With technology and the internet within reach at any given time, the expectations for the immediacy with which you can get information, answers to your questions, or even products delivered to your homes have drastically changed. And how that information is delivered has changed, too. People want an app for everything.

As condominium living increases in popularity and continues to become the norm throughout Ontario, property management has become more complex, and residents' high expectations, based on their experience with other services, seep into condo living. When a resident has a simple question, they don't want to wait for an answer.

Historically, the role of handling resident requests and inquiries has been the responsibility of the condominium manager. Understandably, with hundreds of residents living in a condominium community, the number of inquiries arriving in their inboxes can easily become overwhelming. Finding the balance between overseeing the day-to-day operations of the building, managing board member requests, capital improvement projects, financial planning, and responding to resident inquiries promptly becomes a challenge. This delicate balance is why poor communication and untimely responses often top the list of concerns for condo dwellers, leading to frustration for residents, board members, and condominium managers.

So, what can be done?

First, the condominium management industry needs to recognize that as service expectations change, the industry needs to evolve to adapt and accommodate those changes. It's commonly known that everyone has different learning and communication styles, and that needs to be better reflected in how we service our boards and residents.

Condominium communities are filled with residents who come from all walks of life. When seeking assistance with something or needing an answer, some people prefer to pick up the phone and speak to another person. Others are more comfortable seeking their answers in a ,digital space, whether by emailing. filling out an online form, or sending a quick text message.

As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. Having multiple ways for residents to interact with their management company is a no-brainer that can make a world of difference for residents, board members, and condominium managers. How this is done requires a sound strategy and user-friendly tools to succeed.

This is where technology comes in because while smart technology will never replace a condominium manager, it does have a place in condominium management. When used correctly, it can be a helpful tool in enhancing responsiveness and the resident experience and maximizing the bandwidth of the condominium manager to focus on board lead directives and accomplishing important tasks that lead to the community's overall success.

Our Homeowner Digital Assistant, "HODA," was created because we identified a service gap. It was explicitly designed to serve the needs of our management teams and the residents who live in the communities we manage. HODA is available by text, web chat and Alexa, 24/7 and in any language, to answer questions about community rules, maintenance inquiries, help with accounts, and much more.

As property management becomes more complex, property managers need tools to help enhance their productivity and effectively meet the board's expectations. Having a digital assistant helps strengthen relationships between board members and their property managers. The property manager remains the board's number one contact for anything related to the day-to-day operations of their community or its strategic plan. Still, the digital assistant is there in the background to respond to simple questions regarding their community that they need answered.

HODA adds one more way for residents to interact with their management company. Paired with things like a 24/7 Customer Care team that's available by phone anytime, day or night, a condominium community always has their property management company within reach.

Looking at the bigger picture, the property management industry should incorporate technology and AI to support managers and condominium communities while improving how condominium management functions.

Condominium management will always be a people-first service industry. And the combination of human touch and AI will further enhance customer care and resident experience.
 

As Vice President, Client Engagement & Business Development, Stacey Kurck develops and leads the Ontario market strategies and initiatives for all prospective business opportunities, while promoting continuous community growth and client satisfaction. Prior to joining FirstService Residential, Stacey established Harmony, a boutique property management firm specializing in condominium management throughout the GTA which managed over $80M of client assets and was sold to a North American property management firm.

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