Parkgate Aspen – Reasons to go with a Property Management Firm

From reduced hassle to more free time, there are many reasons to go with a property management firm, but the benefits in doing so only shine through when the firm in question can deliver high availability, high levels of client care and a comprehensive range of service duties.

Tenants, landlords and association chairs often turn to property management firms when they want management control transferred into more capable hands. The quality of life and livelihood of tenants is never a trivial matter, and for any serious property owner who cares about their tenants, this is something that needs to be done right.

Parkgate Aspen present the reasons for using and the advantages of property management companies :

Managing Agents: Important Features

• Day-to-day Management –Property inspections, maintenance and repairs, client communications and the efficient handling of enquiries/problems/emergencies are arguably the most beneficial aspects of outsourced property management, and this is especially true for clients with larger property portfolios, thanks to the significant amount of time and resources saved.
• Lease Provision and Collections – The collection of rent and arrears can be a heavy burden for property owners, but this can be alleviated when payment activities are handled by a property management firm. Firms also help to keep things clear and facilitate the transfer of information whenever in the case of legal action.
• Advice for Client Obligations – Landlords must abide by legal and statutory requirements and conform to the obligations laid out by the lease, and this potentially complex and fraught area can be managed effectively with advice from a property management firm’s senior management surveyors.
• Property Management Recruitment – Agents are well connected with industry agencies, maintenance staff, security staff, cleaners and porters as well as contractors, which makes it easier to procure quality staff with the right level of experience. The handling of payroll and staffing issues is also extremely beneficial.

Regardless of the general benefits, it is always important to understand how variable services can be between different agents.  Not all firms are equal, and many provide sub-par levels of service, usually as a result of unsustainable business models and an overemphasis on profits and corporate expansion.

Today, many overstretched agents are forced into moving their clients on to other agents. Parkgate Aspen are a management firm with a portfolio of over 100 high quality blocks in London and the Home Counties, and many of their latest blocks have come from such overstretched agents.

Parkgate Aspen – Established in 1974

Parkgate Aspen is an independent, high quality block management firm based in North West London. Established in 1974, the company has been a specialist in customer care for 40 years and in this time they have developed their own unique approach to block management. They specialise in the management of mansion blocks, though in recent years the firm has had success with the redevelopment of new and commercial builds.

An Independent Managing Agents

From a financial and executive viewpoint, Parkgate Aspen are very much independent. They answer to no-one except their clients, and they only expand their managements when they have the capacity to do so. This orientation helps them to meet their obligations and fulfil their goals, all in the best interests of the leaseholders.

They are not a firm of estate agents, and they avoid the lure of generating new sales and lettings; their only activity is in the management of blocks and flats, and new managements only every come from client recommendations. They have one of the lowest property-to-manager ratios and they provide 24-hour emergency contact services for all clients. Parkgate Aspen were one of the earliest members of the Association of Residential Managing Agents and they own the voluntary ISO 9001 accreditation standard.

Company Structure and Service Delivery

The firm is split into a customer care team, a management surveying team and a financial control team. To ensure that general issues and queries are handled quickly, Parkgate Aspen structures their staff into an ‘outer response ring’ of trained management assistants and an ‘inner core’ of experienced senior management surveyors.

The ‘outer response ring’ manages the majority of resident calls and requests. Every management assistant is required to visit the properties they deal with to ensure customer familiarity and effective response, and this is ensured further with a low staff turnover. The inner core tackles the more complicated issues such as legislation.

Summary

As a force for traditional values in an industry where the corporate agenda casts a very long shadow, they have taken on many new management in recent times from other agents who have let their properties fall into disarray. They have also helped free many residents and tenant associations from landlord control.

With the goal of quality client care, and the independence to ensure this goal remaining a reality, Parkgate Aspen are a no-frills firm with traditional values and a local approach.

Parkgate Aspen | Managing Blocks of Flats

Parkgate Aspen was established with the merging of two sister companies to serve leasehold blocks of flats. Employing more than thirty members of staff, Parkgate Aspen’s speciality is managing flats of a high quality.

An early member of ARMA, otherwise known as the Association of Residential Marketing Agents, Parkgate Aspen has a wealth of experience serving as a managing agent. Parkgate Aspen is an independently-owned business which allows clients and staff to enjoy close, personal working relationships.

Parkgate Aspen provides three areas of service to their clients; this includes Financial Control, Management Surveying, and Customer Care. In regard to the latter service, Parkgate Aspen often takes on blocks of flats where the preceding managing agent’s resources are being overstretched as a result of acquisitions and mergers.

From their experience, Parkgate Aspen have found that they can provide a better response system with their trained management assistants. Their team of assistants are capable of processing a staggering ninety percent of requests and daily calls from residents. The team are also equipped to respond to any complaints, insurance claims, minor leaks and account queries.

Parkgate Aspen can save their clients time due to their ‘Outer Response Ring’. This service involves highly experienced customer service staff and trained management assistants who are on call to handle any daily routine issues. They work to ensure all queries are dealt within a reasonable timeframe and efficient manner. The members of staff at Parkgate Aspen regularly visit the property premises to get familiar with their surroundings so they can deal with requests in a timely manner.

The ‘Inner Core’ service staff at Parkgate Aspen have decades worth of experience in procedures regarding Landlord and Tenant legislation. Taking the responsibility out of the Landlord’s hands and making management control easy is what they focus on for their clients.

Parkgate Aspen offer fixed management fees for their services including  preparation, consultation, maintenance of day-to-day records, and management policy. Operating 24/7, Parkgate Aspen also have an out-of-hours number available, which enables you to speak to a qualified property manager in the event of an emergency.