Interview with Shona Calvert – Portfolio Manager at haus & haus

Shona’s pro-active style has won her many fans amongst her clients. See how her mind works below:

How would you describe yourself in 5 words?

“Honest, understanding, hard-working, passionate and approachable”

Shona, what do you like the most in your job?

“I love working with different people from all over the world. Working under pressure is stressful sometimes but seeing how much I can achieve when I put my mind to it excites me! No day is the same in this field which can make things unpredictable, but the people I work with at haus & haus are so helpful and approachable which makes my job that much more satisfying and enjoyable.”

The Dubai market can be demanding at times and having Property Management makes an owners life so much easier, by not having to think of their property or the management of their tenancy.

Owning or letting a property in Dubai can be both time consuming and demanding. What do your clients appreciate the most about the haus & haus Property Management services?

“In my opinion the things that my clients appreciate the most are the things that I find easiest to handle, such as updating owners on what is happening in their properties, making sure payments are made on time and just generally keeping them in the loop on any issues with their tenant and/or their property. Having your property managed by a company may be worrying to owners as they do not know if everything is ok or if there are problems, so simple communication is a massive thing between myself and my clients.”

What was your biggest challenge in the past 3 months and how did you solve it?

“My biggest challenge over the past 3 months, would definitely have to be gaining a lot of knowledge in a very short period of time. I have gained a lot of clients in the last 3 months. Getting to know each property’s owner and tenant and if there are any existing issues in each particular property which need to be resolved has been very hard, but 100% worth it. I would not change my job for the world; it only builds my confidence in my job role knowing I can work well under a lot of pressure.”

What types of properties do you manage – And are there different challenges that you face dependent upon the type of property?

“It varies drastically. I am managing a lot of properties at the moment, from 1 bed apartments to 5 bed villas. The challenges I can face are managing properties from different developers, as they have their own rules and regulations for certain things. It’s a learning curve for me being relatively new to Dubai but I enjoy gaining knowledge which will help me in my career in the future. Knowledge is power as they say.”

What is your observation on the Dubai market – Is there a specific trend for Property Management services?

“The Dubai market can be demanding at times and having Property Management makes an owners life so much easier, by not having to think of their property or the management of their tenancy. Most of my clients are not living in Dubai so they find it hard to look after their properties themselves, hence why they have me helping them. That is not to say I do not provide Property Management services to landlords who are living in Dubai. Many of Dubai’s regulations relating to Property Management change over time, therefore owners find it less stressful having a professional company taking care of their hard earned assets, especially with us being up to date with the market & its changes. Property Management works for anyone who has a property in Dubai, no matter where they live in the world!”

WHAT SHONA’S CLIENTS SAY ABOUT HER

“Shona Calvert has been extremely efficient and has kept me informed of any issues and assisted in resolving them. I have worked over the past 10 years with two other agencies, but your service has been superb! thank you” (Richard)

“My property Manager is just awesome, full of energy and enthusiasm, meet deadlines, follow through attitude, systematic and present the outcome very well.” (Ali)

“I couldn’t be happier with haus & haus and my property manager Shona Calvert (...) Shona was (and still is) a shining star in my stressful times of finding the right property management and buying a new property too. She is knowledgeable, approachable, personable, endlessly patient, and incredibly generous with her time (...) She is very respectful, courteous and professional (...)” (Ana)

View more independent testimonials here.

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