Six Stats That Should Make Homeowner Association Board Members Proud

 

As a board member, you can measure your success in a lot of different ways. The projects you’ve completed, the financials you’ve strengthened, the long-term plans you’ve put in place – all of these are clear indicators that you’ve done your job, and you’ve done it well. But how do you know how your residents feel? After all, the safety and satisfaction of the people who call your community home are the main reasons the association exists in the first place. Yet sometimes it’s hard to get a firm grasp on whether residents feel like the hard work you’re doing has an impact on their lives.

Well, a national survey conducted in 2014 by Public Opinion Strategies and commissioned by the Foundation for Community Association Research revealed some important statistics that association board members will be happy to see. Here are a few of the highlights:
 

1. 64% of residents characterize their relationship with their association as “positive”, the highest rating provided within the framework of the study. 
2. 90% of residents believe board members are operating in the best interest of their community. This includes those who responded that these individuals were “absolutely” or “for the most part” operating with the best of intentions, which demonstrates a lot of faith and goodwill when it comes to their association board.
3. 83% indicate that they get along well with their closest neighbors. This is an important statistic, meaning that associations have done well in creating a sense of harmony amongst their residents. 
4. 92% report that they’re friendly with their board members. As a board member, you know the delicate balance you have to maintain between fostering friendships and ensuring compliance, but it appears that most of you are doing it really well! 
5. 88% of those residents who had direct interaction with their property manager rate it as a positive experience. This is important – property managers sometimes have the awkward task of enforcing rules or mediating conflict, and to navigate these tricky waters in a way that leaves residents feeling positive is a great achievement. 
6. 70% of residents indicate that the rules of the association enhance property values. This is a number that’s stayed pretty consistent since 2005, indicating that residents understand the basic need for an association. 

Board members are used to looking at the numbers. These figures tell an important story – one that indicates associations are making a positive impression with the most important people of all: their residents.

For more stats and insight, contact FirstService Residential, Florida’s leading community association management company.