Recently, Onyx team member Shiona Niven wrote about her experience as a Condo Manager on LinkedIn and we wanted to share it here on our blog! Read and enjoy...
Condominium Management is not for the faint of heart and is not for everyone. But… if you like every day to be different and enjoy dealing with challenging situations or individuals, you may want to consider it.
Condominium management holds similarities with property management, but there are some major differences. Being a condo manager means that you assist with the day-to-day operations of the condominium community, which operates very much like a business. You prepare annual budgets, organize and hold meetings with the condo board of directors to discuss current operations and make decisions, source out contractors and manage contracts, work with professionals such as lawyers and engineers, review the corporations governing documents in order to problem solve pesky or unusual situations, assist homeowners with issues that may or may not be a condominium responsibility, work alongside dedicated volunteer board members and so much more.
At times, the condominiums you work with become much more than just a job. You get to know the community through the board’s eyes, and it almost feels like coming home. Don’t get me wrong, not all homes are sunshine, and rainbows and you get your fair share when working for a condo community. Let’s be honest, not all families function well, but that is part of the challenge of being a condo manager that is so gratifying. It's incredibly rewarding to work with a board and a community to get it operating smoothly and efficiently.
Some days you will refer to yourself as the poop police or parking enforcement with the number of complaints received about other condominium homeowners in the community. Other days you will pat yourself on the back for a job well done when an owner thanks you for helping them with an issue. If you are lucky enough to have a board member who is an accountant, and they tell you that you have done a great job on this year’s annual budget… watchout as there will be no stopping you! Seriously it is one of the best feelings to get recognition for a job well done.
There are a lot of moving parts and mandated requirements to successfully and efficiently run a condominium community, so understanding the Condominium Act and being organized is a must. Thankfully at Onyx, we have an organizational app that keeps tasks and due dates for us, so we can focus on solving the problems of the day and executing on time!
Having thick skin is an unfortunate necessity to maintain and enjoy your role as a condo manager. Just like any other customer service job, you have to understand that everyone has bad days and not to take things personally. Harassment against condo managers however, is said to be on the rise according to The Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO) in this article. Last year they sounded the alarm in the wake of a critical labour shortage ripping through the condo industry. They say skilled managers are choosing to leave the profession because of the “relentless pressure and lack of support,” as they endure sustained abuse, hostility and stress. Thankfully, the leadership team at Onyx takes harassment of its managers very seriously and steps in immediately to ensure the Onyx team do not having to endure abuse.
I may be biased, but I highly recommend becoming a Condominium Manager. So much fun!
We've asked Shiona to talk more about Condo Management as a profession; stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on how to become a Condominium Manager in Ontario!
Contribution by Shiona Niven
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