Sleep Better With a High Performance Maintenance Team
No one wants a 2 a.m. call about a burst pipe, a faulty furnace, or a clogged drain. Especially if these problems could’ve been avoided. Maintenance professionals can typically fix whatever’s broken, but how many have the knowledge to circumvent costly repairs? The selection of maintenance techs, I believe, is paramount to the success of the bottom line.
Photo: iStock.com/miodrag ignjatovic
No one wants a 2 a.m. call about a burst pipe, a faulty furnace, or a clogged drain. Especially if these problems could’ve been avoided. Maintenance professionals can typically fix whatever’s broken, but how many have the knowledge to circumvent costly repairs?
Multi-Housing News recently published an article on the value of skilled maintenance technicians. IREM member Pamela Sullens, CPM®, and COO of Golden Mountain Real Estate, was featured in this story and says, “The selection of maintenance techs, I believe, is paramount to the success of the bottom line.” With so many different and critical building elements to maintain, choosing and retaining professionals to meet tenant and resident expectations, and help you achieve the property’s goals, is a challenge.
Apart from finding these resources, elevating them to the high performing team you need requires training. Proficient maintenance professionals are a critical element of solid building management plans. Sullens agrees: “I think it’s important for maintenance techs to participate in your property plans, include them in the goals you have on behalf of the owner; they shouldn’t be left in the dark.” The more they know, the more of a partner they become to you and the building owner.
To help develop these important skills, real estate managers can offer their maintenance staff professional training to elevate them to the same level of knowledge as building managers and owners. Your maintenance professionals can emerge with skills to employ best practices, from developing a proactive maintenance plan, to creating a maintenance budget, managing contractors and determining appropriate staffing for the property.
Your maintenance team plays an important role in the resident and tenant experience. A high performance team also contributes to healthy building performance results. Invest in your team as you would in any other asset, and realize the positive returns. For more information, see IREM’s Maintenance and Risk Management Certificate program.