Pratica di Shadowing: STRATA MANAGEMENT WITH ASSOCIA BRITISH COLUMBIA - Impara a parlare inglese con i video

So today we're going to discuss three main topics around strata management.

Long overdue my opinion.

I think so too.

So we're going to try to frame the conversation around what is property management exactly.

And then we're going to talk about why we cannot be complacent in this industry

and how we need to keep reinvesting into our industry.

And then finally I was thinking maybe we can also discuss what the future of property management is.

Hello, everyone.

My name is László Antál from Associá, BC.

I've been with Associá for about 17 years now.

Over the years, I wore quite a few hats with the company.

And previously, we did a few master class series on various strata topics.

It was roughly 10 episodes, and today it is my pleasure to have one of our directors of operations with me, Sean Farr from our Victoria branch.

Sean, thank you so much for joining me today.

Would you be so kind and just introduce yourself briefly and tell us more about your role and what you do?

Absolutely, Laszlo.

I'm still taking it back.

You've got 17 years with Xochia.

That's impressive.

uh myself i've got less than 10

but i'm hoping to get to your your level i currently

i work in the victoria office i am the director of operations essentially the branch manager

so i oversee a high functioning team that work in accounting administration maintenance

and operations so yeah i'm really really pleased to be here i'm looking forward to this conversation

so um so sean what do you think uh our viewers will get out of this master class and

and why they should watch every single episode here I think

we just want to peel back the curtain educate the public on what strata management is

and what it is what it is to be done well

that's kind of my my impression what's yours well I think

there is the missing piece these days volunteer homeowners will step

up to the plate at the AGM to serve on council and often they really don't know what to expect.

And there is no licensing requirement for council members, they don't need to complete a course, they don't really need to read any books.

And fair enough, that's that's our role as agents.

And as as we're going to talk about the licensing requirements to you know,

for for agents, maybe it's it's worth mentioning that council members are not alone.

And management companies are there to help them, to guide, to assist, to become that trusted advisors, right?

I agree.

Yeah, it's definitely a component that could be missing with our property management company, but with our company, we make that point of making sure

that new councils are educated so they can actually manage their complexes effectively.

So yeah, I'm proud of that fact.

So when you look at this Masterclass series as a whole, we really try to break it down into various components.

I think the final three episodes that we're going to do here now is going to be the crammed piece,

just kind of summing it up.

You've done 10 of these so far?

We've done 10 of these so far, yes.

So this is considered the box set bonus?

Exactly.

So you will be the icing on the cake, Sean, and And sharing your expertise, you know, will I think bring this home.

Also, if you haven't seen the previous episodes, I would encourage you to visit the Haven website.

And these episodes will also be uploaded to the Associabc website.

So there will be plenty of educational resources available to you.

And again, we hope you enjoy it.

So today we're going to discuss three main topics around strata management.

We are going to try to frame the conversation around what is property management exactly.

And then we're going to talk about why we cannot be complacent in this industry

and how we need to keep reinvesting into our industry.

And then finally, I was thinking maybe we can also discuss what the future of property management is.

And so, you being from operations and you being in the front line every day,

Sean, if you could just maybe share your ideas around those three main topics, and I think we're going to have a little bit of fun with this.

Absolutely.

And my selfish goal is to attract top talent into this industry.

We need more top performing strata managers.

yeah i think

so too i think that's where everything starts you know you need to build a company with your staff

and and you know with uh with associate too

if you look at our four um pillars that

that is our foundation we start with our staff um employee morale yeah

because everything comes from death right yes uh

when you treat your staff well

when you create a work culture where people feel accomplished whether

they can see the light at the end of the end of the tunnel,

they experience daily success, providing that amazing customer service to their clients,

then ultimately that will lead into client retention, where the clients, they feel valued,

they feel that the services they're expecting is being delivered to them.

I couldn't agree more, sorry to interrupt you, Laszlo, but yeah, demonstrating care, that's how i describe it strata managers

that demonstrate care for their clients uh as i said i'm just

so excited to talk about our industry

which is um i think a very dynamic industry it's uh it's got

so many moving parts and and sometimes uh our clients they don't even

see what's happening behind the screen so i i think uh through these episodes uh through these masterclass series,

we can really just kind of shed light on what is it

that we do so that our clients can also get on the same page with us and create this amazing synergy.

Yeah.

And on the recruiting front, I think a good strata manager will never be out of work.

They'll have job security for a lifetime.

Yeah.

I think our industry is definitely recession -proof, I would say.

Yes.

So Sean, can we even define the strata management industry in exact terms?

Personally, I don't think so.

While we can give it parameters, our work is multifaceted and perceived by the public as ambiguous in some regard.

I also think that this ambiguity puts a lot of pressure on the people working in this field.

