Are you in the market to find assistance in the care and maintenance of your property? Hiring a trusted property management company can give you peace of mind that your community is well cared for. Whether you lead a condominium association, homeowners association, apartment community, single family home development, retail property, shopping center, public housing, office building or industrial park, take a moment to learn the seven steps to take to hire a trusted property management company.

Engage the services of  a property management company that is an ACCREDITED MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION ® with the Institute of Real Estate Management.
The AMO accreditation is the only recognition of excellence given to real estate management firms. The requirements are now more relevant than ever to real estate managers, their clients, and the assets they manage. To earn the AMO accreditation, real estate management firms must now meet even more standards and abide by a new AMO Code of Professional Ethics.

Make sure the property management company can manage owner and tenant funds.
For apartment communities and commercial buildings,  it is important that the  property management company has the capacity and fiduciary acumen to manage rental income, reserve funds and security deposits.

Ask if the property management company is familiar with your market and area.
Check to see how long the company has been in business and ask for references. Do your due diligence by researching the company and making sure they are specialists in your particular area, understand your target market and know the neighborhood where your property is located.

Check to see if  the company offers a robust roster of services.
It is helpful if the property management company offers services such as administrative management services, management consulting and financial management services for condominium communities, homeowners associations, and commercial properties.

Ask about customer service policies.
Typically a professional property management company works 24/7/365. Be sure that the company has a clear coverage policy in place for contact after hours, weekends and holidays.

Inquire if the company has experience with your type of property.
If you are looking for a property management company for a condominium association, homeowners association, apartment community, single family home development, retail property, shopping center, public housing, office building or industrial park,  be sure to look for a property management company with specific experience working in that field. Ask the team to share examples of how they have dealt with challenging situations and how they will enhance your property.

Get references.
Ask the prospective company for a list of clients similar to your property.  You should speak to them directly. It is a wise investment of your time to check out the company before you engage their services.

Needham native Rosemary Riccio has always loved property management and Boston’s North Shore and Merrimack Valley. Rosemary got involved with property management while living in Atlanta, Georgia as Operations Coordinator and Neighborhood Production Coordinator at John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods. She then served as a Portfolio Manager at  Atlanta firms Neighborhood Management Associates and Community Management Associates. Upon return to Massachusetts, she worked as a Portfolio Manager at a Boston based management firm before joining the Crowninshield team as a Regional Portfolio Manager.

“I love that Crowninshield is a family-owned business. The minute I joined the team I felt like I had been here for years. It is a wonderful company with a vibrant young staff. I am so impressed with their internship program that allows college students to gain experience by working alongside property managers ,” said Rosemary.

Ms Riccio is graduate of Endicott College in Beverly.  Rosemary is a CAI member and has her CMCA and AMA designations. She and her husband, Jim, live in Haverhill with their two daughters.  Along with gardening and spending as much time as she can on the beach, Rosemary is an avid Patriots fan.

“Our Resident Service Coordinators (RSC) help seniors age in place safely and with dignity,” says Susan MacNeil Quality Assurance Consultant and Program Manager at Crowninshield Management Corp. MacNeil has worked at Crowninshield  for over a decade and sees the myriad benefits having RSCs on property has for residents ages 62 and older. The oldest resident onsite is 107 years old and enjoying living independently with help from the resources coordinated through her RSC.

Along with connecting residents with a network of services available in the greater community through federal and state entitlement programs, the RSC often helps residents gain access to a medley of other services and resources such as food assistance, transportation, personal care assistance, medical help and assistance navigating the health insurance and healthcare systems. “Residents have a buffet of choices available to them and can customize their own menu of preferences based on their own individual needs,” says MacNeil.

“Families get great peace of mind knowing that their parents are well cared for and tended at the properties managed by Crowninshield,” says MacNeil. “Since our team is onsite and develops relationships with the residents we are aware of daily behaviors and can detect key indicators when something is not right and alert family members or access assistance for those residents who do not have families,” says MacNeil.

The onsite concierge services also include education and wellness programs that provide socialization such as cooking demonstrations, stress reduction lectures, fitness programs, balance series and art classes. Ongoing training is a key element in the success of the RSC’s. Crowninshield provides all-day workshops on a quarterly basis for its RSCs where they learn about new programs available to residents, obtain educational information and get updated on trends.

