Christina Forbes joined FirstService Residential in 2009 as an on-site senior property manager. Her outstanding performance and high standard of excellence earned her a promotion to managing director in 2012 and to vice president in 2014, before achieving her current position as senior vice president in 2017.
Christina possesses over two decades of experience in asset and property management. Her forté is her analysis of a property and its management operations, and the ability to maximize service levels while identifying areas requiring expense control. As a senior vice president, Christina is focused on acquiring new business as part of the senior leadership team while also overseeing a division comprised of team leaders and portfolio property managers who manage co-ops and condos throughout New York City.
Tell us about your journey into property management.
Property management was not a field I was seeking over 20 years ago. After college, I moved to New York and found a job as an assistant to a team of project managers at a construction management company that specialized in building and renovating commercial buildings. After a few years, the company abruptly filed for Chapter 11. Since I had been working on a project for a real estate developer, I was hired along with the team to complete the job.
After that, I joined another construction management company on-site at The National Museum of the American Indian. As the project was winding down, I was contacted by one of the project managers of the firm I initially worked for. He was starting his own company and asked me to join.
I accepted the job—there were literally three of us to start. This is where I really sunk my teeth into project management, including estimating and learning to read architectural and engineering plans. We specialized in residential renovations and also did projects for hotels. I found the work interesting but was not ready to commit to project management as a career.
A friend recommended property management. At the time I didn’t even know what a co-op was never mind the difference between a co-op and a condo.
I accepted a position as an assistant property manager at Goodstein Management where I stayed for four years. Within two years I had a full portfolio of co-ops and condos. I then moved to Akam Associates as a portfolio manager.After three years, a position as an on-site manager for a large co-op became available. I jumped at the opportunity and worked in this position for another seven years.
After 10 years at the same company, I was looking for a firm with growth opportunity, so I interviewed with FirstService Residential (Cooper Square Realty at the time) and accepted a position as an on-site senior property manager. Currently I oversee one of our condo and co-op divisions comprised approximately 60 buildings with several team leaders, property managers and assistant property managers. I am also part of the sales team to bring in new business.
What do you like most about the industry?
Property management, at any level, is always challenging. What I enjoy most is the exposure to a multitude of experts and the ability to be involved in new projects. We deal with engineering, architecture, finance, legal, insurance, compliance… the list goes on. In any given week, we could be handling anything from large capital improvements to Local Law 11 to hallway renovations, then spending hours with a client deciding on the best floral arrangement for a building’s lobby. No detail is too small, and the same attention and focus is given to every project we handle.
What do you like most about your current job?
In my position, I am a resource for support. Mentoring, for me, provides the most satisfaction. When I can guide an associate through a difficult situation, I feel rewarded. I think we have a responsibility, in any field, to share our institutional knowledge and help bring up the next generation of industry experts.
Christina Forbes
Senior Vice President, Property Management
FirstService Residential
622 Third Ave. New York, NY 10017
Tel 212.324.9091
christina.forbes@fsresidential.com
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