After adapting to new ways of working during a pandemic, ARMA succeeded in expanding its offering to members in 2021 while continuing to meet with Government and industry groups to tackle the sector’s main challenges.
As a result, ARMA has further grown its membership and training programme, and was behind a number of key industry successes in the leasehold management sector. Download our 2021 Year in Review infographic, here.
ARMA Membership Growth
ARMA begins 2022 with a member count that is higher than ever, totalling 340 Managing Agent Member and Associate firms and bolstered by the 14 managing agents it welcomed onboard in 2021. ARMA members now represent almost 40% of the managing agent market, equating to a whopping 1.5m residences (around 50% of private sector leasehold properties). To give you an idea of how quickly ARMA has grown, its members managed just 700,000 homes in 2014.
An integral part of ARMA’s membership, Partner, Network & RMC/RTM member firms now total 175.
ARMA Partners are companies that provide essential services to members, whilst those in the Network category are developers, freeholders, freehold agents, Housing Associations and other corporate landlords/local authorities.
ARMA Training Courses
ARMA’s training courses continued to run online throughout 2021. In total ARMA delivered 59 Training sessions online.
This equated to:
- 270 hours of training provided
- Upskilling 1,707 delegates
- With a combined total of 8,028 CPD hours.
In 2021, ARMA launched 6 New Training Courses and Webinars.
ARMA COVID-19 Crisis Support
From the very start of the pandemic, ARMA was proactive in ensuring its membership was kept up-to-date on the latest advice and guidance, as well as engaging with Government to ensure the property sector was considered when new guidelines and advice were being issued. ARMA also continued to run its events and training courses online, including its Annual Conference and Regional Briefings, making it safe and convenient for members to continue learning from others in the industry. Throughout 2021, ARMA delivered 12 monthly COVID-19 email updates featuring advice, guidance and news, along with 4 quarterly member/partner video briefings for members. ARMA also issued 2 Best Practice Guideline documents for property managers, sector suppliers and business owners which included guidance on working safely during the pandemic and advice for returning to the workplace.
Industry Success
Whilst the pandemic grabbed a lot of the headlines, there were plenty of developments and achievements across the sector, with ARMA proving to be a driving force behind many of them.
Highlights include:
- 26 meetings with Government on cladding and 10 with Cladding Actions Groups. ARMA’s efforts helped secure the additional £3.5 billion to aid the remediation of buildings over 18 metres with unsafe cladding.
- Extensive lobbying with Government and the industry throughout the year on a range of topics, including 29 meetings with MPs.
- Supreme Court intervention in a landmark ‘Right to Manage’ legal case. The case determined whether leaseholders with the right to manage only acquire the right to manage the block itself, or the right to manage the estate as well.
- ARMA’s flagship Annual Conference returned to the small screen in October, focussing on challenges set to shape the residential leasehold sector beyond the pandemic. ARMA’s Regional Briefings also made a return, being held in April for all members.
- ARMA and IRPM merger approved by members and underway. The new company will expand its offering to both sets of members and be a larger voice when speaking to Government and the industry.
- TV, radio and media appearances including coverage in The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times & Sunday Times, BBC Radio 4 You and Yours and BBC News.
Entering 2022 with its biggest membership total to date, ARMA will continue to work tirelessly to support its managing agent members and Partners whilst championing the rights of leaseholders across England and Wales. If you want to learn more about the benefits of joining ARMA as a member, CLICK HERE.
