Key takeaways
What Maria has learned building a condo management firm
- Maria almost left the industry before founding New Concept Management in 2005. Three colleagues who saw her potential paid for her education and mentored her through the first steps.
- Clear policies and structure attract the right people and keep boundaries from being crossed, with boards and staff alike.
- Educating condo boards on their bylaws and the Condominium Property Act builds trust, better governance, and lower risk for everyone.
- To prevent burnout, New Concept keeps portfolios small, matches managers to boards after meeting them, and gives each manager an admin assistant.
- Alberta is short on licensed condo managers, so Maria started a recruitment committee that is working with job fairs, schools, and SAIT to bring new people into the field.
About the guest
MB
Maria Bartolotti
Broker and President, New Concept Management
Maria founded New Concept Management in Calgary in 2005. She holds the ACCI and FCCI designations, was named a Fellow of the Canadian Condominium Institute in 2014, and started the Alberta Condominium Management Recruitment Committee.
Episode summary
In this episode
Jared Sarbit talks with Maria Bartolotti, broker and president of New Concept Management, a Calgary condominium management company she founded in 2005.
Maria tells the story of nearly quitting the industry and the mentors who convinced her to start her own firm. She explains why her team puts education and fast communication at the centre of every board relationship, how she protects managers from burnout, and why she started a committee to address Alberta’s shortage of licensed condo managers.
For property managers, condo board members, and anyone considering a career in condo management.
Chapters
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:15Introducing Maria Bartolotti
- 1:47Almost leaving the industry
- 5:19Becoming a Fellow of the Canadian Condominium Institute
- 8:38Why she started her own company
- 11:20Structure, policies, and consistency
- 14:15Educating condo boards
- 18:10How New Concept communicates with boards
- 20:18Burnout and the juggler role
- 23:48How her team avoids burnout
- 25:56Alberta’s shortage of condo managers
- 29:48Recruiting the next generation
- 36:51Advice for aspiring property managers
Jump to a chapter (13)
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:15Introducing Maria Bartolotti
- 1:47Almost leaving the industry
- 5:19Becoming a Fellow of the Canadian Condominium Institute
- 8:38Why she started her own company
- 11:20Structure, policies, and consistency
- 14:15Educating condo boards
- 18:10How New Concept communicates with boards
- 20:18Burnout and the juggler role
- 23:48How her team avoids burnout
- 25:56Alberta’s shortage of condo managers
- 29:48Recruiting the next generation
- 36:51Advice for aspiring property managers
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
…they saw potential in me that I hadn’t even realized in myself.
Maria BartolottiPlay from 2:47
If you’re not educating your board, well then what are you doing?
Maria BartolottiPlay from 15:53
Never doubt your purpose or why you chose a career in condo management. Stay focused and truly believe in who you are and your skill set and your ability to be able to lead.
Maria BartolottiPlay from 0:43
Want a cleaning partner your board can count on?
Picture Perfect Cleaning works with condo boards and property managers across Calgary and Edmonton. We’ll walk the property and send a written scope and price. Free, no obligation.
Read the conversation
Full episode transcript
Show transcript
Paste the edited transcript here.
FAQ
Condo management career questions
Why is there a shortage of condo managers in Alberta?
Many experienced managers are nearing retirement, and not enough new people are getting licensed to replace them. Maria Bartolotti says Alberta had about 632 licensed condo managers as of October 1, 2025, the lowest number to date, while multi-family construction keeps growing.
Why should condo managers educate their boards?
Boards that understand their bylaws and the Condominium Property Act make better decisions, pass rules more easily, and earn more trust from owners. Maria says it also builds a stronger partnership between the board and the management company.
How can condo management companies prevent burnout?
At New Concept Management, managers carry smaller portfolios, are matched to boards that suit them, and each have an admin assistant. The team also runs lunch and learns and keeps an open door policy.
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