A Day in the Life of an Association Manager

Don’t you hate having to argue with your neighbors?

You’re lucky you don’t have to do it professionally. 

The main task of the association manager of a community management company is to resolve community conflicts. From taking complaint calls to replying to angry emails, they often deal with their resident issues daily. 

Who is an Association Manager?

When neighborhood associations face problems or wish to improve the conditions, they hire a professional community management company. They call in businesses like the Community Management Associates to aid the community volunteers and board of directors in matters of finance and administration.  As a result, the community association management company sends an association manager to survey the respective neighborhood. Agents with high experience and well-honed communication skills represent the firm. They are the mediators between the residents/board and their parent company.

Community Management Company Associate Manager: A Day in the Life

Associate managers have a broad spectrum of roles to fulfill in the community neighborhood. They take care of everything from solving petty misunderstandings to formulating the budget for the entire community. Residents and the community welfare take central focus for these managers. Any feedback or complaints is quickly brought into consideration or resolved. But among their roles, community finance and neighborhood management are their primary areas of work.

Management Work

The maintenance and renovation within the community fall under the responsibility of the associate manager. If a roof leaks or a pipe break, he is the first individual the resident contacts. The manager is always patient and actively work towards solving the problem in such cases.

Their service also includes acting as a mediator between residents and service vendors. The manager also has to resolve any conflict that may arise between them. Bill delivery, repair of communal areas, health inspections and venue organization are the other areas they must handle.

Financial Work

The essential financial roles that the associate manager must fulfil are maintaining community funds, registering bills, and sharing tax histories. Sometimes, the boards of directors involve them in brainstorming the annual community budget. In such cases, the manager may assist in formulating loan applications to meet the financial needs. Regarding accidents with the residents in the community, the insurance company usually contacts the company manager for deeper insight.

Tough Love

Juggling bills and answering phone complaints are not the only thing an associate manager handles. Maybe it’s that guy from B-3 who plays rock at the oddest hours, or perhaps it’s the gentleman who always keeps the gate unlocked- there are times when the residents need a bit of tough love. These are the moments when associate managers come in most handy. For the community directors and the board, these people are neighbors and acquaintances. These community association members live next door to these people. Any harsh language and chastisement can lead to a detriment in the relationships. Therefore associate managers from companies like Community Management Associates are hired to do the tricky bits.

Simply informing residents about the rules or scolding them is not professional. All good managers have excellent interpersonal skills that open up communication. They must make residents aware of their mistakes while still maintaining a good relationship for the sake of the future.

End of Day 

As a result, an ordinary day of an associate manager is anything but boring.  Things don’t get slow in the block, from meeting contractors for repairs to putting out sudden fires to simply having a stimulating conversation.

What to Look for When Selecting an Association Management Partner

Managing a community is hard work. From maintenance issues to complaint resolution, it is easy for untrained local volunteers and homeowners to get overwhelmed.

Why Do You Need an Association Management Partner?

In many community bodies, the board mainly consist of homemakers who volunteer for the role. They lack proper training in accounting and conflict management. 

As a result, their community associations responsibilities are not executed efficient. In such cases, a third party enters to guide them and provide necessary assistance.

Many homeowners’ associations hire community management firms to improve, maintain and resolve community management. 

After signing a contract, companies like Company Management Associates send a representative as a point of contact to advise and guide them. These are experienced agents excelling in finance as well as interpersonal skills.

With over 345,000 community associations in the country, there is plenty of demand for partners. 

Homeowner associations must pay careful attention to these traits in management companies to bag the best of the lot.

The Business Model

Some companies have a fit-all approach to community management. They apply the same model to all localities and locations. 

A model customized for a large community will not work for a minor association. The governing bodies in these communities are usually volunteers. They cannot dedicate the same amount of time to their responsibilities as their more formal counterparts in more prominent associations.

Small communities tend to be civic-oriented, while prominent neighborhoods focus more on finance and administration. 

To get the best results, it is vital to choose a partner whose values align with those of the community.

Work History/Experience

Reviews from past customers are key to getting a ground-level knowledge of the company. A comprehensive of their daily workings can be unearthed with a bit of research.

Experienced companies like Community Management Associates are always more likely to be more efficient partners. With 32 years of professional management work, they know the little quirks acquired only with experience.

Larger, more established companies also have more employees. As a result, they have more varied talents and can provide a broader range of services. 

Connections

From drain cleanings to gas leak repair, local service providers are crucial for every community. Almost every maintenance issue requires their service. So, a good association management partner must have a wide range of such connections. 

Besides this, the service providers must be reliable and trustworthy. Sometimes these workers may get injured during work. If they are not appropriately insured, hefty charges may be incurred by the homeowners’ associations.  

Therefore, it is essential to validate the certification, license and insurance of these service providers.

Relevant Certifications/Credentials

A partner must possess relevant documentation and certificates to back up their years of experience.

It is crucial to verify the company’s trade associations certifications. The Community Associations Institute (CAI) is a leading international trade organization focusing on developments. 

The Professional Community Association Manager is a prestigious title that the CAI grants only select partners. If you find this tag on the company, their partner service is a cut above the rest.

Other noteworthy designations include Association Management Specialists (ACM) and Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA).

Latest Technology

Often, stagnation in technology goes hand in hand with the years in the industry. A working website and dedicated social media presence are the norms for most companies these days.

But only a few provide the best in the membership registration technology, emergency response and billing systems. 

Keep your eyes peeled for these firms.