Step in the Right Direction

Located in Sydney CBD , Direct Strata Management (DSM) provide ethical management of strata and community schemes, building management committees (BMCs) and company title properties, as well as consultancy services for developers. We manage properties throughout Sydney
and surrounding areas, ranging from the Western Suburbs to the Central Coast. DSM remains a sought-after and respected strata management provider that offers a proactive and individualised service to meet your specific requirements. We provide direct professional guidance to our clients to step in the right direction.

Direct Strata Management is led by Nicholas Johnson (Managing Director). Nicholas Johnson offers a wealth of knowledge in strata management and property development for over 15 years. Nicholas is a licensed Strata Manager and has completed a Bachelor of Laws LLB with a Graduate Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. In 2012, Nicholas Johnson was awarded the prestigious Strata Community of Australia (SCA) Young Strata Manager of the Year in 2012. In 2021, Nicholas was honored to receive Fellow Status by the SCA. Nicholas is also an elected member of the Policy and Legislative Committee of Strata Community Australia.

In the previous position, Nicholas was a Director at the second largest strata company in Australia and was with the company for 13 years. Nicholas oversaw the management of 40 staff and reported directly to CEO of the national parent company.

Cindy Chan is the Chief of operations at Direct Strata Management offers a wealth of property knowledge and over 10 years of strata management experience. Cindy is an experiences Strata Manager and valued leader of the DSM business. Cindy has worked with Nicholas for over 10 years in different Business. Cindy has gained extensive skills and knowledge in the property field. Her last position was Business Development Manager in one of the biggest strata management firms in Australia.

Cindy is driven and passionate about property and her helpful supportive attitude and excellent communication skills will assist your Owners Corporation in protecting and adding value to their property asset. Cindy spends much of her spare time working for charities including the Lions Cub where she has been received awards for her services. Cindy is bilingual with a strong connection to the Chinese community. 

DSM was established in 2020 based on a passion to fix systemic problems in the strata industry, including:

• Staff not being educated or mentored to look after complex assets – At DSM, our staff all hold tertiary qualifications in Law, Accounting, Property and Economics.
• Staff being expected to manage huge portfolios that are untenable to manage and service the client – Your DSM Strata Manager manages 50% less lots than the industry average, according to the Macquarie Bank Strata Industry Survey.
• The lack of access to, oversight and care by senior management – At DSM, you will always have direct access to Senior Management and will always have mobile phone number for the Managing Director).

Nicholas personally manages all strata matters given their complex nature. We do not believe your asset should ever be managed by a junior staff member without proper oversight from Senior Management. With the size and complexity of Strata Developments increasing in NSW, the strata management industry is seeing complex developments in the laws governing your property. We recognize that Committee Members are volunteers and other strata firms may not be managing your risk, but we do! It is important for your property to have a sound working understanding of the decision-making process and how you operate within the legal framework.

We strive to work with you to assess the performance of its management in the following areas to ensure the scheme operate efficiently:

• We provide proactive direction that other agents do not.
• Educating the Committee Members (including an orientation session) on their obligations and minimizing your risk.
• Strata Health Check! We carry out a full audit of all your maintenance and contract costs to see where savings can be made as soon as we take over management. We have saved thousands of dollars for our clients by showing initiative by ensuring your contractors do not become complacent.
• Implementing a strategic plan to add value to your property.

Good management requires proactive expert direction and an excellent working relationship between the Strata Committee and Strata Manager.