Navigating Mental Health in Property Management: Main Points Recap
Work-related stress is a growing issue across all industries, but in property management, it’s especially pressing. In their TAA ONE Conference Session, Completing the Picture: Mental Health for Employers and Employees – What You Want to Know, Victoria Cowart (Director of Education and Multifamily Enterprise Sales at PetScreening), Stephanie Loyd (National Account Executive at Smart Apartment Data), Ebony Parks (Instructional Design Training Manager at Mercy Housing), and John Sons (Director of Training & Marketing Strategies at Burlington Capital Properties) dove into the extremely relevant topic of mental health in the workplace.
For property professionals—from on-site teams to executives—the emotional demands of the job are intense and often personal, given the nature of serving residents where they live.
Key stressors include job insecurity, particularly in affordable housing, fear of retaliation for discussing mental health, and a lack of awareness around support programs like EAPs.
It is important to understand the level of strain has real consequences: severely distressed employees may lose up to 33% of their productivity and miss 13 workdays annually—compared to just 1.5 days for those in good mental health.
Consider these alarming stats from the U.S. Department of Labor:
- 83% of workers in the United States suffer from work-related stress.
- 54% of US workers report work stress affects their home life.
The J. Turner Research survey, conducted with the National Apartment Association, revealed that half of the respondents scored in the mild to severe distress range.
Recent industry surveys highlight growing concerns around workplace well-being—but also offer a dose of hope. Swift Bunny’s four-year study of over 2,600 participants revealed similar troubling trends, with 85% of workers indicating that employer actions could positively impact their mental health. This insight is encouraging—it shows that thoughtful, intentional efforts from employers can lead to real, positive change
Leaders have a powerful role to play. They can improve communication around available support, normalize mental health conversations to reduce stigma, check in regularly with their teams, and provide transparency around job stability. These steps can create a healthier, more resilient workforce—and ensure that support isn’t just available, but truly accessible.
In an industry built on care and service, taking care of the people behind the properties is essential. Mental health support isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good for business and better for everyone.