Maintenance coordination
New York City based NEL Corp. had systematically grown their portfolio of multifamily properties in the five-borough area and had become reputable owner/operators of their communities. Effective logistics and workflows were in place to handle all aspects of Property Management: This included compliance with local regulations, effective leasing, bookkeeping and accounting. There was, however, a missing piece to this puzzle: Maintenance & Repairs.
How we helped them
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How we helped them -
The firm had adopted a robust platform, Buildium, as the central point of their operations.
The software provided all the tools and features that helped in daily activities and allowed them to scale appropriately. Buildium also provided a maintenance component that, when used properly, streamlined all the repair activities of the properties.
Challenge
Problem was, no amount of software can help when:
Technicians don’t show up to do the scheduled repairs.
No one follows-up to confirm if repairs were ever made.
Vendors overcharge and underperform.
The cost of supplies and labor always find a way to go up.
Tenant confusion and frustration starts to take hold.
Solution
Communication, and then more communication.
We took to the phones to develop a rapport with the tenants, making them willing partners rather than disgruntled adversaries.
Connected with vendors, measuring their capacity, pricing and professionalism.
Developed an effective Preferred Vendor list within Buildium.
Built preventive maintenance procedures and repair checklists.
Implemented a video-call system, eliminating 15% of technician visits.
Streamlined scheduling, follow-up, and feedback procedures.
When stuff breaks, it needs to be fixed. That doesn’t mean going broke doing it.
