Industrial real estate management in Kenya
Abstract
The study looks into the Estate Management of industrial real estate in Kenya.
Estate Management is the skill of organizing or running the real estate property by
using the available resources to ensure that the real estate remains an income producing
entity. An estate manager is therefore the person who ensures the
smooth operations of this real estate.
Industrial real estate is any land or building used for production processes such as
manufacturing, storage and distribution of tangible goods.
The study set out to investigate the functions performed by the real estate manager
with emphasis on the Industrial Estate.
It also investigated why there are virtually no land economist estate managers in
industrial real estate in Kenya today. This poses a problem because an estate
manager is trained (is a Land Economics degree holder) to manager all kinds of
real estate. The investigation was carried out by looking at how industrial firms are
currently managed, and by whom, their qualifications and problems encountered in
their management. It also examined the role played by estate managers in
industrial real estate in Kenya and where there was no estate managers" to find out
who performed this estate management functions. The study also analysed the
maintenance practices of the industrial firms, i.e. the frequency and maintenance
problems. The staff welfare aspect was considered as part of management as
manifested through the provision of housing, mortgage and medical facilities.
The data collected was mainly though recorded information and interviews.
The findings of the study reveal that estate management is carried out by others
other than Land Economics degree holders, and that there is a lack of awareness
of the potential of a ''trained (a Land Economics degree holder) estate manager.
The study recommended that, for the full potential of an estate manager to be
realized, more exposure is needed during the training session, where they can be
attached or posted to industrial firms. This will benefit both the student, as he/she
tackles the everyday complexity of running an industrial firm, and also benefit the
owners or managers of the industrial firms of the full training and potential of an
estate manager.
Citation
Master of Arts (Housing Administration)Publisher
University of Nairobi Department of Land Development