The very difficult conditions now being experienced in the commercial property sector have shown more clearly than ever before how vital the property manager is in keeping the landlord-tenant relationship alive and well, says Tony Clarke, MD of Rawson Properties and the director in charge of Rawsons new commercial property franchise division.
'The challenge facing property managers now,' said Clarke, 'is to hold onto good tenants even if they are experiencing difficulties'
Today, said Clarke, the small organisation with close ties to its tenants can often fare better than the big property managers who in these challenging times are faced with rapid staff changes and the need to find and train competent new staff.
'In the smaller companies we often find that they are using excellent systems and have really efficient controls. Landlords looking to appoint property managers should check on the systems in use and take particular care to see that the managers they employ have state-of-the-art tenant vetting and appraisal systems along with easily accessed tenant and credit record data.
'Above all, however, todays manager must have the people skills which help him to relate to '“ and win the confidence of '“ tenants. These skills make it possible to do innovative deals with tenants and guide them through rough waters. Property managers able to do this build loyalty and bind tenants to them for the long term.
'Those without these skills often just add to the tenants distress, and then lose them '“ only to find themselves with vacant premises which they eventually end up letting at greatly reduced prices'
For further information contact Tony Clarke on 021 658 7100 or email tony@rawsonproperties.com.
