raising property management’s stature in south africa
real estate companies in south africa are feeling the strain of trying to find quality property management professionals. “it is a real challenge here,” says professor sam asazu of witswatersrand (wits) university. “the wits program was developed to provide practical property management education, but we can’t do it alone — this is where irem comes in.”
last week, irem representatives traveled to johannesburg to officially launch a new chapter, the south africa gauteng chapter, renew and expand the cpm licensing agreement with wits university and conduct corporate and government outreach.
the theme of improving professionalism and advancing skills resonated for irem president don wilkerson, cpm, throughout the trip, which kicked off with a visit to the department of public works (dpw) in pretoria. minister t.w. nxesi, head of the dpw, continued his support of irem by permitting representatives to present to dpw employees. “dpw has made a commitment to making sure our employees have the right skills, and we see irem as a pathway for this,” says lydia bici, dpw head of training.
wilkerson and irem colleagues met with employees from pareto, a real estate company and major financial contributor to irem’s johannesburg program in 2017 and 2018. “pareto strongly believes in irem. we have already seen the proof in our own employees who we sent to the [wits] program and now hold the cpm,” says pareto ceo, malose kekana. irem also visited other major players in the south african real estate market, including broll, growth point, redefine and excellerate/cushman & wakefield.
at the chapter launch, donald wilkerson swore in new members. saul gumede, cpm, president of the south africa gauteng chapter, was emotional about his 20-year journey to start a local irem chapter. “my persistence has paid off. having this local representation here in gauteng province, an outpost at the tip of africa, will benefit not only our professionals here, but will serve as a starting point for much more.”
cannabis legalization impacting canadian property managers
(january 16, 2019) – three months ago in october, canada became the largest country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana. this legalization has had wide-ranging effects on many aspects of canadian society, including the way canadians live. by extension, it is having an impact on those who work in the property management industry, which is positioned at critical points where people’s lives overlap.
as the policy goes into effect, property managers are being called on to play an important role in balancing individual rights with the regulations that help maintain community. management has had to develop and implement new rules governing living arrangements and then help enforce them. “we’re ensuring that we have tenant educational forums,” according to one irem member in manitoba. “lots of signage in the building. lots of tenant meetings. we currently have additional staff to work on a one-on-one basis with tenants to try and ensure ongoing successful tenancy and a continued safe tenancy in the building, and to create a safe work place for staff.”
based on an article in the most recent issue of journal of property management, it is evident at this early stage that it will take time for the “smoke to clear” to understand the day-to-day impacts of legalization on canadians. for now, managers throughout the country will have to be proactive to avoid negative consequences, yet at the same time balance the protection of individual rights with reasonable and enforceable rules.
2019: a year to build on success
(january 9, 2019) – irem president don wilkerson is a glass-half-full kind of guy. he says as much in his latest column for nrei.
despite some news reports predicting a soft 2019, wilkerson remains optimistic. much of that comes from the agenda irem has set for itself as we swing into the new year.
“we’re building on programs designed to deliver on the promise made when we rebranded just a year ago,” he writes, including the growth of international membership and the continued outreach to younger professionals.
“we are at a critical juncture, not only in property management, but in the real estate industry as a whole,” wilkerson says. “such outreach is critical to our survival, not only in terms of age, but equally in terms of the changing demographic of the communities we serve. stagnation is not an option.”
to read in full his response to the predictors of gloom and why the work ahead fuels his optimism, click here.
urban renewal is focus of shanghai conference; new cpms installed
(october 31, 2018) – urban renewal through redevelopment, rehabilitation and repositioning was the theme of the asia pacific commercial real estate conference in shanghai last week, which featured irem president donald wilkerson, cpm, as a lead speaker. noting the sudden and dramatic shift toward urbanization in china – from 19 percent of the chinese population living in cities 35 years ago to 60 percent today – wilkerson pointed out that “this puts enormous pressure on cities to meet fast-paced urban growth and to provide more and better housing and more and better office buildings and retail properties for people to work and shop in.”
this is where skilled real estate managers can come in to convert challenges into opportunities, continued wilkerson. “whether it’s a single stand-alone building or part of a large redevelopment project, the ultimate goal of a rehabilitation project is to achieve the property’s highest and best use,” he said. those charged with managing those assets are uniquely positioned to undertake the analysis to identify the most profitable, competitive use to which the subject property can be put. “in other words, to see the challenges created by the property and turn them into opportunities,” according to wilkerson.
