Testimonials

Glebe Gardens

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Transparent FM is a vast improvement on the previous Manager who was unresponsive, inaccessible and unhelpful. Michael is responsive, efficient and friendly. He has initated a number of significant improvements around the complex and also in our ability to communicate – both with him, and with our strata community generally. I feel as though the complex is being actively managed and maintained and I appreciate the efforts of our Building Manager. I know queries and requests will be actioned.

Glebe Gardens Resident

Owners Corporations Testimonials

Transparent FM was contracted to deliver building management services for Glebe Gardens in September 2014.

Glebe Gardens has 103 units – a mix of townhouses and apartments. There is an internal courtyard comprising a 25 metre pool and maintained gardens, as well as an underground car park and a gym. The building construction was completed in 1998.

Michael Baird, Principal of Transparent FM, has diligently undertaken the role of building manager. His commitment to the Owners Corporation to maintain the building in good working order is a principal focus.

Transparent FM’s 24/7 service culture is exemplified in late night call outs and an excellent appreciation of Owners Corporation versus individual owner responsibility.

Michael introduced BuildingLink for the complex which has been a valuable database for storage of documents and a communication tool for corresponding with owners and residents.

Michael considers the communication needs of owners in undertaking complex wide improvements, is responsive to requests and expedites actions very appropriately.

Michael has a very straightforward manner and carries out activities with integrity and honesty. He is extremely autonomous, but appreciates when and what requires others input.

Glebe Gardens values Michael’s satisfaction in others knowing the complex is one for which he is the building manager.

EC member Glebe Gardens

Hereford Court

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Owners Corporations Testimonials

Having purchased my apartment at 51 Hereford Street, Glebe in November 2014, I have had the opportunity to work with Michael Baird and more recently Merinda White for close to 9 years and for 6 years as Treasurer of Hereford Court Owners Corporation.

Merinda White has proven herself as pro-active and efficient. Her daily dealings with Strata Committee members who are often unacquainted with the legislative structure, the practical aspects of building maintenance and owner liaison, are carried out professionally, reliably and in a timely manner. Merinda is a capable system administrator of our BuildingLink database, through which she monitors and informs newly arrived tenants and owners of their responsibilities under the by-laws.

Inevitably with a building of our size and age, emergencies arise out of hours with Merinda and Michael invariable available to action a response. In short, they are reliable.

Thomas Row (Treasurer)

As Secretary of the Strata Committee for SP 56640, Hereford Court, Glebe, I write in
strong recommendation of the building management company Transparent FM who
have been managing this apartment block of 90 units for the last 4 years.

The transformation that Transparent FM’s management approach has brought to the
smooth running of this building (after several years of highly problematic management
from a range of companies) has been beyond compare.

Director, Michael Baird is dedicated to giving good service and resident satisfaction. His
management style is not office-bound, it is hands-on, pro-active, well-informed problem solving.
Shortly after taking over this building, Transparent FM solved a water penetration
issue that had been troubling the building for years.

Another priority for this company has been seeking ways to save the Owners
Corporation money, from effectively installing all necessary energy saving fittings (which
has considerably reduced our energy consumption) to recommending and overseeing
the transferal of our laundry machines from rental to Strata ownership. This has turned
what was formerly a very unsuccessful arrangement, into an income stream for the OC.

Director Michael Baird, takes great pride in his company. He thrives on addressing
owners’ and residents’ concerns alike, and is a highly responsive point of contact. We
cannot recommend this company too highly.

Barbara Kearns - Secretary Hereford Court

We chose Transparent FM to manage our block of 90 apartments in Glebe because
they are just as the name suggests: Transparent. No hidden agendas, just
absolutely straight down the line, honest operators, dedicated to getting optimum
results for an OC. Such an ethos is very rare in an industry that tends to see Owners
Corporations as cash cows.

