HOA insurance products can offer homeowners’ associations a wide range of protections, but one thing they can’t do is offer an independent HOA manager evaluation. If you insure HOAs, your clients may have questions about how to gauge their manager’s performance and whether they have been fulfilling the goals set out by the HOA board. Though goals may vary, there are several key traits and approaches all successful HOA managers tend to share.
Here are some of the questions you can ask your clients at your next meeting that could help in evaluating an HOA manager.
Do They Have Strong Communication Skills and Are They Generally Responsive?
Managers are in an important leadership position and have a responsibility to communicate essential updates to the community, so when evaluating an HOA manager, your clients may want to review communication performance first. For instance, is the manager generally responsive in email chains and important phone calls? How do they perform when leading board meetings or neighborhood town halls? Are they effective at expressing the actions of the board to residents?
How Is Their Relationship With Board Members and the Resident Community?
An important trait of all good HOA managers, beyond checking boxes for basic obligations, is whether they can form a strong connection with the community and behave professionally with other board members. If your clients’ manager has been working for the HOA for at least several months, they may want to consider the sorts of relationships the manager has been fostering with others. For instance, your clients could ask questions such as:
- How do they interact with other board members?
- Do they regularly talk with residents and other community members?
- Do they make a point of following up with employees, work contractors, and others?
Are They Fulfilling Contractual Obligations and Managing Budgeting Issues Well?
Finally, meeting all contractually specified obligations is an absolute must for any HOA manager. If your clients suspect their manager is in breach of contract, that fact alone could potentially be grounds for failing an evaluation. Even if the manager has been meeting essential obligations, whether they’ve been successful in their efforts and going above and beyond is another important consideration. Your clients may want to review any budget surpluses, deficits, and other financial issues to gauge whether the manager has performed well in overseeing the HOA’s finances.
Although extensive HOA insurance offers a lot of protections to homeowners’ associations, members still have to face the issue of evaluating the performance of their manager. As a homeowners’ association insurance agent, you can help guide your clients through the key steps of a thorough evaluation by prompting them with these questions at your next meeting.
About Kevin Davis Insurance Services
For over 35 years, Kevin Davis Insurance Services has built an impressive reputation as a strong wholesale broker offering insurance products for the community association industry. Our president Kevin Davis and his team take pride in offering committed services to the community association market and providing them with unparalleled access to high-quality coverage, competitive premiums, superior markets, and detailed customer service. To learn more about the coverage we offer, contact us toll-free at (855)-790-7393 to speak with one of our representatives.