Managing a large building complex and a diverse portfolio of property owners can be a challenging task for any body corporate company. However, when it comes to engaging your absentee owners, tenants and owner occupiers, it takes more than just a strata manager with good leadership skills. Clear and concise communication is absolute key and the one factor that can take any manager from good to great.
After all, strata or body corporate management is just like any other business and relies heavily on reputation and word of mouth; so maintaining an excellent rapport with your owners is paramount for success.
Be known
Tenants and owners can regularly come and go, so you need to stay up to date with who’s buying, selling and renting within the complex. Make yourself known to new owners and tenants as they come, by introducing yourself either personally or over the phone. Get to know them well, especially your owners, and keep a file of personal notes for each owner so you can easily pick up conversation next time the opportunity presents itself. And on that note, make sure the Annual General Meeting (AGM) is not the only time you engage with your owners!
Be the body corporate of choice
Make it very clear to your owners what your responsibilities are as a strata manager and establish easy-to-use systems and protocols for tasks like lodging a request or complaint, internal dispute resolutions, and what to do in the event of an onsite emergency or repairs.
Be proactive and compile a Frequently Asked Questions cheat sheet that is easily accessed by all owners and tenants to answer any of those common questions. Also, keep abreast of legislative changes that affect the management of the building and communicate this regularly to your owners to keep them informed and to show them you are protecting their best interests (and asset!).
Be a great communicator
Above all, a strata manager worth his/her weight in gold is always an effective communicator. Keep your owners - including intrastate and interstate - in the know with regular updates. An easy idea could be to create a quarterly newsletter which covers information relating to the local area and the complex. This can include local council news, changes or upgrades to surrounding infrastructure, market updates including recent sales, updates on the building’s condition including body corporate related maintenance and repairs, and reminders for upcoming body corporate fees which might be approaching.
Remember, you might have absentee owners who are living in a different region or even overseas and it may be a number of years since they’ve seen the property. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to include a current portfolio of photos. These should show areas of the complex which might be experiencing heightened wear and tear, or common areas that have raised concerns with other owners or at body corporate meetings.
A newsletter is also a great forum to introduce new owners and contractors to the complex and highlight any body corporate committee topics aside from those in the AGM agenda. While the quarterly newsletters prove to be a powerful communication tool, nothing beats good old fashioned service such as a regular phone call to touch base and keep the lines of communication open and flowing.
Part of being a great strata manager is making sure the contractors you’re employing to get work done are doing a great job - like painters who are reliable and following best practice. We’ve put together a guide you can download to learn everything you need to know about managing painted strata properties to make your life a lot easier! Download it today.
Higgins Coatings is Australia and New Zealand’s premier commercial painting contractor with over 65 years of experience in providing a cost-effective painting service and tailored maintenance solution. As the preferred painting contractor for the Strata Community Association (SCA), we help strata managers plan their painting requirements and execute them with minimal disruption to residents. Contact us for a consultation.