"I only hear from our building manager when something's gone wrong."
Sound familiar? You're not alone. It's the most common complaint I hear from committee members about their current management arrangements.
The phone rings, and your first thought is: what now? An email lands from your building manager, and you brace yourself for bad news. Every contact feels like a crisis, because that's the only time contact happens.
But it doesn't have to be this way. Good communication isn't just about responding to problems — it's about keeping you informed so you're never caught off guard. It's the difference between being managed and being looked after.
Let's be honest about what passes for normal in this industry:
Something breaks. The building manager calls or emails. You deal with it. Silence until the next problem. This is the default mode for most buildings — communication happens when it has to, not because anyone planned for it.
You send an email with a question. Days pass. You follow up. More days. Eventually you get a reply, or you give up and assume it's been handled. Maybe it has. Maybe it hasn't. You're left guessing.
The AGM comes around and you get a summary of what happened over the past year. Or maybe you don't even get that — just an invoice for services rendered and no real insight into what those services actually involved.
Is our fire safety compliant? When was the lift last serviced? Are the contractors insured? What's happening with that leak in the basement? You don't know because no one's telling you. You assume no news is good news — and sometimes you're wrong.
If this sounds like your experience, you've been conditioned to accept a low standard. It doesn't have to be this way.
Here's what you should actually expect from a building manager who takes communication seriously:
A short, regular update every week. What was done. What's coming up. Any issues worth knowing about. It doesn't need to be long — a few bullet points is fine. The point is rhythm. You hear from your building manager every week, not just when there's a crisis.
"Nothing significant to report" is actually valuable information. It means things are running smoothly. It means someone checked. It means you can relax.
When you send an email, you should know when to expect a reply. Not "eventually" — within a defined timeframe. A good building manager commits to responding within 24 hours, even if that response is "I'm looking into it and will have an answer by Thursday."
Acknowledgement matters. It tells you your message was received, it's being handled, and you're not being ignored.
Once a month, a proper report. Not a novel — a structured summary that covers: work completed, contractor activity, compliance status, issues identified and resolved, budget tracking, and upcoming priorities.
This isn't bureaucracy. It's accountability. When your building manager reports monthly, they're demonstrating that they're actually managing — and giving you the information to verify it.
Every quarter, a bigger-picture conversation. How's the building tracking against the capital works plan? Are there any emerging issues the committee should be thinking about? What should be budgeted for next year?
This is where building management becomes strategic — looking ahead, not just keeping up.
The best building managers tell you about problems before they become emergencies. "I noticed the pump is running hotter than usual — I've booked a technician to check it next week." That's proactive. That's protecting the building and protecting the committee from surprises.
If the only time you hear about equipment is when it's failed, you've got a reactive manager.
Good communication shouldn't be a pleasant surprise — it should be contractual. Here's how to make it happen:
Your building management contract should specify communication standards: response times, reporting frequency, report contents. If it doesn't, you've got no basis for holding anyone accountable.
Before signing any management agreement, ask what communication commitments are included. If they can't answer clearly, that tells you something.
When communication lapses — and occasionally it will — address it directly. "We agreed to weekly updates and we haven't received one in three weeks. Can we get back on track?" Most good managers will appreciate the feedback and correct course.
If the pattern continues despite being raised, that's a bigger issue.
Poor communication is often a symptom, not the disease. A building manager who isn't communicating might be overworked (too many buildings in their portfolio), disorganised (no systems for tracking and reporting), or simply not doing the work.
If you can't get regular, reliable communication from your building manager, ask yourself: if they're not telling me what they're doing, how confident am I that they're actually doing it?
At its core, good communication is respect. It's your building manager saying: I know your time matters. I know you're volunteers. I know you shouldn't have to chase me for information.
When communication is working, committee meetings get shorter. Decisions get easier. Stress levels drop. You stop dreading the phone call from the building because most of the calls are updates, not emergencies.
That's what good management feels like. Not silence punctuated by crises — consistent, proactive communication that keeps you informed and in control.
How does your building manager's communication measure up?
Take the free Building Management Scorecard to assess your current communication standards — and see what good looks like.
Dino Biordi
Founder & Managing Director, LUNA Management
25+ years in construction | NSW ABMA Independent Review Panel
A Building Manager oversees the safety, security and maintenance of designated properties and ensures that these properties comply with all applicable regulations. A Building Manager is also known as a Facilities Manager, Caretaker or Resident Manager. They are assisting the Owners Corporation with managing the common property, controlling the use of the common property by non-residents, arranging the maintenance and repair of common property.
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