Page 14 - Chicago Cooperator Spring 2020

14 THE CHICAGOLAND COOPERATOR —SPRING 2020 CHICAGOCOOPERATOR.COM Of his time in the industry, Wolf says, “Other apps for direct management are great and have really improved our ability to com- plete our tasks more efficiently and quickly.” He includes such innovations as apps that notify owners of rules or building violations, platforms that allow for online bill approval and payment, and remote access to desktop computers, which provides managers with much more flexibility. The one tradeoff he sees is that these new capabilities have a tendency to replace direct conversation and ment is a challenging and demanding job, visual inspection—still necessities in many do managers stick with it? Do they adapt to circumstances. While age is not the determinant fac- tor when assigning a manager to a specific in five years or longer, chances are, you’ll property, management firms will still con- sider the level of maturity and experience required for the particular building or that’s something that’s been consistent over community. The right ‘fit’ between a man- ager and a property might include the age managers are basically on call 24/7—and of the manager relative to the client com- munity population, but other variables that loads. Wolf points out, “While the number are harder to quantify usually play more of a of unit owners that tend to take advantage of role in the assignment. Educational Requirements Wollman notes that most people come to the real estate business—particularly prop- erty management—by a less than direct route. Up until a few years ago, there were very few college- or university-based aca- demic programs leading to a career in real estate. Even though the academic options are widening, it seems that success in the in- dustry has more to do with experience and personality than it does with degrees. “No one expects post-graduate educa- tion in our business,” Wollman says. “People who come into management often have past work experience or education in architec- ture, finance, et cetera, and they can modify their experience to become good managers. Most importantly, they need to be good peo- ple persons, and that hasn’t changed. Truth- fully, though, 20 years ago people did get in with less experience and a more limited skill set. I learned by doing, and we still do. I be- lieve this may be the last industry like this.” Wolf points out that although Massachu- setts is a non-license state—in that property managers are not legally required to hold any particular certification or accreditation to work in the field—his company requires managers to pursue continuing education throughout their tenure with the firm. “We send our people for courses through CAI \[the Community Associations Institute\],” he says. “We expect them to get involved with a committee at CAI—any committee they like that interests them.” Wolf believes that such a continuing education policy is typical throughout the industry in New England. Career Longevity Seeing as multifamily property manage- changing variables to advance their careers? Both Wollman and Wolf say yes. “If you stay stay in permanently,” says Wolf. Many factors affect that decision, and time. Management involves long hours— little appreciation, along with heavy work- a manager is a very small percentage overall, \[those residents\] can be very disturbing for the manager. The ‘thank yous’ the manager gets from the other 97 or so percent make all the difference.” This might serve as a good reminder to show some appreciation for your manager if you want him or her to stick around. “Some managers who leave the business go on to do project work,” says Wollman, “but the truth is there aren’t a lot of alternatives. And we do everything we can to keep good people.” In the final analysis, the changes in real estate management over the last 20 years have had more to do with the way technol- ogy has altered the way we all live and work, and less to do with the soft skills that the profession requires: communication, con- sistency, and connection. Despite email, text, apps, and other innovations, it’s still a people business—and it’s likely to stay that way. n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter with The Chicagoland Cooperator, and a published novelist. EVERYTHING FROM A (ACCOUNTING SERVICES) TO W (WINDOWS). (Sorry, no zebra trainer this year.) STEPHENS CONVENTION CENTER, ROSEMONT — WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 10-3:30 FREE REGISTRATION: CHICAGOCONDOEXPO.COM THE COOPERATOR EXPO 2020 WHERE BUILDINGS MEET SERVICES THE EVOLUTION... continued from page 13 tary value to a property, and most impor- tantly, they can smell great and contribute oxygen and fresh air.” “Neighbors congregate over landscap- ing, over flowers, and over seasonal dis- plays,” adds Avery. “Communities com- pete to be the best-looking property, and it feels good to live in a community that makes an effort to promote its curb ap- peal. During events such as weddings, graduations, and parties, you often see folks gather in front of planters or flow- ers to pose for photographs, which to me means that they want to capture the beau- ty of the garden at that moment.” Whenever homeowners get to own— or at least steer—a project, they tend to feel more in touch with, and even integral to, the greater community, notes Fries. “Working on a garden should enable a committee to oversee other important communal issues, including: • monitoring the work of the landscape contractor to ensure that the duties un- der contract for landscaping of common areas and private homes are performed as scheduled and in a manner consistent with the quality for which the association has contracted; •becoming familiar with the operation of the irrigation system, drainage basins, and aerators; • determining need for additional ser- vices as resident population increases or other needs arise, and making recom- mendations to the board; and • advising the Architectural Review Board on landscape issues related to ARB applications, if requested by the ARB.” A Warning Of course, when it comes to planting gardens—or any common area improve- ment project, really—an association should be mindful to never bite off more than it can chew. “As the manager, we see to it that noth- ing falls to ill-repair,” says Avery, “but I can understand how a property might al- low its gardening to become overgrown. These are often budget-challenged com- munities with few funds to spare for beautification. Negligence here would be a mistake, however, as buyers are attract- ed by curb appeal, and might never even enter a property to see the units if the ex- terior is unsightly. If there are few funds available to accommodate gardening, the community should consider containers in strategic places, or simply plant ground- cover.” n Mike Odenthal is a staff writer/reporter with The Chicagoland Cooperator. CULTIVATING... continued from page 6 A James R. Stevens, principal at Chicago-based law firm Chu- hak & Tecson, says, “Gener- ally, a cooperative (at least in Illinois) is re- sponsible, through its board of shareholder directors, for the maintenance and repair of the common portions of the property, of which the roof would be included. Roof leaks in shared living are often a difficult problem as it may take many attempts to determine, isolate, and fix the problem, all while leaks continue in the interim. Despite this inconve- nience, boards, generally, should rely on the advice of qualified professionals in undertak- ing various repairs to the common portions of the property, including the roof. “The reader indicates that the co-op board has been working on the roof issue for eight months. We see these situations frequently, where a board may attempt less expensive or less major repairs to tackle a persistent leak with an otherwise operational roof, and some opt, based on a contractor’s recommenda- tion, to address a problem in stages. Often, qualified contractors may recommend trying a variety of minor repairs instead of rushing to a full re-roof which can be very costly. “Owners often wonder if they have legal rights to sue to force work or alter a course of repair. That, unfortunately, depends greatly on the history of the problem, the specific is- sues at hand, and the governing documents of the co-op. Co-op owners may have a legal right in the governing documents or in court Q&A continued from page 5