Professional property management is essential for asset managers looking to increase both
the value of and return on their real estate portfolios. Property management is, therefore, already being outsourced to a great extent. Unlike other fields prone to outsourcing such as IT, the outsourcing process relating to property management services remains unchartered
territory in business studies literature. This treatise aims to fill this academic void by developing a theory-based concept of property management outsourcing supported by an empirically tested model for choosing property management services partners.For the purpose of this treatise, property management services are defined from an investor's point of view and are therefore limited to services relating to large commercial real estate assets. Moreover, property management is characterised as a professional as opposed to a generic service. Its classification as a professional service has far-reaching consequences for the entire outsourcing process.
Based on the results of a preliminary qualitative study on the one hand and on existing models
relating to the choice of service partners on the other, the treatise develops a special
service partner selection model for property management outsourcing. This model is then
verified by means of structural equation modelling (partial least squares method).
The results of the quantitative survey show that the characterisation of property management
as a professional service is the key to the success of the outsourcing relationship. Both, the service providers and their clients must first and foremost acknowledge that property
management is a professional service that also has a variety of specific characteristics
during the outsourcing process. Based on this premise, this treatise operationalises selection
factors for the choice of service partners in property management outsourcing. Moreover, the
relevance of pre-existing constructs such as satisfaction and loyalty to (the chosen) service provider for property management services is confirmed for the first time. On the basis of these findings, the treatise gives several practice-oriented recommendations for asset managers and property managers and discusses further possible developments. | English |