another highlight of the conference was the installation of 58 new cpm designees in shanghai, bringing to 125 the number of cpm members who are part of the irem china shanghai chapter. in shanghai, irem partners with leiden education management consulting co., which sponsored the conference, to deliver the cpm education curriculum.
irem’s south africa program recognized by asae
(october 10, 2018) – when the american society of association executives (asae) held its 19th annual summit awards dinner last week in washington, d.c., irem was one of the associations recognized as a power of a silver award recipient. this recognition was given to irem for its work in establishing a pathway to a professional credential in real estate management in south africa.
through collaboration with witts university in johannesburg and the south african institute of black property practitioners (saibpp), irem successfully introduced the cpm designation to the south african real estate market, representing a significant first step in enhancing the recognition of property management among real estate owners and investors and elevating property management as a viable career choice.
asae created the power of a awards to showcase how associations leverage their unique resources to solve problems, advance industry and professional performance, kick-start innovation and improve world conditions.
the program in south africa led to the formation of irem’s first chapter on the continent of africa, the irem south africa gauteng chapter, which was officially approved at the irem global summit last month. through the minister of public works of the republic of south africa, t.w. nxesi, who was present for the chapter formation, the government pledged its support to the chapter and to helping to bring much-needed education and standards to property management in south africa.
irem global summit draws property managers from around the world
(october 3, 2018) – some 800 property management practitioners from the u.s. and around the world gathered in hollywood, fla., for the 2018 irem global summit last week. the theme of the summit was “connect, compete, champion”—and that theme infused the event. throughout the week, members connected with colleagues and exhibitors, competed for awards and recognitions that showcase industry excellence, gained insights into how they can compete more effectively when they return to their offices, and championed the value of professional property management.
the summit kicked off with an impassioned presentation by ryan estis, a sales and leadership expert who offered practical, motivational advice to those in the audience who want to embrace change and achieve breakthrough performance. noting that we are in both a period of disruption and the era of the customer, estis warned that, “your residents, your tenants, your clients are going to change,” adding that “there will be more change in the next five years than in the last 50.” when it comes to delivering exceptional customer service, “people and connections trump technology,” said estis. it’s all about the customer experience. “customers don’t buy on price,” he said. ”they default to price in the absence of value,” noting that it’s not about what you do but how you do it. to deliver exceptional customer service, “give your clients a little bit more than they expect every single time.”
the summit wrapped up with the election and inauguration of the 2019 irem leadership team:
- donald wilkerson, cpm, of gaston and wilkerson management group, amo, in reno, nev., continues in the role of president
- cheryl gray, cpm, of quadreal property group, in toronto, on, canada, is now the president-elect and the first irem officer from outside the united states
- w.a. “chip” watts iv, cpm, ccim, of watts realty company, amo, in birmingham, ala., steps in as secretary/treasurer
throughout the week, attendees participated in discussions around such issues as attracting the next generation into property management, building strong chapter networks, and top legislative priorities. a lineup of education sessions tackled a broad array of topics trending among property management practitioners, among them:
- how best practices in hospitality management can be applied to managing commercial properties to elevate the customer experience
- how to gear up for disasters before they happen, and steps that can be taken so management will be prepared for dealing with the aftermath as smoothly and quickly as possible
- why it is important to have an inclusive workforce that mirrors the company’s client base, and suggestions for adopting a diversity strategy to help ensure that the organization is drawing from the broadest possible talent pool
- what asset managers and other real estate owners are looking for in their third-party party managers, and how these managers can position themselves to deliver on those expectations
- the role that artificial intelligence is playing in reducing energy usage and raising net operating income
chapter established in south africa speaks to growing market there
(october 3, 2018) – a connection established more than 20 years ago was the seed that led to the formation of irem’s 16th international chapter and first on the continent of africa when the irem south africa gauteng chapter was officially established at the irem global summit last week.
saul gumede, cpm, president of dijalo 2022世界杯阵容预测 in johannesburg, forged the early relationship with irem and will serve as the founding president of the new chapter. the chapter encompasses the province of gauteng, considered the commercial powerhouse of south africa, and contains the cities of johannesburg and pretoria.
present for the event was t.w. nxesi, minister of public works for the republic of south africa. in addressing irem’s governing council, the minister pledged the government’s support to the chapter, noting that it will raise the property management sector to the next level and bring much-needed education and standards to property management in south africa.
the formation of the chapter is the outgrowth of a successful partnership among irem, witts university in johannesburg, and the south african institute of black property practitioners (saibpp). the partnership launched in 2017 with 20 masters-level students from the university fulfilling the requirements of the cpm designation. it was followed by a second program offering this past june, which attracted an equal number of students and potential cpm designees.
