Upskilling needed for property managers in the new normal

As new norms set in, property managers need to stay agile and be focused on mitigating the Covid-19 pandemic as they manage their properties.

To achieve this, the Malaysian Institute of Property and Facility Managers (MIPFM) president Adzman Shah Mohd Ariffin sees an urgent need for property managers to embrace the usage of technology and provide more training for their management personnel in crisis management.

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He recommended some technologies that property managers should consider adopting are: community portals to enhance internal communication, online payment portals to reduce physical contact, contact tracing applications as well as indoor air quality monitoring devices.

“Investment is needed in proper training and skilling to ensure the personnel is well equipped to face the challenges,” said Adzman in his session titled “Are property managers prepared for the new normal?” in the EdgeProp.my symposium on “Excellent Property Management 2021: Future-proof your investment in the new norm”.

The symposium was presented by EdgeProp.my along with partner Nippon Paint Malaysia and supporting partner Panasonic Malaysia. The event was also supported by The Edge Malaysia.

In choosing property managers, Adzman advised Joint Management Bodies (JMBs) and Management Corporations (MCs) to look at the past track records of the property managers.

“Another important aspect is to check with the property managers what kind of training has been provided for their staff as this would reflect the capability of the staff in crisis management,” he added.

Disclosure of infected residents’ information

During his session, one of the audience members raised the concern of data disclosure by the management office to other residents, such as revealing the unit number or the name of the resident infected with the coronavirus.

In dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, Adzman said there are many grey areas that are not being addressed under current laws or regulations. In handling such situations, the JMB, MC or management offices should be focused on ways to enhance the safety of the common areas to curb the spread of the disease.

“Revealing the names of the people who are infected will not help enhance the overall safety. The focus should be on increasing the frequency of sanitisation of common areas and, most importantly, implement contact tracing to ensure the infected residents will not affect others,” he emphasised.

Other than this, the management office should provide assistance to the residents who are infected, such as helping them to get daily necessities and discarding their trash to ensure they stay home all the time. 

Other notable speakers during the event included Architect Centre accredited building inspector Anthony Lee Tee and Chur Associates founder and managing partner Chris Tan.

Representatives from the management committee of the award-winning projects from the recently concluded EdgeProp Malaysia’s Best Managed and Sustainable Property Awards 2021 also shared their insights on effective property management. The speakers were Westside III @ Desa ParkCity JMB chairman Ken Yeo Kian Ing, Kiara Park Condominium MC secretary and past chairman Lawrence Loh and Sri Penaga Condominium MC past chairman Khaw Chay Tee.

This story first appeared in the EdgeProp.my E-weekly on April 16, 2021. You can access back issues here.

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