Source: www.ameinfo.com
More than 5,000 property owners and tenants from Dubai’s most iconic commercial and residential towers, including The Burj Khalifa, Oceana and Palm Residences, now have access to MyCommunity, an online property management tool.
The MyCommunity system, developed by leading international software firm Mystrata and launched in January this year, enables all those involved in a real estate community – from owners, managers, associations, board members and tenants – to interact with each other and provide a more efficient, effective and transparently managed property.
David Bugden, CEO of Mystrata, said, “With the introduction of the jointly owned property laws in Dubai and soon Abu Dhabi, people now have a right to know where their money is being spent. MyCommunity helps to deliver that transparency and at the same time gives residents a voice and enables them to interact with each other.”
“The unique aspect of MyCommunity is that it seamlessly integrates with our main product offering, an online management and accounting system used by professional property managers, meaning users can log-on anywhere in the world to access financial data, reports and community information. It can also be used for any type of real estate community whether it be leasehold, commercial, retail or shopping malls,” he added.
Through the portal, users are able to raise maintenance requests, view service charge information, access financial reports, pay bills via a secure payment gateway, print invoices and much more depending upon their level of access. Access levels are determined by a person’s role in the community (e.g. tenant or owner) and are controlled by the property manager.
The portal also incorporates social networking features and includes a customizable marketing web site, a Community Wall, events information and a community notice board.
The Diamond in Dubai Sports City, developed by The First Group, was one of the very first communities to go live on the MyCommunity system. David Scott, Commercial Director of The First Group liked the system due to its ease of use especially as it allows overseas non-resident owners the use of a secure information portal to stay in touch with their property investment.
He said, “The response from our clients has been fantastic. Our overseas owners can now choose to access up-to-date information without having to call our office. Tenants and residents are lodging requests, asking questions of each other on the community wall and even organising community social events amongst themselves. We have now implemented this technology across all our projects, even ones still under construction to keep our purchasers informed.”
Asteco Property Management, one of the leading property management firms in the GCC, has used Mystrata’s technology for over four years. John Stevens, Director Asteco Property Management, said, “The launch of MyCommunity to our clients will deliver much needed transparency about the management of their properties and it is a welcome addition.”
The MyCommunity system is continuingly being updated based on user feedback and new communities are being added every week. The company has recently expanded into Lebanon and Qatar and is now looking to expand into new GCC property markets and focus on the involvement of key i
