Being a managing agent is not the most glamorous job in R.E., but it's the most important

I recently was the guest at a dinner party when the woman sitting across from me reached forward and asked, "I understand that you manage buildings. Is this true?" "Yes," I answered. "I have a problem, perhaps you have some suggestions." I listened, working in the residential management field for almost 30 years and being the managing director for Lawrence Properties, a company that's been in business for more than 80 years, I had some idea of what was coming. "Why can't I get my managing agent to answer my calls? The company that manages us is one of the biggest in the city, and I can't get a response?" She went on to tell me that she wanted to replace the floor tiles in her kitchen. A very tiny kitchen that would probably take only about a dozen tiles. She had been waiting to do this for six weeks. As she told her story she got more and more frustrated, the pitch in her voice got higher and this usually very nice woman got mildly murderous. "Nobody can tell me what I need to do. What's the matter with these people?" Keep a hard job simple I am relating this story to you for a reason. The most frequently occurring problem a building and, more specifically, a resident, has with their managing agent is that they go missing. The most important and crucial responsibility an agent has is to be available. Being attentive is at the very core of the job. When you are responsible for the care of people, their family and their homes, an agent must keep the lines of communication open every hour of every day. 24/7, really! Staying close It takes a special person to be an effective managing agent. The qualifications are numerous and often underestimated. And, certainly under appreciated. It takes experience, honesty, attentiveness, being organized, and being there. A good managing agent in my definition is one who knows the building you live in better than their own. They are both always behind the scenes and visible. They will always know what's going on in your building. Always. It shouldn't take more than three days to get the necessary paperwork completed to do the floor in that tiny kitchen. The managing agents at Lawrence Properties are dedicated professionals who understand the importance of staying close and being efficient. Be capable. Take action Today's technology makes it possible, at any given moment, to be plugged in. No excuses. Email, text messages, website links and good old-fashioned voicemail. These are the communication pathways that we keep open. Respond quickly and it's more likely that the problem can be handled quickly. A smart, experienced managing agent knows that the longer a message remains unanswered, the more risk there is of creating an even greater problem. That of being neglected. The truth is that the majority of problems are not emergencies but, rather, lifestyle issues. We have seen neighbors go to war over an umbrella stand or a baby carriage or a bicycle in a shared hallway. Most daily communications are personal requests for all sorts of information. From signing up for automatic bill payment. To selling and subletting. To remodeling and pet policies. Be organized. Don't delay This is the way we work it. The agent or their administrative assistant will respond to that person within a day. Our philosophy is to let them know that we care. This is a service business we are in. Yes, we organize the collection of maintenance, make sure that from the watertight roof to the oil efficient boiler to the staff, that everything about the building runs smoothly. But, it's the day to day human details that will give us the reputation of being "good" managers or not. Be sensitive. Listen After the financial, mechanical and structural knowledge we must have to do our jobs well, it's the people skills that will best define us. Being patient. Not being judgmental. Not assuming that one problem is less serious, more frivolous than another. Believe it or not, the flooded living room from the upstairs neighbor's bathroom, as serious as that really is, might be easier to handle than the objection to the choice of two new chairs in the lobby. We listen to the person with the problem and to each other. Our agents share information with each other. Between us we have hundreds of years of managing agent lifetime experience. I gave this woman at the dinner party some prudent suggestions about her tile kitchen floor. She looked at me and said, "I'd like to tell the president of our board about your company." Anton Cirulli is managing director for Lawrence Properties, New York, N.Y.