Estate Agents are usually paid on Commission, but Housing Managers,
Superintendents, etc., under big Corporations are paid salaries.
The Sub-Committee do not consider the percentage system a good one,
especially for lower grade property, which needs the more time and
skill. Also, where rent varies with the rates, as it does on nearly all
the properties managed by women, the basis of variation is undesirable
for such payment.
Women Managers (mostly paid on percentage) have hitherto undertaken the
work at a sacrifice. Introducing as they did a new system of management,
their work was intensified, but their percentage remained the same as
that of the former agents.
The Sub-Committee believe that better pay might be secured by the
following methods:
(1) By a wider and more general attempt at organization. One Manager,
responsible for the general principle of the Management, could control
a large property or groups of properties, with specially appointed
superintendents and staff who have been made to understand the spirit
and aims of the work.
(2) By a careful combination of higher grade quarterly tenancies with
the lower grade weekly, possibly aided by the promotion of some
regular weekly tenancies to monthly payments.
There is very little doubt that management of lower grade properties has
been made to pay by undesirable means. Key money, percentage fees on
builders’ bills and other “payments” have crept in—in some cases are
openly acknowledged and expected. Management should be placed beyond the
reach of such practices.
Inefficient management is very largely responsible for the slums of
to-day and has led to the need for slum clearances and the consequent
enormous expense to the Community. The necessary effort to redeem slum
areas now can only be successful by management on modern lines—a strong,
efficient business equipment, based on definite ideals with definite
social aims. Work on such a foundation cannot fail to bring results, but
it should be adequately paid. The attempt to overcome the evils of our
heritage of bad management by the introduction of efficient management
in bad areas may seem, at first, comparatively costly. It will never be
quite so costly in the end as inefficient management.