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.
NSW Fair Trading Commissions Research Into Strata Management Agreements
Breaking the Silence: How Smart Managers Turn Contract Discussions into Competitive Advantage
We area nation that speaks 8 separate strata dialects, yet the basic strata concepts are the same across the nation. So are the issues that trouble us. As we seek to understand what unites us and what divides us, this week our focus is the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory has a small but distinctive strata presence with 25,427 lots across 2,960 schemes. Here are some other highlights of the latest research about the Northern Territory strata market: · 16% of the population live in strata (compared to 15% nationally) · 59% of Northern Territory strata schemes contain 5 lots or fewer · 49% of residents are aged between 20-39 What makes the Northern Territory's strata sector distinctive? 1. Balanced scheme size distribution with moderate concentration of larger developments: The Northern Territory shows a more balanced distribution of scheme sizes compared to other jurisdictions, with 59% of schemes containing five lots or fewer, being significantly lower than Tasmania (88%) or South Australia (74%). Large schemes (50+ lots) represent only 3% of total schemes but contain 23% of all lots, suggesting the presence of substantial developments that provide economies of scale for professional management. 2. Licensing and education requirements: The Northern Territory mandates licensing for all paid body corporate managers, in addition to professional indemnity and trust account obligations. The territory also requires that managers have completed the Diploma of Property (Agency Management), which covers compliance, financial management, and business operations across twelve units of competency. This approach ensures that body corporate managers possess both formal qualifications and practical competencies before entering the profession, setting a high standard for service delivery. 3. Diverse resident demographics reflecting transient population: The Northern Territory has a unique demographic profile with 48% of apartment residents born in Australia, reflecting the territory's role as a gateway for migration and temporary workers. With significant populations from Nepal, India, and other countries, the Northern Territory's strata communities are highly multicultural, requiring body corporates to navigate diverse cultural expectations around property management. The Northern Territory's strata sector reflects its unique position as Australia's most remote jurisdiction, with a transient population and ongoing development activity creating distinctive challenges and opportunities for strata management and community governance.
From Despair to Action: How Strata's Hidden Billions Could Fund Real Solutions
The United States of Strata Australia - Part 7
Crisis Point: Why Australia's $10 Billion Strata Sector Needs Emergency National Coordination
The United States of Strata Australia - Part 6
From Mascot Towers to Mandatory Compliance: The Game-Changing Reform That Could Save Strata Buildings
The United States of Strata Australia - Part 5
Missing the Marketing Moment: How Good Strata Managers Fail to Sell Themselves
