Bucking the trend

Not many people have positive things to say about their managing agent.  It is a sector of the property industry which is subject to miles of red tape and ever-changing regulations to get to grips with, while the press love to harp on about extortionate service charges demanded by ‘greedy’ managing agents. It’s a tough gig!

As pressures to remain financially viable bite, many of the smaller managing agents serving central and prime areas of London have merged with larger companies.  Block managers get relocated further and further away and are expected to take responsibility for too many buildings – I recently heard of a firm that had moved their block management operations to South Africa!  Without sufficient time to dedicate to each building and little opportunity to visit sites, it is hardly surprising that low morale, high staff turnover and disgruntled clients are becoming the norm, resulting in a downward spiralling “lose, lose’ vicious cycle.

To all of the above, I say NO!  A BIG FAT NO! No, to race to the bottom. No, to stressed-out overworked block managers. No, to poor levels of service and no, to unhappy clients.

At Nicolas Van Patrick we are proud to be different; bucking the trend by keeping it small, keeping it local and keeping service levels and professionalism at the heart of what we do.  Does it come at a cost? Of course, like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. So yes, our management fees are a bit higher, but interestingly we usually save our clients money.  By dedicating our time and resources to hands-on management, we can identify and unlock potential savings, avoid wasteful expenditure, and make sure spending decisions are made carefully and with a long-term view.

Our small block management team has a combined wealth of over 40 years’ residential experience.  We love working closely with our clients, believing that the human relationships and dynamics in each building are just as important as caring for the building itself.   It is this thoughtful, sustainable, holistic approach to block management that has seen our portfolio grow, almost entirely, by word-of-mouth recommendation.  Win, win!

Although keeping it small is key, we do of course have ambitions to grow a little bit more.  So, the next time you hear someone grumbling about their managing agent, you know what to do.

Hannah Roberts is Head of Block Management at Nicolas Van Patrick