They expect A LOT out of an employee, which can be a good thing. Depending on the portfolio director, these expectations can be scrupulous and unrealistic. The way they treat residents is uncanny: $300 - $400 rent increases for renewals, even above going market rate is outrageous.
Some community managers were horrible. They would sit in the back office and talk on the phone ALL DAY, refusing to help residents even when residents were requesting to speak to a manager. One manager in particular used to swear and speak loudly about residents in a derogatory way even when there were other people (non-staff) in the office. So horrible.
Want to get promoted? Make sure to brown nose your way to the top and hang out with upper management. It's a very clique-ish culture.They say merit gets your way up towards a promotion... only if you have a manager that supports and shows an employee the tools to succeed. But mostly, it's who you turn your brown nose towards and how well you can show off. Hard work really only keeps you employed, but not necessarily promoted.
In the end, the bottom line is what it comes down to: profit for stockholders.