Civium, one of Canberra’s most recommended strata management companies. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
If you own an apartment or town home in a complex or block of units, you likely have a strata management company handling legal and insurance compliance, building maintenance, common property matters, finances and more. Strata managers work on behalf of all owners in a complex or block and usually work closely with the Owner’s Corporation or Executive Committee.
Strata managers handling unit titled buildings have a wide range of responsibilities and must be licensed and insured. They must also meet their obligations under relevant federal and state/territory legislation.
If your own property in a strata complex you’ll understand the importance of the work strata managers handle on your behalf.
In this article, we’ll outline the qualities considering when choosing a strata manager, and share where to find the best in Canberra.
What makes a great strata manager?
Choosing the right strata management company can give you peace of mind, maximise the value of your property investment and ensure the environment surrounding your property is safe and well maintained.
It can be helpful to keep the following in mind when choosing a strata manager.
- Proper qualifications. You’ll want a strata manager who is properly qualified, licensed and insured to do the job, and do it well. Check out credentials and qualifications on strata management company websites or call them to discuss their offering and points of difference.
- Number of properties. Some strata management operators are bigger than others and some look after a high-volume of units. Ask how many units the company manages and how many staff they have on board to back up their service, so you don’t get locked in to inefficient or unresponsive service.
- Expertise and experience. In addition to formal qualifications, you’ll want to be confident that your strata manager has depth of experience, especially important given the breadth of their responsibilities and the complexities of managing a strata.
- Financial expertise. If your strata manager is going to manage your building’s financials, make sure they have the knowledge and skills to do so well. You want funds spent wisely and with value-for-money in mind.
- Quality service. Ask your strata management what procedures and processes they have in place for providing quality and responsive service. Also ask about their response and turnaround times so you know what you can reasonably expect.
The best strata managers in Canberra
Riotact’s editorial team has combed through 20 years of on-site comments to compile a list of the most recommended businesses according to you.
To be listed in our Best of Canberra series, each business needs to have consistently received positive feedback on Riotact and Facebook as well as maintaining a minimum average of 4/5 stars on Google.
Civium
Established in 2003, Civium is a family owned and operated business. From their humble beginnings as a commercial real estate agency, they have massively diversified their portfolio to include property management, commercial and residential real estate services, and strata management.
When it comes to strata management, Civium uses a bespoke network of systems, dashboards and portals in order to empower their clients. Civium will set you up with a dedicated team of experts from every field who will act as your personal advisors, and take all the stress of managing strata off of your shoulders.
The team behind Civium are passionate about the community and dedicated to progressive, innovative service. Civium strives above all to earn your trust through their exceptional customer service.
As Cian O’Driscoll writes on Google, “Brooke and her team at Civium Strata Canberra have been very responsive and helpful when it has come to handing problems as they arose. Brooke has either implemented or facilitated a host of improvements in respect of the management of the building and has helped us commission the service-providers we need. Organised and efficient, this has been a great service.”
Grady Strata
Grady Strata and Facilities offers comprehensive strata, facilities and building management services for residential and mixed-use complexes. Its unique service model makes property management easy and convenient for executive committees and body corporate members. Grady’s one-stop service deals with issues as required 24-7. Locally owned, Grady’s team of experienced professional property managers strive to exceed expectations.
Graham Windsor wrote on Google, “Grady Strata recently took over our apartment building and the property has improved tremendously since … Highly recommended.”
Signature Strata
Signature Strata provides trusted and quality assured strata management services. The team’s combined expertise and experience spans more than 50 years. Signature Strata offers professional, practiced and knowledgeable services to various strata community sizes and classes including residential, commercial and mixed-use schemes. All strata management services are backed by local knowledge.
On Facebook, Sheryle Moon wrote, “Excellent experiences dealing with the Signature Strata folks.”
LMM Solutions
LMM Solutions provides strata managements services that are proactive, attentive and in line with international ISO9001 Quality Management Standards. The qualified team keeps customers informed and guarantees consistent service and follow up.
Ann Menzies wrote on Google, “Three years ago and after considerable research, our complex decided to change to LMM … All members of LMM act quickly on issues and provide good advice … even resolving some matters our previous managers failed to address.”
Vantage Strata
The team at award-winning Vantage Strata provides the full range of strata, facilities and building management services. With property knowledge and expertise spanning decades, Vantage Strata takes full responsibility for all facets of strata management, including in high density and mixed-use communities. All strata managers have specialised knowledge on unit titles legislation and communication.
Vantage Strata provides comprehensive end-to-end services for executive committees, owners and tenants. The team of strata managers draws on extensive industry knowledge and is committed to outstanding results.
James Morris wrote on Google, “One of the best strata management companies in Canberra. Extremely helpful and always happy to assist.”
If you’re looking for more information on the difference between a strata manager and a property manager, you might like our article on the best property managers in Canberra. Should you require assistance insuring your strata title be sure to visit our article on the best strata insurance brokers our city has to offer.
If you’re after more assistance with property in general, read through our articles on the best commercial real estate agents, the best real estate agents, best mortgage brokers and best conveyancing lawyers in Canberra.
Your experience with strata managers in Canberra
Thanks to our commenters who have provided insightful feedback. If you believe we have got it wrong, please let us know.
Have you had experience with any of the strata managers listed above? If so, share your feedback in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between strata managers and property managers?
Strata managers take care of multiple units in a “strata” or “unit title” complex. They do so on behalf of the owners of those units often working closely with an Owner’s Corporation or Executive Committee. Property managers handle individual, stand-alone properties on behalf of individual property owners.
What services do strata managers provide?
They provide a wide range of services, including handling legal and insurance compliance, building maintenance, common property matters and finances.
How do I choose a strata manager?
Do your research. Check out strata management company websites to see if they present professionally. Look for sound experience, expertise and qualifications. Interview a few strata managers and ask about the efficiency measures they have in place and ask them to describe how they are forward thinking and innovative. You can also check online reviews to see what others say.
Should our complex have a strata management agreement?
Definitely and the agreement should be detailed, clear and outline what your strata manager will do, how much their fees are and how they’ll be paid. The agreement should cover service levels, such as business operating hours and how the strata manager will handle out-of-hours emergencies. It should also specify if additional fees will be charged and, if so, for what. All owners should have a copy of the agreement.
Things fall through the cracks with our strata manager. How should we handle?
Review your management agreement and then talk and/or write to your strata management outlining all concerns and seeking a resolution for each. Don’t let things drag. If you continue to be unhappy, it could be time to change strata management companies.
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