Reena Van Aalst is back on the pod for 2026, as we cover:

Growing mediation delays,

and more.

As we kick off 2026 (and celebrate 10 years of the podcast!) I’m counting down the five episodes you listened to the most in 2025.

I’m wrapping up 2025 with the 5 strata surprises I didn’t see coming – not the headline stuff, but what I’ve been seeing on the ground with real owners, real committees and real disputes.

From the rapid shift on insurance commissions to the underwhelming rise of AI, plus the one issue I cannot believe we’re still fighting about…

In our final episode together for 2025, Reena Van Aalst and I share these strata challenges:

• A hoarder tenant causing a building-wide cockroach infestation

and more.

Edwina Feilen of Asset Inspect joins me to explain “pre-loss risk profiling”, underinsurance traps, and what to do about the tobacconist downstairs. This is an essential reminder that strata insurance doesn’t start at claim time – it starts well before the loss.

A source of frustration for many owners, records inspections is one of the subjects I am most frequently asked about. In this encore episode, I’m sharing my 4 steps to a successful strata records inspection, including what to do when particular records are withheld for ‘privacy’ or ‘legal’ reasons.

Reena Van Aalst joins me as we cover:

Building managers and missing records: what duties do BMs really have?

Hiring a strata manager? SCA doesn’t want you just comparing prices. SCA Australasia CEO Alisha Fisher joins me to explain SCA’s new Your Property. Our Priority. campaign, including the single question SCA wants owners to ask to determine what “good” strata management looks like in 2025 and beyond.

Will banning insurance commissions actually save owners money? Actuary and industry reformer John Trowbridge and I dive into the numbers, the conflicts, and the path to a cleaner, clearer, fee-for-service model. Plus, what underwriters, brokers, and strata managers need to change now.

Older buildings often lack modern fire safety protections – and many aren’t even required to submit annual fire safety statements. This week, I’m joined by Marty Hearne and Amelia Causer of Quantum Fire Protection, unpacking the hidden risks in older strata buildings, upcoming changes to Australian Standard 1851, and why voluntary upgrades now can save money (and lives) later.