Demand for professional liquidators grows – 02/23/2024 – Market

More than a third of the Brazilian population lives in residential condominiums, according to data from INCC (National Institute of Condominiums and Support for Condominium Owners).

These approximately 80 million people live in more than 520 thousand enterprises that generate approximately R$190 billion per year in management fees, maintenance and cleaning services.

In the last 8 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of condominiums. In 2016, there were around 420 thousand, and now, in 2024, they will already exceed 520 thousand.

As a result, the search for professional property managers increases, as each condominium needs to have a representative leadership, someone who will manage the money, problems and conflicts, and there will not always be a resident willing or qualified to take on the role.

According to Aabic (Association of Real Estate and Condominium Administrators of São Paulo), the projection is for a 25% to 30% growth in jobs for professional property managers over the next five years.

Furthermore, this increase in the number of condominiums implies more jobs in other areas. At this moment, these projects already directly employ 2 million people, according to the National Institute of Condominiums and Support for Condominium Owners.

The survey analyzes both formal and informal activities — formal jobs and outsourced jobs.

Margareth Ferreira Bariani, a professional property manager in the North Zone of São Paulo, has almost a decade of experience in the role and currently heads five projects. In total, it manages more than 300 residential units, with more than 700 residents.

The manager began her career as a counselor, became a deputy manager and resident manager, before deciding to become a professional. Professionalization can be achieved through qualification courses, such as those promoted by AABIC.

The professional property manager may just be someone who has a knack for managing the bureaucracy of a condominium. There are also courses, such as those promoted by AABIC.

In the case of Margareth Bariani, the transition to professional property manager came from the need to manage her first condominium more effectively, seeking to understand the complexities of the position and the legislation involved.

Initially, she worked as a resident property manager and as she became more professional, she began managing other condominiums as a professional property manager.

“When I became a professional liquidator, I had to open a company, take courses and I never stopped studying. I continue attending conferences and lectures. Being a liquidator is more complex than we imagine”, he says.

In Bariani’s assessment, the market for professional property managers has expanded due to the time commitment required to keep up to date, the increase in legal requirements related to condominium management and the growing demands of residents.

“Resident managers, also called organic managers, generally have another job or other duties. The external manager, a professional, must always be accessible and resolve the condominium’s issues in order to remain in office”, he states.

José Roberto Graiche Júnior, president of the Association of Real Estate and Condominium Administrators of São Paulo (AABIC), says that there is still a lot of room for expanding the market for professional property managers.

“In São Paulo, we noticed that around 13% to 14% of the condominiums associated with our entity have professional property managers, while the other 86% are managed by resident property managers”, he says.

He says he noticed an increase in the number of people who applied to be liquidators during the pandemic, as a result of the increase in unemployment. However, he warns that lack of preparation for the role could result in poor management, which would lead residents’ councils to intervene.

“Around 89% of condominiums are unable to maintain a professional building manager for more than two years”, he states.

His suggestion is that those interested in the job start by acting as property managers or counselors in the condominiums where they live. “This practical experience helps you understand how everything works before committing to your career.”

For Paulo Melo, president of the National Institute of Condominiums and Support for Condominium Owners, one of the biggest challenges of the property manager profession is dealing with residents’ suspicions regarding the appropriate allocation of money collected from condominium fees.

“The property managers are constantly being judged. The question is: how to strengthen the relationship of trust between property managers and residents? The answer for me is transparency. Opening the accounts so that the residents themselves can check the destination of the money”, he states.

Juarez Lourenz de Oliveira Junior, professional property manager and lawyer, says he adopts open communication with condominium owners, also thinking about the transparency of his management.

With more than 20 years of experience and currently responsible for 12 condominiums in São Paulo, he defends the importance of keeping residents always informed.

“I communicate everything I do in the condominiums and also encourage residents’ participation. I explain details about contracting services for the works, for example,” he says.

For him, the attitude not only reduces mistrust, but also promotes more active participation by the community.

Knowing how to deal with emotions in various situations is another fundamental point in the work of a property manager. You need to communicate well, especially when someone comes in with a complaint.

“Often, the problem that the person brings is not the real reason for the discomfort, so it is necessary to listen, work around the situation and use emotional intelligence” says Oliveira Junior.

Bariani agrees that there is a great challenge in human relationships. She highlights the need to be emotionally well prepared. In her case, being a woman also matters.

“When the resident is a man and sees a woman, he thinks it will be much easier to carry on the conversation by shouting, by force, and that’s not the case”, he says.

Another important point for those who adopt the profession is teamwork. “If I don’t have good employees, I won’t have a good condominium”, says the property manager.

Technology in condominium management

According to the National Institute of Condominiums and Support for Condominium Owners (INCC), the monthly investment in technology in a condominium varies between 5% and 12% of the total collected.

In condominiums managed by Bariani, many adopted systems such as facial recognition and the installation of virtual entrances during the pandemic. These changes, according to her, simplified access for residents.

The manager also highlights the practicality of a system that monitors water tanks via an app and another that records when her employees clean.

“Today, technology is used more by the resident. The resident does everything and the employees only complement it”, he states.

A good example of this is the use of doors with exclusive biometrics for residents, which can free up the doorman to focus on tasks such as receiving visitors and packages.