residence manager

leasing agent

groundskeeper

commercial property manager

plumber

Killam Apartment REIT

This company treats its employees fairly, the financial perks of the job on top of the above average pay is solid. I work with 5 people, all of whom are kind and welcoming and eager to work as a team. You’re never left to your own devices, they’re always willing to help. My supervisor, the property manager, is kind, compassionate and very much understands the importance of a work life balance. However she is also assertive in the ways a boss should be, good luck to anyone wanting to take advantage of her willingness to give. IMO that is a great balance to have as a boss. My partner is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He is very smart, absolutely hard working, and always available to help me when I’m overwhelmed with tasks. This job isn’t for everyone, task wise some may find this job too busy during shift hours, but with that said this job also allows a lot of freedom that many would, and do, take advantage of. Some employees, as is typical with any job, would like to take advantage of a job that offers trust to its employees. However if you care about the tenants and their quality of life, and are attentive during work hours, as well as attentive to the cleaning and other tasks that are asked of you in this job, you will be very well treated and taken care of by your employer. Everyone here is extremely understanding to circumstances, nothing is asked of anyone here that is unreasonable. If you are a hard worker, you will be treated accordingly.  I’ve been here for a few months so far, and it’s the best work environment that I’ve ever been apart of. 

As someone new to the corporate world, I had some low expectations coming into this office job - lots of cubicles, lots of silence, typical boring 9-5. However, working at Killam has actually been really enjoyable for me, and I can list my reasons why: 
1. Community Focused
The management here cares about people who are looking for a place to live. They care about the team they work with (from maintenance to office employees). The community-based work we do is very fulfilling, and the volunteer days offered by Killam are a great initiative in my opinion. It allows the team to get to know each other outside of the office setting while contributing to a good cause. 
2. Good office morale 
I find my team specifically is very cheerful and amazing at collaborating and communicating. On days where it is stressful and busy, it is nice to know the people around you have your back. Overall, this allows me to be happier coming into work. 
3. Good Compensation 
I understand everyone has different expectations of salary, but for me personally I feel like the entry level jobs compensate us well and allow room for monetary growth within the company, and as a professional. It is a great incentive for employees and contributes to the energy and willingness to work, especially in today's economy. 
4. Freedom 
Where typically in other jobs, you have a clear strict schedule, here at Killam you get to have a lot of freedom throughout your day. This works well for me because some days require different needs. As long as you are a committed and hard worker, you can enjoy the benefits of this freedom. 

Constant pressure from management to work more even when your tasks are completed. Loosely designed contracts that require you to do whatever additional duties they add without compensation. Very hard to maintain a balance of home and work as you are required to do whatever is needed whenever you are asked. 24/7. Benefit package is good but salary barely covers the amounts they charge you for rent and you are required to live where you work. Most resident managers are considered part time employees even though they are required to perform many tasks daily and be on call 24/7. So salary reflects this part time employee status and then they take your rent off your salary and you get whatever is left. Management is constantly changing so any good relationship you have built up over time is back to square one almost every year. Hard to get upgrades to units done, contractors sometimes go a long time before receiving payment. Very high turn over rate in all positions of employment. No loyalty to hard working contractors if it means saving a few dollars.

My score seems pretty damning, but look. 

Pros:
Direct management and upper management is understanding and willing to try new things for your success and success of the office. The overall vibe of the place is good, and it's a decent environment to work in. 

Cons:
Oh my, where do I begin? 
Your job depends on how well others do their job. This is a fact amongst all positions. There is no parity to how things should be done - Resident managers do whatever they want, whenever they want. Property managers slack off and leave you to do all the work in their place. There is zero work life balance, and I mean zero. Sure, you might not be in the office, but on vacation, on sick days, whenever - you are expected to be able to take calls both for coworkers and clients. This is the worst kind of work life balance...you are not even safe in your home, and you never will be. 

Also, pay sucks for doing 60 hr work weeks. It's salary because they know "after" hours takes up a huge chunk of your work.


Working for Killam was a good learning experience for me. Most of the staff at Head Office are great, but there is not alot of training or support for anyone in the West. Keep in mind that the head office is in Halifax, NS and they are just starting to branch out west with locations in Edmonton and Calgary. I did learn alot from them but did leave due to conflict with the director. I did not feel that my voice was being heard and that I had no where to turn to so that it could be resolved. As to be honest I did not know who I could trust. So I felt that the best thing I could do for my team was to leave my position so that they would not be affected. Overall my experience was good but as a property manager you have no work life balance and it can be a real struggle when you feel that you have no support from head office or HR to back you up. I would work for them again but I would make sure that there were some very strong ground rules in place before starting.

Some really great people work here. Most very hard working, but they get taken advantage of. Every business expects a lot from their employees, but Killam takes it to a whole new level. I’ve watched people really go above and beyond for this company, and they just expect more and more. 

Head office is disconnected and out of touch with the other regions and staff. Rarely visit. Many of them live in their own bubble and have no concept of what their employees actually do for them on a daily basis. 

I don’t think any of this is malicious, just short sighted and out of touch. 

The company takes fairly good care of their properties, certainly better than most. They do a stellar job of serving their tenants, despite sometimes unreasonable demands. 

They have some great core values, now only if they would follow them.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The team. Killam is not a job. It’s a career.  

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I am honestly not stressed.  We will always some across a couple of moments that frustrate us, deep breath. We figure it out and lots of support. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Absolutely wonderful. I enjoy the people in and  my workspace, friendly , always an ear to listen. Always a meal shared  for some event and fresh fruit waiting for us every morning.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Office by 8. Say good morning to a few regulars.   Male a coffee , grab some fruit and start my leasing role at my desk. I enjoy doing viewings throughout the day, getting my steps in.

Though the title is Resident Manager, building caretaker is a better description of the position. They are very picky over their cleanliness and presentation of the building. It can be very very mentally taxing as it is very difficult to adjust the work life balance, but maintaining proper personal boundaries with your tenants greatly reduces this stress. You will deal with nightmare tenants but the company has almost always got your back. They do treat their employees well, and cost of living is significantly reduced, the salary is quite low even with the small opportunites to gain a dollar or two here and there with extra work. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
They treat you like family. Each employee plays an important part in the success of the company and they make sure you are aware that your work does not go unnoticed. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Just like any job deadlines can be stressful. However they always give ample time to complete any tasks given.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
As I have already stated it's a family. We laugh, we joke but we always get the job done. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Everyday is different.  Some days are busy busy some are really slow but we always had things to keep us busy.

Management have no regard for employees.  They are just tools to make the company money.  There is a lot of mistreatment of staff and lack of concern for their health and safety.

The work never ends and you are expected to be available at all times whether you're ill or on holidays.  They will praise you if things go well but make it very clear to all staff who are the under performers.  They are very quick to throw you under the bus if there is a problem.  There is no support and honesty between management and staff.  HR and management are corrupt and unethical.  If you want to throw away your personal life and your health, this is the place to be.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Residence manager 18 salaries reported	$52,056 per year
Leasing agent 9 salaries reported	$50,111 per year
Groundskeeper 10 salaries reported	$19.80 per hour
Commercial property manager 5 salaries reported	$85,000 per year
Plumber 3 salaries reported	$32.50 per hour

Working at Killam Apartment REIT: company overview and reviews

Killam Apartment REIT

Killam Apartment REIT ratings

Popular jobs at Killam Apartment REIT

Salary satisfaction

Job seeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected