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“The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.” I may not share many of Former US President Bill Clinton’s opinions but this quote is one of those statements that most people can agree with.
The role of a managing agent has been relevant ever since the introduction of the concept of sectional title schemes with the commencement of the Sectional Titles Act in March 1973. Obviously a lot has changed over the last 45 years, including the replacement of the 1971 Act by the Sectional Titles Act 95 of 1986 and the recent introduction of the Sectional Title Schemes Management Act 8 of 2011, but one thing that has not changed is the need for managing agents. In fact the introduction of the Sectional Title Schemes Management Act has made the role of managing agents increasingly burdensome and important.
The ever changing legislative landscape is not the only thing that managing agents need to worry about. Technological advancements in the property management industry have totally changed the manner in which managing agents interact and engage with clients. Most traditional managing agents may be aware of the latest technological breakthroughs, however very few are actually embracing the positive impact that it can have on their ability to attract and retain clients. More often than not, they choose to ignore technology by following outdated business methods which may have been ground breaking in 1973 but have no place in today’s market.
The modern community scheme member wants to have access to a platform that allows them to view their levy account, log faults, read weekly or monthly newsletters, participate in community surveys and communicate directly with the managing agent and estate manager, all from the same place. The problem is that there are so many products available on the market today that offer such a platform or a slight variation thereof and managing agents are finding it increasingly difficult to find a product that caters to the different needs of their wide-ranging clients. It is for this reason why Pam Golding Property Management Services (Pty) Ltd aims at integrating with their client’s existing digital solutions in order to ensure a more client centric and customised approach to technology.
We are always willing to work with our clients to integrate our existing systems with their digital platform to ensure a seamless transition which ultimately improves the user experience of the members of the community scheme.
Although it may not always be possible or practical for a managing agent to plug into the existing digital ecosystem of every client, at Pam Golding Property Management Services (Pty) Ltd we believe in working with our clients to find the most suitable solution while being ever mindful of Bill Clinton’s famous statement.
Auren Freitas dos Santos, Legal & Compliance Officer
Pam Golding Property Management Services
