Board Package Prep - Reference Letters

"How many letters do they want?!"

Adding to the long list of items required for a co-op (and sometimes condo) board application, reference letters, both professional and personal, can sometimes cause the most stress.  For sure, the reference letters are one of the most important parts of the board application.   After the financial statement and employment information, the letters will garner the most attention from the board members.  It is important to choose the authors carefully.   Consider those who will take the time to write a “glowing recommendation.”  For personal letters, friends, neighbors, and mentors are best (no family members).  Choosing references who also happen to be co-op owners is a bonus.  For professional letters, authors should be current or past colleagues or superiors.

FORMAT

The letters, both professional and personal, MUST be on letterhead.  For professional references, company letterhead should be used.  In the case that the company does not allow letterhead used for this purpose, the letter should be on the personal letterhead of the author.  Most people do not have pre-printed letterhead anymore, so the letter should just have a “header” including their name, address, and phone number.  The letters MUST be addressed to the Co-op board of directors, and start with “Dear Members of the Board,”  Example:

Board of Directors

99 East 99 Owners Corp, Inc.

Dear Members of the Board,

***All reference letters MUST be signed by the author!

CONTENT

Personal letters should tell a story about how the author knows the applicant and what are the qualities that would make them a good neighbor.  The more personal and in-depth the better, this is the chance for the board members to get a good sense of who the applicant is.  

Professional letters should say in what capacity the author and applicant work(ed) together and discuss the working relationship; highlighting the qualities in the applicant that make them successful and a dependable and trustworthy colleague.

ORIGINALS/SCANS

It is best to include the original letter in the package, but good quality color scans will suffice in most cases.

MARRIED COUPLES

In many cases combined personal letters can be used for married couples.  This is specific to each board application.

LISTING BROKER REVIEW

The Listing agent always has final say on the package before it goes to the board.  The theory here is that they have the “pulse” of the board members, and are also just another set of eyes to check for errors/omissions/additions.  *Keep an open mind for suggestions and feedback on the letters.  Sometimes changes or tweaks will be recommended!

Whereas much of a typical board application requires filling in basic information, and collecting forms/statements/etc, the letters are one area that require this careful personal attention.  If you are not sure who will write the best letters, get a few extra and pick and choose.  This is a great opportunity to impress the board through your references' kind words.  Take full advantage!

For sample letters, please email me.

Coming soon:

Letters of Introducion