The US currently has more than 370,000 homeowner's associations.
A community association management company can offer your HOA board a range of benefits that will help them fulfill their duties. This will ultimately result in a better community that residents love being a part of.
With that in mind, you must ensure you can work well with the community association management company you hire. If you can't, a lot of effort will be wasted, and you won't get the results you're looking for.
Keep reading for some key tips for working with association managers.
1. Know Your Needs
The first thing you need to do is establish the needs of your community. Think about where things are and where you want them to be.
When talking to an association management company, you can let them know what you want to achieve. This will help set expectations, and you'll then be able to work more effectively with them to reach these goals.
2. Find One That Shares Your Community's Values
All communities are different, so make sure you know the values that your community holds and considers important. You can then look for an association management company that shares these values.
This may not seem overly important initially, but it will affect all aspects of the work that an association company does. If their values align with those of your community, they'll have a much better understanding of how they should be conducting themselves. This is an effective way to ensure that they'll help keep your community on the right path.
3. Prioritize Service Over Price
Saving money is always ideal, but you don't want to sacrifice quality. If you just go with the cheapest association management company that you can find, you're likely to get poor service.
Determine the kind of service you expect, then look at your options. If any don't meet your standards, it's best to avoid them, regardless of how cheap their services are.
4. Ensure There's Good Communication
Communication is vital when working with HOA management services. You should be able to discuss the needs of your community with ease at any time.
The HOA board ultimately makes all decisions, but they do so with advice and guidance from community association managers. Clear communication between the two will help ensure there are no mistakes or issues.
5. Check Their Experience
A lot goes into being a good association manager, and this doesn't just come from training. Over time, a manager will understand their role and responsibilities better, allowing them to provide better services.
By going with an association manager who has a lot of experience, you'll have a much better chance of getting the level of service you want. They'll be much better prepared for any challenges that arise and less likely to make mistakes.
Working Well With Association Managers
When looking for and working with association managers, make sure you consider the factors discussed above. You want to find a company that has plenty of experience and shares the same values as your community. Maintaining communication at all times will make things easier for everyone.
PMI Austin Metro is a full-service real estate asset management company based in Lakeway, TX. Take a look a our Association Management page for more info on how we can help your HOA board.
