Productive, open, and valuable communication is the secret to any strong community, and it’s no different when it comes to Homeowners Associations. Communication between the board and residents is crucial to a good relationship between both parties. Here are our 8 easy tips to improve you HOA communication. 

Transparency is key

We understand that not everything can be made public but the HOA must try to make their processes as transparent as they can. This means being clear about your decision-making process, and handling of elections. 

Residents need to understand the reasons behind the decisions the board makes. This helps them to understand new rules and to adjust to any changes. If the board is transparent, it helps to engage residents and encourages participation. It’s a crucial part of creating a community environment where everyone feels welcome and listened to. 

Have your own Community Website

Having a well-designed and functional HOA website can be a game-changer when it comes to communication. A good website is easy to navigate and it quickly provides all relevant information for residents. It becomes a communication hub where members can find different social media channels, community services, newsletters, and contact information.  

On your website, functionality is key. So all content that you add must provide value. Create downloadable forms, keep meeting minutes and newsletters up-to-date and always seek feedback on what you should add and improve.   

Get communication software

If you want to do better than a website, you can sign up for communication software for HOAs. This is better than a website because it’s a private space for HOA members and provides more options for you to get in touch with residents.

You can send emails to the whole HOA, or individual residents, as well as being able to send private messages. You can also manage amenities, maintenance requests, and store documents securely in one place.

All of these features are available in one single software, rather than having different tools for everything. This saves you time and money, by making the board more efficient.

Be available offline

Showing and being easy to reach is a big step forward to improving your HOA communication. Both board and committee members should make themselves available as much as they can so that homeowners can be heard. Having organized, regular meetings where all those concerns are addressed improves the communication flow in your HOA. 

All board members and staff should be easy to get hold of. This way homeowners and residents will feel more comfortable opening up to them and communicating their ideas, suggestions, and feedback. 

Make sure everyone knows when and where the meetings are going to take place, invite and encourage everybody to join, to speak up, and present any ideas and complaints they may have. You can hold board meetings online to increase numbers.

Provide Training

Remember that the people living inside your community probably vary in age, they may be from different cultures, and this may be the first time living in an HOA. There will always be the chance someone will struggle to understand certain documents, especially if they are technical or complex such as the CC&Rs or any important financial or legal documents such as budget reports. So, offering training and support to anyone who needs it is always a good idea. 

There are lots of ways you could do classes. Your community may choose to create short walkthrough videos. You could have a specific meeting once a quarter or so dedicated to just training. However your HOA chooses to do them, the idea is to make sure training is available to anyone who wants it. This will make them feel part of the community and empower them to be more active in your community. 

Stay on point

Every time a board member, or property manager creates a new document, make sure that it doesn’t get off-topic. Focus on the main idea of each document, it needs to be clear and easy to read. You can ask yourself: What are we communicating? Why is this important? Who does it affect? 

If the document deals with complicated topics, like the reserve fund, or project and accounting reports you should add subsections. This would make searching for information easier, and make the topic more understandable.

Always be professional

It’s easy for board members to forget the formal boundaries of their elected positions. Everyone who approaches you should be dealt with in an unbiased way. In order to maintain clear, unbiased communication it’s important to always be professional and positive when communicating with homeowners. If residents feel that some people are being treated better than others, they will get upset and this diminishes the board’s authority. 

Being professional also means staying calm when dealing with stressful situations or difficult people. It involves patience and self-control and it’s important for you to remember that behind each difficult situation there’s a real worry, so try to be empathetic.

Don’t be afraid of feedback

In each meeting, residents should have time to ask any questions they might have. It’s important that they feel comfortable enough to participate with questions and feedback so everyone is on the same page. Even if they participate with negative feedback, don’t take it personally. They’re just trying to express some frustration, and you should breathe and answer calmly.

Feedback provides you with the knowledge of your weak spots, and you can actively learn how to build over them and improve as a community.

Conclusion

Communicating with your HOA as a whole can be challenging. However, it’s one of the most important parts of being a board member. We hope these tips help you have more open communication with residents online, in meetings, and when they come up to you with questions.