Are property managers redefining their role?
What it means to be a respected business has been redefined in recent times and it’s no longer good enough to just deliver a competent service. The nirvana is operating as an all-round, holistic entity where professional standards are high, eco credentials exemplary, operations digitised and the welfare of all stakeholders prioritised.
The redefined rules apply to the property management sector but it’s an industry where a very small pool of talented people are being asked to achieve greater and greater things. Despite internal and external pressures, it is fantastic to see property managers – from big corporates to bespoke independents – breaking new ground and achieving an enviable balance within their profession.
EVO Property Management is a new breed of property manager that is using digital solutions to make life easier for tenants, landlords and associated trades. It has spent time and money developing the EVO Living app, which allows tenants to report maintenance issues using nothing more than their mobile phone. Within seconds, the fault is logged, vital information made available to contractors and property managers updated, resulting in quick scheduling and rapid repairs. EVO mounted a compelling social media campaign promoting the benefits, with tenant welfare firmly at its heart.
An app is also helping to revolutionise the onboarding and management process at Touchstone. Eddie Kapadia, one of the company’s Portfolio Managers, was part of a team given the exciting opportunity to work directly with Residently. The collaboration took staff away from their usual 9-5 and saw them tailor an app specifically to Touchstone’s requirements. The result is an easier, more rewarding and unique customer experience that aligns itself with today’s app-based lifestyles.
It’s not just apps that are crossing over from the mainstream into property management. Cushman & Wakefield has taken the podcast format and spun it into a useful industry tool. The We Make It Work: Corporate Real Estate Podcast is hosted by Cushman & Wakefield’s Michael Creamer and each episode offers a deep dive into the issues facing the sector – from flexible working to net zero operations. It’s definitely worth a listen if you’re a fan of Ed Mead’s podcasts and fancy broadening your listening horizons.
The Rendall & Rittner team have found an exceptional balance between work and rewarding play. In the last few weeks alone, a team took part in The Berkeley Foundation’s Dragon Boat Race in aid of several charities, worked with Sky to give the Royal Arsenal Riverside community a fun three-day entertainment event, volunteered to litter pick and promoted the Samaritans’ #TalktoUs campaign.
At JLL, emphasis has been on the environment, with a focussed drive to decarbonise. The company is working closely with clients so real estate plays a greater role in the UK’s aim of becoming carbon net zero by 2050. Leaders, including Phoebe Lewis, are instrumental in carbon audits and energy-saving strategies, with a recent push for clients to install electric vehicle charging points – to become more sustainable, to encourage higher occupancy rates and to retain tenants.
It’s great to see sustainability is not just the reserve of the biggest property management organisations. City Relay recently announced a partnership with B Corp certified Ecologi, in order to reduce its carbon emissions and fund high-quality climate action. To date, the partnership has funded the planting of 310 trees and avoided 22.5 tonnes of CO2e being emitted.
Over at Allsop, great energies have been put into fundraising for good causes. Its Leeds team recently took part in a 24 hour relay event, running 127 miles in memory of their former colleague, Allison Cockerham, with proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support and St. Gemma’s Hospice. Allsop also entered a team into West One Loans’ annual football tournament, raising money for several charities, and it pitted six Allsop teams against each other in a mixed netball tournament to raise money for the Never Too Young bowel cancer charity.
What all of the above property managers have in common is time – time to explore new ways of managing properties, strengthening their business, promoting togetherness and giving back to the communities they serve.
Many of those mentioned have already partnered with Viewber for increased capacity and to free their employees for other ventures – be that volunteering, charity work, environmental programmes or digital development.
If you too want time to create a well-rounded, multi-faceted business, we can help. Viewber can become your trusted partner, taking on property visits, accompanied viewings, key holding, safety inspections, energy assessments and image capturing (stills, video and 360 degree tours) on your behalf.
Our network of Viewbers offers nationwide coverage and works on a seven-day-a-week basis, so property management can continue (or even improve) while you focus on other roles and relationships. Contact Viewber today as we make it possible to buy time.