So why don't we start there?

Thanks, Laszlo.

It's great to be here and thank you for the welcome.

You know, that is a great question.

What is the strata management industry?

And, you know, surprisingly, I was really quite surprised to have that question posed to me at a family gathering.

Like, what are you doing, Sean?

100

What is the strata management industry?

101

People don't know what this industry is, and this is a really good opportunity for us to talk about it.

102

The strata management industry is, as you know, a relatively young industry.

103

As you know, there's only been a requirement for official training and licensing for managers since 2008.

104

Before that point, it wasn't the Wild West, but nowadays we have much stricter criteria.

105

For example, now you have to be of upstanding character to even be considered for licensing.

106

So it's a really professional field.

107

In a nutshell, it's a specialized sector of property management where the manager oversees strata properties.

108

Strata properties are complexes where shared ownership of individual units exists.

109

A strata property can be as simple as a duplex, up to a high rise with over 100 units.

110

The responsibility of maintenance and upkeep falls onto the owners, whereas they form a strata council,

111

and these council members work with the strata property manager to make sure the property is maintained

112

and in compliance with strata laws and regulations.

113

Sounds pretty dry so far, I know.

114

The manager also plays a critical role in maintaining the finances, coordinating repairs, resolving disputes that can occur in strata communities, unfortunately.

115

It's an industry that carries a lot of responsibility and it's overseen by the BCFSA or the British Columbia Financial Services Association.

116

So, in other words, the strata property management industry is responsible for overseeing the management of strata properties.

117

When done well, properties are well maintained and the owner's investment is protected and becomes attractive for potential buyers.

118

And if not done well, the property can deteriorate, become a liability and become impossible to sell.

119

For example, consider a managed condo building that has its roof inspected every year.

120

Debris is removed and any repairs are attended to.

121

This roof won't hold any surprises, and unexpected expenses won't hobble that strata finances.

122

Or, let's even be more dramatic, what happens if the insurance wasn't renewed on time and there was a fire?

123

That could bankrupt people.

124

But let's end on a positive note.

125

This industry is centered around helping people and making lives better for the communities we serve in.

126

It's an industry where we are proud to be part of and it's only getting stronger.

127

I could not agree more.

128

In this day and age, no company can be complacent

129

and what worked for us yesterday may no longer be appropriate today

130

so do how do we navigate these challenging times in the age of technology

131

and fast information exchange without adding more stress to staff service providers

132

and clients thanks Laszlo that that is another great question

133

and you know it's one of those examples where

134

if you're not keeping up you get left behind so a great example of this is offices converting to paperless.

135

There was a time when this was revolutionary and your office was considered ahead of the curve.

136

Nowadays, if your office isn't paperless, you would be considered a dinosaur and you're not keeping up.

137

When did this transition happen and can you be left behind if your company doesn't keep up?

138

Definitely.

139

It's a matter of being current and relevant while continually offering the best possible product.

140

This means equipping your team with resources that make sense to them.

141

Just yesterday, I was investigating a new maintenance scheduling app.

142

Really exciting.

143

It was called BuildingLink.

144

This would send email reminders automatically to the vendors, the councils, and Strata property managers for annual maintenance items.

145

This will improve consistency and reliability.

146

It'll have transparency for the councils.

147

They can log into the app and see maintenance is already scheduled.

148

And the pressure drops off the property manager.

149

For now they know everything maintenance wise has been attended to.

150

Really exciting stuff.

151

The alternative is an excel spreadsheet and continually checking that spreadsheet to make sure you're up to date.

152

So that's the dinosaur version.

153

We must investigate and be open to innovation at all times.

154

On an organizational level, your company works as a highly effective team from your property manager, admin team, and accounting.

155

The teams work together daily and are responsible for the results.

156

It's rewarding to see teams pull together and deliver those five -star customer service, our goal.

157

But again, innovation, it's not just technology.

158

It's training and education for your staff so they understand every client, every day, every time.

159

In essence, every interaction matters.

160

My take on a professional management company is a company that honors our service standards.

161

Property management is not hard.

162

When you drill it down, it's just customer service through and through.

163

Responding to your client's needs, but in a proactive manner.

164

Removing the obstacles before they become obstacles, your client has to have the faith that you are capable of managing them.

165

In Vittoria, every associate client is given a written copy of our service standards pertaining to the associate support team

166

and separately for the property manager.

167

What can I expect from my property manager?

168

And keeping our word to those service standards is what allows us to build a solid business reputation.

169

For example, if we promise phone calls will be responded to within 24 hours, then we will respond within 24 hours.

170

Those promises are what we call our five -star customer service.

171

And I do everything in my power to organize the support staff to allow them to achieve this.

172

That's excellent, Sean.

