Property Manager Pam Drake takes a retrospective look at her career

With more than 20 years’ experience, covering every aspect of the business, Pam is reaping her rewards with a now part-time role at Home Minders, focusing on renewals, but it wasn’t always a walk in the park as she explains:

"When Paul Ruocco took over the business in 2011, there were just three of us. Geraldine focused on the finances and Paul and I did everything else. As the business expanded, we began to use local agents and over the past 11 years Home Minders has changed out of all recognition through organic growth and acquisition. I feel incredibly lucky to have been in the right place at the right time and have thoroughly enjoyed my job. Home Minders has a great family feel to it and whilst we have always worked hard, we also get on really well together.”

Pam says she always had a love of houses and when she used to visit properties, she would come away with a detailed mental picture of it in her mind. “It helps if you have a genuine interest,” she says.

The main change in the business has been technology. “In the early years we just had a basic computer and a fax machine,” Pam explained. “I used shorthand to make notes when I met up with clients and tenants and when I first started work, I would write up my reports longhand. Now of course with the latest mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, it’s a vastly different world and one that has helped us to take on much more work.  Today’s technology is brilliant because it enables us to streamline our processes and gives us the tools to provide a much more efficient and innovative service, but you must never underestimate the personal touch!”

Pam has another word of warning. “With emails flying around all day it’s easy to get carried away with a quick reply, but it’s important to make sure that you don’t get so caught up with the speed of it all that you begin to cut corners. My advice, and what I would like to pass on to the next generation is the importance of slowing down and thinking things through. It’s so easy to dash off an email straight away without taking the time to carefully consider the reply. You need to make sure you cover off all the points, take appropriate action and provide support where needed.

On a lighter note, Pam remembers one incident which could have gone horribly wrong but luckily didn’t. As she explains, “we sent our contractors to completely redecorate a flat in Hampstead whilst the tenants were away. We don’t normally check up on our contractors on the first day but something made me think I should.  When I called the contractor he was clearly irritated, he said he had been given the wrong keys but that luckily a man who had come to service the boiler had let him into the flat. He then added that although their start had been delayed his men had now moved all the furniture, laid down dust sheets and were about to start work. Suddenly, and I’m still not quite sure why, alarm bells started ringing and on investigation it transpired that the contractor, despite being given the right address and the right keys, had gone to the wrong flat!  A disaster narrowly averted.”