This is a front-facing property operations role with growth potential and team leadership — but it also means balancing resident demands, maintenance issues, and administrative load.
I’d ask for the unit count and staffing before deciding - my last RSM role was [redacted] with one LC and it turned into constant triage. Also clarify Saturday hours and after-hours escalation; being on-call every week burned me out. If they use Yardi/Knock and offer renewal/Google review bonuses, it can be a solid move.
I’d ask for the unit count and support staff first; in Atlanta, an RSM covering 300+ doors with one LC turns into nonstop triage. With salary not listed, I’d want comp and on-call/Saturday expectations in writing, plus what PMS they use beyond Microsoft Office. I’d take it if the team’s properly staffed and service tickets aren’t funneling through one person.
Co-signing @adam4339 — before saying yes, I always ask to see the last 3 months of ORA/Kingsley trends and the current open service request count; in my last Atlanta RSM stint, [redacted] with 120+ open SRs told me I’d be in triage for weeks — do they share backlog + review trends in interviews?
Quick gut check: ask for a sample of the weekly Excel reporting they expect — , I took an Atlanta RSM role where ‘simple Microsoft Office reports’ turned out to be a 25‑tab deck that ate two hours a day. I also ask whether you get a resident event budget and service-recovery authority (like comping a late fee up to $100) so you’re not escalating every tiny thing. @adam4339, do you know if Windsor gives RSMs centralized call-center support these days?
I got burned once when a ‘Resident Services Manager I’ role came with a $75/month events budget for 350 homes — , every escalation got harder without small goodwill credits. Before I’d say yes, I’d pin down your resident engagement budget, on‑the‑spot credit authority (e.g., can you comp up to $100 without PM sign‑off), how bonus is calculated (renewals/ORA), and what ‘Microsoft Office’ work really means — mail merges and notices or data cleanup all day.
Learned the hard way: ask to see package volume vs. locker capacity and the amenity booking rules; if those are shaky, an RSM I can lose 3+ hours a day to tickets. Also ask, “Who owns renewals and late-fee waivers?” — if it’s you without clear thresholds (e.g., <$50 vs. <$250), it’s a grind; negotiate authority or pass.
But piggybacking on @molwhit’s ops angle, nail down “Who owns renewals and collections?” — in my last RSM I, the “hub handles it” meant I spent Fridays calling notices with zero waiver authority, which felt like being the goalie without gloves. If they truly have a central team with clear KPIs and transfer/waiver thresholds, it can be a solid move.
If they’re leaning on Microsoft Office, ask to see the ‘month-end checklist’ and who completes it — at my last site, RSM I lost two days to ledger reconciles and resident notices in Word/Excel. Also confirm if you’re the weekend MOD and who carries the after-hours phone; in Atlanta that can be every other weekend even with maintenance on-call. @stejack is right on ops, but I’d trade a slightly lower salary for clear reporting lanes and a sane MOD rotation.
Agree with @peterson54 on getting ops clarity — make sure you know “Who handles after-hours comms (phones, portal, social) and escalations?” At my last site, the RSM ended up the human switchboard on weekends because the call center only touched new leads, and it ate 6–8 hours. If they’ve got a true hub covering resident comms with clear SLAs, the role’s much saner.