“Our goal is to create healthy, vibrant and engaging communities where residents feel safe, happy and connected,” said MacNeil.

At Crowninshield Management Corp. we are fortunate to have valued relationships with hundreds of trustees. Each and every day our team listens and responds to the needs of our clients throughout New England. Although many of our residential complexes differ in size and needs, all properties share a common goal to create a healthy community. We reached out to a few trustees to share how they strive to create a vibrant community.

Tips from the Trustees at Crowninshield

William Neff, a trustee at Bishops Forest II in Waltham, Massachusetts with 81 units feels lucky that the residents in his community “are all about the place.” He points to two key ingredients to building a healthy community, a well-functioning board and a strong property management company. “Our board is small. We have five members, but we all care about our neighbors and the community,” says Neff who notes that everyone is both motivated and intelligent.” He adds that the property manager fits in with the community and has a relationship with the community as a whole.

Needing a Dedicated Trustee & Property Manager

Terry Wilkins, a trustee at Village Green West Condominium in North Andover, agrees that you need dedicated trustees and a competent property manager, but adds that you also need community interest as well. She also notes people typically don’t care about things as long as they are going along fine. “When you have a crisis like ice dams or needing a new roof, people get interested,” says Wilkins who notes that you can’t always give people what they want. “Balancing keeping people happy and being responsible to the trust agreement is what it is all about,” she says.

“It is our pleasure to work with active boards to enhance their communities. The Crowninshield team is here as a resource to brainstorm, troubleshoot and provide guidance. We have over four decades of experience in all aspects of property management,” says Deborah Collier-Comins, Crowninshield Management Corp. President.

Communication is Key to a Healthy Community

Good communication is also a key ingredient to building a healthy community. Ongoing, clear communication helps people feel more engaged and invested. There are so many tools available today online to help get your message. It is important that everyone feels part of the process. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Crowninshield Management Corp. is committed to being a leader in the field and having its employees up-to-date on industry education and trends. Property Manager John Kadim shares his story of how Crowninshield has supported his professional growth.

Professional Growth of our Property Manager

“In my experience, Crowninshield has definitely proven to be very pro-education. I have had the opportunity to take a number of courses through the Community Associations Institute (CAI) on areas ranging from physical maintenance to community budgets and finances. I was able to obtain my Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) and Association Management Specialist (AMS) designations through CAI from the courses I have taken. I have also taken a handful of courses through the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and was able to obtain my Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) designation as well,” says Kadim.

Utilizing Educational Opportunities at Crowninshield

It is important to Crowninshield that the managers utilize the education opportunities that are available. Continuing education plays an important role in increasing the value of service managers can provide to communities and how they conduct business. It also speaks volumes of the company as a whole, employing competent managers and fostering their growth through education. These courses work towards keeping them in touch with the constantly changing rules and policies, while providing credit towards keeping certifications active with CAI’s education requirements.

The Support of Your Company

“I was also encouraged by my company to join the Program Advisory Committee through CAI. The committee works hard to oversee the education courses and requirements, facilitate informative seminars and webinars, and work to engage involvement from other members. I am very lucky that my company supports me in my involvement with CAI as it is a great way to keep up with the ever-changing policies in this industry,” says Kadim.

Welcome to the Crowninshield Management Corp. blog, The Crowninshield Forum. Thank you for taking a moment from your busy day to learn about our newly launched blog and see how it can help you solve your property management concerns. Here you will find information, stories and sage advice from the veteran team of professionals at Crowninshield. Whether you want to learn how to create a paperless office, understand the complexity of homeowners insurance, draft a document outlining duties and responsibilities of being a trustee or develop a deeper understanding of your association’s financials, we hope to help make life easier and more efficient.

As a property management specialist in the residential and commercial property management industry, our firm provides all phases of property management to condominium associations, homeowners associations, apartment communities, retail properties, shopping centers, public housing, office buildings, and industrial parks.

We also offer financial management services for condominium communities, homeowners associations, and commercial properties. We look forward to helping you and your constituents by providing relevant, helpful and stimulating information. We chose to name our blog The Crowninshield Forum because we are facing the current challenging issues of the day. We will be writing about topics like OSHA safety, snow removal, landscaping challenges, and many other topics. We invite you to contact our team members with any questions you have.