Michael Teys is the founder of The Strata Professionals Group and the architect of the professional standard every office in the network operates to.
He brings more than 40 years in strata — including over 30 years as a specialist strata lawyer — a decade of strata business ownership, and an active programme of academic research into multi-owned property governance.
Michael practised as a specialist strata lawyer from 1994, advising committees, developers, and owners across the full spectrum of strata disputes, compliance, and governance, and served as a Fellow of the Australian College of Strata Law. He went on to own and run strata management companies across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia, managing a combined portfolio of tens of thousands of apartments. Running those businesses gave him direct exposure to the operational pressures strata managers face — and revealed the structural weaknesses that became the catalyst for founding the network.
He holds a Master of Philosophy (Built Environment) from UNSW, where his thesis examined how mixed-use strata developments create anti-commons risks that impede urban renewal, completed under an Australian Research Council scholarship. He has been accepted at the University of Oxford to undertake a Doctorate of Philosophy in Law. He has held research positions at the City Futures Research Centre (UNSW) and Deakin University, and presents regularly at international forums including Oxford, the House of Commons, and the International Research Forum on Multi-Owned Properties in Spain, Canada and Australia.
Michael writes The Strata Professional, a weekly newsletter on strata law, committee governance, and why true professionalism matters in this industry. You can learn more about him at michaelteys.com.
This combination of legal practice, business ownership, and research is the foundation of the franchise standard. Every element of how the network operates — from the no-commission pricing structure to the Balanced Strata Method™ — is grounded in something tested rather than assumed.
Most businesses talk about what they do. The most disciplined ones start by deciding what they will never do. I'm announcing a new strata management firm built around an 11-point don't do list.
For forty years, the strata industry's answer to dysfunctional committees has been the same: education. This October, NSW mandates compulsory training for committee members. Other states are thinking of doing the same. I think it will backfire, and there's solid psychological science to explain why.
A recruiter posts a senior strata job with 'Schedule B's' as a perk. A LinkedIn storm erupts. And when called out, the response is chilling: 'it's just industry practice.' Sound familiar? It should — banking said the same thing before the Hayne Royal Commission tore it apart.
You pay the excess. You file the claim. Job done — right? Wrong. Every strata insurance claim triggers a tax cascade that multiplies the real cost three to four times over. The financially savvy committees have figured out when not to claim. Find out what they know that yours may not.
Strata has gone from political afterthought to political goldmine — but not for the reasons you'd hope. Disasters, deaths and displacement forced politicians to notice. Now they're embracing strata as the answer to the housing crisis while passing laws that make it harder to afford. Something doesn't add up.
Cities are under increasing pressure from climate shocks and social strains. So, resilience is now essential. Discover how Sydney’s Resilient Cities Strategy is reshaping the way strata communities adapt, thrive, and prepare for the unexpected. Learn how urban resilience begins at your apartment door. Find out what you can do to prepare for disruptions, no matter where your strata is in Australia.
Three high-rise disasters. Three countries. Three completely different reform responses. While Florida hammered condo owners with structural inspections and reserve studies, and England went after developers with billion-dollar cladding bills, NSW took the most holistic approach - touching every stage of your building's lifecycle. Here's what comparative research reveals about building safety reform.
A deadly pattern is emerging in the world’s high rise disasters. From Wang Fuk to Grenfell to Champlain Towers, residents warned, experts hesitated and regulators failed to act. Australia has escaped mass casualties so far—but is that design, response, or luck? This blog asks the hard questions about what must change.
Australian strata schemes face defects, governance failures, and underfunded repairs—but they're not alone. This month, international experts gather at IFMOP 2026 to share solutions from New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, and India. Their research on legal reform, liability, aging buildings, and redevelopment offers lessons Australia urgently needs.
NSW owners corporations have mastered the art of deferring repairs and underfunding capital works - but the road ends here. NSW Fair Trading's new enforcement powers mean schemes can no longer kick the can. Ignore your maintenance obligations at your peril. The regulator is watching, and they're ready to act. Regulators in other states are watching too.
