The Role of a Community Manager

In our ever-changing world, the role of community managers is as varied as the communities they manage. Each community’s size, vision, amenities, and scope of services all influence the manager’s role. However, there are aspects every association has in common. Large or small, every association has three primary obligations: 

1) Collect assessments

2) Maintain jointly owned assets

3) Enforce rules and standards

And owner expectations? Those who purchase in an association expect to see their community thrive and their property values protected.

A community manager is a professional who supports the association to achieve its goals. Working in concert with the board of directors, and sometimes on their behalf, the manager is there to carry out board policies, manage the association's business affairs, and advise the board on best practices. Professional management also provides essential continuity and stability for an association, as they offset the impact of frequently changing boards.

Professionals in the industry also point out differences in community management versus property management, and dedicated onsite management versus portfolio management. What is the difference? Let’s take a look:

Property Manager:

A property manager oversees rental units and acts as the middleman between the owner of the property and renters. Responsibilities involve the management of rent, tenants, property maintenance and repairs, owners, landlord-tenant laws, property records, accounting, and taxes. Property manager responsibilities are primarily centered around the property. 

Community Manager:

A community manager is responsible for the management and support of community associations.  Responsibilities involve the management of the day-to-day operations of common property and services, regular interactions with a board of directors, homeowners, and vendors, facilitation of community and neighborhood meetings, standards enforcement, budget preparation, and overall community business management. Community manager responsibilities are primarily centered around the common interests of the people in the community. 

Portfolio Manager:

A portfolio community manager will typically manage several smaller community associations or communities with few services, only visiting the communities for scheduled meetings and compliance drives, and to facilitate common area maintenance. Financial and governance support is handled from offsite management offices. 

Onsite/Large-scale Community Manager:

A large-scale community manager typically is dedicated to an association with more than 1,000 homes, complex amenities or services, and an annual budget of more than $1,000,000. The board of directors sets policies and establishes direction for the association, and as the hands of the board, the onsite manager sees that those policies are in place to handle all the details surrounding complex operations; this is similar to a city manager or COO in other corporations.  Most master-planned communities also provide a wide range of amenities and services, including large recreation programs, athletic complexes, community-based sports teams, private streets, parks and lakes, conservation programs, resident home services, onsite security patrol, and extensive event planning services. Each of these community features requires close management. Onsite community management is an ideal solution for sprawling communities with many amenities or for communities that prefer a high service level.

Dedicated onsite managers are also deeply involved in the overall strategy and future direction of the community. They focus on long-term strategic planning, recreation planning, and elevating the community’s brand to maintain a solid position in the market. Because their complete attention is devoted to a particular association, onsite managers focus their efforts and professional expertise on ensuring the community reaches its full potential.

Regardless of the size or type of community, or the management required, it is always a good idea to defer to professionals. Your home and community are worth it!