front desk agent

maintenance technician

community manager

administrative assistant

maintenance person

FirstService Residential

Honest: Initially, I was super excited to work here. However about 2 weeks in I realized that management is terrible. I was being trained by a colleague (granted she was amazing, and actually made me feel wanted on our team) instead of the team lead. The Director's attitude towards the grievances I expressed were along the lines of "It's cheaper to keep her" even though she did next to nothing, except try to terribly micromanage us and unfairly place work loads on to myself and the colleague that trained me. Most importantly, the team lead constantly made religious, political, and racial remarks, such as: "I don't know about hiring her because she speaks "xxx" language and we won't be able to understand her when shes talking to X", "If you don't like this country then why are you here", and constant inappropriate remarks/conversations regarding the president and things like abortion. The fact is, considering the turnover rate for my previous position, that she is a terrible team lead, and the work environment is stifling, uncomfortable, discouraging, and unfair to every degree. Even colleagues in different departments expressed an incredible amount of disgust towards the management practices of "It's cheaper to keep her". When we desperately needed help for the excessive workload, the team lead opted for an incompetent, and hardly punctual lady and applauded her for the most minute of things. I consistently went above and beyond in my position, not for accolades, but for customer satisfaction and Property Manager satisfaction, because their job is hard enough already. However time and time again, I found myself wanting to call out this racist, out of date, sorry excuse for a "manager" multiple times. Most work places say they have an "Open Door Policy", however, this company does NOT. Most grievances expressed resulted in no improvement. If anything they resulted in discipline, even though it's supposed to be open door. Also, the pathetic "catering" was ridiculously terrible, especially for a corporate company. I work for a privately owned business now and we are shown gratification far more, and better than FSR could ever imagine. In the end, I was let go, and I'm SO glad because I would not have found my home company. I did my job well, and faithfully, and always tried to find ways to assist the Property Managers that I assisted. Even if it was technically out of my job description, because that is team morale, and they appreciated me, and I likewise. Do your sanity a favor, and don't bother applying here. Times may be tough, but your time, ambition, sanity, and self-worth matter far more than this company.

Pros

• I have been with FirstService Residential MO/KS since my junior year of Highschool (2014) as a part of their pool division/maintenance. Most recently I had the opportunity to fill the role of Project Management Intern, earlier this year.
• The professional atmosphere and organization climate are simply great. FSR is built on 7 solid principles which are exercised with a high degree of effectiveness and efficiency every day. Upholding these principles is a well-balanced mix of hard working, personable, colleagues.
• The HR department could not be any better. I challenge anybody to try and find a more progressive, supportive and well-organized HR department filled with true leaders, not bosses.
• Last, I am extremely thankful for the opportunity FSR provided me. I enjoyed being a part of the organization’s professional community which says a lot as an intern in the corporate world.

Cons

• On occasion, a minor drawback I experienced was a lack of communication between departments. This is an issue experienced not just in business, but every aspect of life. Meaning the resolution should not be anything new to a professional and not too difficult to overcome, making it a minor issue (if it’s on those rare occasions).
• Being in the property management business certain time periods can cause internal stress. Stress is fine and absolutely normal in business but on rare occasions this stress was not handled in the most effective way and hindered the organization from reaching its full potential.

Advice to Management

• As with any position of power, be a leader not a boss which FSR has a strong suit in.
• Communication is something that will always be the backbone to any organization. This demands every single team member holds their selves, as well as other colleagues, accountable with the intent to consistently improve. Good exercises to promote improvements may look something like less email and more interpersonal exchanges, going to grab lunch with the team every Friday, or thinking before one speaks. The underlying goal in this piece of advice is to ensure your team members have a healthy and strong sense of understanding in interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. Doing so provides great strength to every other aspect associated with the organization.

Working at FirstService Residential has been an incredibly rewarding and growth-oriented experience. The company’s commitment to its core values is not just something written on paper—it is demonstrated daily through leadership actions, team collaboration, and genuine support for employees.
Leadership sets the tone by leading with integrity, accountability, and transparency. Managers and regional leaders invest time in mentorship, professional development, and open communication, creating an environment where employees feel valued, trusted, and empowered to succeed. There is a strong culture of recognizing hard work and encouraging continuous improvement rather than perfection.
FirstService Residential also excels at fostering teamwork. Across departments and communities, collaboration is encouraged, and employees are supported with the tools, resources, and guidance needed to do their jobs well. Even in a fast-paced, high-responsibility environment, leadership remains approachable and solution-focused.
What stands out most is that this company genuinely cares—about its people, the communities it serves, and doing things the right way. If you are looking for a workplace with strong values, exceptional leadership, and opportunities to grow both professionally and personally, FirstService Residential is an outstanding place to build a career.
Pros
Leadership that truly leads by example with integrity and transparency
Strong mentorship and professional development opportunities
Supportive, collaborative team culture across departments
Clear core values that are consistently practiced, not just stated
Meaningful work serving communities and making a real impact
Encouragement of growth, accountability, and open communication
Cons
Fast-paced environment that may feel demanding for those new to the industry
High level of responsibility requires strong organization and time-management skills
Workload can fluctuate based on community needs and peak seasons
Not a “clock-in, clock-out” role—success requires flexibility and commitment.

