In Alberta, we consider the condo market to be a “wild west”.  The condo business is currently governed by a Condo Property Act and Regulations without any government enforcement, oversight or consumer protections in place. Condo real estate is one product that is not covered by any consumer protection legislation at the moment and each time a potential buyer purchases a condominium unit, it is more often than not sold on a “buyer beware” basis.

Furthermore, many owners do not know how the condo management professionals in this industry are regulated and there seems to be no uniformity or enforcement  in this category in many cases.

We at COCOA receive numerous emails from concerned owners who are experiencing difficulties in their condo communities, be it with their condo boards, managers or both.

Some complaints we receive regularly from owners are as follows:

1)  Lack of transparency, poor communication from Boards or Managers
2)  No access or slow access to documents
3)  Managers not knowing the Condo Laws
4)  Boards not having access to their funds on time
5)  Managers receiving undisclosed kickbacks
6)  Questionable charge backs to owners
…and more

There are some excellent managers in the field who aid in the enhancement of a condo community and we applaud these professionals, but how do we deal with managers who do not meet our expectations of professional conduct?

Who can owners contact when there is a breach of contract by a manager or poor advice is given with regards to a contractor or poor handling of owner concerns, documents, and other inquiries?

Who can owners contact when the manager and/or board are ill informed or under informed about current existing legislation?

At this time, the answer is “no one”.

With the changes to the Condominium Property Act and Regulations, the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) was designated as the future authority that will provide mandatory education and licensing for condo managers and for regulating their standards of practice.

RECA currently regulates all real estate industry professionals in Alberta  and is responsible for the education and licensing of realtors, brokers, appraisers and property managers.  All realtors must abide by the Real Estate Act and a Standard of Conduct.  RECA also investigates complaints and provides disciplinary actions.  To learn more about RECA, click here.

RECA’s mandate is to protect consumers and to provide services that enhance and improve the real estate industry and the business of industry professionals.

In our view, condo managers who advise condo boards about real estate matters and in some cases financial advice must be held to a higher standard of education and professional conduct.

Condo owners must have the ability to report unfair practices, misconduct and breaches of the Condo Act and Real Estate Act.

After our discussions with RECA and further understanding their education delivery model, we are confident that RECA is the most appropriate authority to undertake the education, licensing and regulation of condo managers.

RECA can be audited by the Minister of Service Alberta at any time, regarding efforts and goals in meeting their mandate.

We believe that this is a good first step to bringing the standard of education up to a level where being a “condo manager” will no longer be a “job” but rather a “career” that licensed managers can be proud of and use to gain consumer confidence.  With a license and education under their belts, managers will be better able to command higher wages and increase in demand for their services.

Condo owners, in our experience, never complain about management prices from managers who provide good service and condo knowledge. A good condo manager is worth every penny!

COCOA’s formal position is in full support of RECA to deliver education, licensing and regulation of condo managers and for their mandate to enhance the real estate industry.

-Message from the President of COCOA
Shelly MacMillan