Day in the Life of a Property Manager

What does a typical day in the life of a Property Manager look like? Find out what the busy role involves first-hand from David Andrew's very own Jess Innes!

My name is Jess Innes, and as a Property Manager, we must be prepared for many things in our busy day-to-day roles. So, it helps if you are great at multi-tasking, tenacious, a clear communicator, enjoy problem solving, maintain good relations with landlords/tenants/contractors and most importantly – have the ability to stay calm throughout!

9.00 am: -

My day always starts with a large coffee before reading through my inbox to prioritise the urgent emails from the less pressing ones that have been sent overnight. Once this has been done, I begin the task of dealing with any emergencies immediately! Which typically means calling contractors to find out their availability for today and then arranging the relevant access for them. As the weather has started to get colder, we are getting lots of heating issues as tenants try to use the central heating for the first time this year, together with the unfortunate few leaks caused by the recent heavy rain and storms.

10.00 am: -

Once the new emails have been categorised, I scan through my inbox again to see what might be outstanding from the day/week before and follow up where necessary. Once a tenant reports an issue, a contractor is booked to go out and quote on the job required. This is then sent to the landlord for approval and only when this has been agreed, can the work be confirmed with the contractor concerned. Which of course sounds a bit easier than it seems as the process can involve a lot of chasing-up, as contractors, engineers, and landlords – are all very busy people, so it often takes a bit of time to hear back from them. All the while, making sure our tenants are kept in the loop to reassure them that their issue is of course being addressed and dealt with.

11.00 am: -

Time to go through the weekly/fortnightly jobs that need checking. Such as booking any certificates needed which are due to expire in the next couple of months and looking at the imminent renewals. I really enjoy handling the renewals, as it reminds me of my negotiation days! I particularly like finding the happy medium when reviewing rents and helping tenants extend their tenancy in a home they love. Sometimes when this doesn’t go to plan and tenants need to move out, we’ll inspect the property, book the move-out and make the necessary arrangements to get the property back on the market. Once the tenants move, I need to review the check-out and confirm the deposit return with them.

12.00 pm: -

I’ll keep reviewing my inbox - booking any contractors needed for new issues reported and checking other works already instructed to ensure that the jobs have been carried out.

1.00 pm – 2.00 pm: -

Afternoons are usually when I’ll carry out my inspections (after a bite to eat!), as an important part of our department’s role is to try and visit all our managed properties twice a year. However, since the pandemic this sometimes needs to be done via video. Luckily most of my portfolio is within walking distance from the Property Management Office in Highbury, which means I am able to get my steps in! Although I sometimes find myself regretting the walk when I’m inspecting a top floor flat up four flights of stairs!! Sometimes I’ll tell myself this merits a little treat from the local patisserie on my way back!

3.00 pm: -

Once I return to the office, I type up the inspection reports - with the addition of photos and have them sent out to the landlords concerned. Where any action is required, the tenants will also be notified, and contractors instructed if necessary. The reports are always saved and filed for future reference.

4.00 pm: -

Before the end of the day approaches, I check through any calls that have come in whilst I was out, to see if anything is urgent and requires a contractor immediately or needs my attention.

5.00pm: -

Around this time can tend to be a bit hectic, as tenants get home from work and if they find something isn’t working, there is an urgency to report the issue before the Property Management Team leave for the day. On a Friday, this tends to be rather more heightened as tenants want to get any major problems resolved before the weekend!

6.00 pm: -

Even though it’s time to leave the office now, most Property Managers don’t ever feel they can totally switch off. Whether it’s worrying if that last minute contractor turned up on time or if adverse weather damages some roofs or floods a basement flat! And then just like Groundhog Day, it all starts again at 9 am the next morning!

To find out more about the Property Management services we provide, please contact our Head of Property Management, Theo Dorges on (0)20 3370 5210, or email theo@davidandrew.co.uk