Property Management We'll take care of it
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Contents SECTION
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Welcome to POD Management
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Why POD: 8 reasons to move to us
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How we do it: The POD way
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What we do: The details
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• Proactive management
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• On-site staff (if applicable)
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• Meetings
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• Contractors
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• Utilities procurement
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• Single point of contact
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• Robust accounting
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• Budgeting & capital expenditure planning
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• Payments
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• Arrears
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• Accounts
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• Invoices
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• Comprehensive reporting
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• Transparent systems
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• Sophisticated risk management
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• Thorough onboarding
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• Clear pricing
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Welcome to POD Management …where managing homes is simple, straightforward and done with care. We provide round-the-clock support so that issues are dealt with when they happen and customers always know exactly where they stand. Bringing the industry's best talent together, POD strives to make a difference to its customers' lives by using a smart range of services to provide peace of mind. POD assigns a dedicated and meticulous team of experts to each home. No problem is too small, and attention-to-detail is a given, thanks to innovative use of technology to ensure a complete, transparent data flow, with no loss of knowledge. Customers can also access what they need from an online portal containing local information, property updates as well as administration and payment support. It’s property management made to suit customers’ schedules and needs, providing a standard of service that the rest of the industry promises but rarely fulfils. Our purpose is simple: We make our customers feel so happy, safe and supported, they’ll never want to move. The same goes for our people.
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POD was created by industry expert, David Goldberg, and backed in a joint venture by former Dragons Den star James Caan CBE’s venture capital firm Hamilton Bradshaw and serial entrepreneur Faisal Butt’s Spire Ventures.
podmanagement.co.uk | T: 0333 577 6656
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Why POD: 8 reasons to move to us 1
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Property management pre-POD: • Two-thirds of leaseholders don’t feel they get a good service from their managing agent. • Just 6% are very confident the managing agent could resolve issues. • 51% of leaseholders see a change in managing agent would improve matters and benefit the block. • 40% of leaseholders strongly disagree that service charge is value for money. Latest National Leasehold Survey
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What we stand AGAINST: Stuffy, old-fashioned, impersonal ways of working A property manager that is unreliable, faceless and hard to reach Radio silence until the service charge is due Legacy systems
Why we’re different: We make a promise to our customers that “We’ll take care of it.” If something happens to your home, you can trust us to deal with it. We have the confidence and intelligence to know just what to do, and it’s our problem; not yours. We’ll resolve it promptly and keep you informed throughout. It’s a simple promise and we were built to fulfil it.
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How we’re changing property management:
“POD is set to ‘transform’ property management”
We’re dedicated, meticulous and smart. The old model of property management wasn’t working, so we created a new way of doing things. Solid, human connections blended with technology to actually deliver great customer service. We’ve simplified things and added extras to make your home feel even better.
P RO P E RT Y WE E K, N OVEM B ER 2017
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“This is a company that will make us all proud in five years time” JAM ES CA AN CB E ,
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INVESTO R O F PO D MANAG EM ENT
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POD comes in many different service sizes but all plans include: • A dedicated customer service contact and a team of experts for further help • 24/7 support via ‘POD Anytime’ • ‘POD Connect’, an online portal containing local information, property updates, admin and payment support • ‘myPOD’ for special deals and offers in the local area
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We are so confident that you'll receive a better service at POD that we offer a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!* * Subject to T&Cs
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How we do it: The POD way We believe clients and customers are different. They share the same goal — a well managed property — but we recognise they have differing needs and this is how we meet them. Why our clients love us: Proactive management
Clear pricing
Hands on and charged to enhance, not just maintain
We’re transparent about our pricing — we have nothing to hide
Robust accounting
Sophisticated risk management
Regulated by the RICS and Residential Service Charge Code of Conduct compliant
An intelligent and proactive system gives you peace of mind
Comprehensive reporting
Transparent systems
Insightful digital and hard copy reporting, as often as you need it
A quick and efficient reference point for all enquiries
Single point of contact
Thorough onboarding
A dedicated customer service contact and a team of experts for further help
To start off on the best footing
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Why our customers love us: Operational excellence We simplify processes, reduce ‘pain points’ and provide faster fixes
Meticulous dedication We take ownership of issues and gather feedback so we always improve
Best in class experts on-site
Built for homes and communities
e conduct regular site visits to check the W development is being well maintained
We encourage placemaking to build a sense of community and belonging
Fully integrated online
Communication on residents’ terms
e use innovative technology to ensure complete W transparency
We provide multi-channel touch points including telephone, email, live chat, web portals and mobile apps
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“I can say that our experience with POD's team has been excellent. They respond to enquiries rapidly and ensure that everyone across the board is dealt with respectfully and efficiently.” Director of building in Woolwich, London
“I have to say you are an absolute breath of fresh air compared to the experience we had with {previous agent}. I am hugely impressed and delighted that you are managing the property.” Resident of building in New Kings Road, London
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What we do: The details Proactive management We take a very ‘hands on’ approach to management. As a small firm, we can be versatile, and this allows us to work closely with our clients to find the best solution for them. Managing a property is a partnership. On day one, we’ll sit down with you to understand what you want to achieve and what you consider are the priorities. We’ll guide you on best practice and make recommendations on how to proceed. Our own study of the property management sector found on average 45% of a property manager’s time is spent completing basic admin or unnecessary emails which could otherwise have been automated. We’ve invested heavily in our systems to deliver a more streamlined workflow, improved communication and better customer service. To fulfil our promise to be better than our competition, we automate as much of the administrative tasks as possible. This gives our staff the time they need to manage your building to the highest of standards. O N -SITE STAF F ( if applicable)
On-site staff are an integral part of the management team and we work alongside them to establish working practices which aid, not hinder, their job. Our systems are designed to put collaboration at the heart of what we do so everyone involved in running the property is kept informed at all times. To that end, copies of works orders and planned maintenance routines will be shared with on-site staff and they’ll have access to the same systems that we do (restricted to your building only) allowing them to see exactly what is happening. Issues on-site can be raised directly with them so they can log these on our systems, or they can be reported to POD. Whatever is best for you and your team. Either way, we will all be able to see what is happening. Ultimately, we aim to empower the on-site team and make them proud to be a part of the wider POD movement. We recognise they are an important enabler for the on-site community and as such we are committed to investing in them.
