Pace Properties is a family-run, award winning property company based in Southend-on-Sea, providing lettings, sales and block management services across Essex and the South East since 1994. The block management team manages everything from small house conversionsto large estates incorporating commercial premises and has grown its portfolio from 500 units to 1,345 units across 171 blocks since moving to Blocks Online.
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Before Blocks Online, Pace had no dedicated block management software in place. The team managed their portfolio of 500 units using a combination of spreadsheets and Microsoft Office, with service charges, leaseholder records andsupplier invoices all handled manually. Crystal Horwood, CEO, explains how moving to a purpose built block management platform transformed the team's day to day operations and gave them the foundation to grow to over 1,300 units.
Case Study Overview
As an established family-run agency with a busy lettings and sales operation alongside its block management division, Pace Properties had built its block management processes around spreadsheets and Office documents. It worked ata smaller scale, but as the portfolio grew, so did the manual workload, the duplication of effort and the risk of things slipping through the cracks.
Since implementing Blocks Online with 500 units under management, Pace has grown its portfolio to 1,345 units across 171 blocks, more than doubling in size while keeping financial information, leaseholder records and property datain one secure, fully integrated system.
“We went from juggling spreadsheets to having everything in one place. We’ve grown from 500 units to over 1,300 and the system has grown with us every step of the way.”
The Challenge
Like many managing agents, Pace had developed its block management processes organically using spreadsheets and Microsoft Office. Every service charge demand, leaseholder query and supplier invoice meant manual work, and financialinformation was spread across multiple files rather than visible in one place.
As a TPI registered agent managing a varied portfolio across the South East, with a dedicated team of property managers regularly inspecting sites, the team needed more than a workaround. They needed a system that would remove themanual administration burden and support best practice all whilst providing a solid foundation, capable of handling significant growth.
“The time we save each week has been huge and we can rest assured that all our data is safe and in one place, rather than spread across spreadsheets and folders.”
The Solution
Pace implemented Blocks Online as its first dedicated block management system. Because the platform is cloud based and intuitively designed, the team were able to get up and running quickly without consultants, technical experts orlengthy training courses.
Moving from spreadsheets to a fully integrated system meant the team could issue service charge demands, record leaseholder funds, raise invoices and track supplier expenditure all from a single secure platform, with every pieceof financial information available to staff in one place and all critical data backed up to the cloud daily.
“The system is so straightforward that the team picked it up really quickly. And whenever we did have a question, Blocks Online’s support was so attentive, things were always sorted fast.”
The Outcome
Blocks Online has given Pace Properties the foundation to grow from 500 units to 1,345 units across 171 blocks, more than doubling its portfolio without the administrative strain that growth on spreadsheets would have created.
With comprehensive service charge, budgeting and financial reporting built in, the team can optimise property performance and stay on top of cash flow across all 171 blocks, while the cloud-based platform means property managerscan access everything they need anywhere, any time and on any device, whether they’re in the office or out inspecting sites.
“We simply couldn’t have grown to this size on spreadsheets. Blocks Online has taken the admin weight off the team so we can focus on managing our blocks and delivering for our leaseholders and freeholders.”
The move away from manual processes has also future proofed the business, with critical data securely backed up daily and a system that continues to develop, with new functionality and regulatory updates included for all clientsat no extra cost.
Crystal also values the ongoing development of the platform, knowing the system will continue to evolve alongside the business.
“It’s reassuring to know all our data is safe and easily stored and found in one simple place. Also, one of the things I love about Blocks Online is that they listen to the market and continuously work on improving the platform.It gives us real confidence that the system will keep developing as our business and the industry move forward.”