In charge of managing thousands of condominiums, condominium managers in the Paris region suffer from a poor image, which is holding back recruitment and the development of new skills needed to meet today’s new challenges, according to a study by the Institut Paris Région (IPR). “The property management profession is not well known, yet it is central at a time when the private housing stock is going through a lot of change, with energy renovation, a shortage of rental properties, building maintenance, or the need to respond to new uses such as greening.”says Anne-Claire Davy, co-author of the study.

The IPR wanted to look at condominium managers to see to what extent they could be involved and integrated into public policies, such as energy-efficient building renovation or the fight against run-down housing. Except that “recruitment difficulties and a poor image will determine the ability or inability of the sector to participate in public policies”.stresses Franziska Barnhusen, who also co-authored the study, which focuses on property managers in the Paris region.

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An image to improve

The IPR highlights, for example, that “ownership of energy renovation within the firm” of condominium management depends “a professional with a strong commitment to his or her profession”. and his “previous career”. This means that, despite the various legal obligations, the involvement of property managers in this area and their knowledge of the assistance available are not always guaranteed. However, frequent departures from management firms and the absence of a specific training course do not encourage “train employees if they leave later”.notes Franziska Barnhusen.

The attractiveness of a profession depends to a large extent on its image, and in the case of property managers, “there’s a real detestation”.according to an independent condominium manager quoted in the study. “As in any profession, there are good and bad people, but that doesn’t explain why this profession is the focus of so much hatred and contempt, above all.”he continues. The profession would also benefit from better organization of its self-control, which has not been “never structured according to Anne-Claire Davy, to weed out professionals with abusive practices. To improve the profession’s image, why not “defend causessuggests a manager interviewed by IPR: “Why don’t the unions set up a foundation for bad housing or substandard housing? (…) In our profession, we can denounce people [des bailleurs indécents, des marchands de sommeil…]We’re the real estate players”..