Life isn't easy if you are a condo manager

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Average high-rise takes a dizzying amount of round-the-clock, behind-the-scenes work

To serve its portfolio of luxury condo buildings in Toronto, the Forest Hill Group deploys a veritable army of specialized workers.

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The posh property manager has about 500 on-site staff distributed across the 80 upscale buildings it oversees. Common roles range from porters, valets, and concierges to cleaners and security guards.

But at particularly opulent developments, such as 50 Scollard, a 41-storey high-rise by Lanterra Developments nearing completion in Yorkville, even sommeliers are hired to host tastings, serve up pairing recommendations, and take charge of the wine cellar.

That’s not to mention the dozens operating remotely out of the Forest Hill Group’s three offices. They respond to urgent service requests and complaints, handle legal and accounting matters, and manage a warehouse of janitorial supplies, to name a few responsibilities.

Then there’s the fleet of 10 vehicles roving the city for deliveries and quality control. “Here’s the thing that people probably don’t realize: we never close, we’re 24-7, 365 days a year,” said Robert Klopot, president and CEO of the Forest Hill Group.

“When you think about the lifecycle of a building, it never closes either.” While the Forest Hill Group operates at the extreme end of luxury, even the average high-rise requires a dizzying amount of round-the-clock, behind-the-scenes work to keep things running smoothly.

And the job has only gotten harder — and more expensive — as the industry has struggled to keep up with the building boom, with Toronto now laying claim to more than 2,700 registered condos, according to the Condominium Authority of Ontario.

“A lot of people don’t recognize how difficult it can be,” said Eric Plant, director of Brilliant Property Management Inc., which monitors 60 properties, including residential, commercial, and industrial assets.

“The pace of things is faster because of technology,” he said. “The stress levels among the general public are higher,” he added.

Some managers left the industry or retired during the pandemic since work-from-home was not an option, contributing to a shortage of talent. “You really do need to be there. If the pipe breaks and there’s a leak you’ve got to be there to see it,” said Plant, who is also president of the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario.

Managing a condo building requires one to wear many hats, which doesn’t make it easier to fill positions. “You’ve got to be partially an engineer, partially a lawyer, partially a therapist… an accountant — you’ve got to have a little bit of knowledge on each of things,” he said.

A therapist’s touch, he explained, is sometimes needed when arbitrating disputes between neighbours. Poorer build quality of some newer buildings has led to challenges, too. “It’s become much, much more complicated.” Staffing needs largely depend on the amenities and size of the development. “A townhouse complex in Ajax with no manager and 100 units is going to be drastically different from a luxury building with 40 units that wants a full-time manager,” said Plant.

Some 16.5 per cent of Ontario condo corporations are self-managed, according to the CAO, meaning they don’t have any full-time daily staff. “[They may] hire a manager to help them with their finances but will take care of the day-to-day operations,” explained

Marc Bhalla, vice president of policy, programs and dispute resolution at the CAO. On the high end of the spectrum, a building may employ scores of employees.

“When you get into complexes, where you have multiple buildings sharing amenities, you could have 20, 30, 50 staff — it can get pretty big,” said Plant. Costs, too, vary dramatically.

Monthly maintenance fees paid by residents cover management expenses, which can work out to anywhere from about $30 per resident per month to north of $100. “That doesn’t include concierge or cleaners or supers,” Plant added.

Nor does it include the hard costs of repairs. “The cost of everything is going up,” said Edward Jegg, research manager at Altus Group, a real estate consultancy. “And don’t forget, labour is included in that as well,” he continued.

Five years ago, the average entry-level condo manager earned a salary of about $50,000, Plant estimated. “You’re lucky if you’re finding someone now for $70,000… and that’s the starters, that’s the people coming into the industry,” he said.

The pay bump has relieved some staffing shortfalls, he said, and is nominal compared to big-ticket items, such as replacing a building’s windows, which can cost millions. In the luxury realm, Klopot likens property managers to personal assistants: “We often call ourselves that.”

On top of services covered by maintenance fees, his clients have access to “à la carte” offerings processed by the 24-hour concierge team headquartered downtown. “

A resident will fill out a client profile, which will include a credit-card-authorization form, and then they can access any number of services under the sun,” he said, whether it’s arranging a dog walker, obtaining a hard-to-get reservation or Leafs tickets, or shipping a vehicle cross country. “Bespoke suits are the big one for us — you’ll get tailors that will come right to your suite,” said Klopot.

Sometimes, condo managers take on consulting roles. In 2019, shortly after Altree Developments began planning the Forest Hill Residences, an ultra-luxury condo project in midtown Toronto, the developer approached the Forest Hill Group for advice on the layout and design of the amenities.

“We had figured, ‘Why not bring the experts in early on?’” said Jordan DeBrincat, vice president at Altree Developments. The nine-storey building, which boasts wet and dry saunas, a separate lobby for porter service, a catering kitchen with adjoining dining room that seats 20, and a private wine storage and sommelier, began occupancy in December last year, and already, management has made a strong impression, DeBrincat suggested.

“They have a personal touch when you walk in the door,” she said. “That’s something money can’t buy.”