Real Estate
June 17, 2021
How to Evacuate a High-Rise Building
When asked, most people would say that they should “stop, drop, and roll” if their clothes caught fire. There are a few other basic rules most people know to follow, such as crawling on the ground because smoke rises. But many residents of apartment buildings are fuzzy on the details when it comes to emergency...
May 24, 2021
Amenities Are Reopening, With Technology At Their Core
Last year, once-bustling amenities in multifamily properties fell silent as residents stayed socially distanced in their units. Meanwhile, property managers sought alternative ways to engage residents and empower them to take advantage of the amenities they pay for while still feeling safe. They found that technology provided the bridge they were looking for. “In the past year, we’ve seen a rise...
April 30, 2021
Commercial Building Spring Maintenance
Wintertime weather, like snow and ice, can be especially damaging to properties. Now that warmer weather is finally here, it’s time to inspect your buildings and do the needed maintenance you may have put off during the winter. The following advice can help reinvigorate your property, preparing it for the warmer months ahead. Test and...
March 29, 2021
Seven Post-Pandemic Changes To Improve Your Commercial Building
Commercial property investors and property managers are bracing for the return of their tenants in 2021. Whether they’ll need to wait until the summer or fall is largely undetermined at this point. The major pushback to the office is dependent on how quickly the population can be vaccinated and reach herd immunity. What is clear...
March 18, 2021
2021 Commercial Property Insurance Market Outlook
The commercial property market has steadily hardened in recent years, resulting in rate increases every quarter since Q3 2017. Unfortunately, these rate increases—as well as additional policy restrictions—are expected to continue in 2021. We predict that many insureds will experience double-digit rate increases, lowered available capacity and various policy restrictions or exclusions—especially regarding losses tied...
February 18, 2021
Maintaining Effective Sprinkler Heads
Sprinkler heads are largely responsible for detecting the presence of a fire at your commercial property and activating the sprinkler system’s water dispersal capabilities—thus suppressing the flames and mitigating damage. Data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) suggests that effective sprinkler systems can reduce total deaths and property loss from fire incidents by over...
January 29, 2021
Hard Property Market To Continue in 2021, With Higher Rates, New Exclusions: RPS
The property insurance market will continue to harden through 2021, with rising exposures and reinsurance costs driving primary rates higher, according to a report from wholesale broker Risk Placement Services (RPS). RPS expects rate increases in the high-single digits to 15% range on clean accounts. Increases are expected to be higher on accounts with losses....
January 26, 2021
CDC Provides Guidance on Ventilation in Buildings
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a webpage providing guidance on ventilation in buildings to reduce COVID-19 exposure indoors. The CDC provides recommendations on what heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) strategies employers should use to lower the risk of exposure to COVID-19 throughout the workplace. One of the recommendations is...
December 9, 2020
The Pandemic Has Demanded More Of Property Managers Than Ever Before
The economic distress caused by the coronavirus pandemic has largely spared the property management industry, but the safety issues the disease presents have placed a heavy burden on its workers. Property management companies haven’t experienced any major layoffs, but the average workload for employees in every part of the business has risen significantly, multiple sources told Bisnow. From...
October 22, 2020
What Property Managers Need to Know About Cyber Security
Over the last decade, the way commercial office buildings operate has become more sophisticated and streamlined with new advances in technology. From building connectivity to HVAC systems to keyless entry—tech and smart tech has made its way into nearly every facet of how a building operates. But as the technology has become more advanced...