Not all condo management companies are created equal. As in any industry, some condo management companies are exceptional at what they do, going above and beyond for clients and tenants whenever and wherever they’re able to – while some companies, on the other hand, appear to enjoy doing the absolute bare minimum to charge an invoice, pay their bills, and call it a day.
It’s clear which one you’d want in your corner – but how do you know what you’re getting when agreeing to a partnership with a condo management company in the first place?
The trick, in our experience, comes down to being able to pick out and recognize a handful of key traits that will help to paint a picture of what you’re getting with any particular condo management outfit. What are those traits, you might be wondering? We’re glad you asked.
Awesome Traits to Look for in a Condo Management Company
1. The Ability to Listen – and Really Hear You
While a condo management company might have great processes and efficient systems in place, what does it matter if they’re not going to take the time to listen to you – and actual hear what your concerns are?
Listening, more than anything else, could be the skill that turns your condo management partnership from good to awesome.
2. Committed to Building Long-Term Relationships
Your overarching relationship with your condo management company often colours the quality and experience of your day-to-day interactions with them – for you and for your tenants. Take the time to ask questions about how often you’ll hear from the condo manager. Pay attention to the sense you get around their commitment to being there for your condo community over the long haul, and then carefully weigh whether or not their response aligns with your expectations. By building an open and honest rapport with your condo management team, you’ll have greater trust with them, which leads to greater peace of mind for you and the rest of your condo building.
3. The Ability to Remain Objective (…Mostly)
An awesome condo management company should be able to act as a neutral party between your condo corporation and your tenants, looking for win-win situations should there be any issues within the condo community. However, while they may be able to provide objective guidance and solutions, they also should have no problem recognizing that you are the primary client. Look for a condo management company that is willing to provide you with all the facts necessary to help guide you toward a decision that benefits everyone – but that ultimately prioritizes the interests of the greater condo corporation and community at the end of the day.
4. Innovative in All Things
Improved communications, increased responsiveness, better storage of contracts and other ‘paper’ documents – technology simply makes condo management more effective, both for you and your condo management company. Inquire about what types of technology or software the company uses to support their service and communication with owners and condo boards. If the answer is “None,” you might want to consider looking elsewhere.
Processes and procedures are another space worth paying attention to in terms of forward-thinking, innovative approaches. Does your management company have a keen attention to detail and well-defined practices in place? By clearly defining their processes, you’ll know how your condo is being managed, along with the type of communication you’ll receive throughout the duration of your condo management partnership.
5. Keeping Up with a Changing Industry
The condo management industry is constantly evolving. With this in mind, it’s critical that any awesome condo management company keeps informed and regularly revisits their own processes to account for updates to industry norms and regulations. Ask your management company what type of training their team members receive, along with how they’re staying compliant with changes throughout the industry and the sweeping revisions made to the Alberta Condominium Property Act over the course of the past few years. Nobody’s ever stayed awesome by sitting idle, after all.
Keep an eye out for these five stand-out traits and you should have no trouble tracking down a condo management company that qualifies as 100% awesome. Alternatively, feel free to reach out to us at Catalyst Condo Management to discover a condo management company that’s all of the above and more – we’ll be happy to chat about just what it is that would make us a truly awesome management partner for your condo community today!
