ACMO Blog
Workforce challenges and the next generation of condo managers
As I begin to write this article, it is after 6:30 PM, and I have yet to sort out what to make for dinner. The unfortunate reality of today, like many days, is that I simply have not had enough time within the day's clock to complete all the tasks I need to cross off my "to-do" list to warrant the closure of my laptop (after a workday that has already exceeded 10 hours). This is a reality that is becoming too common for the next generation of condo managers, a generation that is already grappling with a rapidly expanding and evolving industry full of regulatory changes and, at times, hostile work conditions: the demands and expectations of the role of a manager do not necessarily fit within the confines of a typical workday. And in a world where work/life balance has become as necessary as a living wage, the condominium management industry is noticeably and understandably struggling to attract new talent.
According to the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO), as of June 2025, there were 5,147 licensed condominium managers in Ontario. This number was comprised of 2,805 General Licensees (people who can manage condos) and 2,341 Limited Licensees (people who are learning to manage condos). A review of the 2024 figures published by the CMRAO indicates the industry has acquired only 156 new General License (fully capable) managers in a year’s time.
Simultaneously, according to the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO), there are almost 950,000 residential condominium units in Ontario, and about 55% of homes under construction currently are condos. This means that if every condo unit in the province were to have access to a licensed manager today, condo managers would have a portfolio of, on average, 300 units. For one manager, this number is not insurmountable if all the units are contained within one property and one corporation; there will be one AGM, one audit, one budget, one fire safety inspection, and so on. But what about areas outside of large cities where smaller Corporations are the norm? If a corporation has 25 units or less, one manager could be required to manage 12 corporations to keep up with industry demands, equating to 12 AGMS, 12 audits, 12 budgets…you get the drill. The size of the corporation does not reduce the size of the workload or the expectations placed on the manager. Couple this with just one owner or Board Director who demands excessive levels of attention in even half of those communities, and the average manager -- who is not even managing a single high-rise -- could become burned out from trying to keep up.
To kick off a career in condominium management in Ontario and acquire an entry-level (Limited) license, an individual must first complete a course offered by the CMRAO entitled Excellence in Condominium Management, an introductory course requirement that commenced in November 2021. When reviewing the data available on course attendance since that time, the number of students enrolling each year is insufficient to account for the fact that many veterans of the industry are approaching retirement age (a process known as "employee attrition" where employees leave and need to be replaced, ultimately leading to a decreased workforce). After completing the CMRAO’s introductory course to acquire an introductory manager’s license, Limited Licensees must work under the supervision of other licensed condominium managers for about 2 years. However, if veterans retire more quickly than new managers can be fully trained to manage (let alone get some experience before they are managing millions of dollars in assets and the life savings of hundreds of homeowners), this equates to a numbers problem.
What constitutes a “good” salary depends on individual circumstances and one’s lifestyle preferences. Still, the younger generation in most industries today (those aged 55 and under) tends to value work/life balance equally to rate of pay. If two part-time jobs that do not cause one stress or necessitate a 40+ hour work week can earn on par with one job that requires a 65+ hour work week to keep up, why would one pick the latter option? The average manager's salary is under $75,000 per annum. Couple this with consistent work weeks of 60 hours, and a manager can end up earning less than $25/hour as a licensed professional who has spent years educating themselves and is subject to ongoing educational requirements and regulatory challenges. Here again, we have a numbers problem.
The bottom line? An evolving workforce demographic, coupled with an increasingly demanding (and potentially hostile) workplace environment, has created a recipe for disaster: the number of licensed managers being added annually in Ontario has not caught up to the number of condominium communities that need managing and the number of existing managers charting towards retirement. Trends suggest things are only going to get worse as the number of buildings needing to be managed continues to grow.
As I conclude this article, it is nearly 8 PM, and fortunately, my wonderful husband has picked up on the signs he knows all too well (the laptop, furrowed brow, and occasional sighs are solid indicators that I will not be finding time to meal plan), and dinner is now underway without my assistance. So why would someone spare time they don’t have to write an article when their work emails are piling up? Because, we are approaching a crisis, and it's clear that change is necessary to prevent us from struggling not only with industry attrition due to retirement trends but also with burnout.
Kirsten Bahlieda, RCM, is the Principal Manager and co-founder of MCRS Property Management based out of Simcoe/Muskoka. She has a diverse background within the condominium industry comprised of experience within the GTA and Northern Ontario and has written for various condominium industry publications.
