Hello everyone! My name is Jack Pearson and I am currently working in Madrid as a part of the PITT IIP program. The company I work for is named MadridEasy. MadridEasy is a company that provides short-term housing for students and young professionals who will be staying or studying in Madrid for less than a year. The company manages over 400 different apartments with up to 7 rooms each.
During my first week, I was assigned to be a part of the Department of Operations, which mainly oversees the operational duties of managing the units. These tasks include customer service, maintenance, managing water, gas, and electricity, purchasing amenities, and many more tasks that are required to manage 400+ units. This first week in order to understand the units and how they are managed I traveled to various units and would perform check out evaluations, take inventory, or assist clients. I took the metro all over Madrid to all the different apartments and saw all sorts of different styles of living, neighborhoods, and areas of Madrid. It was very interesting to see the different styles of apartments and living in Spain.
The short-term rental industry is very challenging. Dealing with clients, especially young students can be tough. They are not as careful or compliant as long-term clients could be, and this may be some of their first times living away from home without family. Some of the important factors may be clear and concise communication, an easy-to-use website/interface, organization, and many more advantages that allow you to manage these clients.
On Wednesday morning I already had my first interesting experience with a client. I was going to check two rooms before going to the office that morning. I took the metro over to the first apartment and unlocked the front door. I needed to go to room H3, this apartment had 7 rooms in total. I was there to do a checkout and see if there were any damages to the apartment after the client left. The client had left the day prior so it was just an empty room for me to take some photos and head over to the second location. But, when I opened the door there was someone sleeping on the bed. She looked over at me and I quickly apologized and closed the door. I went back to double-check if I had the right room and I did. I called my supervisor and she told me to go to the second location and return back after I finished there. When I returned I was greeted by the other tenants who were super apologetic as they let their friend stay in that room. It was no problem just a little alarming.
A few things that are unique to Spain in regard to real estate are the properties themselves as well as the client base. Just during this first week, I have met clients from all over Europe and the world. Many students from all universities will come to study in Madrid for a few months or a semester. There is always demand for this type of housing as students will always want to go abroad (just like I am now). In terms of the unit’s themselves, they have slight differences in terms of layout and style but the process of renting and operations is almost identical. There are surely some legal and technical differences due to Spain having slightly different laws than the US but it is fairly similar. I am excited to learn more about the industry and the ins and out of my company
I am excited to develop many different skills throughout my time in the company, mainly my Spanish. It is difficult to start a new job but it is extremely difficult to start a new job in a new country in another language. There is so much to learn about the company but also so much Spanish to learn as well. It can be overwhelming at times but I am learning how to manage that feeling and focus on one task at a time. There is no rush to complete tasks, as it is better to learn these skills now and really focus on learning all that you can about the operation of the business.
I am very excited to see what more I can contribute in the future and what other responsibilities I will gain. This experience is off to a great start and I am excited to see what I learn!
