When Little Bird Properties was named the 2026 National Residential Property Management Team of the Year, it marked another major milestone for a Canberra business that has spent the past decade transforming the property management landscape.

The award followed consecutive wins at the ACT level and saw the Canberra agency go head-to-head with the best property management teams from around the country.

For founder and director Heidi Rosin, the recognition was particularly meaningful because it validated a vision she had when she launched Little Bird Properties in 2016.

“I started this company to prove that property management could stand on its own,” Heidi said.

“When I first started, there were a lot of people saying it would be difficult to run a property management-only business and that it wouldn’t be profitable.

“Winning this award is recognition that it can be done. It can also be done in an environment where the team is happy, loves coming to work and enjoys what they do.”

Today, Little Bird Properties has become one of Canberra’s leading property management specialists, with its recent national award cementing its place among Australia’s best.

After more than 25 years working in property management across Canberra, Heidi saw an opportunity to create a specialist agency focused solely on delivering exceptional service to landlords and tenants.

“I saw an opportunity to make something special of property management rather than it being a sidekick to sales,” she said. “I wanted to do it my way. We’re a property management specialist agency and we won’t be deviating from that. That’s what our reputation is based on.”

The approach has resonated with clients, many of whom turned to Little Bird seeking a team dedicated entirely to property management.

Having earned national recognition, Heidi believes the company’s success comes down to consistently delivering exceptional service.

“Our core values are built around experience, knowledge and communication,” she said. “We have an extremely high level of communication. Calls are returned, emails are answered and clients know where they stand.

“We also have a high level of respect for our tenants. When you look after tenants, they look after the property, they stay longer and owning an investment property becomes a much better experience.”

While the national award recognises the performance of the business, Heidi says Little Bird’s greatest achievement isn’t the accolades, but the people behind them.

“The most rewarding part has been watching the growth of the team,” she said.

“I’ve had so many incredible women work with me who didn’t necessarily start in real estate or property management, and now they can’t imagine doing anything else. That’s incredibly rewarding because it’s a profession I genuinely love.”

Over the years, Little Bird has become known for its all-female team. While Heidi says that wasn’t part of a deliberate strategy, it evolved naturally through finding the right people and building a strong culture.

“For me, it’s always been about personality and culture,” she said. “As we’ve grown, it’s been really fulfilling to support young women entering a career where they can do incredibly well.”

“Everyone helps everyone. No question is a silly question and because we train most people from the ground up, that collaborative approach becomes part of who we are.”

Investing in her people remains one of Heidi’s biggest priorities. She believes the best property managers are developed through a combination of education and hands-on experience.

“Property management is a profession best learned through experience,” she said.

“The best property managers are the ones who have spent years dealing with real situations and learning from them.”

That commitment to developing people is also reflected in the way Heidi has grown the business.

Looking around the company’s expanded office today, it’s a far cry from the early days when Heidi worked largely from home and questioned whether the business would succeed.

“When I first started the business, I thought it would just be me working from home and creating a better work-life balance,” she said.

“There was definitely a lot of self-doubt in those early days. I wasn’t sure whether I could make a living from it and, for the first 12 months, I really didn’t.”

One of the biggest milestones came when she purchased the agency’s office premises, a decision that cemented her commitment to the future.

“At the time it felt much bigger than we needed,” she said. “But it was also a moment where I thought, ‘I’ve committed now, I need to make this work.’”

As Little Bird continues to grow, Heidi’s focus remains firmly on its people.

In the coming years, she hopes to continue expanding the business, welcoming new talent and investing in the training and support that have become hallmarks of the company.

“Over the next 12 months, I’m looking forward to investing even more into training, support and development for our people so the business continues to thrive,” Heidi said.

For all the recognition the business has received, however, she remains clear about who deserves the credit.

“I couldn’t do it without them,” she said of her team.

It’s a sentiment that explains why Little Bird Properties has become one of Canberra’s success stories and why, after a decade of backing property management as a profession in its own right, the business is now being recognised on the national stage.

For more information about Little Bird Properties and its award-winning property management services, visit littlebirdproperties.com.au or follow them on Instagram (@littlebirdproperties) and Facebook.