Blog

Borba Property COVID-19 Office Wall

Ethos Connect: Caring For Your Employees and Properties In The Era of COVID-19

While businesses and schools shut down and people retreated to their homes during the last two months, Borba Property Group was working to keep their employees and residents safe while ensuring the properties they manage are maintained up to their standards.

Borba Property Group is a family-owned locally run business. For over three decades, the Borba family has cared for and managed about 2000 residential units. The family credits their business success to the relationships they have built with their associates, vendors, clients, and tenants. When the news about Coronavirus in Southern California was imminent, Michael Borba, CEO, Board President, knew he needed to act quickly.

Borba worked to ensure the safety of the tenants, employees, and vendors during this time as more tenants began working from their homes. He knew that he needed to manage the requests from tenants, keep his team safe, and stay focused on the culture of his company. 

Borba explained, “one of the first things we did was split our office into two teams. We even built a physical barrier in the office between the teams to ensure that if someone were unaware they were infected, the whole office would not be at risk.” Additionally, Borba implemented a work from home program so that only half of each team would be in the office at the same time, and there would be space to socially distance. “I was concerned that our employees might not feel comfortable in the office, but many of them prefer to come to the office to work when possible. They want to ensure they are available to handle requests from tenants, property owners, and vendors.  It is part of the long-standing relationships we have created within this community and the culture of our company,” said Borba.

“We knew that emergency maintenance requests would remain a priority for us. We review all service requests and determine the urgency of the situation.  Plumbing issues and roof leaks due to the heavy rain the last few weeks will be handled immediately,” according to Borba. He went on to explain that his team is keeping track of non-emergency maintenance requests, and when the lockdowns are lifted, his team will have a sizable backlog of requests. With more people working and staying home, usage of appliances and plumbing is up, and so are the requests for service.

What hasn’t changed in this new environment is leasing. People still need to move whether it is back in with family, or to a larger residence where they can work from home in a more comfortable setting. Borba said, “Our team is working with people looking to move and interested in seeing what properties are available.

While potential residents can visit our website to get an idea of what a property looks like, we need to be available to assist them in person. We also are still delivering notices, keys, and mail daily on our properties. While we are taking safety precautions seriously, we still need to be available to our tenants. “

Borba credits his staff for working closely with the tenants. “We know people are going through hard times right now, and our team is working harder than ever to operate and care for the tenants.” There have been so many changes in the last few weeks. Since the Borba Property Group offices are located close to the properties they manage, the company was able to see first-hand how  Coronavirus is effecting the neighborhoods in their care. 

Since we last spoke with Borba, California is slowly reopening our state with specific guidelines. Similar to how quickly Borba Property created a plan in March to keep employees safe, they have implemented new rules in the office for reopening. These new guidelines include but are not limited to; mask regulations, limiting the number of people in lunch and meeting rooms, daily temperature checks before beginning a shift, enhanced cleaning schedules, and new seating arrangements. 

“The cornerstones of our company culture is our inclusivity and respect, and our team agreed on the new protocols we established. We are excited to bring our team back together in the office and tear down the wall that separated us,” said Sonya Borba, C.O.O., Board VP.

Borba Property Group was quick to set up an email specifically for questions relating to COVID-19:  covid-19@borbaproperty.com
If you are interested in finding a new residence or a property manager, please visit: borbaproperty.com