“the south african property market is growing,” said nandi malindi, cpm, of dijalo 2022世界杯阵容预测 in johannesburg, speaking at an international event last week during the summit, “which means there is an ongoing need for more individuals with the right expertise in the property management space. we pride ourselves on having a globally recognized qualification, as we know when we do our daily job we are applying the same standards that are globally practiced.”
“as cpms, we want to see change in the property market by having ethical and professional managers who are dedicated about their work,” she said. malindi noted that most of the new cpms got promoted to better positions at work and were given more responsibilities because of irem and recognition of the cpm designation by their employers. “having more cpms will also improve the performance of the property portfolios,” she said.
moscow’s boom increases demand for leadership skills
(september 26, 2018) – moscow is in a state of massive development and expansion. as the city limits stretch, with new high-end developments in areas historically considered undesirable, the need for professionals—who are able to manage not only a thriving asset but also the teams behind it—has become an upmost priority in a real estate company’s search for talent in the major metropolitan areas.
“even a short time ago, in the st. petersburg and moscow markets, i would have told you that improving the leadership skills of our employees simply wasn’t important or understood. i would have said ‘leadership skills are for upper management only,’ or ‘what is there to learn about how best to build a work group?’ but this is no longer the case. now i see young managers, just starting their careers, looking to improve their leadership skills. this is definitely an area where we in russia could use more training,” says yana murtola, cpm, of st. petersburg.
of specific note is the need for employees who can effectively build and lead teams. joseph greenblatt, cpm, president and ceo of sunrise management, amo, in san diego, recently spoke on this topic at the proestate forum in moscow. greenblatt facilitated a discussion with an enthusiastic russian audience on how best to apply in their companies some of the skills outlined in irem’s white paper on team building as a leadership competency.
part of the city’s expansion has included a long-term project to complete new stations and a new line on the metro, the lifeblood of the city. the new line is already open, but the station plan will go until 2020 when, according to the moscow mayor, the goal is to have 95 percent of moscow residents living within the vicinity of a metro station. this project will fuel further growth and drive more development.
“i see the need for this type of leadership training only increasing here,” says nikolai vecher, cpm and director of irem’s licensee in russia, the academy of real estate. “with such growth in the real estate sector and the city’s infrastructure, how could it not?”
in addition to his session on building teams, greenblatt installed 16 new cpm members during the proestate event.
30 outstanding young professionals recognized by irem
(july 6, 2018) – exceptional next-generation leaders from four different countries who are committed to irem and the real estate management industry have been recognized by irem as its 2018 class of 30 under 30. coming from 30 different companies and managing all types of properties, these young professionals have made notable contributions to the industry and are being recognized for their career success thus far, as well as their leadership and community involvement.
this year’s 30 under 30 include cpm members, cpm candidates, arm members and associate members. they come from large companies and small. in addition to members from across the united states, young professionals from japan, kazakhstan, and south africa also are being recognized for their accomplishments.
irem strives to engage the next generation of real estate management professionals through programs such as 30 under 30. distinguishing top talent in the industry provides open doors and new opportunities in their professional careers.
recipients are being recognized in the july/august issue of jpm and will be further acknowledged at the irem global summit taking place september 26-28 in hollywood/ft. lauderdale, fla.
johannesburg program boasts successful second year
(june 13, 2018) – last week, for the second year in a row, promising students from the university of witswatersrand (wits), in johannesburg, sat for the cpm final exams to complete their journeys to become cpm members. they will join the nine cpm members and 11 candidates who have already graduated from this program since its inception last year. their instructor, fred prassas, cpm, observed, “the students were energized by the challenges presented, learning to transform theory into applied knowledge.”