Loved working for this company in Florida (used to be Continental Group), although I heard it was not across the US. Had great opportunities for advancement, especially if you take advantage of all the FREE online courses they provide for you. Their mentor were incredibly productive and resourceful if you have a great mentor. Company really tries to do everything to make you succeed. However, because they are a property management group with some very exclusive affluent buildings they are huge on security and confidentiality. They want to maintain a great reputation and talking about your celebrity residents will get you fired immediately. You can say hello to them if you run into them at the bar, but don't get caught accepting a free drink. I loved the building I worked at. The good news is sometimes you're not a great fit at one building (you have a conflict with a co-worker) and they give you another chance at different building. This helped our admin who didn't mesh well with a property manager, but got on great at our office and became our property manager's right hand. But the bad news is they sometimes give people second chances and they come to your building and screw up your stuff too before they get let go. 
The pay is independent based on what each building budgets for. So if your in a building with a big budget the wages are great, but little budgets don't pay well. But they do have a lot of opportunity to advance. 
Hardest part is dealing with some snobby people. Most of the residents were super nice, but then you'll get a call like this: "Umm there's this beepy thing on my ceiling." Receptionist, "you mean the smoke detector?" "I guess so, you have to come make it stop right now!" Yes this 40 yr old woman did not know how to change the batteries in her smoke detector, and in all her years never noticed it before to even know what it was. Her housekeeper was on vacation and it was by default my problem because I worked in the property management office. Just keep calm, walk them through it and enjoy the laugh later.

In community management, no two days are quite the same. But if I had to describe a typical day, it starts with diving into emails and making a to-do list. I often have meetings or catch-ups with the board or team members. The afternoon is a blend of wrapping up ongoing projects, addressing any unexpected issues that pop up, and prepping for the next day. Managing a community always brings its share of surprises!

Adaptability is essential in this role. Each day presents new challenges, so staying flexible and open to learning is key. Getting and giving feedback helps a lot, and maintaining strong relationships with residents and board members is crucial for success.

Effective management in community associations is about being a supportive leader. Good managers communicate clearly, support their team, and ensure everyone’s aligned with the community’s goals. At FirstService Residential, management has truly excelled in balancing these aspects and more.

The culture of a community association is all about fostering a positive and collaborative environment. A strong culture feels inclusive and helps everyone work together towards shared goals. Since I work onsite, I don’t always get to interact face-to-face as much as I’d like, but technology helps me stay connected with the team.

One of the toughest parts is managing stress and juggling multiple priorities. Dealing with tight deadlines and complex issues can be challenging. Additionally, navigating human relations—making sure to support both residents and board members effectively—is crucial and can sometimes be tricky.

The most rewarding part is knowing I’m making a positive impact, whether it’s resolving a challenging issue or assisting a resident. It’s also gratifying to collaborate with the team and see the results of our collective efforts. Feeling accomplished and seeing the community thrive makes the job incredibly fulfilling.

You can expect no dole moments working here!  Every day is new and exciting.  It was part of my job to attend to clients, vendors and internal personnel.  You can expect working diligently a full 8 hours per day, 5-6 days per week.  You should expect to check and get back to all emails and voice messages by the end of the day.  There are internal meetings at least 2-3 times per week and external client meetings for each of your clients at least once per quarter.  However, most client meetings are held once per month.  You may also be obligated to attend monthly landscape walks with either your landscape committee or board of directors and landscape vendor.  While my time working at FirstService Residential, I climbed the ladder starting as a Floater Associate Community Manager.  After a short time in learning a new field and the ropes of the community management profession, I was given an opportunity to fill an open Community Manager position.  Soon after, I became a Senior Community Manager, while taking on new responsibilities and job duties.  The staff, vendors and clients are pleasant to work with.   FirstService slowly took over the Merit Companies and brought in new and creative ideas.  However, since the company moved to a new building in Irvine, California, the work environment became hard to work in as most of the employees were used to working in their own office or large cubicle space.  The overhead soft music and wash out noise playing in the ceiling speakers did not help with settling in at the new building.  I enjoyed going to work as I learned something new every day.  The occasional vendor lunch and meet and greets were great as well.

During my time at FirstService Residential, I experienced what I believe was a toxic work environment. I started in December and was ultimately forced to resign due to my manager’s leadership style and the overall workplace culture.

My manager was extremely overbearing and frequently micromanaged employees. Since she could not criticize the quality of my work, she began focusing on unrelated issues, such as my wardrobe and other minor matters. As a single parent, I found the work environment to be especially difficult because there was very little understanding or support for work-life balance.