On top of that Director Michael Baird’s experience, dedication and enthusiasm are
beyond compare. He is ‘the best Building Manager in Sydney’ we had heard people
say before we took him on, and we are happy to add our voice to that chorus.

What makes Transparent FM so special? Michael Baird loves his job, and loves to
excel at his job. He does not need to be told anything twice – he is ahead of you in
whatever needs doing. Shortly after taking over this building, Michael solved a water penetration issue for us that had been troubling the building for years.

He is a dedicated and proactive manager who not only plans the building’s
necessary future works, but also looks for ways to save money for the Owners
Corporation through more effective management of the building’s facilities. He also
gets on very well with the residents. He thrives on addressing owners’ and residents’
concerns alike, and is an excellent point of contact for everyone.

BuildingLink, the building management software programme he has introduced, has
made storing documents and keeping track of decisions so much more
transparent too. All works, past or present, can now be monitored by Executive
Committee members at any time. All communication between stakeholders in this
building, from residents to EC members to non-resident owners, has been invested
with new life by this system.

Michael is a fantastic asset to the building. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Executive Committee Member, Hereford Court, Glebe

I have known Michael for a period of approximately four years, as the Treasurer of the Executive Committee of 51 Hereford St, Glebe.

During this time I have found Michael to be a very hard working professional. His passion for what he does is what separates him from his peers.

Michael has always found the time to discuss any issues or recommendations relating to the building. As an owner I am delighted at the work he has overseen during my time, transforming the building into a quality place of residence.

Treasurer of 51 Hereford St Glebe

Herbert Towers

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Good Day,My Building Manager,Irmina Licharska,is a very pleasant and professional person.She is proactive and willing to go the extra mile in order to assist me with any issues that I may have. Irmina has a positive attitude and the ability to listen in an empathetic manner. She is always able to come up with a solution first, before engaging the tradesmen. In summary, I am very satisfied with Irmina,she listens and gets the job done efficiently. Keep up the good work Irmina!

Herbert Towers Resident

It is first time to deal with Irmina personally since I moved from tower A to tower B. I truly appreciate all her help, support and speed in attending all matters. She is very professional and keen to help by all means. She is very responsive; with matters that seem hard to fix, she seeks second opinion. I’ve been in this building for 11 years and haven’t seen someone in her dedication for such a long time. Not to mention she is very welcoming and always greets you with a beautiful smile.

Herbert Towers Resident

Owners Corporations Testimonials

By way of background, completed in 1996, Herbert Towers is a single strata plan comprising of 156
residential units split across two separate buildings, with shared facilities including gym, pool, spa,
sauna, visitor parking, rented reserved parking.

In terms of central infrastructure we have CO2 monitoring, 4 lifts (13 floor stops), MDF, Fire
Systems, Security access systems, Booster Pumps, Heating/Boilers, gardens and BBQ facilities
amongst other common property which comes under the responsibility of the Building Manager.
The Building Manager is also responsible for the daily monitoring of work carried out by the 3rd
party outsourced cleaning team.

TFM has provided Building Management services to Herbert Towers since 2016.

When TFM first came onboard at Herbert Towers, it was on the basis of providing us with a Part Time on‐site Building Manager and 24/7 emergency out of hours support. The contract with TFM was expanded into a Full Time on‐site Building Manager role as we could see the benefit TFM brought to the management of our building and their ability to work with contractors to get efficiencies in terms of timing and costs, and with residents in terms of clear timely and proactive communication.

Michael and therefore by extension TFM and the team of Building Managers are a highly professional and process driven.

TFM have implemented a comprehensive Preventative Maintenance Plan, Daily inspections, and resident reporting procedures. TFM was instrumental in the introduction of our Building Management System (Building Link), which has given us the ability to better control spend, spot trends, and maintain visibility on the maintenance issues to resolve and planned works ahead.

