An HOA management helps the board members of a Homeowners Association fulfill their duties by doing administrative work for them. When an HOA management company is hired, they assign an HOA manager to the community and that manager will be the point person for the board members. It is the HOA manager’s job to schedule meetings, collect dues, respond to concerns of homeowners, and hire vendors for the maintenance of the community’s common areas.
These duties may seem like they take nothing more than administrative skills. However, in order to fulfill these duties successfully, the HOA manager must possess a specific set of qualities and skills.
Here’s what you need to look for if you’re looking to hire an HOA manager.
Strong Leadership
Being the only outsider dealing with a group of people within a community, who will sometimes have similar opinions, it is important to be confident enough to voice an opposing viewpoint. Remember that an HOA manager is hired to manage the board, essentially to act as their leader.
An HOA board will always have their own opinions of how to run their community and a good HOA manager will know how to respond in a helpful and constructive way. If they don’t have leadership instincts or skills, it won’t be in the board’s best interests either.
Lastly, this is also crucial for policy enforcement. The manager must make sure everyone in the community and in the board follows the rules of the HOA.
Always Professional
People in HOA boards are made up of volunteers from the community. It can be a stressful job and to not even be paid for it, board members will sometimes have no qualms about letting out their frustrations on the HOA manager.
But a good manager knows that when faced with a frustrated client, it’s best to stay calm and professional so as not to escalate the situation. Make board members feel heard and they will ease up.
Professionalism also means being well-versed in the rules and regulations of the HOA, making sure they are adhering to state and federal laws.
Communicates Effectively
A huge chunk of an HOA manager’s day will be spent speaking to the board, vendors, and of course the residents. They make sure that everyone is on the same page, that residents are in the know about what’s going on in their community like policy changes and especially expenses.
Communication isn’t only limited to face to face conversations. A good HOA will have a website, some social media presence, and email newsletters so that everyone is up to date and in a more efficient manner. These platforms must also give residents a chance to voice their questions, complaints, suggestions, etc., all of which should be addressed in a timely manner.
Accounting & Contracting Knowledge
General accounting and contracting knowledge definitely go a long way in successfully managing an HOA. Things like maintaining the monthly, quarterly, and yearly budget don’t require professional accounting skills but will be much easily and efficiently handled as well as important financial decisions for the community.
Similarly, general contracting knowledge proves to be helpful when communicating with contractors about expected time period and rate for projects, as well as provide insight on community projects.
Conflict Resolution Skills
As with running any diverse group of people, conflicts aren’t foreign to HOA boards. That’s why conflict resolution skills are also a great quality in an HOA manager. Board members, residents, and vendors will sometimes be at odds with each other and the manager needs to know how to negotiate between the parties to reach a compromise.
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