Industry authority Louise Schofield has joined real estate outsourcing company PMVA, aiming to create better workplace culture, more streamlined workflows and a better customer experience for property management businesses.
PMVA Chief Executive Officer Tiffany Bowtell said Ms Schofield had joined the team as a training consultant following more than 15 years in the real estate industry.
“Having Louise onboard will allow the company to go to the next level in customer service, with a hands-on, experienced property manager to help the team with navigating legislation, best practice and trouble shooting to enhance the overall experience of PMVA’s clientele,” Ms Bowtell said.
With a natural penchant for systems and processes, the property management industry was a natural fit for Ms Schofield.
This was most evident during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, where she helped numerous PMs navigate the array of legislation changes along with the ever-present pressure to do more, for less.
This led her to question how she could help PMs enjoy their job more and the obvious fit was to join PMVA.
“I understand the difference a virtual assistant makes in freeing up time to be able to give superior customer service to clients,” Ms Schofield said.
“Having worked with various virtual assistants over the years and being burnt from choosing the Do It Yourself (DIY) model, PMVA was the best decision for the next step in my career.”
Ms Schofield said the DIY model often adds, rather than removes, pressure on the property management department head, and because the benefits of using a VA are not fully realised the method is often abandoned.
But she said the PMVA model (Done For You) understands the best use of a property manager’s time is spending it with their clients, which promotes improved communication, customer service and building a relationship based on trust.
“This is what is needed to lift the profile of the property management industry,” Ms Schofield said.
“What is preventing property managers from achieving this is the abundance of administrative tasks they are required to do to get the job done.”
Ms Bowtell said using a professional VA company, which trains the VAs on the client’s systems would free up a lot of time for PMs and made “good business sense”.
“By offboarding some of those tasks to highly trained professionals, you will find property managers have the time to do what they enjoy most – liaising with their clients,” she said.
“The future of property management requires happy property managers on your team, which in turn makes you a business of attraction to potential staff members.
“Outsourcing admin tasks allows the team/PM to generate a more regulated day, freeing up time that will encourage them to reach their goals personally and for the business.”
Excited for her new role, Ms Schofield said she was looking forward to property management businesses having greater success and stability.
“In the long run, the overall effectiveness of virtual assistants in your business is a better office culture, staff much happier in their role, a department that runs smoothly and efficiently and, overall, it will be more profitable,” she said.