As a Strata Committee, we receive monthly Building Management reports, and also have access to a mobile app which gives us access to minute‐by‐minute Building Manager shift notes, visibility on all work orders including pictures, quotes, invoices, and progress updates.

Initially TFM worked with our existing contractors, to ensure continuity of service, and TFM had worked with many of those contractors in previous buildings.

Over time, TFM have made recommendations to the Strata Committee regarding alternative
contractors for our consideration where TFMs industry experience led them to believe we were not getting either best service or best value for money. The knowledge TFM is able to bring to our building in terms of potential suppliers from their experiences in other buildings around Sydney over many years has been invaluable, and it is only with TFMs help that we have been able to build a network of regular contractors who we currently feel are working in our best interest.

The relationship the Strata Committee have with TFM is a close one. We consider them an integral part of the team. They collaborate with us fully in a way that previous Building Management has not. Building Management is actively involved in Strata Committee Meetings, Projects, Major Works and the annual Budgeting process.

TFM were instrumental in assisting the building navigate the COVID lock downs in terms of
providing timely communication and monitoring of resident compliance during what was a
challenging period for all concerned. This also required the careful management of contractors and guests to the building. TFM is proactive in terms of responding to committee requests and actively monitors and deals with resident by‐law infringements.

Since TFM took over, by using effective resident communication, we have had no issues with
residents parking in visitor spaces (a common issue in strata’s), our reserved parking spaces are rented out out at +90% occupancy which brings valuable income into the SC Admin Budget, and our last AFSS inspection had 100% residential compliance for unit inspections without any revisits being required.
In addition, residents receive timely communication on potential noise disruptions in relation to renovations and building works, and scheduled works such as pest control etc via both email, emergency text message broadcast and lobby display screens.

I hope the information above gives you a ‘flavour’ of what it is like having TFM as Building
Managers, and I am happy to answer any further questions you may have.

Keith Reay (Chairperson)

In early 2016 Michael Baird and Transparent FM were recommend to us, whilst we were considering options at Herbert Towers to change building management companies. In the end we met with five different companies (and spoke to many more) but it was obvious from the start that Michael was not only the most knowledgeable but also the most passionate of all the people we met with.

A couple of months later the Strata Committee agreed unanimously to recommend TFM to our Owners Corporation as our new Building Management company, and an EGM was held soon after to confirm this. Michael also assisted us at this time to find a replacement cleaning company (he does not himself offer this service), who we have been very happy with.

Our complex was built just over 20 years ago and comprises 156 apartments in two towers, as well as pool, gym, spa and garden areas. Michael suggested one of his onsite building managers to work at our complex, four to five hours a day, five days a week, plus himself personally on call for emergencies outside of this time, as appropriate for our complex. We took this advice and have since had an excellent onsite building manager, who has a deep understanding of our complex and a friendly relationship with our residents. In the first few month of TFM taking over, the workload was significantly higher than the expected 20 to 25 hours a week, largely due to the state the previous building manager had left the complex in, but Michael and his team preserved, working well beyond the agreed hours and got the complex turned around, without asking for extra money.

One of the keys to Michael and Transparent FMs success is the focus they have on putting good systems and processes in place from day one. We immediately implemented a cloud based residential building management system recommended by TFM, which now tracks all issues, work orders, resident details etc. This allows residents to easily request access to facilities or resources, as well as being able to report any issues in their apartment in a clearly defined manner, and then track the progress to resolution.

Michael and his staff were able to introduce us to a variety of specialist contractors in areas such as plumbing, ventilation, tiling, lighting, security and access control, construction, pumps, maintenance, cleaning etc that they are using in their other buildings. After being initially apprehensive in some cases, we have since found that each one of them put forward was far superior to the incumbent we had prior to TFM starting with us.

