Hometown Property Management has its next generation entering the ranks. Cameron Barkis is revelling in his role as general manager, using his experiences from multiple departments in the company to keep property owners, tenants and services at Hometown all in communication with one another. As an avid sports fan and creative person, Barkis enjoys the community interactions and involvement that also come with the job.
Learning the Ropes in a Lacey Family Business
Hometown Property Management is a family business. As the son of company owner Andrew Barkis, Cameron Barkis’s involvement started in his teen years when he was hired on to help with maintenance.
Returning as an adult in 2020, and bringing carpentry, remodeling and HVAC experience with him, he decided to give the broader business a try. Barkis started as an evaluator, who visits a home after a tenant has vacated and inspects, documents and assesses next steps.
“Everything I did and learned gave me the skills that I now possess, which benefitted me when this new opportunity arose to come back and start working for Hometown but on the property management side of things as opposed to out in the field doing maintenance,” Barkis says. “It was shortly after coming back to work here this last time and starting in the evaluations department that I realized that I was really good at this and that I may have a bigger calling to be here. That is when working here stopped being ‘a job’ to me and started becoming a part of my life and future and something I am now totally committed to and invested in.”
Cameron Barkis Leads as a Communication Hub for Property Management
Experiencing different functions within the company and taking a vested interest in operations led Barkis to the role of general manager. Acting as the first line of communication and direct line of reassurance for any pressing issues became routine. As he learned more about the core departments at Hometown Property Management, he took on more responsibilities and sought to identify areas that could be improved such as revamping the quality of inspections and a continued emphasis on communications with owners about maintaining their investment properties. Now, enhanced practices are routine and part of maintaining company effectiveness.
“What I feel the most rewarding is helping homeowners who are looking at renting their home out or renting a home themselves for the first time,” Barkis says. “I love being the one that can help calm some nerves and stresses, address what needs to be done and then put a plan in place to be able to help them out and actually achieve that goal.”
Dealing with adverse situations comes up from time to time, and Barkis acts as a intermediary between each party to help solve problems. As general manager, he is a hub of communication, a single axis point between tenants, owners and headquarters making phone calls, explaining services, creating and sending contracts, meeting clients in person and walking the home with them. Checking in with all Hometown departments and having them check in with him, keeps things running smoothly.
“I’m wanting to do whatever I can to be a good leader and mentor to all those around me, even to those who have been here longer than I have,” says Barkis. “Whatever I can do to better learn and understand what they do on a day-to-day basis so that I can help assist them.”
Hometown Property Management Builds Connections
Building community and extending business ties is another highlight of Barkis’ general manager role. Participating in Hometown Property Management sponsorship events, he’s been busy meeting and interacting with people in the community. One major advantage Barkis has is his long-term connection to Lacey. He grew up in the Lacey-Olympia area and attended local schools.
In addition to being a huge sports fan of Seattle teams such as the Seahawks, Mariners and Kraken, Barkis played sports himself and is also an avid golfer. He proudly represented Hometown as they sponsored a portion of the Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally through the Yelm Chamber of Commerce. He joined the Hometown team to participate in various charitable golf events, including the ACU foundation Turkey Shoot golf tournament at Eagles Pride/Fort Lewis to support our military and the Lacey South Sound Chamber golf tournament held at the Capital City Golf Club.
Like many Thurston County residents, Barkis also spends time hiking, camping and fishing. On the creative side, Barkis has always had a passion for writing poems, songs and raps. Clients will likely be able to strike up a conversation with him about the outdoors or movies and books as he reads a broad range of history, war novels, science fiction and mysteries.
Coming up the ranks by learning all the facets of the family business, being connected to the community from youth and staying active in local events are all assets that Cameron Barkis brings to his role as general manager at Hometown. Experiences and knowledge that help a manager connect with his employees and clients brings harmony to daily operations.
Check out the Hometown Property Management website to learn more about how Barkis and his team support property owners and their tenants.
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