Enthusiastic response to the De La Porte Property Group’s (DLP) property management service, focusing on privately owned commercial and industrial buildings and parks, shows a pent-up need to provide professional management support for non-institutional commercial holdings, says broker principal Jonty de la Porte, partner in the new service with property management specialist Sue-Ann Wucherpfennig.
“Private individuals and smaller ownership groups looking for personal service beyond pro forma property management have formed the strong core of De La Porte Property Management’s growing portfolio. Already management contracts have been signed with a large commercial/industrial property owners’ association, and 10 sectional title complexes, along with owners of individual properties, have also come on board,” he says.
“We noticed a trend among larger property management companies to focus more and more on the large listed and institutional property holdings as clients. Some of the other bigger groups are also co-operating in JV management partnerships, which means private landlords are likely to be overlooked and won’t get the personal service they deserve. The large companies are system orientated and largely inflexible. Because our concentration is on individuals, we will make it our business to adapt to the landlord’s requirements.
“And we view the task as a great deal more than the essential nuts and bolts management of the buildings and tenant needs. In the true spirit of asset management we see our responsibility as being part of a process to boost the asset value of the properties under our management. This is of course, in addition to the basics of impeccable day-to-day administration,” says De La Porte.
He says the new service was a natural progression for DLP, which celebrates its 11th anniversary this year.
“It adds a broader base to our broking arm as well. Decades of experience in property management combined with a proven sales and letting record, now provides clients with a tailored service that both boosts the assets and improves their returns.”
The new arm of DLP is heavily invested in the same top-flight software as the large management companies and the individuals involved share the same high levels of experience.
“We focus on private commercial industrial property clients with single title properties. We will also manage commercial and industrial sectional title complexes and property owners associations, and we have identified a gap for a professional company that is prepared to manage residential single title properties on behalf of our commercial and industrial clients that have more diversified portfolios,” says De La Porte.