I can confidently say that we are saving at least 25% on works such as plumbing, electrical, ventilation etc vs the previous contractors, on the same type of works, and more importantly the quality of the work is substantially better. All faults reported by residents are normally checked by our onsite building manager, prior to any work order being issued. Much of the work done on site is supervised by the building manager, and then checked after to verify that it is completed neatly and professionally. These types of checks ensure that unnecessary work is not being done, and if the work is not done to expectations, it can be rectified quickly.

As well as the onsite building manager, Michael provides phone and email after hours emergency support to our residents. As a Strata Committee member I have been able to contact him and talk with him at length to get advice on not just building works etc but also resident issues. While our onsite building manager is a knowledgeable professional building manger, when she is unsure of something she has Michael and his depth of knowledge to back her up. Michael’s passion and dedication rubs off on all his staff and it is not uncommon for me to receive an email or a phone call outside of hours or on Sunday from our onsite building manager as she has an idea or suggestion for improvement that she wants to discuss.

The passion and knowledge exhibited by Michael and his team has been complimented by numerous residents who have told myself and other committee members how happy they are that TFM now looks after Herbert Towers.

I am very happy to recommend Michael and Transparent FM to other complexes looking for building management services.

Richard Hamilton - SP51339 Herbert Towers, St Leonards

Palermo

Owners / Residents Testimonials

It would be helpful to have some way of knowing whether Keni is in the office if we need to see him or pick up a parcel. Perhaps if there was like an ‘in/out’ sign here in Building Link, so we could see when he was in. As a professional who works full-time, that would make my life so much easier. Also maybe a buzzer/intercom from our doors to Building Management, for first-time parcel deliveries or similar queries. We have the notice on the door but people get lost and have no mobile coverage!

Palermo Resident

Owners Corporations Testimonials

TransparentFM has been our facility manager since 2012.

Our 245 residential lot complex has never looked back since TransparentFM’s appointment and,
without reservation, I can recommend them as Facility/Building Managers.

TransparentFM have always provided us with a high level of professional and consistent service.
Staff are professional, courteous and always exceed expectations.

TransparentFM staff, led by Michael Baird, are not just ordinary facility/building managers. They adopt best practice and make efficient use of technology to save time and money and to ensure nothing gets forgotten. Staff are environmentally aware and understand that proper maintenance keeps a building looking good, feeling good, maintains property values and fosters a sense of ‘home’ for all who live here.

In a recent survey of residents, building management were highly commended for continously
striving to keep the wheels of Palermo well-oiled and for never being too far away when needed – even when ‘off-duty’!

Pamela Dilworth - Secretary Executive Committee of Palermo

Regent Apartments

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Owners Corporations Testimonials

I have been dabbling in investment properties (Australia wide) for many years, and without hesitation I can say that TFM are the best. Michael is dedicated to his business as you would expect, but his knack for picking really great employees is a gift. We have had two amazing Building Managers over the last 6 years and could not be happier with their performance. Our current BM even comes to strata meetings on his day off!! He is always well prepared with photographic documentation, to show us & discuss what has been happening in the building.

In general, the day to running of the building is taken care of and we (the committee) don’t have to worry. Specifically, other issues we are dealing with, or have dealt with recently, include………..

Proposed sale of the building

A fire order

Major plumbing issues

Refurbishment of carpet, tiles, exterior lighting and paintwork throughout

Spalling hazards on the outside of building

Installation of a new lift & intercom system

In amongst the above list we changed strata companies 2 years ago, and Adrian has just seamlessly made the transition, dealing with new, very disorganised strata managers, in his usual calm, non-judgemental and helpful manner.

When we need advice on issues (such as choosing a new strata managing agent or lift purchases) we are very comfortable talking with Michael, who has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the industry. For someone that I know is very busy, he is so helpful and supportive and very well priced in the market.

In a nutshell, choosing TFM will be the best decision you have ever made regarding Building Management in Sydney.

Vicki Burden (Secretary)

I have known Michael Baird over a number of years.

Firstly when he was an employee of a company that was Building Manager for Hereford Court, and he was on-site manager. We have a studio in that building.

