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Property Management in a Post COVID-19 World

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 introduced new dangers to office employees. The risk of touching infected surfaces – or breathing contaminated air – can play a dominant role in how diseases spread inside an office environment. As more and more businesses continue to welcome back employees to the office in a post-COVID world, the "new normal" of maintaining procedural and physical environmental changes are just as important now as they were 5 years ago.

Whether it’s coronavirus, influenza, bacterial pneumonia, measles or the common cold, how smartly a building is managed and operated can affect employees’ safety in the workplace.  Both immediate quick fixes and long-term plans must be considered to instill a level of confidence in employees that the businesses can function well without compromising their health.

How We Help Businesses Keep Employees Safe

Commercial Realty Advisors’ Property Management division is hard at work to prepare our managed offices for employees’ safe return. Here are some of the changes we initiated:

Doors into common areas are propped open to reduce surfaces employees need to touch, including stairwells, hallways and restrooms. Long term, we will encourage all property owners to install doors that don’t need handles and can swing open both ways by pushing with your foot, shoulder or elbow. We already install motion-activated lights and motion sensors to bathroom fixtures in the buildings we develop and manage (this is also good for the environment) and are encouraging our property owners to do the same.

Our janitorial staff is following all CDC guidelines for safe building maintenance. On-site dayporters disinfect common area touchpoints multiple times a day using Oxivir TB, a hospital grade disinfectant cleaner, and stairwell railings are cleaned two to three times daily at a minimum, depending on traffic. Trash containers were added inside many bathroom doors to dispose of paper towels upon exit to avoid touching door handles. We now offer deep-cleaning add-on services for tenants who request additional maintenance of personal work spaces, including disinfecting desks, chairs, keyboard and computers, phones, etc. as needed. Hand sanitizer stations will be provided in all lobbies and public areas.

Our responsive maintenance team responds to requests as quickly as possible, and limits interactions with tenants by performing building maintenance first thing in the morning. If work must be done during the day, our workers wear protective gear including masks and gloves for protection. Outdoor air ventilation has been adjusted to increase the maximum amount of outside air circulation within the limits of the air handling system.

We request our tenants wear masks in all common areas and we are installing signage for safety protocols. To encourage social distancing, we limit attendance to two people per elevator, two people in the restroom and no more than ten people in conference rooms (space permitting). In appropriate buildings, we have established “one way” traffic direction in stairwells. We reduced the amount of furniture in lobbies and common areas to support social distancing and to minimize waiting.

The Benefit of a Reliable and Experienced Property Management Partner

Managing your own cleaning and maintenance solutions can be an overwhelming responsibility for a property owner or tenant, especially during this challenging time. A reliable maintenance partner can instill confidence in employees, tenants and clients that the business owner cares about safety and comfort.

Commercial Realty Advisors’ Property Management division controls the operations of office, retail, mixed-use, medical office and industrial buildings throughout the Piedmont Triad. Our team currently manages over 15 properties with more than 115 tenants. With many years of experience, we have developed an outstanding reputation as experts in providing innovative and cost-effective solutions to any property management issue. Our maintenance services include:

• On-site dayporter cleaning of common areas
• Deep cleaning personal work spaces
• Exterior building and ground maintenance
• Monthly financial reporting
• Capital improvement recommendation and implementation
• Building income and expense management
• Rent collection
• Lease administration
• Construction management
• Other duties as requested

Working with a respected and reliable property management team not only ensures your work environment remains safe for your employees and customers, but continued maintenance keeps the property as attractive and functional as possible. This leads to high tenant satisfaction and retention rates, sustained building occupancy, and maximized property values for property owners. To ensure the safety of your employees and tenants and secure the best return on your commercial investments, contact a member of our Property Management team today at 336-793-0890.

SBA Home said “labas”, Lithuanian for “hello”, to its new home in Mocksville at the site of Davie Industrial Center, a joint development venture by Windsor Commercial and Commercial Realty Advisors.  With shell construction completed, the 500,000 sf industrial building will be a state-of-the-art, highly automated furniture production facility once tenant upfits are completed later this year. The plant will produce ready-to-assemble furniture for IKEA, adding new product lines such as the Kallax storage cube series and the Billy customizable bookshelves to their already well-established offerings.

This past April, SBA Home and the Mocksville Community celebrated the deal with a festive event featuring tours of the facility, presentations by community leaders and SBA Home executives, and a catered lunch by Copain Bakery & Provisions.

Read the full article on this event from the Town of Mocksville here.

Read more information on the Davie Industrial Center here.

Filling Your Industrial Space Needs

Is your business looking for an industrial property? There can be a lot to consider during the search process, and some of the items that should be on your checklist are more obvious than others.

Commercial Realty Advisors guides clients through the decision process, helping to identify all the different factors needed to make an ideal selection. We help navigate the commercial real estate process from start to finish.

Take a look at the list of considerations below. How would you rank these as priorities in your search?

Location

• Proximity to manufacturing/distribution/customer base
• Interstate corridors
• Available workforce in the area
• Labor cost for the area
• Zoning
• Incentives (state, county, city)

Size 

• Square footage + expansion options
• Clear height
• Bay size

Building Specs

• Use (warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, other)
• Type of building (steel frame, tilt-up concrete)
• Loading (dock doors, drive-in doors)
• Sprinkler system: ESFR or wet
• Office space
• Parking (employee, tractor trailer)
• Outdoor storage
• Temperature control: air turnover, high and low temperatures
• Floor thickness & PSI
• Rail access
• Heavy electrical, significant water needs
• Lighting (LED, HID or fluorescent)

Davie Industrial Center Phase 1 Exterior

Commercial Realty Advisors has been serving the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina since 2006. With SIOR, CCIM, ACIP and LEED certifications, our highly trained brokers have built a reputation of trust and excellence. Contact us today to help you find the industrial space that’s perfectly suited to fit your needs. Steve Vallos is an industrial space expert; he can be reached at steve@commercialrealtync.com or 336.793.0890 ext. 103.

Commercial Realty Advisors, LLC | 336.793.0890 Commercialrealtync.com