irem’s partnership with wits university and the south african institute of black practitioners (saibpp) provides wits university real estate students the opportunity to become irem members by completing all the education requirements locally. all parties involved are hopeful that the program will become part of the standard winter offerings at the university.
irem became affiliated with saibpp in the early 1990s through mr. saul gumede, cpm, and irem’s first member in south africa, who fostered the signing of the first protocol between the organizations. since he joined irem, mr. gumede has worked tirelessly to build an irem membership base in south africa. he is excited to see his vision come to fruition with this program. gumede states, “the south african property industry will benefit from the irem courses conducted in johannesburg over the past two years. already the program has had close to 50 students to date.”
the south african government does not currently recognize a formal accreditation program or designation for property management. local organizers are confident that the irem curriculum will become the standard for real estate management practitioners in south africa.
irem’s program in south africa was recently recognized by the american society of association executives (asae) and will be awarded a 2018 power of a silver award. the power of a awards recognize a select number of organizations annually that distinguish themselves with innovative, effective and broad-reaching programs and activities that positively impact the u.s. and the world.
a productive visit to asia for irem’s president
(may 9, 2018) – irem president don wilkerson, cpm, recently concluded a successful leadership visit to taipei, taiwan, seoul, korea and shanghai.
in taipei, mr. wilkerson met with staff of era-taiwan to discuss potentially entering into a licensing agreement to start offering cpm programming in taiwan. era-taiwan successfully offers ccim courses locally and serves as the secretariat for the ccim taiwan chapter. he also toured taipei 101, the world’s tallest leed platinum certified building.
while in korea, mr. wilkerson swore in 25 new cpm members and two candidates who were joining the korea chapter. he also held multiple business meetings with chapter leaders, administrators and local instructors. one of korea chapter’s newest members, mr. seok heon moon, took mr. wilkerson on a tour of the recently completed signiel residence, which he manages on behalf of dowoo c&d investment consulting company. signiel residence is a luxury condominium project which occupies the 42nd to 71st floors of lotte tower, the fifth tallest building in the world.
a highlight of mr. wilkerson’s time in shanghai was speaking about the key functions of 2022世界杯阵容预测 to an estimated 800 people at the china shanghai international facility management summit and trade show, hosted by the shanghai property management association. the trade show is a china-wide event and boasts more than 20,000 participants. he was also invited to speak about the benefits of joining irem at a marketing event held by the china shanghai chapter. in addition to these activities, mr. wilkerson met with china shanghai chapter officers and local instructors, as well as with irem’s education licensee in china, leiden education management.
upon his return to the u.s., mr. wilkerson stated, “i believe this trip to asia will be remembered as a transformational one for irem’s international program. i see great potential in taiwan and i am confident that with irem support, the shanghai china and korea chapters will continue to thrive.”
irem education expands to poland
(november 10, 2017) – the 日本vs西班牙水位分析 (irem) entered into a licensing agreement with the polish real estate federation (pref) on november 6th. the agreement will allow irem to offer education to real estate management professionals in poland that would like to achieve their certified property manager (cpm) designation.
irem has a long standing relationship with pref, and mike lanning, cpm, 2017 irem president, cushman & wakefield, amo, kansas city, mo and nancye kirk, irem chief strategy officer, met with their leadership in warsaw last month to discuss the details of the licensing agreement.
“poland appears to be a relatively strong market within eastern europe that can sustain a property management education program, like the cpm program, and i am confident that pref will make this program a success, both for irem, and themselves,” notes lanning.
as part of the agreement, irem will be translating their cpm courses into polish, and pref will begin marketing the program, focusing on corporate real estate office and word-of-mouth. it is anticipated that the first series of cpm courses will be offered with pref in the fall of 2018.
irem's presence expands in russia
(september 20, 2017)- ten new cpm members were sworn-in on thursday, september 14 at the proestate forum in moscow, russia. irem 2017 president mike lanning, cpm and president-elect ben mcgrew, cpm conducted the ceremony. “it was a great pleasure to be in moscow to swear-in these new members,” says president lanning. “it is a reminder that despite world events, our cooperation and program here is still strong and continues to grow. it shows that even in this time of crisis, education is important in the global marketplace for practitioners, companies, and the industry as a whole.”
