Why Block Management is more rewarding than you think

NG Chartered Surveyors’ Facilities Management Surveyor Jamie Pervin explains why variety, problem-solving and making a real difference make block management such a rewarding career.

When you tell people you work in block management, you tend to hear the same responses: “I don’t know how you do your job”, “You don’t get paid enough” or, perhaps most commonly, “I wouldn’t do your job for any amount of money.”

Yes, block management has its challenges, but that is also part of its appeal. There are plenty of rewarding aspects of the job that are often overlooked.

If you enjoy variety, problem-solving, working with people and having the opportunity to make a tangible difference, block management can be a surprisingly satisfying career.

No two days are the same

For me, one of the biggest attractions of block management is the variety. It may sound like a cliché, but no two days really are the same.

Of course, there are days spent at your desk, but no two emails are ever quite alike. And unlike many office-based roles, block managers can spend a surprising amount of time away from their computers.

A morning might involve a routine site inspection followed by a meeting with leaseholders or contractors. Another day could mean inspecting scaffolding, investigating a roof problem or walking around a development checking communal areas.

You never quite know what you are going to encounter when you arrive on site. And, as any experienced block manager will tell you, there are some stories best saved for another day!

A job that gets you out and about

Site visits are an important part of the role and, let’s be honest, they also provide a welcome change from sitting behind a desk.

More importantly, being present and visible at the properties you manage goes a long way towards building trust with clients and residents. It also gives you the opportunity to see issues first-hand rather than relying on photographs, emails or someone else’s description of the problem.

I have learnt more from contractors while meeting them on site to look at works than I ever could from sitting in a seminar. That is why I always encourage people working in block management to make the effort to meet contractors and understand what they do.

It helps you build stronger working relationships and, over time, gives you a much better practical understanding of the buildings you manage.

There are some other benefits too. Block management can take you into parts of buildings most people never get to see. Nottingham has some particularly creepy cellars cut into its historic cave network, while at the other end of the scale there are some incredible views to be enjoyed from the city’s rooftops.

It isn’t always easy

I won’t pretend block management is an easy job. It can involve difficult conversations, tight deadlines and unexpected problems, often arriving at exactly the wrong moment. Anyone in the industry will be familiar with the dreaded Friday afternoon emergency.

But overcoming those challenges is also what can make the role so satisfying.

There is a real sense of achievement in taking a problem, working out what needs to happen and seeing it through to a successful conclusion.

And while repairing a leak, fixing a damaged wall or resolving an issue with a communal area might sound relatively straightforward, it can make a significant difference to the people who actually live in the building.

For those who enjoy solving problems, working with different people, taking responsibility and having plenty of variety in their working lives, block management offers something many conventional office jobs cannot.

You get to know buildings, contractors, clients and residents. You are constantly learning, and you can see the difference your work makes.

That is why, despite all its challenges, I enjoy being a block manager.