- As the commercial property sector grows, so new job opportunities will be created
- One 'way in' to the industry is to start as an assistant commercial property manager
- The role supports the property manager to ensure the back office is efficient
In today’s world, property managers’ objectives have shifted from being specialised property administrators to professionals that build and nurture the relationship between the internal and external stakeholders of the real estate transactions that happen every day.
Forming strong relationships between owners, tenants, strata managers, contractors, facility managers, settlement agents, property lawyers, finance brokers, business brokers, and other parties involved in real estate processes can be time-consuming.
When we focus on these tasks, the back office might be relegated to a lower degree of importance.
However, a well-oiled portfolio requires the back-end to be up to date so that reminders, documents, rent reviews, and other back-office tasks and materials are in place to continue a smooth running of the rent roll.
Here is where assistants, inspections officers, and trust accountants come into the picture.
While the property manager meets with the stakeholders via phone, in person in the office or on-site, and ensures prompt responses via email are guaranteed, the assistant’s support will help the property manager.
The Assistant’s role
The property management assistant’s primary focus is to contribute to the portfolio for the manager’s approval.
Examples of essential tasks are:
- reviewing the reminders, ensuring they are correctly in place,
- reconciling the outgoings, and
- saving documents for easy access for other team members.
The assistant’s support will assist the property managers, allowing them to keep a free mind and focus on building fruitful and long-lasting relationships with the stakeholders.
As the economy grows out of its pandemic problems, we have all been part of the ongoing property boom. Commercial real estate agents have part of this, and their rent roll may have started to grow.
In preparation for this growth, jobs will be created, perhaps starting with an assistant property manager.
This new role will grow with the company, slowly building the portfolio and then perhaps moving on to become a fully-fledged property manager. Eventually, they too will become responsible for maintaining their clients’ relationships.
