Bridging the Gap

It is fairly well known that managing agents can have a cynical view of housing associations, but with some HAs set to be among the largest developers in London, their growing presence cannot be ignored. Their staff are well trained, understand process, can multitask across multiple types of property tenure and many are IRPM qualified. It is true that some HAs will have no synergy with managing agents but others will mimic the set up of more commercial business.

To give an example, recently, a recruitment firm put forward a HA candidate for a role, but the client came back saying they were not suitable. The recruitment consultant explained how this candidate worked for a separate limited company attached to the RSL, how the management structure was similar to their own and how they also managed third-party properties acting as a managing agent. Long story short, the client agreed to see the candidate and they were successful in the interview process.

Priya Rawal, Head of Residential Management Services at Pinnacle Places, has been one of the forward thinkers on this issue.

She said: “With the ever-increasing need to provide more homes to meet a growing population, this has given rise to the creation of more mixed-tenure developments, which in turn has led to a transformation of public sector services in order to cope with the diversification of social landlords as they try and engage with the private sector.

“As a result, increasingly the skills of the residential estate manager are intersecting with those of a social housing manager, with knowledge of the landlord and tenant law essential in order to ensure the proper collection of service charges and the provision of management services. With the professionalism within the industry ever increasing, via credentials such as IRPM, the gap once previously perceived between the two sectors is closing, allowing the wider housing industry to benefit from the experiences gained in order to manage a diversifying customer base.”

One can understand the trepidation and this approach will not suit every role, but imagine for a second a forward-thinking business viewed this as an opportunity, and if this business went on to build an induction process especially for housing association candidates, then this hypothetical business now has access to a candidate pool that is for the most part overlooked.

Is it realistic? Will attitudes change? Probably not, but the next time you receive a HA CV it may be worth a second look.

Stuart Jackson is an Associate at Macdonald & Company