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The qualities of an effective Strata Manager are commonly known as things such as effective money management, organised administration, and effective communication. However, there is one very important quality that is often overlooked which is building knowledge.

Whilst most Strata Management companies take the view that they are purely the ‘administrators’ of the building, a lack of building knowledge can result in poor outcomes for owners. For example, an owner may communicate that a door is faulty but fails to provide the required information of how to locate the correct door. The tradesperson goes to site and checks the wrong door due to the poor instructions and reports it as having no faults.

Recognising the importance of understanding the physical characteristics of the building is critical to effective strata management. Imagine the same example with a Strata Manager well versed in the situation. The result would have been a new working door, and everyone would have been happy. All the angst and frustration at miscommunication would have been avoided.

Obviously, it is an advantage to have a long-standing strata manager as their knowledge of your building will grow over time. However, often this is out of your control as even staying with the same company there is no guarantee that you will have the same manager in the long term. It is the ethos of the strata company towards taking ownership of understanding the importance of building knowledge as well as accurate record taking. Accurate record taking will allow you to move to another Strata company smoothly and give your new Strata Manager access to the critical building information.

If you are on the lookout for a new Strata Manager, make sure you check their attitude towards understanding and taking ownership over building knowledge and the physical appearance of the building. A good question to ask would be, do you ever come to site to gain an understanding of our building? The ethos of the company towards this will quickly become evident. If you are happy with your current Strata Manager, then most likely they do have a handle over the knowledge of your building. However, it is still a good idea to check this out, as it may only be that a situation has not yet arisen to prove this one way or the other.

The most recognised skills of an effective strata manager are in money management, administration, organisation and effective communication. However, another critical quality is the managers building knowledge. Without this it can result in incompetency in dealing with everyday administrative tasks relating to the building.

Whether you’re looking for a new Strata Manager or are happy with your current one, ensure you check out that they have and value this quality to have a smooth and efficient process dealing with your building issues when they crop up.