Whether residents live in your high-rise community full time or simply visit their unit occasionally as a second home, they expect impeccable service from exemplary employees – and that starts with having the right general manager. When boards are considering a partnership with a new management company, part of their due diligence includes evaluating the […]
Indemnifying Your Association’s Management Company (FL)
In today’s overly litigious world, more and more, when a community association is sued for everything from slip and falls, maintenance and repair obligations, to failure to provide official records, so too is the management company. Thus, there is no need to wonder why community association management companies require their community association clients to indemnify […]
The Ultimate Board Cheat Sheet to Completing an RFP
Interviewing a management company is no doubt important – finding a true partner beyond the facts and figures matters for a mutually beneficial working relationship. But before any company can confidently say how they can best serve your community, they need to know and understand as much as possible. That’s why writing a detailed request […]
How to Approach Negotiating With a New Property Management Company for Your Building (IL)
Hiring a new property management company for your building is no small change. Usually, it’s a multi-year commitment that involves a lengthy process, and it has the power to affect a building’s physical condition, finances, and other key aspects. When you’re in the process of evaluating property management companies, the negotiation phase is key. Read […]
What to Expect From Your Community Management Company
What do board members really want from their HOA management company? As it turns out, the answers are pretty universal. We survey our client board members on a daily basis to better understand what they want from a community management company. Based on thousands of responses we obtain over the course of a year, board […]
Tailoring Your Management Contract
When hiring a new management company, there’s a typical process that most boards follow. They research, they invite companies for interviews, they check references, and then they make their final choice. Now comes, arguably, the most important part of the process: tailoring the management contract to meet a board’s specific needs. Read the article………………
Questions To Ask An HOA Management Company
The best HOA management companies are those that are not only dedicated to building great communities, but are also professional, communicative, punctual, and excellent at what they do. As a company that is committed to providing service that exceeds expectations, we have put together a list of the top questions to ask an HOA management […]
Preventing Community Association Fraud: Part Two – Your Property Management Company’s Role
Fraud can strike just about any association – even one that is professionally managed – regardless of how small or large your community may be. However, a good property management company will have checks and balances and other security measures in place to help reduce the risk. How do you know if a management firm […]
How to Apply the Right Criteria to Evaluate Property Management Companies
The homeowners in your association depend on you and other board members to look out for their best interests. That’s why it’s so important to thoroughly research and compare property management companies before selecting the one that will best meet the needs of your community. After all, the choice you make today can impact your […]
Is There a Better Way to Hire a Management Company?
Some boards use Requests for Proposals to separate the wheat from the chaff. Hiring a new management company is a delicate dance for any co-op or condo board, and there’s no textbook that lays out the best moves. But a growing number of co-op boards are taking their cues from the corporate world. Three and […]
Finding a Community Manager That Fits Your Community
Many homeowners associations look for community managers with years of experience managing similar communities in the area. While experience is certainly important, the real value for an HOA comes from finding the right fit between the manager and the community. It’s one thing for a manager to be technically competent or have seen it all, […]
What to Ask a Potential Management Company
Every property management company has strengths and weaknesses. Some have a national presence but little understanding of local challenges. Some offer more boutique-style service but simply don’t have the resources and manpower to provide consistently high service levels and tools your community requires, resulting in burnout and high manager turnover. And some are the perfect […]
Tips For Evaluating a Management Proposal
Choosing the best-fit property management company is one of the most difficult decisions an HOA or commercial property owner can make. Choose correctly and you’re on your way to a productive and stress-free relationship. Make the wrong choice and you can inadvertently set yourself up for a long and difficult road ahead. Read the article……………
How to Choose the Best HOA Management Company [Infographic]
Being a volunteer board member is a big responsibility. There are decisions to be made, meetings to attend, budgets to build, and concerns to address. If your HOA board is at a place where members are feeling overwhelmed and overcommitted, then it’s time to bring in some help. Asking for resident volunteers to help in […]
“It’s Not Me It’s You” Knowing When to Fire a Client
If you’re a CAM manager, you’ve probably had one of those clients who soak up too much of your time and energy. These type of clients can be stressful and exhausting for managers and will, in the long run, affect your overall customer service and reduce profits. Here are a few of the symptoms of […]
How to Quickly & Painlessly Break Up With Your HOA Manager
Breaking up is hard to do. After evaluating an HOA manager, a Board may decide it would like to change managers, change to a different management company, or it just doesn’t need the services of a manager at all any longer. Before parting ways the Board should ask: are we willing to sacrifice service and […]
How to Effectively Evaluate an HOA Manager
People and organizations are often afraid of evaluation because they’re afraid of failure. If we don’t fail we can’t learn, and if we aren’t given the opportunity to learn, we can’t grow. It’s in the best interest of the homeowners association for the HOA board to take the time to intentionally evaluate the HOA manager, […]
An Employer’s Guide to Drafting and Enforcing Non-competition Agreements
As Florida’s workforce becomes more specialized and mobile, the economic climate becomes increasingly competitive for employers to protect their business interests. In an effort to protect those interests, employers frequently include restrictive covenants, or non-competition language, within their employment agreements to govern the conduct of employees upon termination or resignation. Read more……….
Hiring New Management: When it’s Time for a Change
There is an old saying that claims, “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” and that is not a happy thought for a board of directors or an association looking to change property management firms. The turmoil of replacing a management company is guaranteed to be costly, not only for the board, […]
Quiz Me: Questions to Ask Before Hiring the Manager
From time to time, a co-op, condo or HOA community may have to hire a new management company. It may be that the current firm just isn’t working out or the community may have decided to transition from self-management to an outside firm. Before inking a new contract however, there are a few key questions […]
Questions to Ask When Interviewing HOA Management Companies
Your HOA board has decided it’s time to hire an HOA management company, and you are in charge of the interview process. You know there are probably general questions you should ask, and other things you should find out before signing any kind of contracts. But, you’re still a relatively new board member and want […]
What’s in a Transfer Fee-That is the Question? (CO)
Last week it was reported that Rep. Jeanne Labuda indicated that she would be introducing legislation taking aim on management company transfer fees. This sparked tremendous debate on both sides of the issue and the value of a transfer fee. Read more…….
Have You Updated Your HOA Management Contract Lately?
Many of us are so busy in performing the work that we are hired to do that we often neglect the housekeeping we should do for our businesses. Management agreements with community associations may fall into this category. As with many agreements in which sections are revised but the whole contract is not reviewed, management […]