How data, culture and a little competition are driving results at Ray White Maroochydore

In an industry often defined by relationships and reputation, the idea of running a property management team like a finely tuned data machine can feel, at first glance, at odds with the human side of the business.

But for Danielle Antonello, the property management team leader at Ray White Maroochydore, the numbers just make relationships stronger.

At the helm of a highly metrics-driven team, Danielle has built a system where data shapes behaviour, sharpens focus, and ultimately drives growth.

The numbers that matter most

For Danielle, not all metrics are created equal. While many agencies track a wide range of KPIs, her focus is deliberately narrow and deeply strategic.

“Growth and lost properties are my key focus,” she said. “We use Monday.com to track upcoming lost managements from the moment a notice is entered, which allows me to forecast what we’re losing and what we need to bring on to maintain net growth. It gives full visibility and removes any surprises.”

It’s a deceptively simple approach, but one that transforms reactive management into proactive leadership. By identifying potential losses early, her team is actively planning to replace business.

Metrics can easily become overwhelming or disengaging or if they’re not handled carefully. Danielle has tackled this head-on by embedding data into the team culture in a way that feels energising rather than intimidating.

“We make it fun and team-driven,” she says. “Monday boards create visibility, but we layer in competition and incentives.”

One standout initiative is the team’s “300 Club”, a weekly challenge where hitting 300 outbound calls by Friday earns an early finish.

“It’s about getting team buy-in,” Danielle says. “Everyone understands the goals, believes in them, and feels they’re achievable.” Metrics become less about pressure and more about momentum.

Every high-performing team has a turning point, a moment where a single focus shifts the entire trajectory. For Danielle’s team, that moment came from zeroing in on lost managements to competitors.

“Lost managements to other agencies was a big one for us,” she said. “We made it a non-negotiable, only one loss to another agent per quarterly review.”

That clarity sparked a mindset shift across the team.

“We now focus heavily on the small details, acting quickly on issues and consistently doing the right thing, which has significantly reduced churn.”

The results speak for themselves: just 10 lost managements across a portfolio of 1,000 properties in the last financial year, one of the team’s strongest performances to date.

“We still have issues,” Danielle said, “but we fix them quickly, resulting in a lot of saved potential lost management.”

Despite the heavy emphasis on numbers, Danielle is clear that the data is there to support people.

“Tracking everything in Monday actually supports the human side,” she said. “It gives visibility over workloads, how many jobs are active, completed, or in vacate.”

This visibility is critical in an industry known for fluctuating workloads and high-pressure periods.

“We understand that some weeks are heavier than others, and even the best property managers can’t be across everything during peak periods,” she said. “The focus is ensuring the critical tasks are done, while allowing flexibility for team members to catch up when workloads ease.”

In other words, data protects the team from burnout.

For leaders looking to elevate their own teams, Danielle doesn’t suggest overhauling systems overnight. Instead, she points to a simple but powerful starting point: visibility.

“Show your team what they’ve achieved,” she says. “When property managers can see their monthly output, it reinforces productivity and accountability.”

And if engagement dips?

“Keep it engaging; if performance drops, introduce a competition. Strong leadership is about setting the standard, driving consistency, and keeping the team motivated.”

Perhaps the most creative example of Danielle's approach is how she turns data into something visual, and even playful.

“We wanted to create the Monday circle to be like Pac-Man,” she said. “We’ve made lost due to ‘sold by our office’ yellow, and if we make it yellow, we have 70 per cent sales leads going to our office. We’re getting close.”

It’s a small touch, but one that captures the essence of her leadership style: clear targets, shared goals, and just enough creativity to keep things engaging.