Property Manager (Rosebank) at Datafin Recruitment

ENVIRONMENT:

• A dynamic and growing investment and commercial property management firm is seeking an experienced Property Portfolio Manager to serve as the commercial custodian of a diverse, multi-asset property portfolio located across the Greater Gauteng area.
• The successful candidate will assume full ownership of the portfolio’s financial performance, with a strong focus on maximising Net Operating Income, driving tenant retention across various asset classes, and ensuring strict operational and statutory compliance.
• This will be achieved by providing strategic direction to direct reports and effectively collaborating with shared support functions, including Facilities Management and Finance, to deliver an exceptional tenant environment and optimise investment returns for the business.

DUTIES:

Financial & Commercial Management (NOI Optimization)

• Budgeting & Forecasting: Prepare, manage, and take ultimate accountability for the annual income and expenditure budgets across all assets in the portfolio.
• NOI Growth: Identify and implement strategies to maximize Net Operating Income by driving rental growth, reducing vacancies, and strictly controlling operating expenses without compromising asset quality.
• Arrears Management: Monitor arrears, enforce debtor control policies, and resolve outstanding tenant arrears swiftly to optimize cash flow.
• Utility & Recovery Management: Oversee the accurate billing and recovery of municipal utilities, operating costs, and other tenant-recoverable expenses.
• Reporting: Compile monthly management reports for the Regional Head, detailing financial performance, variance analysis, leasing activity, and risk mitigation strategies.

Tenant Retention & Relationship Management

• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the point of escalation and relationship manager for key tenants across the
• Commercial, Retail, Industrial portfolio.
• Retention Strategies: Proactively manage lease expires.  Initiate renewal negotiations well in advance (tailored to the specific asset class) to maximize the Weighted Average Lease Expiry (WALE) and minimize void periods.
• Customer Experience: Champion a high-quality tenant experience, recognizing the distinct needs of each asset class (tenant experience vs footfall/turnover drivers in Retail).
• Dispute Resolution: Handle and resolve complex tenant complaints and lease disputes efficiently and legally.

Leasing & Marketing

• Vacancy Management: Drive the letting of vacant space. Appoint, brief, and manage external leasing brokers where necessary, while actively pursuing direct deals.
• Lease Negotiation: Negotiate commercial terms (rentals, escalations, Tenant Installation allowances, beneficial
• occupation) in line with approved mandates.
• Market Intelligence: Continuously monitor the individual property markets / location trends to keep abreast of market rentals, competitor activity, and emerging trends in the commercial property market.

Operational & Facilities Oversight (Matrix Management)

• Functional Direction: Provide strategic and functional oversight to the dedicated Facilities Manager, ensuring the physical assets are maintained to the highest standards.
• SLA Management: Ensure that shared services (FM) and external contractors adhere to strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs) regarding planned preventative maintenance (PPM), reactive maintenance, cleaning, and security.
• Compliance & Risk: Ensure total adherence to Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) legislation, fire compliance, and municipal bylaws across all properties. Conduct regular site inspections alongside the Facilities Manager.
• Capex Projects: Collaborate with the FM team to identify, budget for, and oversee capital expenditure (Capex) projects, upgrades, and tenant installations (TI).

Leadership & People Management

• Direct Supervision: Lead, mentor, and manage the performance of the Property Administrator, ensuring high standards in lease administration, query resolution, and day-to-day tenant communication.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Foster a highly collaborative environment between Property Management, Facilities Management, and Finance to ensure a seamless, "one-team" approach to portfolio management.
• Performance Reviews: Conduct regular KPIs assessments and development discussions with direct reports

REQUIREMENTS:

Education & Professional Memberships:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Property Studies, Real Estate, Finance, or Business Management.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in a Commercial Property Portfolio Management or similar role.
• Crucial: Proven experience managing a diverse, multi-sector portfolio.
• Demonstrated experience holding bottom-line accountability for NOI and financial reporting.
• Experience in matrix management (collaborating with and directing shared services/facilities teams).
• Concluding lease renewals from start to end.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Deep understanding of commercial property law, lease agreements, property management principles.
• Eye for detail and constantly thinking about the tenant experience (customer satisfaction mindset).
• Understanding of facilities management and management of same.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to interpret income statements, manage budgets, and calculate yields.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and conflict-resolution skills.
• High EQ with the ability to adapt communication styles across a diverse tenant base (from corporate CEOs to small business owners).
• Proficiency in MDA, MRI, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, Microsoft CoPilot