustration that has gone on for far far too long. But, they don't know me. I'm stubborn. I'm determined. I'm persistent. I'm not afraid to ask questions and point out attitudes and problems. I'm well connected and not afraid to make a new connection to help the cause. I will get to the bottom of it with a satisfactory resolution.

I can't name names as it's an ongoing matter, but I can liken it to going to a cafe for a coffee.

If this was us ordering a coffee, it would be akin to the café spilling tea in our handbag, the first barista goes on their lunch break, the replacement claims the coffee machine is busy, is waiting for beans to be delivered, ignores us when we ask for a napkin to dry out our handbag, and the finally gave us a dirty glass of lukewarm water.

When we reminded the cafe we ordered and paid for coffee, they get upset with us and start calling us names. They then order parts for the coffee machine. Then order a mug. They eventually get round to fitting the parts, but it needed a specialist. There is another shift change. The music in the café is unbearably loud so they can’t hear us.

We ask if we can change our order to a can of soda. Or maybe a milkshake if that's easier? We don't get an answer.

The management glare at us when we talk to the other patrons and staff. One of the staff, who placed the beans order, is told not to say anything to us, not even 'hello'. Others have their own coffee threatened.

Two months later, we get served a coffee milkshake. It isn’t what we ordered. It’s melted, and served in a chipped glass. It might have spit in it. There are no marshmallows to be seen anywhere, and the spoon looks suspiciously greasy. They won’t tell us what milk they used. They want to charge extra because it took longer to make, even though it's not what we ordered. They expect us to be grateful.

All we wanted is a quality coffee, exactly as we ordered, delivered in a reasonable timeframe by a friendly barista. Is that really too much to ask?

This post is not about cafe's nor coffee.

Hopefully one day soon I can share the lessons learned.

05/06/2026

Celebrating diversity in our communities, all day, every day.

02/06/2026

31/05/2026

Trees are powerful. They have values we don't measure, but should. Here's things to consider before cutting them down:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019036800/auckland-arborist-on-tree-care-for-wild-weather?fbclid=IwVERTSASJiGZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR7MkrVMqqiQLWATJWw9lLo3PXvdszHTxhKHN4iwK2KgQxvUPGBhq_TMi6D-ow_aem_eFvS6BOxErw5s-t88mVruw

Despite recent major weather events uprooting trees and snapping large branches an Auckland arborist is making the case for tree owners to not make hasty decisions to remove them.