MEDIA RELEASE
Streamlined strata communication is helping apartment owners stay up to date with coronavirus
The strata sector has changed forever since the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic crisis. Australians are working from home to avoid catching or spreading the virus in a work environment.
While the attention has been on empty shopping shelves and lack of toilet paper, many Australians have rushed to buy consumables like computers, copiers, scanners and comfortable chairs. Online technology platforms like Slack, Skype and Zoom have never been so busy as the world embraces smart communication technology.
Strata Managers are emailing apartment owners with the basic (COVID-19) update that many businesses have accepted as the norm: –
“We are still open and working remotely. Nothing has changed”
Founder and CEO of Strata Alert, Peter Mansour says: “That is the exact reason that owners and residents have lost all confidence in the strata management sector. The industry relies solely on emails and flyers to communicate with strata property owners. That is inefficient and time wasting resulting in poor decision making. Sending an email to an owner achieves nothing. The owner could be a Landlord and is not living or working in the building.”
Emails exclude 90% of people who either live or work in buildings. An email sent to an owner has nothing to do with the residents in apartment complexes or workers in workplace environments. Strata Alert is a notification and alert platform that allows your strata manager to keep every owner, resident or worker in buildings updated.
As evidenced this week on social media, people who have been sent home to work in apartments are now being exposed to the coronavirus by AirBNB residents. The purpose of social distancing is to protect Australians at home. However, the virus is being brought into complexes by apartment owners for short term rental using AirBNB. Individuals that have tested positive or are required to self quarantine are choosing not to stay at their own home, but rather rent an apartment via platforms like AirBNB.
There is a lack of information from strata managers to residents to address the following areas of concern: –
How often is our building cleaned?
Why are there no hand sanitizers on each level?
Has anyone in our strata complex tested positive for the coronavirus?
What are our strata self-quarantine policies if someone is tested positive?
Are apartments being rented on AirBNB to people with the virus?
Do we still have to meet in person for our strata meetings?
Fortunately, Strata Alert is a multi-award winning Web and App based platform that streamlines communication and eliminates time wasting. Strata Managers keep owners and occupants up to date with alerts, notifications, messages, groups and online voting.
Just ask Shelagh Armstrong from John Hill and Co (Sydney inner west strata manager) for her thoughts on using Strata Alert. Armstrong said “This week, we sent out real time alerts to individuals in high-rise buildings with safety tips to better manage the coronavirus. This is not possible via emails. We do not have access for privacy to every occupant’s email address.”
Strata Alert has simplified the on-boarding process. On average, each individual Strata Manager can have up to 50 strata complexes in their portfolio to manage. With hundreds of people in each complex, strata managers can easily keep everyone up to date at their fingertips.
For every owner or occupant, they have access to their own property App. Customized for them with all their property rules and a simple convenient way to stay up to date with strata concerns that impact them, such as the coronavirus.
People are invited into groups but also have access to the property feed. The smart technology is a great way for people to assist their elderly neighbours, making sure they are safe and even buying their groceries and leaving them at their doorstep.
Strata Alert won the prestigious Committee for Sydney 2019 smart city awards for “Best Emerging Idea” in September 2019. Read More
The award was on the back of being recognised by Westpac as a Business of Tomorrow Winner. Read more.
Strata Alert is a Sydney startup that received a Jobs for NSW Government grant and their success was mentioned in a media press in November 2019, by Minister for Jobs and Investment Stuart Ayres. Read more
Strata Alert was also awarded a grant by the City of Sydney to enhance the technology to focus on better social connections for people living in vertical buildings. Read more
Strata Alert is being used nationally for day to day strata issues such as parking, security, lifts and cleaning. With the Opal and Mascot Tower debacles, plus cladding and building defects concerns nationally, residents seek transparency and streamlined communication.
Mansour says “Our technology streamlines communication. The platform was built to help owners deal with building defects and cladding. For 9 months, the poor residents in the Sydney Opal Tower heard cracking noises. They did not know who to notify or how to report the issue. We believe our technology will disrupt the sector to empower owners and occupants, who are our priority. We never imagined our technology would help people to better manage coronavirus.”
Furthermore, as evidenced in Italy, Spain and many countries around the world, people need to connect and living in vertical buildings can be very lonely. Mansour says “We allow our users to access an online chat feature with others in their strata complex. A sense of connection during a national crisis. We all need a platform for our voices to be heard, our opinions shared and a sense of community belonging”
Whilst Strata Alert works best with your strata manager on-board, the platform also empowers any owner or occupant to add their own property, invite their co-workers or neighbours, report strata issues and contribute in groups. They can invite their strata manager to get on-board and streamline communication. Much like retailers a decade ago when consumers were ready to buy online, strata managers risk losing strata contracts if they continue to rely on time wasting emails and flyers.
Strata Alert technology has been adopted by many strata managers Australia wide. Agile next generation strata managers are using smart technology for better customer experiences and improved productivity, eliminating time wasting and duplication of time and resources.
Strata Alert is free to sign up via the web and App stores.
