Property Managers: 10 things to watch in 2023

With property managers consumed with a range of immediate issues, we look at the bigger picture. In this blog, Viewber takes an objective view of the property management and lettings sector and summarises 10 key aspects to watch out for in 2023.

1. New fire regulation implementation: property managers are quickly discovering how The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are shaping the management of blocks under their care. There is now a mandatory requirement for ‘responsible persons’ to undertake annual checks of flat entrance doors and quarterly checks of all fire doors in common parts, where the residential building is more than 11 metres in height.

Ask Viewber: we have developed a specific fire door, smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector check service to help managers of blocks of flats meet the new regulations.

2. Digital ID checks: digital identity service integrations with prop tech platforms, such as the new partnership between Yoti and OpenBrix, are revolutionising Right to Rent and ID checks, but a story published by lettingagenttoday.co.uk highlighted how some professionals are being duped into working with non-certified suppliers. Property managers and agents are advised to choose a digital identity service provider from this Government-approved list.

Ask Viewber: sub-letting is still an issue in lettings, therefore managers can book a Viewber to conduct a tenancy verification check – ensuring the person you IDd is still the person living in the property.

3. Viewing requests increase: ‘the most competitive rental market on record’ was declared by Rightmove at the end of 2022, with 36 tenants chasing every available property. In many areas, demand shows no sign of abating and property managers will continue to juggle their desk time with viewings and property visits.

Ask Viewber: if you have more viewing requests than you can handle, book a Viewber to conduct an accompanied viewing on your behalf. We can accommodate requests for evening, weekend and even Bank Holiday visits, collecting or holding keys, if required.

4. The rise of the open house: in a continuing case of ‘form an orderly queue’, many property managers will revert to open house events as a way of showing the maximum number of tenants around in the shortest period of time. Not only does this minimise time spent away from the desk, it reduces disruption for the incumbent tenant and encourages prospective renters to make quick offers if they know there is competition.

Ask Viewber: if you like the idea of an open house event but don’t have the hours spare to run one – or if you need an extra pair of hands to help on the day itself – book a Viewber to meet, greet and lock up after.

5. Live support: in response to the fast-paced lettings environment and propensity for the unexpected, Viewber is offering a live chat function. Property managers can talk directly with the Viewber team on all matters of property visits, viewings, listings packs and fire safety checks.

Ask Viewber: as well as our live chat facility, you can also contact the Viewber team using our online contact form.

6. Asset disposals: multiple surveys among property professionals indicate the number of landlords may decrease in 2023, with increased red tape, higher mortgage costs and rising rent arrears forcing some sales. The potential for more agreements ending, eviction notices being issued, deposit recovery and landlord accounts closing will increase the admin burden among property managers.

Ask Viewber: if you need more desk time for admin, use our property listing service to save you a job. A Viewber can visit any property in the UK and create a professional floor plan, a video walkthrough and a set of exterior/interior photographs with edits and property details.

7. Admin eased by automation: joined-up thinking and integration will go a long way to ease some of the administrative burden mentioned above. New advancements are happening all the time, including a fresh partnership between BriefYourMark and SME Professionals. The sole aim of this integration is to streamline the management of lettings portfolios with software that automates admin, such as client accounting, importing bank statements and undertaking contractor management.

Ask Viewber: we are pursuing our own line of integrations to reduce admin for property managers. Our latest partnership is with Reapit. Professionals using Reapit’s AgencyCloud can now find Viewber in the AppMarket for a seamless way to outsource viewings and property visits

8. Client Money Protection: property managers could be caught out by the flexibility and convenience of alternative banking products use to hold clients’ money, warns one client money protection (CMP) provider. While most agents know they need to use a Government-approved CMP scheme for insurance, not all are aware of the attached conditions. safeagent urges professionals to ensure their banking provider is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to comply with CMP regulations.

Ask Viewber: we know how important it is to work with tried and trusted third parties, therefore we carefully vet every person who applies to become a Viewber. In fact, only 30% of applicants successfully pass our rigorous checks.

9. Avoid viewing & visit disappointment: while our network of Viewbers is growing at pace, so is the demand for our services. The more notice we are given when requesting an appointment, the more chance a Viewber will be available to meet your booking time scale. Although every effort is made to meet late-notice requests, our short-notice availability isn’t guaranteed during peak demand.

Ask Viewber: to ensure our Viewbers can respond to booking requests in a timely fashion, we have launched the Viewber App. This allows our network to view appointments, manage their calendars, provide feedback and access data with greater ease and speed.

10. Contact-ability remains key: property management is a 24/7 job and it’s surprising how the unexpected always seems to occur during the evening or at the weekend. As Viewber offers a seven-day-a-week service, with availability outside of traditional office hours, we like to be prepared for whatever happens. Having a set of ‘out of hours’ contact details for the property manager, landlord and/or the tenant is a safe guard we like to put in place. Please make these details available at the time of booking as it is part of our due diligence.

Ask Viewber: our Saturday and Sunday availability is among our most popular, so ask about our weekend viewing assistance service.