Property Management from Very Small to Very Large
Interview with Maximilian Stähle, Managing Director of AWV - Allgemeine Wohnhaus-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Geschäftsbesorgungs KG
Especially when energy renovation measures are imminent, very different opinions often clash within condominium owners' communities, which can quickly lead to conflicts. Therefore, facilitating a broad consensus has become one of the core tasks of property managers like AWV in Munich. In an interview with Wirtschaftsforum, their managing director Maximilian Stähle discussed current challenges.
"Our core business is traditional property management," begins Maximilian Stähle, Managing Director of AWV Allgemeine Wohnhaus-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Geschäftsbesorgungs KG, explaining the range of services the company offers while deliberately avoiding the English term Property Management: "We take care of the management of condominium owners' associations and traditional rental management, both for individual apartments and for complete residential buildings – from very small to very large." Meanwhile, larger commercial units with office spaces and several hotels have also become part of the circle of properties managed by AWV.
Consensus Mediation is a Core Task
A business area where one can easily find oneself between all chairs, especially when big decisions are pending, where the individual owners sometimes find it difficult to agree – such as the scope of energy refurbishment measures: "As AWV, we are equally committed to all parties. Therefore, one of our main tasks is to mediate in the development of a long-term viable consensus among the owners. Because enforcing a measure with a 51% majority vote, which is rejected by 49% of the members, would inevitably lead to subsequent conflicts. This helps no one, not even the majority. But with a bit of patience, objectivity, expertise, necessary customer orientation, and empathy, one almost invariably finds a sensible solution that receives broad support from all participants – even on sensitive issues where very different opinions and beliefs meet." To involve the owners as much as possible, AWV also organizes the annual Munich Advisory Board Day, where top experts such as top experts, judges, and specialized attorneys for tenancy law speak before the advisory boards and company employees.
Education and training are a priority
Internally within the company, the theme of education and further training also holds particular significance at AWV: "Currently, we have four trainees and two dual study program students working at AWV, and we are very pleased with their dedication and new input – just as much as we are about the opportunity to embark on this long-term journey with them," explains Maximilian Stähle, reflecting on his own career biography: "When I joined this company 15 years ago, directly after high school, many opportunities opened up for me right from the start, which I greatly appreciated. Many other employees have also been with the company for decades – important proof that we can also convince as an attractive employer!"