What To Look For When Hiring A Property Manager
January 25, 2026
Protecting your investment property is the most important step after you acquire it. You want to manage every aspect well.
Baton Rouge’s trusted property management and commercial real estate firm, serving property owners, investors, and tenants across South Louisiana.
Real estate is one of the most valuable assets you’ll ever own. We treat it that way.
Led by a Team with 50+ Years of Combined Experience
Industry-Leading Credentials CPM, CCIM, AMO
Recognized Top 10 Firm in Greater Baton Rouge
Trusted to Manage 2M+ Square Feet across South Louisiana
At Barker, we believe the best-run properties start with the right relationships. The team brings structure, accountability, and genuine care to every client, every tenant, and every property we manage. How we do the work is just as important as the results we deliver.
Partnering with Barker means more than hiring a management company. You get a team that treats your investment like their own, handling everything from tenant screening and lease administration to maintenance coordination and financial reporting, so you can step back with confidence.
The approach is proactive, not reactive. We stay ahead of issues, communicate clearly, and make decisions that protect your asset today while building its value for the future.
Baton Rouge’s commercial real estate market moves fast. Having the right representation, backed by real local knowledge and decades of experience, makes all the difference.
Buying, selling, leasing a space, or searching for the right tenant – our team guides you through every step with clarity and strategy. We are not just facilitating transactions. We are helping you make smarter, long-term real estate decisions.
People deserve a property management partner they can trust. One that picks up the phone, follows through, and genuinely cares about the outcome.
Our purpose is simple: give property owners peace of mind and freedom by protecting their assets, increasing their value, and building stability for the future.
Behind every well-managed property is a team of people who take their work seriously. At Barker, the team brings deep experience, professional credentials, and a genuine commitment to every client relationship. Your property is not just an asset. It is your livelihood, your legacy, or your business.
Barker is proud to be Baton Rouge’s go-to property management team, and we show up like it every day.
President
Director Of Property
Management
Barker Property Management & Commercial Real Estate was established in 2017 and has grown to being in the top 10 property management firms in the greater Baton Rouge area.
Prior to opening the company, Branden Barker, was active for 15 years in the management, selling, and leasing of commercial property.
Branden values professional development opportunities and pushes that value across his company. He is the only licensed real estate professional in Louisiana that holds the Certified Property Manager (CPM), Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), and Certified Shopping Center Manager (CSM) designations. These designations represent a demonstrable application of the principles and strategies to provide thorough analysis and best represents the interests of clients.
Branden regularly serves at the national level for Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and is dedicated to staying up to date on industry issues and trends. Through this involvement of a national and international organization, he applies the industry’s best practices and invests in the tools to operate more efficiently. Branden was awarded the Certified Property Manager (CPM) of the Year by IREM in 2018 and recognized as CPM of the Year in Louisiana in 2012.
Branden has a passion for serving the community through involvement in various non-profits like the Arts Council of Baton Rouge, Metromorphosis, and Forum 225. He is a past President of the Louisiana IREM Chapter and the Commercial Investment Division of the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors (GBRAR). He was recognized as Baton Rouge Business Report’s 40 Under 40 in 2017.
Outside of real estate, Branden loves a good LSU tailgate, listening to live music, the Spanish Town parade, and is a champion of the Crawfish King Cookoff. Email
Rachael Gordon is the Director of Property Management at Barker Property Management and a licensed commercial sales and leasing professional.
She holds the Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation and brings more than 14 years of experience across multifamily and commercial assets. Known for her hands-on approach and a real knack for problem-solving, Rachael keeps day-to-day operations running smoothly for the owners and tenants she serves.
Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, cheering on all sports, and spending time with her 19-year-old daughter, her dogs Milo and Astro, and her cat Otis.
Kelli O’Donoghue has a strong background in accounting and auditing and has been a licensed real estate agent since 2016. Kelli joined the team full time in 2022 in the capacity of the Office Manager at Barker Property Management.
In this role, Kelli combines her real estate experience and love of numbers and spreadsheets. Her acute attention to detail and background in real estate keep the business’s key aspects running smoothly. In her free time, Kelli is a volunteer Track coach at Denham Springs HS. Kelli has been married to her husband John for 32 years and they have two adult children and two dogs. Email
Property owners, investors, and businesses across South Louisiana trust Barker Property Management to manage what matters most. Let’s start with a conversation.
We’ve spent decades learning what it takes to manage properties well. Now we’re sharing it.
Our blog covers real-world property management topics, South Louisiana market trends, and practical advice for property owners and investors – written by the people who do this work every day.
Protecting your investment property is the most important step after you acquire it. You want to manage every aspect well.
Barker Property Management is headquartered in Baton Rouge and proudly serves property owners, investors, and tenants across South Louisiana – including the Greater Baton Rouge area, Lafayette, the Northshore, and beyond.
We know this market. We live here, work here, and are invested in the communities we serve. That local knowledge, combined with our professional credentials and hands-on approach, is what sets us apart.