‘The Urals’ real estate management market is still non-existent due to lack of demand. All of Yekaterinburg’s management companies were set up by the builders themselves at the time. So the management companies’ activity is not even a business as such, it’s just that the recession has forced many developers to halt their construction projects and to switch to making money through the management of the buildings they already have,’ R-management Management Company’s General Director Alexei Maltsev said to UrBC.

In the meantime, the Czech OKIN FACILITY RU that deals in real estate maintenance and management announced recently that it was going to drive the local management companies out of Yekaterinburg market. The Czech company claims it is prepared to hold a 30% share of the Russian market by as soon as 2012.

‘OKIN FACILITY RU is a clever business, but its strategy indicates that they are apparently not very aware of the Urals’ real estate market situation. Real estate management is primarily the matter of professionals who know the peculiarities of this particular market and are capable of doing things right. At the same time, it’s hard to find a real professional. As for the deadlines and the market shares the company speaks about, I personally believe they are totally unrealistic,’ Maltsev added.