Interview with Javier Ortiz, a registered director at Meridional

Welcome to our blog. Today we’d like to introduce our chartered administrator, Javier Ortíz, on this blog. The aim is for you to get to know him a little better and for him to explain, in his own words, what it means to him to be part of Meridional and to dedicate his work to the team and our communities.

Q: What does it mean to be a registered member, and what benefits does this bring to the community?

Not all administrators can be members of a professional body. This requires prior accreditation of a professional qualification, which not everyone possesses.

Membership of the Association of Property Administrators as a registered member means being part of a public-law body with its own legal personality and full capacity to fulfil its objectives, which is governed by its own Articles of Association and internal regulations, and is protected by law.

Consequently, a Owners’ Association managed by a chartered property manager can be confident not only that it is in the hands of competent professionals, but also that it is protected by the regulations of a public-law body, which entails, among other things, civil liability insurance covering all contingencies that may be caused by any of its registered members.

Q. So, what are the drawbacks for the community of relying on a non-registered administrator?

Primarily, the fact that it is not subject to the discipline and regulations of a public-law body, which may mean that the community is not adequately protected against inappropriate or improper professional practices that could cause harm or damage to the community.

Q: How can property managers help to foster a sense of community within residential estates?

A manager must have good communication skills, a certain level of emotional intelligence, and be skilled in conflict management, negotiation, mediation and problem-solving, because sooner or later these issues will arise within the community and you will need all these skills to offer a realistic and calm solution.

Q. Does this also apply to residents’ association meetings?

Of course it is. Leading and managing a residents’ association isn’t always easy either, and to ensure everything runs smoothly during the event, as well as the points mentioned above, you need to know how to handle interpersonal relationships.

If you don’t like people, if you just want a comfortable life and don’t want to be bothered by people who are behind with their payments or by disputes; or if you’re only interested in being part of a community to sell more services, my advice is that you shouldn’t become a property manager.

Q: How important is transparency to you?

It is unavoidable. The Association’s code of ethics is very clear on these matters. But in any case, it is the cornerstone of your work. An administrator’s most important asset is their reputation

Q: What areas of focus do you set for yourself at Meridional?

Always provide a professional and practical response that resolves the issue the community is currently facing, whilst, of course, ensuring it complies with the law so as not to disadvantage the owners.

One of Meridional’s hallmarks is that it always maintains an active dialogue with all property owners and residents’ associations, and I want to help ensure that this continues.