Property management has long been treated as an afterthought by developers. Either outsourced to third parties (many of whom have unscrupulous business practices), or managed internally but treated as a necessary evil: an unglamorous and uninteresting aspect of the development process.
The reality is that for the most part, the running and management of buildings has a greater impact on the quality of life for the residents, than the bricks and mortar itself. It’s how the things that matter are taken care of - be those blocked drains, communal gardens, or the operating of facilities. But perhaps even more significantly, it’s how the culture of the building is developed. Done well, property management can create the glue that holds communities together and help people to forge friendships and the build the spirit of neighbourliness.
In developing the Helicon proposition, all of this was born in mind, as was the need to create a transparent structure where residents would be able to understand and participate in the decisions being made in relation to where they live and how the money they invest in their property is being spent for the collective good.
The company is part owned by the resident and operates as a not-for-profit entity, ensuring that all it’s income is re-invested in improving the quality of the experience of living there.
Smith Dawson are responsible for consulting on the structure of the company and the development of the proposition, the training of the on-site teams, as well as developing the name, positioning, identity and communications approach, and designing and producing all materials across all channels. In particular, the ‘app’ through which all communications on-site are managed. Details on this project can be found in the next case study.