Patrick Hollister’s experience working in property management dates back to his high school days, when he was hired to help promote a new housing development for Cornell University students in his hometown of Ithaca, NY. Before he knew it, he realized he wanted to pursue a long-term career in the industry.
“I started to gain a sense of pride by helping people find their home, a place they can retreat to every day and feel comfortable,” he says. “Knowing that I could be a small piece of that puzzle for someone is incredibly rewarding.”
In 2021, Hollister joined the real estate company Bozzuto as a sales & marketing associate based in a residential building in Boston. Today, he’s well on his way to achieving his career goals at Bozzuto, where he says he’s not only found work-life balance, but also growth opportunities. Case in point: Hollister was recently promoted to leasing manager.
Here, Hollister talks about the most important skills he’s developed at Bozzuto, what helped him earn his promotion, and why now is an exciting time to join the company.
What led you to your job at Bozzuto, and how did you know the company would be a good fit?
A family friend who had worked for Bozzuto for over 10 years and always had wonderful things to say about the company referred me for a job there. That role was filled internally, but the recruiting team was quick to suggest similar positions I might be interested in. The sales & marketing role had just been posted at a high-rise property in downtown Boston, and I decided to go for it. I was struck by how supportive the recruiting team was throughout the whole interview process, and I knew from this alone that Bozzuto was a good fit for me.
What has kept me with Bozzuto are the growth opportunities and the company culture. Working with creative and driven people who prioritize a healthy work-life balance is hard to find, but at Bozzuto, it’s a given. That was incredibly important to me in my job search and I feel lucky to have found it.
What are you responsible for in your role as a sales & marketing associate? What does a normal day in your job look like?
My primary responsibilities include giving distinctive tours to prospective residents, providing customer service to residents and vendors, drafting marketing materials for prospects, and assisting with resident events. My typical day starts by walking the model units and amenity spaces to make sure they are sparkling. The rest of my day would usually encompass all of the above, with a primary focus on leasing—with an iced coffee in hand, of course.
What skills from your time as a leasing agent do you find most useful while working in sales & marketing at Bozzuto?
Time management and adaptability. I always say that if you have both of these skills, everything else falls into place. Working in property management requires being nimble and prioritizing tasks, and in a customer-facing role, it’s incredibly important to always be “on” when you’re in the office.
What skills have you learned since joining Bozzuto that have helped you succeed?
I’ve learned to always be flexible. Issues can arise on any given day and having a flexible mindset while you’re responding to them is the key to success. We need to make sure we’re taking care of our customers and giving them an unparalleled resident experience. That is the core of who we are as a company.
Tell us about your career growth plans at Bozzuto. How did your experience as a sales & marketing associate set you up for your recent promotion to leasing manager?
The sales & marketing role gave me a concrete understanding of the resident lifecycle. I worked with residents from the first point of contact all the way through their move-out date, and I have a better appreciation for what happens behind the scenes to make the resident experience a positive one.
Additionally, when I started expressing interest in taking my next step with Bozzuto, my managers—both past and present—were incredible at training me to take on additional responsibility.
In the next three to five years, I’d love to earn a general manager position, ideally in the downtown Boston market. I’ve grown to love high-rise communities and I see real value in managing full-service buildings.
When you think back over your time at Bozzuto, what’s an achievement you’re most proud of?
Renting two penthouse units in my first two months with the company. The Boston market was completely new to me and there was a learning curve I was still adjusting to at the time. Luckily, I had great support from my team, which helped me sculpt my sales pitch and closing techniques.
How would you “sell” working at Bozzuto to a candidate?
Come for the culture and stay for the growth opportunities. I often tell my family and friends that Bozzuto employees are taken care of just as well as our residents, and that’s why you see so many people who have been with the company for years. There’s also incredible growth into new markets right now, so there are new job postings every week. Overall, this is a really exciting time to join the company. Bozzuto invests in you as much as you invest in yourself!
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
I love to cook. There’s nothing better than finding a new recipe to make, going grocery shopping for the ingredients, and then setting up shop in my kitchen for the afternoon. I always follow a recipe by the book the first time around, and then I allow myself to play with it if I make it again in the future. Cooking brings people together and I love sharing that piece of myself with others. When I’m not cooking, I’m traveling (though not often enough). One of my New Year’s resolutions is to go to a place I’ve never been to before.
What are you currently reading, watching, and listening to?
I’m currently reading The People We Keep by Allison Larkin. It’s set in my hometown and is about a teenager who runs away in search of a better life for herself and the people she meets along the way.
I just finished watching the first season of Big Little Lies. (Yes, I am super late to this show but, wow! I highly recommend it.) I am also watching Abbott Elementary and re-watching VEEP.
My music tastes vary, but you’ll typically find me listening to Lizzo, Beyoncé, Maggie Rogers, or Harry Styles.