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M E ETI N GS
Regular meetings with the client are an integral part of management. At meetings we will discuss ongoing management, present an update on financial information and work with you to prioritise upcoming works. We also use information and data about your property to better inform management decisions. CO NTR ACTO RS
We understand the contractors we use can reflect on us directly, so we take great care in choosing our partners. Our supplier list has been diligently compiled, covering all aspects of building maintenance. We do not make a charge for being on our supplier list although we do ask that suppliers hold at least ÂŁ2m of public (or professional, if applicable) liability insurance and they are a member of an industry recognised H&S scheme, such as Safe Contractor or CHAS. We also require suppliers to sign up to our business code of conduct and to complete a risk management audit. We are happy to use any contractors that you have established relationships with providing they meet the necessary compliance standards. UTI LITI ES PROCU RE M E NT
We work with a specialist energy broker to provide clients with the best energy deals in the market, ensuring that we procure energy contracts at the right time, that supplies always remain in contract and that utility providers invoice accurately.
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Single point of contact We believe our customers should be able to get answers from anyone they interact with at POD, and we provide multiple communication channels for them to get in contact. However, we know our clients like to have one single point of contact for their queries, so we will assign an experienced property manager to handle the client relationship.
Robust accounting Financial management is vital to the successful running of your building. We are regulated by the RICS and comply with the Residential Service Charge Code of Conduct which sets out strict ways of working with client monies. Client bank accounts hold individual ‘designated client trust’ status. Your monies are kept separate from other client funds we manage as well as our own, and they are protected under the FSA money protection scheme. B U DG ETI N G AN D CAPITAL EXPE N DITU RE PL AN N I N G
Before the start of each service charge year, your property manager will work with you to establish a service charge budget that properly reflects the anticipated future running costs. Getting a budget right is quite an art and we look at what was spent, what we expect to spend and any special projects or major works which might require funding. Providing the lease allows it, we will build a reserve fund for future works. Once the budget has been agreed we issue demands for payment in accordance with the lease.
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PAYM E NTS
I NVOICES
We encourage the use of electronic payments wherever possible and support BACS and online payments.
We operate a weekly payment run to ensure any approved invoices are paid promptly. Our sophisticated order management system only allows orders to be raised if the properties cash flow is sufficient. Furthermore, our invoice approval chain ensures the appropriate authority is sought to sign off each and every invoice for payment.
ARREARS
Cash flow is very important to good building management and so we have a rigorous process for collecting arrears. We will issue a first reminder, 2nd reminder and then final reminder over a 28 day period. Then, where appropriate, and only with the permission of the Directors, overdue payments are referred to a specialist property debt collection firm to pursue. Note their costs are recovered directly from the leaseholder. ACCO U NTS
We aim to produce a draft set of accounts within 3 months of the year end and submit them for review to an independent accountant/auditor as necessary.
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Comprehensive reporting We provide you with all the usual reports you might expect when managing a building: budget vs. actual, detailed expenditure reports, bank balances, aged debtors etc. The frequency of reporting will be agreed with you and access will be provided both electronically and in hard copy at the management meetings. In addition to this we aim to use the data we gather about your building to create intelligence. By analysing maintenance trends, cash flow and much more we can help ensure management decisions are future proof and robust.
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Transparent systems To maintain the leasehold data for the property, POD uses a property database as part of day-to-day management. This allows for a quick and efficient reference point for the property manager when dealing with all enquiries.
The POD Platform —
We are the first property management firm to actively use Artificial Intelligence to improve the experience. Our messaging platform allows us to communicate transparently with all building stakeholders and optimise property and facilities management. This reduces administration and improves customer satisfaction. The platform allows the property manager to have a clear overview of the building, outstanding issues and tasks due for completion.
Sophisticated risk management We take risk management very seriously. We will build a picture of all the risks the property is exposed to and ensure suitable arrangements are in place to manage them. This includes health & safety, fire risk assessments, water hygiene and asbestos, plus much more. Once the review schedule has been established, we keep track via our systems to ensure nothing is missed, actions are followed up to resolution and documentation is properly stored.
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Thorough onboarding At POD we recognise it is vital to start off on the right footing. We have created a unique and defined method for ensuring we onboard your property seamlessly, making ongoing management as effective as possible. This enables us to take the management of your building from embryonic beginnings into ongoing management, through a tracked, multi-faceted and diligent process we aptly call SEEDS (as seeds need nurturing and monitoring in much the same way‌)
Clear pricing We will discuss the fee prior to appointment and have a variety of charging structures to suit clients. All our fees are exclusive of VAT at the prevailing rate. We do not receive any commissions from our contractors or suppliers, except for insurance where we may receive a proportion of the commission earned by the broker. We use this to cover our costs of administering the policy.
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podmanagement.co.uk | T: 0333 577 6656
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Contact Us T: 0333 577 6656 E: contactus@podmanagement.co.uk W: podmanagement.co.uk
POD Management PODMgt POD Management podmanagement Copyright of POD Group Services Limited t/a POD Management™ Regulated by the RICS
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