irem sponsors cpm courses in russia through the academy of real estate (are), the education entity of the guild of managers and developers (gmd), based in st. petersburg, russia.
gmd runs the proestate forum, a multi-format and multi-disciplinary event focusing on urban development and the real estate market. in addition to the swearing-in ceremony, president lanning and president-elect mcgrew delivered a management session on property management trends as part of proestate. the presentation covered hot topics such as the race for talent, institutionalization of commercial real estate, and consolidation in the industry. on the topic of getting talent, mcgrew stressed that real estate companies need to respond to the expectations of younger employees in order to keep them. “these employees are now a significant piece of the workforce, and they want to be with forward-thinking companies, offering flexible, non-traditional schedules.” president lanning added that with this increase of younger employees, other trends are following, including increased use of mobile and other cutting-edge technologies and urbanization.
irem has participated in proestate since its inception, providing speakers, as well as hosting a stand in conference exhibition.
irem maintains presence in brazil
(september 13, 2017)- increased competition. continued institutionalization of the investment real estate market. the war on talent. big data, data access, and mobile technology. these were just a few of the topics addressed by irem leaders in brazil earlier this month during a panel held at secovi-sp’s real estate week in sao paulo. taking part in the program were irem president michael t lanning, cpm, who is also senior vice president and market leader for the cushman & wakefield, amo, office in kansas city, mo; irem president-elect j. benjamin mcgrew, cpm, ccim, president of fiduciarywest based in reno, nv; and irem’s chief strategy officer nancye kirk. also sharing the podium was fernanda lisboa, cpm, president of irem’s sao paulo chapter.
irem leaders also were in rio de janeiro for a meeting with leaders of irem’s rio de janeiro chapter and secovi-rio, with which irem partners to deliver its arm education program.
irem has had a presence in brazil, the world’s fifth largest country with over 200 million people, for more than 15 years. there currently are 78 irem members throughout the country.
twenty promising students in johannesburg, south africa applied to become a certified property manager (cpm)
(august 31, 2017) – twenty promising students in johannesburg, south africa applied to become a certified property manager (cpm) in august, as part of an 日本vs西班牙水位分析 (irem) program established in partnership with the university of witswatersrand (wits) and the south african institute of black practitioners (saibpp).
as part of this program, irem has agreed to waive the cpm fundamental courses for students who received a diploma through wits university in property development and management. the students in this pilot program, all holding this diploma or an equivalent, will form the foundation for a future irem chapter in south africa.
saul gumede, cpm, irem’s first cpm in south africa initiated this launch by approaching wits university and saibpp about irem. “it has been my dream to offer the cpm program in south africa. this program has finally brought to fruition 20 years of work. i am excited to see where it will go,” says gumede.
professor samuel azasu, of wits university, spearheaded the development of the university’s diploma program and was instrumental in recruiting qualified students to attend this pilot program.
“it is an important step for wits university and for south africa to participate in this program. it shows that wits education is on par with an international standard and that these students can complete in the global marketplace” notes azasu.
the south african government does not currently recognize a formal accreditation program or designation for property management. local organizers are hopeful that the irem curriculum will become the standard for real estate management practitioners in south africa.
irem canadian regional conference successfully takes place in halifax, nova scotia
(june 2017) members from all over canada convened last week in halifax, nova scotia to take part in irem’s region 14 leadership conference. ben mcgrew, cpm, president-elect, cheryl gray, cpm, secretary/treasurer nominee and ron penner, cpm, rvp, presented the program along with irem staff. topics included chapter management, innovative chapter projects, and engaging young professionals at the chapter level.
the importance of the irem/reic network as a source of information and professional knowledge was a general theme running through the conference. chrystal skead, cpm, arm and former rvp, stated that these events are only the beginning of the network’s potential. “being a member has given me so many career opportunities, and no matter where my work takes me, there is always someone local i can call on to provide the information i need to be successful.”
sarah sheila birnbach completed the irem program with a workshop on volunteer development. “chapters should take selecting a volunteer for a position as seriously as hiring a new employee. a volunteer shouldn’t just be a warm body with a pulse; we need to interview them, train them properly, and reward them along the way for doing a good job,” says ms. birnbach.