Then when his company gained the contract for Hereford Court.

Then when his company gained the contract as Building Manager for The Regent, in which I have a studio, and am the Secretary/Treasurer.

His company had the contract for Glebe Gardens when my son and his family resided there.

I have found him to be a “can do” and “will do” person, who executes his responsibilities in a reliable and consistent manner. He employs competent staff.

I have no problem in recommending him and his company as a Building Manager.

Morrison Hammond - Secretary The Regent

Strata Managers Testimonials

I am writing this letter to wholeheartedly recommend Transparent FM for their exceptional services in managing and maintaining buildings.

Having had the privilege of working with Transparent FM for some time now, I can attest to their sincere dedication to providing genuine care and professionalism to their clients. Their team of experts is well-equipped to handle any building management issues and always goes above and beyond to ensure that their clients’ needs are met in the most efficient and effective way possible.

What sets Transparent FM apart from other management companies is their commitment to personalized service. They are passionate about each client’s unique needs and tailor their services accordingly. This approach ensures that their clients receive the highest level of service and care.

Furthermore, their proactive approach to building maintenance and management has helped to prevent many problems before they become major issues. This approach saves clients both time and money and ensures that their buildings are always in excellent condition.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Transparent FM for their exceptional services, genuine care, and professionalism. They are truly an asset to any building they manage, and I have no doubt that they will continue to excel in their field.

Tets (Tetsuo) YamagishiClass I Licensed Senior Strata Manager with Dependable Strata

Michael is a great building manager who takes a lot of pride in his works and brought Hereford Court up to scratch keeping it in a smooth operating state. We have been most impressed by the standard of professionalism demonstrated in their commitment to providing a great service to their client(s).

Michael organised a purchase by the owners corporation of new washing machines becoming the property of the owners corporation which have almost paid themselves off in a matter of 6 months.

Once paid off the rest of the profits will go to the owners corporation helping the levies reduce and contribute to the maintenance of the property and up keep of the washing machines and dryers.

The replacement was for leased washing machines and dryers where the owners corporation was profiting at a minimal.

Michael has also organised the replacement of BBQ’s to coin operated BBQ’s which will help with the maintenance of the BBQ’S and will definitely improve cash flow.

We are happy to recommend their services to anyone considering appointing TFM as caretaker/building manager.

Aleksandar Vurmeski - Strata Manager

I have known Michael for more than 8 years, in a working capacity, and as a building manager. My dealings with Michael have been across several complexes throughout Sydney, both through medium and large multi-layered sites.

Michael is a true professional in his approach in everything he does. His involvement in a number of complexes I have personally been involved in, has result in efficiencies and streamlined processes which resulted in cost savings and greater economies of scale.

Michael wears his heart on his sleeve, and takes a personal approach to his management dealings as well as great pride and empathy, in his involvement with the Owners Corporation, Executive Committee and Owners/Tenants.

I have no hesitation in recommending Michael to any prospective Owners Corporation that is after professional hands on Building Manager.

Service Category: Building Manager
Year first hired: 2004
Top Qualities: Personable, On Time, High Integrity

Tony Foreshew

For the past six years I have been the owner of a block of units in Glebe, Sydney. At times these have been leased out and at other times I have been the owner -occupier. There have been a series of Building Managers with the latest and current one being Michael Baird from ‘Transparent FM’. Michael Baird is quite simply an excellent Building Manager and by far the best I have encountered. Michael has all the relevant skills ……. efficient, excellent people skills, cooperative,… Read more

Barbara Schreiner - Owner

Glebe Gardens

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Owners Corporations Testimonials

Hereford Court

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Owners Corporations Testimonials

Herbert Towers

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Owners Corporations Testimonials

Palermo

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Owners Corporations Testimonials

Regent Apartments

Owners / Residents Testimonials

Owners Corporations Testimonials

Strata Managers Testimonials

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