Condominium Manager Magazine

We asked past presidents of ACMO to ‘look into your crystal ball and, if you could predict the future, tell us what you see in store for the Ontario condo industry at large — and for ACMO in particular.’ Here are the intriguing responses we received.

As we are now moving into the new realm of condominium manager licensing; it has caused me to look back on my career that started as an administrator for a condominium in Richmond Hill in May 1990. 

In this issue of CM magazine we are addressing the RCM designation including a variety of requirements for condominium managers from hard education skills to soft skills. We asked Shane Haskell, RCM, CEO of Lionheart Property Management in London, Ontario, an ACMO2000 Certified company, to help us determine what role creativity plays in managing a condominium? 

21st Annual Condominium Conference

The on-call manager receives a telephone call on the emergency line at 9:30 Saturday night. He is deeply engrossed in an action movie and is reluctant to hit the “pause” button. After a couple of rings, he answers and hears a frantic senior on the other end of the line reporting water coming from the unit above through her light fixture over the kitchen sink. The manager yawns audibly and replies that this is nothing to worry about and quite common in a stacked townhouse. 

Top performing companies strive to deliver consistent and efficient services through systems, infrastructure, policies, and on the front line by hiring and training the right people with the personality and attitude suited to positive interaction with customers on a daily basis.

I’ve been in the property management industry for the better part of two decades. When I started my career in the summer of 1989, property management was much easier, the pressure was lower and the expectations were reasonable. Over the years, I have seen the industry grow, change and evolve in many different ways and subsequently, so have the roles and responsibilities of a property manager. 

Condominium managers are responsible for people’s greatest investment – their homes. Because the stakes are high, sometimes condo owners can be demanding, argumentative or hostile, and the condo managers are on the front line. You need strong customer service skills to manage your constituency with excellence.

Service recovery occurs when an organization is able to resolve a client issue and regain his or her trust following a breakdown in service delivery. A service breakdown occurs when the service delivered fails to meet a client’s expectations. In some cases, the product or service functions as it was designed or intended; however, the client has misunderstood how the product or service functions resulting in a service breakdown.

Celebrating 40: Forty years ago, a small group of condominium managers found themselves at the vanguard of a relatively new and exciting industry in Ontario. The time was right in 1977 to mobilize and organize with a formal association to represent the goals of this collective alliance. No one could have foreseen the tremendous growth of condominiums that we’re witnessing today. But the founding members of ACMO did anticipate and establish the RCM designation for professional property managers that is now recognized and requested by corporation boards.

When I was 19 years old starting out in this business I saw the opportunity for growth and a career in this industry. Under the guidance of my mentor I was encouraged to take my RCM courses, and within 1.5 years I had completed all four courses and wrote the RCM exam.

It is clear in this time of urban sprawl that natural green spaces are becoming fewer and farther between. Now, more than ever, we need to maximize on the limited space we have in our urban settings.

Newly installed high-efficiency boilers at a Toronto Community Housing Corporation project financed by The Atmospheric Fund. Project: Trethewey and Kendleton retrofits

The Ontario Building Code is administered by the Building and Development Branch of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and has a place in the operations of every condominium in Ontario.

Considering Window Replacements in the Next Few Years?