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his career, when he was employed by Ritz Carlton. To him, it all comes down to communication. “Everyone wants a response,” he points out. “So we return phone calls and answer e-mails. It’s just the way we do business.” To Wolf, communication means not just responding to inquiries and requests, but also taking the initiative to answer questions before they even arise. For example, an association that recently put on new roofs might face questions about why the association has to start putting money aside now for the next roofing job. “Unit owners might ask why they have to pay for something that won’t be needed for another 20 years, when they probably won’t even still be living there,” he says. “We have to explain that it’s for the resale value of the property. But it’s never easy convincing people.” To help with that convincing, Wolf is a firm believer in reserve studies. “It just all comes down to planning,” Wolf explains. “No one wants a special assessment, and the only way to avoid them is to plan ahead.” It’s also not easy to be the bearer of bad news, such as telling an association that they will have to raise their condo fees if they want to keep up with the economy. But, given their policy of open communication, it’s a task that the property managers at Greater Boston Properties never shy away from. “We’ll tell you if you have to raise fees or if you have to spend money,” says Wolf. Open communication also means owning up to mistakes when they occur. “Everyone makes mistakes at one time or another,” Wolf says. “I want our clients to know that they have access to upper management if there’s an issue with their manager. We take ownership of our work, and admit to our mistakes and make it right.”

An Educated Consumer
At the same time, Wolf also understands the importance of setting expectations, and he encourages unit owners

to become versed in what it means to live in a condominium association — even before they purchase their home. “I wish people would take a course before they buy a condo,” he sighs. “A lot of people don’t understand that, when they buy a condo, they’re buying a percentage of a community, not an individual home.” Fostering that sense of community within an association made a real difference at Brickworks Condominiums in Cambridge, Mass. Trustee Andrew Robinson has lived at Brickworks since it opened six years ago, and he has seen a sea change in the attitude of fellow unit owners since Greater Boston Properties was brought onboard in September 2010. “This community was not a community at that time,” Robinson says. “People left trash everywhere, so there was a whole retraining of that. And now people know Greater Boston will always be there — that we’ll have a property manager onsite instead of in the Boston office every Wednesday, they know the property is going to be walked, and they know someone’s always available to answer questions.” Sometimes the answers to the questions aren’t easy ones to give. If someone backs into a light post, for example, he or she may challenge having to pay for the damage. “Greater Boston makes it clear why it needs to be done — because it’s in the interest of the entire association,” Robinson says. “They handle everything well.” To Wolf, it would help unit owners understand what it means to be a member of a condominium association if they took a class through CAI. Wolf himself is highly active in the organization and has been elected to assume the presidency in 2012, and all Greater Boston Properties property managers serve on CAI committees. In fact, Wolf’s strong belief in education and training applies to all his staff, which currently consists of seven property managers, five employees in accounting, plus administration,

construction, and sales and leasing — “the whole gamut of the business,” as he puts it. For everyone at Greater Boston Properties, training is ongoing. “We’ve had lawyers come in to give talks to the staff, we’ve had accountants come in to give talks to the staff, and we’ll have special seminars throughout the year,” Wolf reveals. “For example, in the winter, we might have someone come in to give a talk about ice dams.” Through these onsite and CAI educational opportunities, Wolf makes sure his staff stays on top of changes in the real estate industry, such as Federal Housing Administration (FHA) regulations. It also helps that Wolf himself attended law school to study real estate law and that he qualified as a licensed contractor before turning his hand to real estate management.

A Sterling Reputation
A sure sign that Wolf’s strategy for pleasing his customers has paid off is the number of clients who put their own reputation on the line to refer Greater Boston Properties to others. “Our referrals have been phenomenal,” Wolf reveals. “We get about one referral a week, all from clients.” He credits this level of customer satisfaction to his firm’s dedication to communication, service and honest professionalism. And while Greater Boston Properties isn’t the biggest property management company in the area, he wants boards of trustees to rest assured that his firm is poised to deliver all three to associations not only in Boston, but in the suburbs, as well. “Whether it’s a $200,000 condo or a $2 million condo, we treat everyone the same way: with respect and professionalism,” Wolf says. “Wherever it’s the right fit, that’s where we go. We just want happy clients.” For more information about how Greater Boston Properties can take care of your association’s needs, call (617) 536-4900, or visit www.gbproperties.com.

http://www.gbproperties.com

Condo Media - November 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - November 2011