Property Management - a career for you?
A vacancy has arisen for a trainee property manager to assist our Estates Manager. If you have relevant experience in this field please email
mail@minster-property.co.uk
As a managing agent, Minster Property Management Ltd is responsible for administering the terms of a lease between a landlord, or RMC, and the leaseholders – usually for blocks of residential flats, but also some commercial developments – approximately 95 developments are currently managed representing 1600 lessees. The tasks of a managing agent include:
- Preparing annual budgets, invoicing and credit control.
- Submitting accounts to landlords, directors of a residential management company (RMC) and leaseholders.
- Carrying out statutory consultations with leaseholders.
- Servicing Annual General Meetings.
- Dealing with leaseholder, landlord & directors’ enquiries.
- Replying to legal enquiries.
- Carrying out regular property inspections.
- Identifying & investigating defects with the properties and services.
- Ensuring compliance with Health & Safety legislation.
- Organising regular cleaning, gardening & maintenance.
- Maintenance contracts for lifts and safety equipment.
- Organising cyclical maintenance such as decorating, and emergency maintenance such as drain clearance or entry system repairs.
- Organising insurance and assisting owners to deal with emergencies and make claims.
- Monitoring & re-tendering utility contracts.
- Obtaining quotes for proposed upgrades and improvements.
Property managers are responsible for all of the above, assisted by property administrators. Professional qualifications are available through the Institute of Residential Property Management – www.irpm.org.uk & www.arma.org.uk - regular Continual Professional Development training is a requirement of the IRPM. Some property managers will specialise in the technical aspects of property maintenance, others will specialise in the legal and administrative aspects. Property managers are responsible for trust monies and therefore cannot be undischarged bankrupts or hold a criminal conviction.
The ideal property administrator is diplomatic, organised, empathetic, well-trained, always willing to learn, with a very keen eye for detail. The following skills all help:
- Familiarity with Word & Excel – issuing mergeletters, checking spreadsheets, dealing with emails is a large part of the job.
- First class administration and office organisation – every block managed has a minimum of 7 separate files in the office, and it is essential that they are maintained with total accuracy.
- Excellent customer service skills – particularly on the phone or in writing – dealing with anxious or difficult leaseholders is a daily task. It may not always be possible to give an owner the answer they would like, but it is important that their concerns are acknowledged and addressed.
- An interest in buildings and associated services – how they are constructed, how they work, signs of defects, remedial actions needed.
- Supervising, instructing and monitoring contractors, suppliers & utility providers.
- Knowledge of building & contractor safety requirements.
- A willingness to happily deal with all aspects of office life, even the mundane and repetitive.
|
|
