Alex Argento, Senior Vice President, AKAM

May 2026 — Invest: sat down with Alex Argento, senior vice president of AKAM, to discuss how new condominium and HOA requirements are reshaping property management across South Florida. “I want to sit next to my customer, not across from my customer,” Argento said, describing a people-first approach that pairs compliance with long-term home value and quality of life.

What major changes have you seen in South Florida’s residential and mixed-use markets, and how are these affecting the way that properties are managed?

Statutory changes affecting condominiums and homeowner associations have been the biggest shift, and they have hit fast. The public conversation can lean toward gloom and doom, but I see it as a rapid rise in expectations around governance, transparency, and documentation, especially for markets that did not operate this way historically. In other parts of the country, many of these obligations have existed for years. In South Florida, it was a jolt to the system.

For AKAM, the work is helping associations navigate compliance without losing what makes living here appealing. People come to South Florida for homeownership, lifestyle, and community, and that sense of home can get lost when requirements and costs change quickly. Our job is to guide boards and residents through the process while protecting the home.

I want to sit next to my customer, not across from my customer. We do not treat this moment as a chance to pile on unnecessary services or fees. We treat it as an opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with associations, solve problems, and keep communities moving forward.

With rising insurance costs, new safety regulations, and reserve requirements, how are these changes affecting financial planning for condominiums and homeowner associations?

Property management is becoming more empirical than anecdotal. Associations are multi-million-dollar businesses, and the bar for professionalism, experience, and financial discipline is higher than it has ever been. A manager has to understand operations, contracts, construction, compliance, and resident expectations, and no one person can master every discipline alone.

That is why I often describe managers as CEOs. But CEOs need teams. Professional management has to be structured so managers can rely on specialists, consistent processes, and clear accountability, especially given the seriousness of today’s penalties for both boards and managers.

As we look to 2026, our focus is built around six priorities, supported by more frequent financial reporting and tighter operating rhythms. We produce monthly financials, attend monthly meetings, review budgets closely, and bring finance specialists into board discussions so decisions are grounded in real numbers rather than assumptions.

First is financial management and building safety, including mandatory reserves and milestone inspections. Second is website and records transparency, because you must be able to document and provide access. Third is board and manager accountability, because the rules are strict and the consequences are real. Fourth is economic and market pressure, including insurance, inflation, and the scarcity of qualified contractors for structural repairs, roofing, and waterproofing, which drives pricing, timelines, and risk. Even when boards have the will to act, the pool of experienced firms is finite, and that puts pressure on bids and schedules.

Fifth is communication that reaches everyone, not only the most involved residents. We use a monthly snapshot so owners can quickly understand where the association stands. Sixth is building the sense of home. This is non-negotiable. Even when costs rise, residents should still feel proud of where they live and confident in the value of their investment.

How are energy efficiency mandates and sustainability goals influencing your operational decisions, especially as communities look for ways to save?

Boards ask where they can cut, but the largest expenses are not easy to shrink without changing daily life. Payroll, insurance, utilities, security, and landscaping do not offer painless reductions. You can reduce service levels, but that often shows up immediately in resident experience.

Efficiency should not mean sacrificing quality of life. I do not want to walk up 40 flights of stairs. I want an elevator that works consistently, can be maintained, and fits the budget. The same is true of sustainability goals. Communities want greener solutions, but expectations have to match financial reality. You are only as green as the green in your pocket.

A major differentiator is understanding the home. A 1970s building and a tower built two years ago have different systems, different vulnerabilities, and different capacities. If you apply one solution everywhere, you waste money and create projects that fail, run over budget, or do not solve the problem. The goal is to match the building’s true needs with the best achievable outcome within the budget, then execute well.

How is digital transformation helping with financial reporting and resident communication, especially given new transparency requirements?

Technology can help, but compliance timelines and document volume are the real challenge. Some associations have decades of records, long project cycles, and massive documentation packages. A single restoration invoice with backup can run hundreds of pages, and that multiplies quickly across a year.

In the past, a records request might mean pointing someone to boxes in a room. That does not work anymore. Associations need searchable logs, organized digital libraries, and the ability to produce records quickly. Many communities never budgeted for large-scale scanning and digitization, so the transition requires planning, prioritization, and steady execution. Going forward, associations also need to think carefully about ownership and portability, because if you do not control your records, you can lose institutional memory when vendors, boards, or managers change.

One outcome of these requirements is that associations are rethinking platforms. We do not believe associations should be trapped in proprietary systems they lose access to if they change management. The data belongs to the association. Boards turn over, and board members are volunteers. Having durable control of records helps leadership handoffs, reduces risk, and strengthens long-term planning.

Once organized, documentation becomes an asset. It becomes an archive that supports better forecasting and smarter budgeting, because you can look back accurately at what was done, what was used, and what it cost.

Looking ahead three to five years, what are your top priorities for growth, and what trends will most shape the future of residential property management in South Florida?

Financial acumen will be the foundation. If mandatory funding requirements remain in place, associations that can forecast, fund, and execute responsibly will be the ones that preserve and grow value. Management firms that understand assets, pivot quickly, and bring the right expertise to boards will stand out.

Another trend is a sharper focus on what each building wants to be. Some communities will invest in five-star service and amenities. Others will prioritize core maintenance and cost discipline. The answer is not one-size-fits-all, and boards need clear guidance on what is realistic for their building and their residents.

Daily living patterns also shape operations in ways older buildings were never designed for. Deliveries are a simple example with complex consequences. Package volume affects staffing, security, storage, and resident expectations, and solutions like locker systems can be expensive. Boards have to weigh cost, fairness, and practical benefit, then manage the downstream impact on access control and accountability.

I also expect more shared services and neighborhood-style thinking, where associations look for ways to collaborate, build community, and improve resident experience without losing focus on the fundamentals. Strong governance, transparent records, credible financial planning, and a clear understanding of the home will determine which communities thrive in the next few years.