The corporate office culture also felt very cliquish. If you were not part of the established social groups, you were treated like an outsider. This created an uncomfortable and unwelcoming workplace.

When I brought my concerns about my manager to Human Resources, I did not receive any meaningful support. Throughout my career, I have never had to involve HR regarding a manager until this position. Unfortunately, my experience left me feeling that HR was more interested in protecting workplace relationships than addressing employee concerns.

When I submitted my resignation, it was due to temporary family issues. Those issues were resolved the very next day, and I immediately asked to rescind my resignation. Rather than addressing my request promptly, my manager waited nearly a week before meeting with me. During that meeting, she informed me that my resignation would stand and made it clear there was no opportunity for me to remain employed, despite my circumstances having changed.

Overall, my experience at FirstService Residential was disappointing due to poor management, an unsupportive HR department, and a workplace culture that made it difficult to feel valued as an employee.

I've worked at FirstService as a front desk attendant at multiple buildings for about three years. All of what I say only applies to desk attendants. Some of the work experience will depend on the building that you're assigned to (each one has different management). Every supervisor I've ever had at this company has been kind and reasonable. My supervisors always made sure I was comfortable with my work, but no one is really concerned about your "success." This is not a job for career advancement (unless you're a student who wants to get some homework done during downtime, then it might be the perfect job). Even if you're trying to get into property management, don't start your career as a desk attendant for this company.

Shifts are 8 hours long. There is morning shift, evening shift, and overnight shift. There is no lunch break but thats ok because you will typically have at least a couple hours of downtime each shift. Pay is adequate, just make sure you ask for what you need or you might not get it.

The real star of this job is the relaxed pace and the downtime. If you want to avoid a stressful work environment, this is a great job. You will occasionally deal with grumpy and/or disrespectful residents, and management will typically have your back in those situations if its serious enough. However, most of the residents are really nice in most buildings, and its common to have brief but pleasant mini-conversations throughout your shift. The one exception to this is that you will need to be ready to respond promptly to an emergency. If there is a fire or someone is having a medical emergency, you need to know who to call and how to communicate effectively with residents and emergency services.

I have experienced living in a First Service managed building and was also employed for 9 months as an associate. From my experience, the south Florida portion of the company is completely broken and dis functional from all angles. 

Orientation/ training with HR was amazing but the building and operations itself was a completely different story. I was placed in a new luxury WorldCenter with an experienced management team. While the work environment may vary from residence to residence, in my building management never communicated with associates unless they had a problem with something. I saw the property manager maybe a handful of times and she rarely, if ever, addressed the associates directly.

First Call was never conducted once in my 9 months of employment but associates were constantly reprimanded for not knowing what was going on in the building. There was no additional staff for call-outs or vacations leaving the associates overworked and there was no flexibility in the set scheduling.

While the building’s amenities were 24hrs, the housekeeping and maintenance staff was not. This left janitorial duties, AC, plumbing and general maintenance issues to the nighttime front desk.. who were expected to resolve all issues completely (without the proper training) while being paid the same as the dayshift team.

I made multiple attempts to speak with the regional manager and was told how “valuable I was” and that he would meet with me but despite many follow-ups, I was ignored.


If you know people up top, you’ll advance quickly but if not, don’t rely on hard work to get you promoted and start rubbing elbows ASAP.

I been at my Property for 10+ years now unfortunately I was placed in a smaller sized BLD (Building). Which left very little room to move up the ladder. As time progressed and my skills improved I took on more responsibilities without an exact title. My daily activities for work has a little more to do then just being at the front desk.
Checking my messages first, helps me head start my day. I am the Team Leader, I would make sure the staff (F.D.) fulfilled their obligations/responsibilities in my absence and check with them to make sure no info need to be passed down (helps determine if there is a situation I may need to address). Daily, aside from answering phones, trying to keep residents happy, and making sure the population on the property adheres to the rules and regulations set forth to Govern the BLD. I basically look for ways to reinvent my work area. I have created charts to help better understand some of our software here, I compose flyers for events that takes place in the building. Go as far as hosting a few of the events. Train new hires for the company. I just try to make sure I'm always on top of things, Lead by Example. Keep an open line of communication. If an emergency situation took place my steps is: I would fill out the proper forms, make necessary call but afterwards I would address my staff with as quick email blast to let the know at least of the type of incident that took place so over the next day or so, if anyone is approached by a resident regarding the event they will know what he/she is talking about and how to move forward with any request given. I would like to think I am a 100% team player I am a person that would help carry someones groceries for a smile and thank you.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Front desk agent 40 salaries reported	$17.66 per hour
Maintenance technician 13 salaries reported	$20.18 per hour
Community manager 2 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour
Administrative assistant 5 salaries reported	$19.12 per hour
Maintenance person 5 salaries reported	$17.60 per hour

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