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A thriving maintenance department can make or break your PMC. That’s why we sat down with Deb Newell and Tra Griffin to explore all the intricacies of maintenance.
These industry experts shared plenty of key insights and actionable advice, providing property managers with a detailed guide to effectively integrating and scaling their maintenance operations.
You can watch a full recording of the webinar conversation here, listen in to a recap here, or simply read on for top takeaways.
Let’s dive in!
The Importance of Balancing Maintenance and Property Management
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First things first, it’s important to maintain a healthy tension. Maintenance and property management need to ultimately coexist. But both should advocate for their side to ensure each department thrives.
Your team should also get clear on focus areas. Property managers should prioritize client service and deal acquisition, while maintenance teams should focus on profitability.
Actionable Advice:
Define Clear Roles: Establish distinct roles and responsibilities for property management and maintenance teams to avoid conflicts and ensure each team can focus on their core objectives.
Regular Communication: Schedule regular meetings between the two departments to discuss ongoing projects, address issues, and align goals.
Developing People and Professionalizing the Industry
In order for your PMC to thrive, you’ll need to keep personal and professional growth top of mind. Investing in the development of your team members is crucial for long-term success.
You should also be consistently elevating standards. When we all adopt more professional standards and practices, this elevates the industry as a whole.
Actionable Advice:
Training Programs: Implement comprehensive training programs for both property managers and maintenance technicians to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Industry Certifications: Encourage team members to pursue industry certifications and attend relevant workshops and seminars.
Starting or Growing a Maintenance Business
The decision to start or grow a maintenance business should be based on the volume of work rather than the number of properties managed. Your decision doesn’t have to be the same as that PM down the street’s decision.
You’ll also want to consider market-specific factors when establishing a maintenance department in a new area. Maintenance in booming metros will look very different from maintenance in more rural areas, for example.
Actionable Advice:
Assess Work Volume: Conduct a thorough analysis of the maintenance work generated by your properties to determine if starting an in-house maintenance team is viable.
Market Research: Research local market conditions, including labor availability and regulatory requirements, before expanding your maintenance operations.
Overcoming Fear and Stigma in Maintenance
Property managers should get comfortable with the concept of a growing maintenance department, starting with proactively approaching maintenance as part of asset management. That’s because offering additional services, such as HVAC tune-ups, can not only keep maintenance staff busy but also generate revenue.
Actionable Advice:
Preventive Maintenance Plans: Develop and offer preventive maintenance plans to property owners to ensure regular upkeep and reduce emergency repairs.
Service Bundles: Create service bundles that include seasonal maintenance tasks to provide added value to property owners and keep your maintenance team engaged year-round.
Legal and Insurance Considerations
It’s important to note that an in-house maintenance team does come with some administrative burden. Running a separate maintenance company takes time, energy, money, and personnel.
But this approach means your clients can choose integrated operations. Integrating maintenance under your same brand can seriously streamline processes.
Actionable Advice:
Consult Legal Experts: Work with legal experts to understand the implications of integrating maintenance services and ensure compliance with local regulations.
Insurance Coverage: Find an insurance broker who can help you secure comprehensive coverage for both property management and maintenance operations.
Managing Maintenance Work Orders and Technician Integration
When it comes to the integration phase, quality control should be top of mind. That’s because, as you well know by now, ensuring high-quality work is essential for maintaining property value and tenant satisfaction.
Hiring specialized maintenance teams, such as plumbers and HVAC technicians, can easily address those specific needs more effectively.
Actionable Advice:
Quality Assurance Processes: Implement quality assurance processes, including regular inspections and feedback mechanisms, to maintain high standards.
Specialist Recruitment: Develop a recruitment strategy to attract and retain skilled specialists in critical areas like plumbing and HVAC.
Effective Communication and Trust-Building
Whether you’re starting or growing a maintenance department, communication will be key. Effective communication with maintenance technicians is crucial for productivity and positive representation of the company.
Trust should also be top of mind. Building trust with your maintenance technicians fosters a positive work environment and enhances their performance.
Actionable Advice:
Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular check-ins with maintenance technicians to discuss their progress, address concerns, and provide support.
Team-Building Activities: Organize team-building activities to strengthen relationships and build trust among team members.
Utilizing Technology for Maintenance Management
Whatever path you choose, you don’t have to go it alone. Today, there are dozens of stellar software solutions to explore. These tech tools can track billable hours, manage work orders, handle invoicing, and overall streamline maintenance operations.
Setting clear expectations for technicians, including transit time and tool usage, will also go a long way in effective management.
Actionable Advice:
Adopt Maintenance Software: Invest in maintenance management software that offers features like work order tracking, time management, and invoicing.
Standard Operating Procedures: Develop and communicate standard operating procedures (SOPs) for maintenance tasks to ensure consistency and efficiency.
Strategic Hiring and Profitability
As you know, the right team members are essential for success. Start by evaluating the size of your operation to decide whether to hire internal technicians or use outside vendors.
Factors such as pay rates and utilization can also impact the profitability of maintenance technicians. So you should consider these factors carefully.
Actionable Advice:
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine the most cost-effective approach to staffing your maintenance team.
Performance Metrics: Establish performance metrics to track the profitability and efficiency of your maintenance technicians.
Conclusion
By focusing on effective communication, quality control, strategic hiring, and leveraging technology, property managers can enhance their maintenance services and ultimately improve property value and tenant satisfaction. Talk about a win-win!
For more in-depth discussions and expert advice, be sure to tune in to the Evernest Property Management Show and stay tuned for all our upcoming webinars.
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