Property Management has always been a challenging pursuit, but to say that being a Property Manager is difficult in today’s world is a huge understatement! There have always plenty of issues to weed through, but with the COVID pandemic, even more obstacles are being thrown your way. Below are some ideas on how to help curb a few of those.
Outdoor Space Challenges
Property managers normally fear the "Red Tape" involved in creating functional and appealing outdoor spaces for their tenants. For commercial properties today, “Yellow Tape” (as in “Caution Tape”) has become your secret weapon against the Covid-19 virus. Re-assignment of outdoor spaces is a common trend. While talking with a local property manager recently, they were re-thinking their plans for some outdoor space.
Five months ago, if you put up a “Keep Out” sign, tenants would likely think you were being rude. Now they actually want to know what areas are safe and how you’re helping to protect them by enforcing social distancing. For example, which benches are you “X-ing” out because they are too close to the next one?
The good news is that most office parks are not swamped with people. While onsite at office parks, we notice that they are, on average, no more than 33% occupied. Use common sense and good communication to your tenants on how to safely use a space. If you have a walking trail that is a loop, maybe make the trail one direction versus having lanes going in both directions. The good news, most of the time, people will be fine.
Lobbies
You may notice that people are now pausing before walking into lobbies. They are looking for indications on the mask requirements, regulations, and tips for being safe in a building. Make sure your signage is clear. If you have one, also consider putting the same information on the digital lobby signage. Post it to your website as well so that the information you want to provide is in many locations.
Deliveries
We also observe that it’s not uncommon to have an Amazon, UPS and FedEx driver delivering every single day. Make sure your signage is accommodating and clear for them. When lunch rolls around, don’t be shocked to see more and more deliveries of food. As more people trickle back to the office buildings, the FoodsBy and Jimmy John deliveries are increasing at the same pace.
Bike Parking
Another trend is a huge jump in riding bikes for both exercise and as a mode of destination transportation. That means apartment complexes are having to deal with many more bikes than they used to. We would not be surprised if office buildings start seeing more demand for bike storage parking. Plus, a few people we know have packed on some COVID pounds and biking helps keep it off.
As we continue to navigate the current world situation, we at MOBLZ hope to continue to provide some inspiration and thought-provoking content for you. Please email us if you have any thoughts or suggestions others may find helpful.