If condo AGMs gave out awards, Communication would win Most Discussed, Least Invested every year.
Communication in condos is always a hot topic, and is quite often the #1 complaint at condo AGMs. Residents complain that they never know what’s going on, that the board lacks transparency, and then of course the rumour mill gets rolling into full swing.
A friend of mine told me that when he was a board member he of course knew everything that was going on in the building, from pending contract awards to time schedules for planned maintenance, but when he retired from the board and lived life as a regular resident, all he heard was…. crickets! (I admit as I write this mid-snowstorm that the idea of a warm summer night complete with the chirp of unseen insects is quite appealing, but it isn’t what you’d want in a condo communication scenario!)
The problem is, that after some (often heated) discussion and promises to do better, most condos revert back to doing the same old thing…
Albert Einstein had a comment for that kind of thing:
My own photos of various condo elevators and lobbies taken over the past 12 years can attest:
Oh dear.
Years ago, when I was on the CCI-Toronto board of directors, I suggested that every condo applying for the sought-after Condo of the Year award (COTY) ought to have an elevator screen (or news feed stream for towns) and a written communication strategy to even be considered for the prize.
Half a dozen years later, I still believe it was the right idea and I hear it echoed constantly by boards, managers, and residents alike. The most effective way to communicate in a condo is a screen paired with a strategy. That may sound self-serving, but it’s simply the reality: Digi-Notice is the only ad-free service built entirely around condo communication. I don’t claim we’re the best because there’s no competition; there’s no competition because no one else is actually focused on solving this problem.
It’s not because I’m the only one who cares; lots of people care. But because very few are willing to actually invest in communication as infrastructure, not an afterthought.
Communication is treated like a nice-to-have. Right up until a flood, a jammed chute, a garage burglary, a legal letter, or a very loud resident reminds everyone why it matters.
And yes, of course I’m going to say my way (Digi-Notice) is better. If I didn’t believe that, I’d be terrible at my job.
Good communication is about placing the right message where people already are, consistently, clearly, and without distractions… and that’s the elevator.
That means planned communication, not random notices. Series, (we call them campaigns) that residents actually recognize and learn from: insurance basics, safety and security, water use, garbage, bylaws, seasonal reminders of the stuff that prevents problems before they turn into complaints, costs, or monthly meeting headaches.
Most condo communication “solutions” aren’t designed to communicate. They’re designed to monetize eyeballs. (HINT: It doesn’t work; you can read more about that here) and that’s how important messages get buried under takeout or real estate ads. (Not to mention that constant reminders to sell runs contrary to community-building but that’s a topic for another day.
The irony? Many of the most expensive condo problems are also the most preventable. From missed insurance notices communicating higher deductibles to records requests to special assessments and misunderstood reserve fund top-ups, the news is full of stories that good communication might have prevented.
When all’s been said and done, the real issue isn’t that condos don’t want better communication, it’s that they keep trying to get better results without doing anything meaningfully different.
As the calendar turns and resolutions are being made, here’s a simple one for condo boards and managers: stop talking about communication and start funding it. You’ll soon see that it pays for itself.
Decide that this is the year your building stops half-doing something everyone agrees matters. Fewer surprises, fewer complaints, fewer “we should have told peoples”.
Avoid the “Reactive Condo Trap” and make 2026 the year condo communication actually works for you and your community!
One less legal letter? $900 One prevented chute jam? $600 One avoided false fire alarm? $1,500 An entire community, working together to cut costs and build community? PRICELESS.
If you’re looking to improve condo communication or want to explore how Digi-Notice can support your community, here are a few ways to get started:
Contact Digi-Notice to prepare your communication strategy today. Contact phil@digi-notice.com or sue@digi-notice.com
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