Key takeaways
How Equium runs condos like commercial buildings
- Maintain equipment the commercial way. The same chiller lasts its full life cycle in an office tower and fails early in a condo. Nawaz says the only difference is how it is maintained.
- Give every board a team, not one manager. Each Equium board works with an operations-focused person and a people-focused person, so no single relationship can derail the building.
- Move money into preventive maintenance. Reallocating existing spending to preventive work compounds over time. On one 400-unit building, Equium showed a $2 million swing in operations.
- Automate the repetitive requests. Elevator bookings, document requests, and fob orders can be handled by links and automation, freeing staff for strategic work.
- Show up willing to do any job. Nawaz has worked every role in his office and once mopped an elevator himself. Effort is the one factor you control.
About the guest
ND
Nawaz Damji
Founder and CEO, Equium Group
Nawaz founded Equium Group in Calgary in 2011. He started in commercial real estate in 2005 through Oxford Properties’ graduate program, managing some of downtown Calgary’s best-known towers, before buying his own rentals and building a management company. Equium now manages about 14,000 doors and 1.5 million square feet of commercial space.
Episode summary
In this episode
Nawaz Damji came into real estate through a graduate program at Oxford Properties that hired business grads and trained them in commercial management. Eight years there gave him experience on major Calgary towers before he began buying rentals and, eventually, managing buildings for others.
He explains how Equium kept its culture as it grew from five people to more than 100, and why the company sees itself as a people business. He also walks through the commercial practices Equium brought to condos, from in-house operations staff to preventive maintenance budgets that lower insurance and utility costs over time.
Nawaz shares how Equium uses technology and automation, the toughest buildings it has taken on, and what he looks for in a cleaning partner. He closes with the books that shaped how he runs his life and business.
Chapters
- 0:00Work ethic and success
- 1:11Founding and growth of Equium
- 5:56Building an award-winning culture
- 10:33Scaling and market strategy
- 14:24What drives him
- 20:54Operational strategies in condos
- 29:15Technology and automation
- 34:45Leadership advice for managers
- 41:28Solving challenging buildings
- 48:18What Equium looks for in cleaning companies
- 50:26Iconic buildings
- 54:40Book recommendations
Jump to a chapter (12)
- 0:00Work ethic and success
- 1:11Founding and growth of Equium
- 5:56Building an award-winning culture
- 10:33Scaling and market strategy
- 14:24What drives him
- 20:54Operational strategies in condos
- 29:15Technology and automation
- 34:45Leadership advice for managers
- 41:28Solving challenging buildings
- 48:18What Equium looks for in cleaning companies
- 50:26Iconic buildings
- 54:40Book recommendations
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
The more work you put in the more you’re ready to take on any challenge that’s when luck kind of falls your way…
Nawaz DamjiPlay from 0:54
The more we get into this business more we realize we are a people company…
Nawaz DamjiPlay from 10:18
Having people with an operations background in the industry and having people with… a business education background that’s how you can properly manage asset…
Nawaz DamjiPlay from 7:10
Looking for a cleaning partner that manages its people well?
We’ll walk your building with you and send a written cleaning scope and price. Free, no obligation.
Read the conversation
Full episode transcript
Show transcript
Paste the edited transcript here.
FAQ
Questions about this episode
How is Equium different from other condo management companies?
Equium runs condos with a commercial real estate approach. Its senior team comes from commercial, and in-house operations staff support every manager, so boards get both technical and people expertise.
What does Nawaz look for in a cleaning company?
He looks for companies that understand the people side of the business. In his view, if a cleaning company manages its people well, it will have no problem cleaning the building.
What books does Nawaz recommend?
He goes back to the classics, starting with Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, which his parents gave him when he was young, along with Napoleon Hill’s work and Good to Great.
More episodes from the podcast
Adam Ludgate of Cirkuit: How Smart Sensors Are Changing Building Operations
Adam Ludgate of Cirkuit explains how wireless sensors catch water leaks within minutes, why insurers are starting to pay attention, and where older buildings should start.
Marty Connelly: 45 Years of Family, Integrity & Condo Management Leadership
Marty Connelly shares what 45 years of family-run condo management in Calgary taught him about responsiveness, hiring, and keeping a personal touch across 100+ properties.
Maria Bartolotti: Resilience, Leadership & Building One of Calgary’s Leading Condo Management Firms
Maria Bartolotti of New Concept Management on nearly leaving the industry, educating condo boards, preventing burnout, and recruiting Alberta’s next condo managers.