BUILD Q4 2019

BUILD Q4 2019 20 Aug19152 roperty management services are, and will probably always be, in high demand. In a world where ex- pertise is highly valued regardless of the industry or sector, it pays for landlords to ensure that their assets are managed effectively and efficiently by an experienced firm. With a client base primarily focused around North, West and Central London, Trust Premier have swiftly differentiated them- selves in the region through a commitment to providing best in class services, as Michael explains in more detail. “We are an award-winning firm of Managing Agents, specialising in long leasehold high-end blocks of flats. Our clients are either Developers or Resident Management Companies (RMCs). In all cases we are engaged by our clients to manage the common parts and all soft and hard services. Insofar as Developers are concerned, we provide them with a consultancy service, and assist them on all aspects of their new build development, in- cluding but not limited to, M&E services, on-site staffing require- ments, drafting of leases, service charge budgets, management structure, handover process, etc. Once the development is completed, we then take over management of the building. “When it comes to RMCs, we are typically appointed on older purpose-built blocks of flats. In this capacity we manage many landmark buildings including; Highpoint in Highgate, a Grade I listed building; Eyre Court, in St Johns Wood; and three blocks of flats on The Bishops Avenue in Hampstead. All in all, we manage 100 buildings throughout London.” Yet, the key to success for Trust Premier has always been in a dedicated expertise. Rather than being a jack of all trades, they are – simply – a master of one, and that has proven incredibly fruitful in this often-unpredictable environment. “There are many local estate agencies that have ventured into block management, in order to introduce a regular income stream into their company. Put bluntly, they don’t have the expertise of a specialist firm. At Trust, all we do is manage long leasehold properties,” Michael emphasises. This focused expertise really comes down to the strength of the staff and internal culture, which epitomises a results-driven, proactive and collaborative working ethos. Here, Michael takes The Expert in Block Management Trust Premier is an award-winning firm of Property Managers that are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA). Following the firm’s recognition in the 2019 Design and Build Awards, where it was named a ‘One to Watch in London’, we spoke with Managing Director Michael Yun to find out how Trust Premier has built an exceptional reputation in the sphere. P a moment to talk about the firm’s team: “Ultimately the success of our firm is driven by our staff. We provide our staff with an enjoyable workplace environment with exceptional remunera- tion and benefits. This translates to a very loyal and hardwork- ing team, many of whom have been employed at Trust for over 10 years. For Clients, this brings stability. Arguably, the biggest frustration in our industry insofar as Clients are concerned is the high turnover of staff. We simply don’t have that issue at Trust.” As we come to the close of the interview, Michael sheds some light on the greater industry, and how recent tragic events have, in one way, resulted in a positive change in the sector as clients become more diligent regarding safety. “The main focus in our industry is currently Fire Safety, following the tragic events at Grenfell. This incident has focused the minds of our Clients, who historically in some cases, didn’t place high importance on Health & Safety. Indeed, rather than swimming against the tide with our Clients, they are now onboard as to the importance of taking H&S and Fire Safety seriously.” This thought goes hand in hand with a recent development for Trust Premier – specifically, in how they manage buildings insurance on behalf of their clients, as Michael discusses in his closing comments. “Our main focus this year has been, in re-structuring how we deal with buildings insurance on behalf of our Clients. Buildings Insurance is typically one of the most expensive items on a service charge budget. “At Trust, we currently insure over £1b worth of property, with premiums in excess of £1.3m. Historically, we have dealt with each policy on an individual basis. We have now pooled all these policies together, in order to increase our buying power with insurers. So rather than insuring a individual building say for a £20,000 premium, we now bring to the table over £1.3m in premiums to the insurers collectively. You can only imagine how much more strength we have in driving premiums down.” Name: Michael Yun, Managing Director Address: Unit 3 Colindale Technology Park, Colindeep Lane, Colindale, United Kingdom Website: www.trustpremier.co.uk Telephone: +44 (0) 845 260 1515