Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

Valuer Darren Keen joins me to explain what really happens when an owner wants to buy or secure rights over strata common property. We get into:

when a common property valuation is needed

how valuers price rooftops, courtyards and car spaces

why the “it’s not worth anything” argument usually doesn’t fly

whether a by-law arrangement should cost less than a subdivision

An essential listen for any owner thinking creatively about unused space in their building.

Strata manager Tim Sara joins me, sharing:

- Why so many strata managers are stretched too thin to deliver real service

- How committees end up “managing the manager”

- What a better, more accountable strata model could actually look like

…and why the future of strata may belong to managers who stop hiding behind the system.

If your committee feels like it’s doing all the heavy lifting, this episode will hit a nerve.

What actually gets things done in strata? Committee member and tech founder Kareem “KT” Tawansi joins me to share:

- Why influence matters more than power on a strata committee

- How he helped shift one building from “secret squirrel” to radical transparency

- A first look at the AI tool he’s built to take the drama out of strata

and more.

Reena Van Aalst joins me this week, as we cover:

- Managers proposing their own reappointment at the AGM - can they?

- A creative (but unlawful) by-law trying to control who gets on the committee

- The NSW District Court case giving clarity for owners who are seeking damages from their owners corporation

and more.

This week, I’m interviewing our first Member guest in a new format.

Danielle’s story is a must-listen for anyone in a mixed-use building. We cover:

• BMCs + Strata Management Statements (and why so many owners have never heard of them)

• What happens when retail plant sits on the residential roof

• How Danielle’s unwavering commitment to stand up for what’s right achieved real outcomes for the residents in her community,

and more.

AS1851 is now being enforced in NSW. Is it going to cost your building a fortune?

Not necessarily.

This week, I’m joined by Dominic Dodwell of Valen Project Services to unpack:

• What fire safety testing is now required

• Why expensive upgrades are not necessary

• How to get an $85K quote down to $20K

and more

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

Growing mediation delays,

Schedule B fee shock: how a $20k management contract can quietly become $40k, and why you should be asking for an itemised list of charges,

A tribunal workaround you may not know exists: two strata managers, one building,

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.

This is a must-listen recap for regulars, and the perfect starting point for new listeners: the conversations that mattered most, all in one recap.

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.

This episode is an edited replay of Friday’s LIVE chat (so you’ll hear me responding to comments as we go).

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

• Why proxies cannot nominate owners for committee positions

• The surprising reform agenda for two-lot schemes

and more.