Chief Everything Officer: The onsite manager’s role in 2025

By Chris de Closey, Director of Switch Hotel Solutions

In 2025, the role of the onsite manager is no longer just about ensuring the property is running smoothly. Today’s managers are even more vital to their property’s success, juggling various roles, many are outside their traditional roles.

As the industry continues to develop and technology continues to improve, the modern manager must wear multiple hats: they are marketers, revenue managers, gardeners, receptionists, reservations agents, caretakers, tech troubleshooters and more!

This article was first published in Resort News the management rights industry magazine. Read it HERE.

In management rights, an onsite manager is typically a live-in owner-operator responsible for the daily running of a strata-titled property such as a resort or apartment complex. Contracted by the body corporate, they manage caretaking, maintenance and letting services, combining business ownership with hands-on property and guest management.

The evolving role of onsite managers

Our industry is undergoing a transformation, driven by the shift in guest expectations, technological advances, and evolving business models. In response, the onsite manager must evolve as well. The “Chief Everything Officer” of a property now must manage more than just housekeeping and check-ins.

A significant part of the job involves marketing the property, driving bookings, and optimising revenue. These new expectations can be overwhelming, especially when combined with the traditional operational tasks of managing a team, handling guest requests, and ensuring a high standard of service.

The burden of juggling multiple roles

For many onsite managers, this expanded role can be exhausting. Managing the day-to-day operations of a resort, ensuring the guest experience is top-notch, and at the same time managing marketing efforts and revenue strategies, can quickly lead to burnout. This is especially true for smaller properties or those with limited support staff, where the manager is often wearing multiple hats at once.

At the same time, the need for managers to stay ahead of the curve is essential.

The landscape is constantly changing with evolving guest expectations, new technological developments, and shifting market conditions. To remain competitive, managers must be agile, quick to adopt new technologies, and proactive in adjusting strategies. But how can they do all this effectively while also managing their usual duties?

Outsourcing and automations: Time-saving strategies

Outsourcing is one way that managers are buying themselves more time. By delegating certain responsibilities, such as marketing, revenue or even the caretaking duties, onsite managers are giving themselves more time to focus on the core aspects of their role

As our technologies begin to develop and the speed that these systems are implemented into our daily lives becomes even faster, automation of mundane tasks becomes a cost effective and time saving investment. Automating your daily duties through workflows and AI tools, your business can begin to run on autopilot with minimal input, whilst you reap the rewards of this.

Have you ever thought about outsourcing your caretaking duties?

Finding a cleaner, gardener or handyman to help take the pressure off. Chances are, you are already outsourcing some of it, such as your pool care. You could do this yourself, but it is a specialist role now.

You can think of your other caretaking duties in the same light. Be mindful of optics when outsourcing this, however, as each body corporate can react differently when they are made aware of this. Your answer to this is simple: you are investing in their building by getting specialists in!

Outsourcing marketing efforts can be especially beneficial. Nowadays, marketing requires expertise and time—two things many onsite managers simply don’t have.

A specialised marketing agency can handle social media management, pay-per-click advertising, SEO, and content creation, allowing the manager to focus on more immediate concerns. With the right marketing strategy, outsourced experts can drive traffic to the property’s website, boost direct bookings, and improve the property’s online presence.

When it comes to revenue management, outsourcing can make a huge difference. Revenue management isn’t just about setting rates; it’s about optimising occupancy, analysing market trends, and using data to forecast demand. Without the right tools and knowledge, this can be a full-time job. By working with a third-party revenue management company, onsite managers can benefit from expert insights and dynamic pricing strategies without having to hire additional staff or learn new systems themselves and earn maximum revenue.

The role of the onsite manager in 2025 is complex and multifaceted. While managing operations will always be a priority, the growing demands of caretaking, marketing and revenue management mean that managers must evolve and adapt. Outsourcing and automating these functions is a practical and effective solution, enabling managers to save time, reduce stress, and optimise their property’s performance.

By embracing this “Chief Everything Officer” role and leveraging the expertise of third-party specialists, onsite managers can remain focused on delivering outstanding guest experiences while ensuring their property thrives in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Chris de Closey, Director of Switch Hotel Solutions, is a hospitality expert specialising in revenue strategy, guest experience, and maximising returns for accommodation providers.