We have certainly tried a few things over the years when it comes to organising the 1LET Property Management Team, currently headed up by Beata Lozyniak our Lettings Manager. Our latest recipe however is definitely our best yet. Basically it's a case of "Small is Beautiful" - which is after all an economics term!
More PM's with more responsibility:
In the lettings industry it is not unusual for individual property managers to manage 200 - 300 properties. At 1LET we try to keep the number to less than 100. We therefore employ more property managers who each have more responsibility for the properties that they manage - we encourage them to see their portfolio a bit like their own business.
Follow through:
Landlords and tenants appreciate a consistent contact person. Tenants have the same contact person when they view the property, apply for the property, move in to the property and require help at any point during their tenancy. Landlords know that their property manager is familiar with their property, knows the current tenants and is able to provide fully informed support and advice.
Teamwork:
Having a larger property management team means that they can support each other - and they do! Holiday cover is easier and there is always someone on hand with the right skills and experience.
Life is just much more interesting:
The day never drags if you are a 1LET property manager! The role is by nature broad, varied and interesting, and even our most experienced property managers regularly face new situations and new challenges.
Moving forward:
We do of course still require support staff, but a key part of their job is to develop systems that help our PM's manage their own portfolio as much as possible, and as efficiently and easily as possible. Interestingly, as we have got larger we have reverted to what we are confident is best for our customers - and that is always a good thing!
Ewan McLean-Foreman
MD - 1LET