Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Salcedo, CAM
Year Founded: 2019 Known for: Managerial and financial services to Community Association, Private Estates, and Income properties Amidst Pandemic Boutique Management Company sees 500% growth! The impact that COVID-19 had in the property management world was monumental in so many ways. As an industry often cited as being behind the technological curve, property and community association managers were thrust into a pandemic work life that revolved around intuitive technology and remote work capability. For many, that was a heavy burden to suddenly bear. Not so for Lux Management Services. Like many community association managers, Nicole Salcedo, CAM, CEO of Lux Management Services, started her career slightly adjacent to the Community Association Management (CAM) industry. From her project management jobs in college to CAM management today, Nicole found a commonality throughout her work that kept her driven: organization and process management. “I ended up always being in charge of the processes and organization of tasks and teams anywhere I worked at,” she said. “When I got exposed to the property management world, I saw that property management companies lacked that, and boards, too.” While working as an assistant property manager, Nicole had grand ideas of how to better support homeowners and board members through innovative communications technology, all the while easing the workload of property managers. However, she found that she consistently hit the same dangerous resistance: “that’s just not how we do things in this industry.” Disappointed with that feedback, Nicole set out to forge her own path – one that prioritized transparency between managers and board members, and provided the right kind of communication to everyone.
In late 2019, after two years of effort, Lux Management Services officially came into being and began working with CINC Systems. With a team composed almost entirely of millennials, Lux intended to introduce a new appreciation for automated technological services to the property management industry. Remote work was a major component of the management style Lux hoped to provide from the beginning. When the pandemic went into full swing, that luxury became a vital necessity. Almost overnight, there became a vital need for online, real- time access to information and managers. Sustainability of that communication would prove to be crucial. As the lockdowns and distancing orders persisted, it became apparent that a quick fix wouldn’t be sufficient. Managers and board members needed a solution that would be easy to use and maintain both during an ongoing emergency situation, and during times of normalcy. By giving homeowners easy, real-time access to their most valuable account information, managers at Lux spend only a fraction of the time other managers in the industry spend assisting homeowners with basic needs. Even board members have benefitted from the unhindered access. One of the first communities Lux signed saw a 65-minute decrease in meeting time after onboarding with Lux. “This is a customer service-driven industry. If we don’t get along for any reason, our end goal is not going to match,” she claimed. And nothing was more important than bringing a quality experience to her clients. With that in mind, Nicole made sure one of the core policies at Lux was a 30-day cancellation policy – something virtually unheard of in community association management. Everything that inspired Nicole to take the leap and start Lux Management Services can be summed up by a single word: harmony.
During her certification’s courses, that word is one that stuck out to her and drove her in the direction Lux is now heading. “I learned that one of the job duties of a community association manager is to ‘bring harmony to the community.’ That’s what I want to bring into communities,” she said excitedly. “Like, ‘Hey, I’m your manager. How can I be of service to you? What do you need?’” And while that should be the industry standard, it simply isn’t from what Nicole saw and heard in her time prior to Lux. The idea of harmony wasn’t just for those living in the community, though. Another way Nicole aimed to set Lux apart was by ensuring that same harmony for managers and staff. “I don’t want any of our staff to be jaded or miserable,” she said. Lux established, and met, a goal of keeping communities and managers properly rationed. “When I first started out, I was given ten properties – something I would never give to somebody who just completes their CAM license — because we don’t want any manager here being overworked and feeling overwhelmed.” Harmony comes from within, and Lux’s has proved that it can be provided with the right people on all sides, working together across an all-in-one platform that provides the latest technology with the smallest learning curve.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While working as an assistant property manager, Nicole had grand ideas of how to better support homeowners and board members through innovative communications technology, all the while easing the workload of property managers. However, she found that she consistently hit the same dangerous resistance: “that’s just not how we do things in this industry.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
“We are a full service, licensed property management company offering, Luxury Estate Management, Condominium/Homeowners Association & Income Property Management. You’ll get a full array of services with our company that a large corporation can offer along with a personalized feel and direct access to the managers. We guarantee that property management has never been so easy!”
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.luxmgmtservices.com
- Instagram: @luxmgmtservices
- Facebook: @luxmgmt
- Twitter: @luxmgmt
