Don’t run alone when running for your co-op or condo board

You bought an apartment in a co-op or condo, congratulations! After living there for a while, you start noticing “things” that you think would make the building an even better place to live. They may even increase your property value. When you're a shareholder in a cooperative or condominium, you want what's best for you and your home: great amenities, a stable financial future, and the right people overseeing its fate.

When you have a wish-list for your building and have decided to nominate yourself to your co-op or condo board, running as a group with a majority matters. Here’s why:

1. Nominating yourself as one board member means one vote. You might end up wasting time or getting caught up in the politics of consensus. If you are running because you think that installing bike storage in the building would improve your life, think twice before running alone. If the rest of the board members are like many New Yorkers who hate bikers with a passion, the likelihood that you will get your wish is minimal.

2. Long-tenured board members may be tired. They might have gone through being that one person with one vote without getting the things implemented that had originally made them volunteer. As a co-op and condo consultant, it is not uncommon that we see long-tenured board members who continue you to do things the way they have always been done.

3. New ideas often come from outsiders, those who are less familiar with how things “have always been done.” Those who do not accept the status quo. When you want to make changes or improvements in your building, you have to find out if running as a group would be more likely to get what you want. A diverse group of creative individuals can brainstorm, think outside the box, and bring new ideas to the table whereas one person alone might be shut down.

The process of nominating yourself or applying to be on your co-op or condo board is fairly simple. Running as a group takes more effort. It involves getting to know your neighbors, their likes and dismays about the building and finding likeminded people who are also ready to roll up their sleeves. It also involves getting to know your existing board members to find out what their thoughts are about the building, its systems, and who appears to be engaged and interested in a better future for your building.

We hope that you found this helpful.

For more resources on how to nominate yourself to your board as a group, grab a download of the first chapter of Tina Larsson’s book Living the High Life, How smart co-op and condo owners protect themselves and their investment. You can buy the paperback or Kindle on Amazon.