Professional property managers must navigate a new landscape. Residents will have concerns and demands that didn’t exist a year ago. As we look to the future, we know that properties must be three things: sanitized, secure and smart.

“I can’t see out of the windows!” is a familiar complaint managers and board members receive from angry residents because their windows are dripping with condensation. Water vapour drips down the glass and pools on the sill, paint peels, and the casement is damaged. On occasion, it may even cause the formation of the dreaded “M” word — mould!

In this issue: The COVID-19 crisis in condominiums, the CMRAO releases the Competency Profile for Condo Managers in Ontario, Reporting energy and water use in condominiums, and the ACMO Strategic Plan is published.

I firmly believe that we will learn many things from this pandemic that will improve how we conduct business, and be more productive in the industry, and hopefully be better humans in general.

Shining the light on those in the condominium management profession.

What if I told you that technology and digitization are also evolving into something as mundane as elevators? Would you be shocked, or would you see this as normal and expected?

The impending deadline for Transitional General Licensees to complete the transition and obtain their General License has created a fear that many experienced managers will choose to walk away from the profession rather than complete the educational requirements.

Retaining both my ACMO membership and the RCM designation has been, and continues to be, important to me and my career for a variety of reasons.

I received my RCM in May of 2000. Looking back, it was challenging and time-consuming to balance going back to school with learning a new job and raising a young family. But in the end, it was all worth it because obtaining my RCM has validated my career, and a true career was what I was looking for.

Though it’s natural to wish a speedy return to normalcy and slide back to the way things were, we have a unique opportunity to permanently improve the quality of our work, our lives and the service we provide our clients.

We asked three condominium managers what it means to hold their RCM designation.

Looking back to when I first considered this industry and designation, my initial interest in obtaining the RCM was as an investment in myself and my career. From that perspective, I think the answer has two parts; what does being and RCM mean to me now? And what will it mean in the future?

When we think of their responsibilities, we think of everything from managing building maintenance and capital upgrades to hiring staff and working with condominium boards, to providing effective financial oversight for the property. What we don’t often consider is how security factors into a condominium manager’s duties.

On Friday, March 30, 1984, eighteen practicing condominium property managers were presented with a certificate acknowledging they had achieved the requirements by the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario.

How does the RCM stack up to the General Licence holder? To the casual observer, it appears that the requirements for the RCM are actually quite similar to those of the General Licence. The RCM requires the same four courses and a similar amount of on the job training. This being the case, what makes someone with an RCM stand out?