3 Essentials for Associations To Work Synergistically with Their Management Company

An association management company is a professional service company offering property management services and expertise to associations of home developments, condominiums, mid-rise properties, and commercial building complexes.

Because association boards are faced with a number of responsibilities and demands, it often makes sense for them to hire a professional association management company to help meet the board’s requirements and obligations to the community, especially in larger communities.

The management company will handle much of the daily responsibilities of the community and ensure that rules and policies are clear, defined and enforced. The management company will also play an important role in helping the association boards manage their budget and prioritize tough decisions, such as whether to replace a roof before building a new community center that its residents have been requesting for the last five years.

So what is the best way for associations and their management company to work together?

• Understand and define everyone’s roles upfront: Make sure that rules and policies are clear and defined upfront to avoid confusion and inefficiencies. The association management company should take the lead in helping the association board determine those roles, and ensure they are being enforced.

• Think of a professional management company as a trusted advisor, not the ultimate decision-maker: One of the biggest mistakes associations make is assuming their management company can make the tough decisions for their board. For instance, an association management company does not have the authority to decide for the board how to spend, allocate and prioritize funds. What the association management company does do is educates board members about how to handle and prioritize those various requests.

• Build the relationship on trust and honest communication: Essentially, the association management company acts as a seamless extension of the association board. Therefore, it is vital to have trust and open communication at all times with the association management team. 

With the right partnership, working with a professional management company can make all the difference between an association’s success and failure.