Condo Media - May 2017 - 64

Ask a Busy Person
How did you get involved in condominium management? My career
began in banking, working in the equipment
finance lending division of several major
New England banks. I enjoyed the work,
but I wanted something more tangible. I
had some construction experience in my
earlier years that had led me to obtain my
construction supervisor's license. I decided
to pursue real estate management because
it blended my finance background with my
construction experience.
I worked with a few property management companies, exploring both residential
and commercial work, but my real talent
was on the residential side. I became director of the residential management division
at one of the companies. When that company decided to focus on its commercial division and shed the residential division, which
consisted of about 3,000 condominium
units, I saw an opportunity to start my own
company, which I did, with their blessing.
I've never regretted that decision.
How does managing a condominium
differ from managing a commercial
property? The two are very different. With commercial property, you are
dealing with corporate owners and a tenant base; with condominiums, you are
dealing with people's homes, and that's a
completely different animal. You create
a lot of long-term personal relationships
with condominium owners. You really
get to know them. They start out as
clients but often become friends.
What do you enjoy most about your
work? I most enjoy diagnosing and
solving problems. That's in my DNA.
Every problem is like a puzzle and finding
the solution is always rewarding. I love it.
I also like the fact that every day is different, presenting new challenges. The pace
is fast and there isn't a lot of down time,
but if you enjoy the chaos, it's a lot of fun.
What do you find most frustrating?
I don't care for the word frustrating;
I prefer challenging. There is always a
solution to every problem. I would like to
see more education for clients and for the

CONDOMEDIA

percent property management and 80
percent communication. You also have
to be well organized. My brother, who is
a former military pilot, says, "You have
to plan the flight and fly the plan." That
applies to running a condominium-If
you have a well thought out plan with
clearly defined goals, follow it in an organized way, and communicate it clearly,
then you'll do well.

NICHOLAS BOIT, CMCA, AMS
Managing Partner, Brigs, LLC,
CAI-NE Vice President
industry as a whole. We manage a client's
most valuable asset. We need to shine the
light on the asset management side of
the business and the complexities of that
work. We need to educate clients about
the importance of their role as well. They
have great responsibility for the success
of this working relationship. Together we
are an asset management team.
As a member of CAI-NE's Managers' Committee, you've advocated a
licensing requirement for managers
for a long time. Why? The condominium management industry is growing
rapidly. A simple licensing requirement
would establish quality standards that
would ensure healthy growth. We're not
talking about onerous requirements;
we're just talking about basic standards
and basic oversight. Licensing would
force individuals who are representing
themselves as managers to take some
educational courses and meet ethical
requirements. You must be licensed to cut
hair and drive a car, but you don't have to
be licensed to manage a $1 million reserve
fund. That doesn't make any sense at all.
What does it take to be a successful
association manager? Excellent
communication skills. The job is 20

What would it surprise
people to know about you?
I love music. I love to
play it, listen to it, and watch
others play as well. I play
drums, as well as guitar and
ukulele. Once a year, I go on a
music retreat with one of my
brothers and some friends.
We rent a house, bring a
sound system, and play
rock and roll for the whole
weekend. It's great fun!
What do you do in
your spare time?
I love fly fishing. Sometimes
I'll bring a rod with me when I
travel. I'll stand in the water
on a beach or stream and
see what I can catch. It's a
beautiful sport-just you
and the water and the
fish. It's very calming-
very Zen.
What's the best advice you ever got-
and from whom? Many years ago,
my father, who was the president of a
regional bank in Maine, gave me and
my two brothers a laminated card that
I keep on my desk. The first line says,
"Business is an art, not a science."
Below that, he's written several comments: "Know the rules of the game."
"Keep your eye on the ball." "Listen to
the little things." I could pick any one
of those phrases as the best advice
I've received. I look at that card every
day to remind myself of the values my
dad instilled in me, so I always try to
do my best.

Condo Media - May 2017

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