173

I think we can never be complacent with customer service and reinvesting into our people, into our company, through technology,

174

proper systems and tools, providing structure and organization to our councils as well, is super important.

175

I couldn't agree more.

176

All right.

177

So finally, let's talk about what the future holds for community management.

178

While we can most certainly say we are living in challenging times, with housing shortages and insane housing costs in Victoria,

179

the Lower Mainland, the Fraser Valley, and the Okanagan.

180

Perhaps also for those reasons, community management is becoming even more important now than ever before.

181

So how do we create a win -win between multifamily communities and property management companies?

182

Single -family homes are sadly becoming out of reach for most new homeowners.

183

Instead, people can afford to purchase a strata property, a condo, a townhouse, but the single -family unit home is out of reach for most.

184

Now, owners need education on what it means to be a strata lot owner

185

and how can they volunteer for the betterment of their community.

186

Usually, this means volunteering their time on the Strata Council.

187

This in itself can be intimidating though.

188

Can you imagine now you're not just responsible for your own home, but you're also responsible for everyone else's common property.

189

Community management should be there to educate the council on their new role and responsibilities.

190

Are minutes necessary?

191

Absolutely.

192

And they're required to be taken.

193

That's just one example.

194

So, many regulations and rules, but we are there to help.

195

We need to better prepare strata managers for their role.

196

I would say new licensees are book smart when they graduate from the UBC School of Ladder of Business.

197

It's an intimidating role to take on for new strata managers.

198

I remember a great quote.

199

The first year managing your new strata property manager ponders and second guesses every decision he makes or she makes.

200

The second year they think, I got this now.

201

Everything is under control.

202

I know what I'm doing.

203

In the third year, they have to go back and rethink about all the mistakes they made in the second year.

204

That is the value of a well -educated and experienced property manager.

205

Being a strata manager, you have to be self -motivated, responsive, and genuinely care about your clients.

206

You can't fake it in this industry.

207

I think that is why there is turnover the fakers are exposed and they move on.

208

You need to have a company that attracts a top -performing strata managers.

209

We recently took on a strata manager in Victoria.

210

He was, let's say, overworked and underappreciated with his previous company.

211

We have given him the tools to succeed with a manageable workload, and he is thriving at work, and more importantly, at home.

212

Your company must have a culture that values family

213

and employee morale the ultimate goal is to make everyone on

214

the team feel like they are part of a high functioning team they feel appreciated

215

and their work provides reward for them to set up property

216

managers for success you must give them a manageable workload i said it before

217

that is critically important the tools to make their job easier

218

and be open

219

and encourage best practices this is the most important component in

220

my mind the property manager must feel rewarded for customer service they are essentially people pleasers day in day out

221

and through and through they love to work with a high functioning team thank you again sean uh

222

that was great sharing all your thoughts with us um i also think that But for management companies looking into the future,

223

it will be so important to keep reinvesting, working on fostering a nice,

224

friendly work culture where the staff feels appreciated and welcomed.

225

I think Strata managers, they should definitely look at their profession as a long -term career goal.

226

Keep reinvesting into clients as well through customer service for management

227

companies to compete against each other on value -added services rather than low management fees.

228

I think that's also a key for all clients.

229

I think what they're looking for, especially nowadays, is value.

230

What am I getting for my monthly management fees and for our monthly Strata fees, which is all -encompassing of your Strata community?

231

So I think we are going to end there and thank you again, Sean, for your insights and thank you everyone for watching.

232

A special thank you to the Haven team for their contribution to our industry and for including us in their masterclass series.

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Vocabolario e note di pronuncia per questa lezione

Questa lezione di conversazione di livello C1 si basa sul video “STRATA MANAGEMENT WITH ASSOCIA BRITISH COLUMBIA”. Le parole che ritornano più spesso: strata, management, property, manager, industry. Questo video contiene 232 frasi e 2827 parole da ripetere con lo shadowing. Il parlato dura 18:57. Chi parla mantiene un ritmo costante di circa 149 parole al minuto, comodo per lo shadowing. Il 83% delle parole rientra nelle 3.000 più comuni dell’inglese; conviene studiare le altre prima di iniziare.

