To help celebrate our 30 years of service to the real estate industry, Tamiko Broms, PEMCO Limited’s Director of Business Development agreed to sit down with Housingwire to discuss common issues in the industry as well as some of PEMCO Limited’s best practices. Read the interview below.

How important is effective communication in our industry right now?

Tamiko: As we build partnerships and interface with people outside of our own organization, we often identify strengths and weaknesses in the industry and collaborate to develop a solution. In order to do that effectively, we focus on 3 key factors of communication.

1) Transparency. This is valued at a higher level than in years past. Constant exchange of information with in our organization and with our networks often results in solutions that most satisfy our clients.

2) Respect. We are confident that the personnel we designate for external communications are professional, knowledgeable, and engaged individuals that we trust will represent our company and respect the individuals we are interfacing with. When collaborating internally, respectful communication is also emphasized.

3) Listening. We always have our ears open. For example, emphasis on listening to our staff at PEMCO Limited is key. The people working on an operational level know best about what can be improved and what is effective and productive. We value their insight and often seek it when establishing solutions.

How does PEMCO Limited approach vendor relationships?

Tamiko: We hear the term “boots on the ground” to describe the role of vendors in our industry, but to PEMCO Limited they are more than just the “boots” – they are often the experts. They have insight, experience and local market intel, so we create an environment for open dialogue whether it’s on a social media platform or in a private one-on-one conversation. We are also very passionate about training, so we often carve out time on a regular basis for vendor training. We impose certain criteria, standards and expectations on our subcontractors and staff, but we also invest in their development.

Our message is: “We are a team, and as a team we will succeed”. In terms of compliance, a key component to success in today’s industry depends a lot on shared information. Our subcontractors recognize that in order for them to succeed, we all have to be working towards the same goals.

What does leadership look like at PEMCO Limited?

Tamiko: Leadership at PEMCO Limited is very hands on and approachable. This means that we are involved in each aspect of the company, on some level. We focus on our area of expertise, but are also encouraged to understand and support improvements in the company overall. Because of that, we make a point to know people on all levels of the company. We aren’t the “Untouchables”. That type of infrastructure is built to support our growth paths and we’ve found it to be successful.

What do you see trending right now?

Tamiko: Employee development and education is definitely trending right now. In-house training universities send an important message that there is more to training than taking an hour out of your day once in a while. These programs can test and document an employee’s progress for proficiency and mastery of content. The training we provide is often on a real time change and requires immediate exchange of information. This is where utilizing technology is so important. PEMCO Limited uses pre-recorded training videos and live online webinars or broadcasts for our vendors, subcontractors and staff. This has made educating, training and informing our networks and staff easy and effective. It’s useful for ensuring that we create and retain a group of knowledgeable employees that will best deliver quality services to our clients.