From the Fall 2025 Issue
RCM Profile
Kirsten Bahlieda, RCM, OLCM
Designation(s): RCM, OLCM, BA
Company: MCRS Property Management
Year entered the profession: 2008
Year RCM obtained: 2015
Other education: Bachelor of Arts from York University in English
Mentor(s) in the industry: Debbie Dale (my mother and colleague)
What path brought you to a career as a condominium manager? Property Management runs in my blood! I am the third generation of my family to be involved in property management. When I was in high school, one of my first "after-school" jobs involved administrative tasks for a 300-unit condominium at Yonge and Finch in North York that my mother managed for DEL Property Management. I fell in love with the concept of "community management" (where you are managing more than the property, you are managing the feel of the community) and didn't look back!
How has your membership in ACMO helped you in your career? Other professionals within the industry have notable respect for the RCM designation, and this has been of benefit to my capability to attract quality clients in beautiful communities – our clients are most commonly acquired by referral based on our reputation, which is tied in part to our ACMO membership.
What is one must-have skill for a condominium manager? Why? Flexibility. Your day will change as calls come in and residents drop by, and you must be able to adapt and adjust your plans based on a scale of daily priorities and task lists that can change with the drop of a hat (or the leak of a faucet).
Tell us about a personal success story on the job. A resident in a community I managed was struggling with mental illness, which led to hoarding issues within their unit. This is a complicated issue to navigate, but I was able to steer this individual safely and compassionately through the process of acquiring help to clean up their unit and further organize additional supports to prevent things from returning to their previous state.
What’s your biggest challenge as a manager? Keeping up with email correspondence can be exhausting. My biggest challenge is stepping away from the never-ending flow of emails to action essential items on my to-do list before the normal workday is over.
What’s your favourite part of the job? When residents acknowledge the efforts of my team to help their community thrive. Managers are essentially a 'complaint department' since owners rarely reach out unless something's gone wrong. So, the emails and calls we receive to acknowledge when things are right are more meaningful than the folks in the communities we manage likely realize. They make our days!
What is the best business advice you ever received? “What evidence would change your mind?” If the answer is “nothing,” then there’s no point in continuing the debate. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it think.” – Adam Grant
Complete this statement – I am an RCM because… Professionalism matters. My desire to see professionals within my industry exceed the standards set forth by the CMRAO is one of the reasons I obtained my RCM designation before licensing requirements came into effect in 2017, and I will further endeavour to promote the ACMO legacy of knowledgeable professionalism throughout my career.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Right where I am now – managing lovely condominium communities in Northern Ontario.
What recent project that you completed can we highlight? I am a frequent contributor to various industry publications.