mike lanning, cpm, 2017 irem president, joined the conference to present the outstanding canadian chapter of the year award for 2016 to manitoba chapter no. 114. “manitoba chapter shows such a strong commitment to increasing value for each member and the industry; it sets an example other chapters should follow,” he stated.
the region 14 leadership conference kicked-off the programming for the real estate institute of canada (reic)’s annual conference entitled growing together. reic is irem’s longstanding partner and oversees member service and irem education for irem members and students in canada.
for more about irem’s international program, go to international-programs.
irem expansion continues in japan market
(may 2017) irem’s presence in southeast asia continues to grow with the ongoing expansion of the irem japan chapter. the cpm education program this year will be delivered in four major cities – tokyo, osaka, fukuoka, and sapporo – and last week the chapter grew by more than 90 cpms when these new members were installed during the chapter’s annual meeting.
“with a total of 462 cpm members, irem’s japan chapter now has more cpms than any other chapter in the world,” said irem president mike lanning, cpm, speaking at the installation ceremony that took place in osaka. “what’s more,” he added, “this is a vibrant, exciting chapter that is working diligently to elevate the level of professionalism within the property management industry in the japanese market.”
because the majority of current cpm members in japan are in residential property management, lanning, senior vice president and market leader for the cushman & wakefield, amo, office in kansas city, mo, gave a presentation on opportunities in managing commercial properties. commenting on the differences between commercial and residential property management, lanning noted that the major difference is that “residential property is where people live, it’s their home. there’s an emotional attachment that comes into play – and people are there 24 hours a day, coming and going. commercial real estate, on the other hand, is business focused – the property is being used to achieve a business objective.”
he also reinforced the importance of brand presence among management companies. “we have to be able to tell a story that sets us apart and differentiates our company and the services we offer from our competitors. for those of us focused on the management of real estate assets, we have to reinforce the idea that property management is not a commodity – that it can be a strategic differentiator.” he went on to remind the irem members in the audience of more than 300 that the “cpm is part of our brand. it sets us apart from our competition, both because of what it stands for and what we learned in the process of earning the designation.”
for more about irem’s international program, go to international-programs.
irem grows in korea as new cpms installed
(march 2017) an expanding property management sector in south korea bodes well for irem and its chapter in that country – as evidenced by the installation of 29 new cpm members during the irem korea chapter’s annual meeting in seoul last week.
“it was exciting to hear the cpm pledge spoken aloud in korean by our newest cpm designees,” said donald wilkerson, cpm, irem’s secretary/treasurer, who was in seoul for event. “it was even more exciting to hear that the demand for professional property management in korea appears to be growing,” said wilkerson. “we heard from several real estate practitioners that the korean market is shifting from one that is primarily development-driven to one that is more management-driven, particularly in the residential sector.”
also during the annual meeting, ms. seon-hwa youn, cpm, took office as the 2017-2019 president of the irem korea chapter, taking over from outgoing president mr. seung cheol noh, cpm, who was instrumental in coordinating the irem education program that resulted in the installation of the new cpms.
irem presence at mipim reinforces international outreach
(march 2017) irem leaders were in cannes, france, last week to participate in mipim, recognized as the world’s leading property market and a unique opportunity to connect with irem members and partner organizations from around the world.
“we are seeing a true globalization of the real estate market,” said mike lanning, cpm, irem president, from kansas city, mo, “and taking part in mipim reinforces that this is the case.” lanning is also senior vice president and kansas city market leader for the cushman & wakefield, amo, itself a global player.
“while at mipim, we observed that some countries are very good at developing projects, but not so good at maintaining or increasing the value of the asset,” said lanning. “that’s where irem plays a key role – by providing training for property and asset managers not only in the united states, but increasingly beyond our borders.”
while at mipim, lanning participated in a panel discussion on the impact of globalization on ethics. irem is a founding member of the international ethics standards coalition, which has developed an international ethics standard. “with heightened globalization, the benefits of having a single, universal set of ethics practices for real estate and related professions are clear,” said lanning. “it will lead to consistency, transparency, and clarity across all sectors of the profession and in all markets.”
mipim drew more than 20,000 real estate executives from around the world. irem was there as part of the usa pavilion, hosted by the national association of realtors®, of which irem is an affiliate. also attending as irem representatives were ben mcgrew, cpm, irem’s president-elect from sacramento, ca, and irem interim ceo lynn disbrow.