How do you choose the right building management company?
Choosing a building management company is a decision that goes beyond comparing contract prices. The quality of management affects running costs, the condition of the utilities, the quality of the common areas, resident satisfaction, and even the building’s value over time.
Before choosing a building management company, three things need to be clear: exactly what services it provides, what experience it has behind it, and how its management process works.
But where should you start?
What is the building management company's responsibility, and what does it take on?
A building management company takes on the coordination and oversight of a set of activities related to operating and maintaining the building.
These activities include maintaining the utilities, managing staff, cleaning and general services, managing common areas, handling residents’ requests, controlling contractors, and planning repairs.
Comparing companies, then, has to go beyond the title “building management.” The exact level of services each company offers, and the share of responsibilities it takes on, shows the real picture.
Look at the company's experience in similar projects
The first question is: which buildings has this company managed?
Experience in a small building is very different from experience in a large, mixed-use complex. The number of units, the volume of utilities, the shared amenities, and the complexity of the building all create different needs.
Reviewing sample projects the company has managed shows how well its experience fits the conditions of the building in question.
Weigh the type of projects alongside their number
A company may have managed a large number of buildings while its core experience is limited to small, low-amenity ones.
For a large residential complex, experience managing pools, gyms, landscaping, parking, complex utilities, and public spaces carries more weight.
This is where the question becomes sharper: what types of buildings has this company managed, and what services did it provide in those projects?
The maintenance process shows the main difference in professional management.
Professional management differs from traditional management mainly in how it approaches building maintenance.
A few questions clarify the evaluation: How are periodic inspections carried out? How is equipment condition recorded? On what basis are periodic services planned? Where are repair records kept? When a disruption occurs, what process is activated to handle it?
The answers to these questions give an accurate picture of the real quality of management.
Review the team structure before signing the contract
A strong building management company doesn’t rest its operation on a single person or a lone on-site worker.
It matters a great deal that the people responsible for management, services, utilities, cleaning, and support are clearly identified, and that it’s clear who is accountable at the moment a problem arises. A defined process keeps the quality of service independent of any one person changing.
Take the way it communicates with residents seriously
Building management deals with people, and the quality of communication is a major part of the job.
A management company should have a clear channel for logging requests, following up on problems, and keeping residents informed. A resident shouldn’t have to hunt for a particular person every time an issue comes up; a clear process for receiving and following up on requests is part of a good living experience.
Assess financial transparency carefully
A lower price isn’t always the more economical option.
Before any decision, three things should be made clear: exactly what services the contract amount covers, how costs outside the contract are calculated, and in what way expense reports will be presented. Financial transparency removes many future disputes between management and residents from the picture.
See the quality of services on site
The introduction meeting or company profile gives a general picture; an in-person visit shows the real one.
Visit one or more buildings the company manages, and pay attention to the condition of the lobby, elevators, parking, common areas, cleaning, and how the staff are present on site. How employees treat residents also says a lot about the quality of management.
A short visit sometimes reveals more about a company’s real performance than several pages of a résumé.
Evaluate the company's long-term outlook
Evaluate the company’s long-term outlook
Building management sets its horizon beyond solving today’s problems.
The right company for long-term maintenance has a plan, from periodic servicing of equipment to early identification of the parts that will need repair or renovation in the future. This approach moves management decisions from reactive to planned.
What are the characteristics of a good building management company?
Four questions simplify the path to choosing: What experience does it have? What services does it provide? How does it control the quality of its services? What plan does it have for the building’s long-term maintenance?
Clear answers to these four questions turn comparing companies into a simple, confident decision.
NexaLife: Building management with an eye on the living experience
NexaLife manages buildings with the whole living experience in mind. The company focuses on operations, maintenance, and services that keep a project’s quality alive in the period after handover.
From managing and maintaining the utilities and common areas to general services and attending to residents’ needs, NexaLife provides an orderly process for running the building and a richer experience of living.
Explore NexaLife’s services, and get in touch with the NexaLife team to learn about a management model suited to your building.
