Introduction
Real estate management is a strategic pillar for owners, investors, companies and public bodies. Its aim is to maximise profitability, ensure the long‑term viability of built assets and guarantee occupant comfort. Whether you are a private landlord, property manager or in charge of a professional portfolio, this article lays out the fundamentals, tools, challenges and best practices of modern property management.
🔎 What is real estate management?
It encompasses all operations involved in administering, operating, maintaining and enhancing a property, whether residential, commercial, industrial or public.
- Rental management (tenant search, rent collection, reminders, etc.)
- Technical management (maintenance, works, safety)
- Financial and regulatory management (budgets, tax filings, compliance)
⚙️ Major stakes in property management
💰 1. Financial profitability
- High occupancy rate
- Optimised rents
- Controlled expenses
🏗️ 2. Asset enhancement
Maintenance work, energy renovation or adaptation to modern uses (e.g. smart buildings) increase market value.
📋 3. Legal compliance
- Mandatory diagnostics (energy, asbestos, lead…)
- Fire safety
- Environmental standards (Climate Act, tertiary decree)
👥 4. Occupant satisfaction
A well‑managed building improves tenant well‑being and fosters loyalty.
🧰 Digital tools for real‑estate management
🖥️ 1. Rental‑management software
Platforms such as Synergie, Plexpro facilitate:
- Rent tracking
- Accounting
- Document and contract management
🏢 2. BIM
Used for large complexes, BIM provides a 3D, real‑time view of the building, useful for maintenance, renovation and asset management.
🔍 3. Dashboards & KPIs
Set up reporting to monitor:
- Profitability per asset or portfolio
- Tenant turnover rate
- Progress of works plans
✅ Best practices for efficient management
- Outsource to a licensed property manager for large portfolios
- Create a multi‑year maintenance plan
- Digitise processes to automate data collection and reduce human error
- Conduct regular energy‑performance audits
- Maintain regulatory watch to anticipate obligations (BACS decree, Climate & Resilience Act)
🏘️ Focus: tertiary property management
With the Tertiary Decree, French buildings over 1,000 m² must reduce energy consumption, implying:
- An integrated energy strategy
- Monitoring tools such as OPERAT (ADEME platform)
- Progressive renovation of existing stock
Conclusion
Real‑estate management is no longer about paperwork or rents alone. It is a strategic lever for improving profitability, enhancing assets, meeting environmental challenges and ensuring optimal operation. By combining digital tools, technical expertise and a sustainable approach, managers can turn their portfolios into genuine performance drivers.