New Client FAQs
New Client FAQs
How many years have you been in the property management business?
Smith Property Management was established in 1995. Since our inception most of our business has been secured through recommendation. We retain business because we build relationships with our clients and we provide a quality service with emphasis on value for money.
How many staff do you have?
We have in excess of 35 employees working in Property Management, Accounts, Finance, Operations and back of house in support roles.
Are you licenced with the Property Services Regulatory Authority?
Yes as are all of our Property Managers. Our company licence number is 002494.
What kind of developments do you manage?
We manage a wide range of mixed use developments, ranging in size from 9 units to over 900, all of which are of different ages, locations and complexities.
Can you provide references from other developments you manage that are similar in size to ours?
We are always happy to provide references upon request. You may also like to read our Case Studies and Testimonials sections under the ‘Our Clients’ option in the main header at the top of the page.
Will we be assigned a dedicated Property Manager for our development?
Yes, in fact your development will be serviced by a core team of individuals as follows; Property Manager, Property Administrator, Accounts Manager.
We’ve had numerous Property Managers with our current agent, how do you ensure staff retention?
This is a problem common to our industry. Having spoken to many job applicants over the years, we have found the biggest reason for staff attrition is ‘overloading’: Property Managers are given more and more developments to manage and eventually aren’t able to perform properly. Good staff perform badly, become frustrated, melt down and leave. We avoid this pitfall by giving our team manageable portfolios and providing a pleasant working environment.
How much notice do you need before taking over a new development?
Depending on the quality and promptness of the information supplied to us by the incumbent agent, when taking on a new development the normal timeframe that would apply is anywhere from 2-6 weeks. However upon receipt of owners’ contact details we can start uploading information onto our systems and begin correspondence within days.
How do you deal with breaches of house rules?
Management Agents deal with breaches of house rules on a daily basis. It is therefore very important that there is a very effective and efficient procedure in place when dealing with the communication and breaches of house rules. In general;
- All breaches of house rules are logged, updated and closed off accordingly on our OMC Service Management System
- Our administration staff are fully trained to deal with resident complaints in this area
- While conducting site visits our Property Managers look out for any breaches for house rules
- Our mobile and caretaking personnel are also fully trained to look out for breaches of house rules and report them to our office
How do you deal with unpaid service charges?
One of the biggest concerns for Directors of OMCs is the collection of service charge fees. Smith Property Management has a tight but fair collections procedure. Our credit management department focuses on providing owners with accurate and timely statements. Given today’s economic climate, Smith Property Management ensures that service charge fees are billed as soon as they become due at the start of the financial year. This means the residents have a realistic time to:
- Review their service charge statement
- Contact us if they have any queries
- Arrange to pay what is owed on time and in a number of ways.
As a Director of an OMC will I get regular financial updates?
Yes, we are able to provide regular financial reports to all Directors. In the main these are sent out quarterly.
How do you handle complaints?
Our Complaints Handling System utilises a leading online support system, to organise, track and manage query requests. This system reflects our commitment to ensuring that our outstanding customer support continues to meet the expectations of our clients and customers.
The goal of this system is to manage expectations, keep our clients and customers informed and ensure that there is a way to measure engagement with Smith Property Management.
What selection criteria do you use for contractors?
Smith Property Management recognises that our relationship with contractors, and our ability to collaborate with them effectively play an enormous role in the success of managing a development.
Some managing agents regard cost as the most important criteria to base the selection process on. While value for money is a very important aspect of the selection process we adopt a multi-selection criteria approach. This includes but is not limited to:
- Ability to maintain and improve the standards in a development
- Value for money for a development
- Will work within Smith Property Management’s defined systems and procedures to maintain our brand, i.e. by providing a top level service to the OMC
- History of reasonable price submissions
- Work history that indicates specialisation and quality of workmanship
- Quality control
- Flexibility
- Co-operation when resolving delays in works being completed
- Ability to meet schedule demands
- Proactive ability to provide on-site recommendations
Do you offer an out of hours service for emergencies?
Yes. We guarantee that our emergency helpline subscribers will receive assured, approved contractor attendance and priority services 365 days a year.
You talk a good game. How can we be sure that you will deliver?
You don’t stay in this business for over 20 years if you are not doing things right. Our ability to apply that experience, passion and commitment by providing our clients and customers with a personal, professional and ethical service is why we are still around today and continue to be leaders in our industry.