Vocaboli chiave di questo video

Le 15 parole più avanzate del video, con pronuncia e significato:

Parola	Pronuncia	Significato
reinvest verbo		reinvestire
oversee verbo	/ˌəʊ.vəˈsiː/	sondare
educate verbo	/ˈɛd͡ʒ.əˌkeɪt/	istruire, educare
condominium sostantivo	/ˌkɑn.dəˈmɪn.i.əm/	condominio
intimidate verbo	/ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/	intimidire
manageable aggettivo	/ˈmænəd͡ʒəb(ə)l/	maneggevole, maneggiabile
spreadsheet sostantivo	/ˈspɹɛd.ʃit/	foglio di calcolo
morale sostantivo	/məˈɹɑːl/	morale
obstacle sostantivo	/ˈɑbstəkəl/	ostacolo, inciampo
dinosaur sostantivo	/ˈdaɪnəsoɹ/	dinosauro
ambiguity sostantivo	/æm.bɪˈɡjuː.ɪ.ti/	ambiguità, dubbio
betterment sostantivo	/ˈbɛtɚmənt/	miglioramento
criterion sostantivo	/kɹaɪˈtɪɹ.i.ən/	criterio
deteriorate verbo	/dɪˈtɪɹ.iə.ɹeɪt/	deteriorare
duplex sostantivo	/ˈdu.plɛks/	bifamiliare

I phrasal verb che sentirai

Parola	Pronuncia	Significato
keep up verbo		mantenere, conservare
drop off verbo		addormentarsi, appisolarsi
go back verbo		tornare
look forward to verbo		non vedere l'ora
set up verbo	/ˌsɛt ˈʌp/	preparare, installare

Frasi da ripetere

Frasi brevi e complete del video che puoi riutilizzare nella conversazione di tutti i giorni:

I'm still taking it back.
Personally, I don't think so.
So why don't we start there?
What can I expect from my property manager?
I know what I'm doing.

La grammatica di questo video

Le strutture che chi parla usa di più, con le parole esatte del video:

Struttura	Nel video
Frasi condizionali if + frase, will/would + verbo — una condizione e il suo risultato	if your office isn't paperless, you would be · if we promise phone calls will be
Forma passiva be + participio passato — conta ciò che accade, non chi lo fa	be done · is considered · be uploaded
Present perfect have/has + participio passato — un’azione passata che conta ancora adesso	I've been · You've done · We've done

Pronuncia a cui fare attenzione

Chi parla usa 47 contrazioni e forme ridotte, come we're, don't, I'm. Pronunciale nella forma breve, così come le senti.

I suoni “th”: rethink /ɹiːˈθɪŋk/, thrive /θɹajv/
I suoni “sh” e “zh”: spreadsheet /ˈspɹɛd.ʃit/, nutshell /ˈnʌt.ʃɛl/, specialize /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/, retention /ɹɪˈtɛnʃən/, organizational /ˌɔː(ɹ)ɡənɪˈzeɪʃənəl/
Parole lunghe — attenzione all’accento: condominium /ˌkɑn.dəˈmɪn.i.əm/, intimidate /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/, manageable /ˈmænəd͡ʒəb(ə)l/, continually /kənˈtɪnjuəli/, ambiguity /æm.bɪˈɡjuː.ɪ.ti/

I suoni difficili per chi parla italiano:

/h/ — va soffiata, non è muta: hobble /ˈhɒbəl/, townhouse /ˈtaʊnˌhaʊs/
Consonante finale — senza aggiungere una vocale dopo: complacent /kəmˈpleɪsənt/, educate /ˈɛd͡ʒ.əˌkeɪt/, intimidate /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/, spreadsheet /ˈspɹɛd.ʃit/, betterment /ˈbɛtɚmənt/
/æ/ — più aperta della “e”: manageable /ˈmænəd͡ʒəb(ə)l/, ambiguity /æm.bɪˈɡjuː.ɪ.ti/, multifaceted /ˌmʌl.tiˈfæ.sə.tɪd/, proactive /pɹoʊˈæk.tɪv/, upstanding /ʌpˈstændɪŋ/

Come esercitarsi con questo video

Ascolta tutto il video una volta senza parlare e annota le parole che non conosci.
Fai shadowing frase per frase a velocità normale, ripetendo ognuna finché il tuo ritmo coincide con quello di chi parla.
Registrati e confronta con l’originale, facendo attenzione a parole come reinvest, oversee, educate.

Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?

Shadowing è una tecnica di apprendimento delle lingue supportata da studi scientifici, originariamente sviluppata per la formazione dei traduttori professionisti e resa popolare dal poliglotta Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Il metodo è semplice ma potente: ascolti un audio in inglese di madrelingua e lo ripeti immediatamente ad alta voce — come un'ombra che segue il parlante con un ritardo di solo 1–2 secondi. A differenza dell'ascolto passivo o degli esercizi di grammatica, lo shadowing costringe il tuo cervello e i muscoli della bocca a elaborare e riprodurre simultaneamente i modelli di discorso reale. La ricerca dimostra che migliora significativamente la precisione della pronuncia, l'intonazione, il ritmo, il discorso connesso, la comprensione dell'ascolto e la fluidità del parlato — rendendolo uno dei metodi più efficaci per la preparazione alla prova di speaking dell'IELTS e per la comunicazione reale in inglese.

Tecnica dello shadowing: leggi la guida completa passo dopo passo →

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