Have you ever thought about what an Asset Manager at a real estate company actually does?

Delivering high-quality service and maintaining open and trusting relationships with their tenants are an Asset Manager’s most important goals. Our Asset Managers’ expertise is used to guide the work of property managers, property maintenance companies, and others we work with. First of all, a property shouldn’t be thought of as simply an arrangement of walls— our warehouses are crucial to our customers’ businesses. It must fit their operations like a glove and therefore, during the course of just about every customer relationship, property alterations are needed to ensure the premises will best serve the customer’s unique needs. 

To give you a better idea of how Logicor’s Asset Managers operate, Jaakko Leinonen describes what it’s like to be a Logicor Asset Manager for a day. Jaakko is an energetic, high-achieving and customer-centered Asset Manager with a hearty sense of humour with a genuine interest in his clients and their needs. He works hard to offer clients only the best in service and expertise, no matter what the situation. In the paragraphs below Jaakko illustrates what it’s like to walk a day in his shoes.   

9am: Kaapelikatu 3, Tampere, project meeting with GE Grid Solutions

Jaakko Leinonen is carefully ensureng that the alteration work at GE Grid’s production facilities is going smoothly.

Today my workday began with a meeting with Asko Sydänmäki from our customer, GE Grid Solutions, and with Elina Uusitalo, from a partner company, Ramboll. In the premises rented out by GE Grid on Kaapelikatu, in Tampere, an extensive renovation and alteration project is underway, and in the project meeting we go through the schedule and the process of making invitations to tender. We make sure that the work is done on schedule, and that the customer does not have to suffer costly delays in production. My goal with this meeting is to use my project management and real estate expertise to ensure the alterations proceed smoothly and swiftly.  

12:10pm Restaurant Tillikka, lunch with the contracting agent

The most important thing in this line of work is to be present, to listen, and to be able to ask the right questions to lead you towards finding the most suitable premises for the client. After lunch, I get in touch with property managers and clients and I arrange some viewing times with a wholesale firm looking for storage and office space. Prospective clients rightly have numerous questions about the property such as is it easy to reach, how will employees get there, how many large vehicles pass through, etc. This is where an understanding of their business and the logistics field as a whole is one of the most important tools an Asset Manager has.

2:15pm JM Concept, signing a lease agreement

Some of the best moments in my job are signing a new contract and starting the process of understanding a new customer and their needs. My work is, above all else, about making the client’s business operations and services possible; and this concern doesn’t end with the signing of the contract. Actually, this is when the real work starts—the most fascinating thing is to get to know the client’s daily operations through working alongside them every day. Therefore, I was quite excited when commercial and promotional gift company JM Concept Oy, in connection with that with textile printer Kasipaino Oy’s Managing Director Pasi Harju, was looking for a larger premise due to their large product range. We’ve now signed the contract and I’ll start working to ensure all their needs are met.

Before the contract, the groundwork: entering prices for alterations and other factors into Excel before the offer is made

Jaakko Leinonen is always on the move at work—office days are rare.

I often meet the client for the first time on one of our properties. I always try to show more than one property in the same session to give the customer the best overview of the options available. Then I work with the customer to understand any alterations that may be needed. Fortunately, Logicor has reliable partners who are willing and able to help with cost estimates for the alterations.

3:20pm Teerivuorenkatu 5, Tampere, property inspection

Jaakko Leinonen watches from the control room to ensure that everything is in order at the Teerivuorenkatu property.

All properties need maintenance from time to time and my job is to ensure the quality of all that our service providers have to offer. I also make sure the properties are constantly maintained and kept in good shape.  At the end of today I went to the vacant industrial and warehousing property on Teerivuorenkatu in Tampere to check the maintenance is in order. Taking care of premises, even when they’re empty, is an important part of the property life cycle. Whenever I notice wear and tear from weather or general use I call the maintenance services to schedule a repair right away.

As I leave the property the sun is starting to set and I feel accomplished with my day’s work. The day I’ve just described is a very typical one, with plenty to do and a lot of traveling from place to place. As an Asset Manager, I need to keep my eye on the big picture things like contract renewals as well as smaller things, like continual upkeep on vacant properties.

"The real estate business is built on relationships and therefore the most important part of my job, I believe, is to maintain constant communication and interaction with my customers and business partners."