Vital Keys to Stronger Property Management

Laurie Harper has been promoted to lead Cushman & Wakefield’s Atlanta Asset Services team. The manages a portfolio of 12 million square feet.

ATLANTA— Laurie Harper has been promoted to lead Cushman & Wakefield ‘s Atlanta Asset Services team. The manages a portfolio of 12 million square feet. Harper has served as a portfolio manager for CushWake for the past three years. She has also held senior positions in property and asset management at JLL and Equity Office Properties Trust . GlobeSt.com caught up with Harper to understand her special sauce. We also asked her about the challenges and opportunities she sees in the market. GlobeSt.com: How do you approach property management?  Harper: It is important to understand the strategic goals of our clients and then develop a plan to ensure they reach their goals. We approach each management assignment differently because of that reason. Everyone that we place on the assignment is selected based on the skill levels that best match the client’s needs. We then give our team the tools and resources to be successful. GlobeSt.com: What challenges do you see in the property management space?  Harper: There are so many new and innovative ideas, especially with regards to sustainability, and it can be challenging to stay in front of them.  My goal is to vet them and determine what really adds value before recommending them to a client. We also want to limit the costs associated with LEED and other certifications and lean on our internal resources, whether that’s local property managers and engineers or our sustainability team. That can include engineering and property management working to optimize building systems and lighting, or leaning on our Sustainability Practice Group to uncover opportunities. For example, property management and sustainability recently worked together on a client’s suburban office campus to leverage the site’s green space to enhance employee wellbeing and attain LEED transportation credits with bike trails and racks. GlobeSt.com: What opportunities do you see? Harper: We have an amazing team, and the opportunity to continue to grow and develop that talent is inspiring.  Sharing best practices, innovative ideas and cross training will ensure that our clients have the best experience in the business, and we have an energized team that strives for excellence in everything they do. That kind of collaborative effort is key. We cross train engineers and managers at different properties to build familiarity and expertise across our portfolio. Communication and agility are just as important—knowing who has expertise in a particular subject or discipline and also having people positioned geographically to respond to clients’ needs.