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Household managers and estate managers
Household Managers and Estate Managers
What's the difference between a Household Manager and an Estate Manager?
There are some really important distinctions to be made.
In luxury markets like Nashville, the titles sometimes blur. A "Household Manager" for a very high-end family might actually function more like an Estate Manager if they're coordinating across multiple properties, managing significant staff, and handling complex logistics.
Rule of thumb:
One property + smaller team = Household Manager
Multiple properties + larger staff + strategic operations = Estate Manager
HOUSEHOLD MANAGER:
★ Scope:
Manages the day-to-day operations of a single primary residence
★ Focus:
Vendor coordination, staff scheduling, household systems, family calendar management, errands, projects
★ Staff Oversight:
May supervise nannies, housekeepers, personal assistants, but typically smaller team
★ Property:
One main home, possibly a vacation property
★ Typical Clients:
Busy professionals, dual-income families, families with complex schedules
ESTATE MANAGER:
★ Scope:
Oversees multiple properties and all operations across an entire estate or portfolio of homes
★ Focus:
Strategic planning, budgeting for entire estate, capital projects, security protocols, property maintenance across locations
★ Staff Oversight:
Manages larger household staff (groundskeepers, chefs, housekeeping teams, drivers, nannies, security) often across multiple properties
Property:
★ Multiple residences (primary home, vacation homes, investment properties), possibly including commercial aspects like vineyards, farms, or guest facilities
Typical Clients:
★ Ultra-high-net-worth families, celebrities, executives with significant real estate portfolios
It's important to remember that these are unique individuals who have usually worn many different hats within a large household team. They are leaders who are great with people, have a keen eye for detail, feel the energy in a room, care deeply about other household staffers, and are solutions-oriented.
Please inquire about hourly rates- as there is a fairly wide spread here, depending on what you're looking for this individual to do and how many direct reports they will be managing.
Why SSN
Southern Standard Household Managers and Estate Managers are known for:
Professional Excellence
Bringing years of verified experience and continuous professional development
Genuine Connection
Creating lasting bonds with the families they support while maintaining professional (and privacy) boundaries
Exceptional Leadership
Managing a household team takes warm, direct, and intuitive leadership- and EXCEPTIONAL execution skills
Discretion
All that happens within your habitats is deeply private for your family and the professionals we endorse for these roles really understand that
Unwavering Reliability
Demonstrating consistent professionalism, punctuality, and safety-first approach
"Southern Standard Nannies is top notch! Laura listens and observes to know exactly the right fit! She could not have picked a better person to join our family. We will continue using Southern Standard and recommending this agency to anyone in the Nashville area that has a need! "
Kate Nathan Goodin
Our Process
We're with you every step of the way
Getting to Know Your Family
It's all about getting to know YOU and your UNIQUE family and world.
Every great match starts with understanding your family’s world. First, you’ll fill out our family application— your initial leap into sharing your world with our team. We want to understand what you're looking before we're on our consultation call with you. From there, we'll send you an email with more details and a link to schedule a call with Laura or Austin!
Once we're aligned, we move into a deeper, 90-minute discovery session with our extensive team where we learn: your routines, values, parenting style, and hopes for the ideal caregiver. We may talk a little about your childhood. We may talk a little about the childhood you're aiming to create for your little ones.
Together, we’ll craft a personalized job description that reflects exactly what your family needs to thrive.
Once we're aligned, we move into a deeper, 90-minute discovery session with our extensive team where we learn: your routines, values, parenting style, and hopes for the ideal caregiver. We may talk a little about your childhood. We may talk a little about the childhood you're aiming to create for your little ones.
Together, we’ll craft a personalized job description that reflects exactly what your family needs to thrive.
The Matching & Hiring Journey
Our wheels begin to turn...
With your family’s story at the center, we begin reaching out to trusted professionals who align beautifully with your needs. We curate a shortlist of candidates who not only meet your criteria, but who also feel right for your home’s energy and rhythm. You’ll receive our comprehensive interview guide to support meaningful conversations with each candidate.
Your interviewing process happens in three steps: a virtual interview (we'll handle the setup for this), an in-person interview at your home, and then a dinner you'll have with your finalist. This is a big relationship and we want to make sure things feel like a GREAT fit before you make an offer.
When you’re ready, we provide polished hiring templates to help you craft the perfect offer. And once your nanny joins your home, our relationship doesn’t end— we stay connected, offering ongoing support long after the match is made (we have clients who have been in our network for almost a decade)!
Your interviewing process happens in three steps: a virtual interview (we'll handle the setup for this), an in-person interview at your home, and then a dinner you'll have with your finalist. This is a big relationship and we want to make sure things feel like a GREAT fit before you make an offer.
When you’re ready, we provide polished hiring templates to help you craft the perfect offer. And once your nanny joins your home, our relationship doesn’t end— we stay connected, offering ongoing support long after the match is made (we have clients who have been in our network for almost a decade)!
