An estate manager is the COO of the domestic staff of an estate or several estates. They are responsible for establishing a high standard for the home and managing all work pertaining to the estate and further assets. However, unlike the corporate world, domestic staffing standards are not as clearly defined.
At British American Household Staffing, we all-too-often have personal assistant, house manager, or career nanny candidates ask us if we can place them in more of an estate manager role. Only true estate managers understand the job requirements. The only candidates who can move into estate management from another role are house managers who have been shadowing the estate manager for a substantial amount of time or junior estate managers. Sometimes the title of estate manager is given to a house manager or personal assistant role, and while many duties overlap, a true estate manager is a much higher level role.
What is the definition of a true estate manager?
Simply put, an estate manager oversees either one large estate or a large estate and several additional, smaller estates. This includes numerous staff, large construction or renovation projects, and all property acquisitions or moves. They are responsible for responding to small, daily duties while keeping the big picture of a principal’s entire life in mind.
What is the difference between a large estate, medium estate, and small estate?
A large estate is 20,000 square feet and up. A minimum of 5 housekeepers, one estate manager, and house manager or personal assistant, two landscapers (depending on acreage), and usually a chef and several nannies if there are children pre-teen or younger. If there are several other medium estates or large estates a director of residences or chief of staff will oversee all the managerial staff, including the estate manager.
A medium estate is between 10,000 and 19,000 square feet. A minimum of 2 housekeepers, one landscaper and a personal assistant or house manager and if this is not the primary estate, and estate manager will oversee the house manager, or a director of residences or chief of staff will oversee.
A small estate can be a house, apartment, holiday home or a penthouse etc. This is usually a home the principals don’t live in full-time. Depending on the size, this kind of home usually only needs a part-time housekeeper, who can become full-time when the principals are in residence. If it is a country home with some grounds a popular choice is hiring a domestic couple to live on the property to maintain it over the year and during the time the principals are not in residence. This domestic couple commonly consists of a housekeeper/cook and a maintenance man.
What sets a great estate manager apart from a standard or subpar estate manager?
A great estate manager is respected and trusted by both their colleagues, the domestic staff they manage, and by the principals. This is hard to do but here is a rough list of traits and approaches:
Direct and honest communication between all persons involved with the property, including external vendors
Ensuring good work done by the people you are managing is appreciated
When reprimanding anyone, make sure it is only one-on-one (unless this is a warning for termination, in that case, one other person should be in the room)
Regular calendar meetings with the principals to ensure they feel the decisions are also being made with their input and so they feel ‘in control’ of the staff in their own home
Structured processes and procedures set up so you have complete visibility on all the movements of the domestic staff, avoiding firefighting by using a shared database as a communication tool which also tracks each employee.
Using data when managing domestic staff employees so reprimanding and managing their respect and good-will towards you remains in tact
Knowing how to do the job of everyone you manage: learn how to turn down a bed, deep clean a bathroom, organize a closet. Learn how to cook some basic, delicious meals, etc
Stepping in when a domestic staff employee is out or when the estate is short staffed. This shows you can get your hands dirty and this way your domestic staff employees will respect you
Give credit when credit is due. When a nanny or housekeeper does a great job at an event or using personal time to work etc, make sure the principals know about it so they can give their thanks or appreciation
Be consistent, do as you say you will. Never overpromise and underdeliver
Work extra hours but draw boundaries when they are absolutely necessary. The world of domestic staffing is not 9-5, so go into this job knowing to be a good estate manager you may need to work some 7 day weeks or 70 hour weeks but know you can take time on the other end to make up for these occasional crazy times.
If you are an experienced estate manager looking for new opportunities, we would love to learn more about your experience and work with you to find a new position. Send your information or view our current domestic jobs and someone from our team will be in touch.