I don’t need one you say? Well stay with me for a while and we will get to know the value of property managers and their cousins, facility managers. We will also highlight in what particular circumstance you will require their service and which of them best suites your needs. Far too often the terms have been used interchangeably, so much, you may be forgiven for thinking both roles are the same. While some of their duties overlap, they both play distinctive roles, ensuring optimal use of the property.
So, what’s the difference?
A property manager is typically hired by the property owner to handle daily maintenance tasks regarding the property or building. They however go beyond just maintenance of the property to handle all other aspects of the property including the commercial side of the property including budgeting and handling rents and lease agreement of tenants.
Facility managers, the more specialized of the two, concern themselves more with the maintenance of the edifice and creation of a people friendly environment for greater productivity and efficient operations management. Some of their duties cover the management of a property’s interior layout, arrangement of furniture as well as resolving other maintenance issues. Unlike property managers, they hardly deal directly with property owners, rather focusing on their core mandate.
WHEN DO I NEED A PROPERTY MANAGER?
Remote management – Some property owners do not live or work close to properties hence will require a professional to manage the properties for optimum output in terms maintenance and profitability.
If you own multiple properties in different locations – If are a property investor with a portfolio of properties in different locations, an attempt to manage all of them remotely when some issues may require physically presence and inspection will be literally impossible hence the need for a proxy or a professional.
Listing and advertising – With significant experience in the space the property manager will know exactly the promotional mix to employ to finding tenants, increasing occupancy rates and getting properties off the market.
Peace of mind and efficiency – With property management comes a number of maintenance issues that have to do with like plumbing, leaky taps etc. These require dedication and time that a property owner may not have. Hiring a property manager fills this role that saves the owner headaches and also ensures efficient management of the property.
When Do You Need a Facility Manager?
Business continuity – In addition to handling issues like cleaning, ventilation and air conditioning. The facility manager is required to timely resolve periodic issues like breakages, leaks and repairs in order to ensure the business process isn’t interrupted.
Space utilization – Facility managers ensure optimization of space as well as offering support to employees by overseeing layout, re-arrangement, moves workspace management etc.
Health and safety – The facility manager ensures adherence to statutory codes and regulations ensuring the right type of equipment, security and safety devices are installed in a safe and secure manner that ensures a comfortable and productive working environment t
Crises management – You always require a calm and trained head to manage emergencies in a working environment. Facility manages usually have contingency plans which they can implement in emergencies.
The writer is the Executive director of Yecham Property Consult
& Founder of Ghana Green Building Summit.
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin: Cyril Nii Ayitey TettehTweet
