Co-op & Condo Consulting Services

Define what your board needs, send a request for proposals to a shortlist of firms with experience in similar buildings, interview the finalists, and check references. Compare communication, staffing, financial reporting, and Local Law knowledge, not just fee. A well-run search typically takes 70 to 90 days.

Boards should evaluate:

• Communication style and responsiveness

• Experience with buildings like theirs

• Staffing structure

• Financial reporting processes

• Local Law knowledge

• Fit with the building's culture

The Folson Group is independent and has no affiliations with property management companies. We organize the interviews, evaluate proposals, identify operational gaps, and help boards decide with confidence.

Follow here to continue: Change Property Management page

An owner's rep is an independent professional who represents only the board from planning through completion of a capital project, such as facade work, infrastructure upgrades, or a Local Law compliance project. The role covers vendor coordination, schedule and budget oversight, change order review, and communication with residents and other stakeholders.

Major projects involve engineers, architects, contractors, managing agents, and residents, each with different priorities. No one on that list is accountable to the board alone, which is the gap an owner's rep fills. The Folson Group provides this service with one interest: protecting the board's time, budget, and outcome.

Follow this link to continue: Manage Projects page

The biggest savings usually come from running the building more strategically, not from cutting services. Review vendor contracts, find utility waste, claim available rebates, and widen the bidding on capital projects, which is often where the largest savings are found.

Effective strategies include:

• Reviewing vendor contracts and pricing

• Improving preventive maintenance

• Pursuing rebates and incentives

• Evaluating management structures and workflows

• Negotiating capital project costs

Bid lists often come from firms the managing agent or engineer already works with. We bring smaller firms with lower overhead into the process to bid the same scope, and we help boards weigh the lowest qualified bid instead of defaulting to the middle option after the high and low are dropped. Many buildings overspend simply because no one has had time to audit how the building operates.

Follow here to continue: Conserve & Save page

Look for an independent consultant who understands both the operations and the governance of NYC residential buildings, has no financial ties to vendors or property managers, and can show results in cost reduction, capital projects, and compliance. Ask how they are paid and whether any affiliations could influence their recommendations.

A strong consultant can:

• Improve operational efficiency and reduce unnecessary expenses

• Navigate Local Laws and compliance requirements

• Evaluate vendors and contracts

• Support project planning

• Save volunteer board members time

The Folson Group is not a property management company. We are independent consultants who work alongside your managing agent, and we have served NYC boards since 2014. We work with co-op and condo boards across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Westchester.

Follow this link to read more: About page

Local Law 97 sets annual greenhouse gas emissions limits for most NYC buildings over 25,000 square feet. Buildings that exceed their limit pay a penalty for each ton of excess emissions, and the limits tighten in 2030. Boards should benchmark their building's emissions first, then plan upgrades well ahead of each deadline.

Common first steps:

• Upgrade outdated lighting and controls

• Cut excessive common area energy use

• Claim utility rebates and incentives

• Plan aging building systems for replacement

The Folson Group is an NYC Accelerator Service Provider and helps boards balance savings, resident comfort, and long-term capital planning.

Follow this link to continue: Conserve & Save page

Clarify board roles, run meetings from a consistent agenda, document decisions and procedures, and track follow-through on every project. These habits reduce burnout and decision fatigue and help the board meet its fiduciary duties to shareholders and unit owners.

Most volunteer board members were never trained to run a residential corporation. Practical systems help, including:

• Clear roles and responsibilities

• Decision-making frameworks

• Organized policies and communication workflows

• Project tracking that prevents repeated chasing for information

Follow this link to continue: Folson Board Academy