Soheila Kowsar, RCM
Newton Trelawney Property Management
Year entered the profession: 2010 (2010 to 2014 working in Britain)
Year RCM obtained: 2016
Other education: MBA in International Management
Mentor(s) in the industry: Wendy Wright, Caroline Graham, Babak Ardalan
Licensing for condominium managers is now a reality. How will a license benefit your career as an RCM? What impact might this have for all condominium managers in Ontario? In my opinion the licensing process resembles that of making a certified polished diamond out of rough diamonds. The mandatory courses combined with a unique and unified process of obtaining the licence gives a solid base to all RCMs that they can rely upon throughout their career. In my experience, the knowledge that I am a licensed professional has helped build solid relationships on a foundation of trust and credibility, and that is the cornerstone of any successful career.
What path brought you to a career as a condominium manager? How has your membership in ACMO helped you in your career? I had prior experience in the property management field during which time I predominantly dealt with properties owned by embassies in foreign domain. I always enjoyed the challenges associated with the role and thrived on the pressures of the job. When I relocated to Canada and pursued an opportunity in my own field of expertise I found myself with some significant challenges to do with different regulatory matters governing the role in Canada compared to my prior experiences. My membership in ACMO has been a massive tool in helping me bridge this gap by the way of interacting with other industry professionals and like-minded colleagues, allowing me to gradually acclimatize myself with my new environment.
Tell us about a personal success story on the job. I always try and promote various activities that foster the community factor of the residences I manage. At some point in my career I was brought in to manage a building situated in a busy metropolitan area and I made it my mission to bring the residents together as often as I could. After months of planning various events and community drives at the building, there was a point in time when during the holiday season, our end of the year party in the building had such an amazing reception that we struggled to keep up with all who had turned up. I remember looking around and seeing everyone toasting their neighbours and getting to know each other and I thought: I am proud to be part of this community.
What’s your biggest challenge as a manager? What’s your favourite part of the job? Maintaining a professional and good working relationship with the board of directors all of whom are typically people from all walks of life has always meant a great deal to me. While I thrive on the pressure that comes naturally from balancing such a delicate set of relationships, I thoroughly enjoy the fact that it means no two days are the same.
What is the best business advice you ever received? Learn something new every day, avoid being paralyzed by fear, and de-stress whenever you can.
Answer this statement: I am an RCM because …. I am a professional and I wanted to be a part of a group of like-minded, professional and hardworking individuals who work tirelessly to ensure the integrity of their profession. I am an RCM because I believe in continuous improvement of my profession and what it represents.
What recent project that you completed can we highlight A few years ago, I took over a new building in downtown Toronto and was told the building had a leak problem that couldn’t be solved. The corporation spent thousands of dollars on maintenance and had just accepted that it’s a massive problem in the structure and cannot be remedied. I made it my mission to solve the issue. After months of perseverance and countless hours we finally found the source of the problem, and it turned out it just needed someone who cared and wasn’t afraid to go above and beyond to get to the bottom of the problem. The savings as a result of this discovery has well exceeded the six figures in just the few years since, and I have many people from that building whom I now proudly call friends for life.
