Florida boards hire a CAM every 3-5 years on average. The selection is the single-largest operational decision between transitions. A strong CAM runs governance on a checklist + keeps the board out of procedural drift; a weak CAM accumulates procedural exposure the board inherits on any future challenge.
This post is the end-to-end selection playbook, from RFP through 90-day post-hire review.
Beat 1: decision to replace or extend
Before any RFP issues, the board decides: extend the current CAM contract, or replace? Factors:
- Extension: current CAM is performing at or above spec; pricing competitive; no declared conflicts; owners satisfied. Renegotiate terms per vendor contract annual-review playbook.
- Replacement: performance gaps, pricing drift above market, declared or discovered conflicts, or owner-reported concerns that the current CAM has repeatedly failed to address.
Decision made at a noticed board meeting with documented reasoning in the minutes.
Beat 2: RFP drafting
A proper RFP (request for proposals) describes:
- Community profile (parcel count, common-area inventory, operating budget)
- Scope of services required (standard CAM duties + any community-specific items like amenity management)
- Performance expectations (response-time SLAs, records-request turnaround, financial-report tier alignment)
- Compensation model (monthly flat-fee, per-door, or hybrid)
- Term (1-year initial + renewal options)
- Required credentials (FL CAM license current per F.S. 468.4334, insurance, bonding, years of experience)
See F.S. 468.4334 CAM licensing requirements for the statutory credential floor. Verify every respondent against this floor before serious consideration.
Beat 3: distribution + timeline
RFP distribution options:
- Narrow: 3-5 pre-vetted CAM firms the board already knows
- Mid: 10-15 firms per regional listing (FL CAM Association, Florida Community Association Journal directory)
- Wide: open RFP posted publicly
Narrow is fastest + yields warmer relationships. Wide maximizes price competition. Mid is the default for most FL HOAs.
Timeline:
- 2 weeks RFP drafting + distribution
- 3-4 weeks response window
- 2 weeks board review + shortlist
- 2 weeks interviews + reference checks
- 1 week contract negotiation
- 2-4 weeks transition from outgoing CAM
Total: 12-15 weeks from "decision to replace" to "new CAM operational."
Beat 4: response evaluation
Responses scored against an explicit rubric:
- Credentials (pass/fail): FL CAM license, insurance, bonding
- Pricing (25%): compared against community-type + scale
- Experience (25%): years in FL HOA practice, portfolio of similar communities, staff continuity
- Technology (15%): records system, owner portal, reporting cadence
- References (20%): three current board clients who will speak about engagement
- Cultural fit (15%): communication style, responsiveness to the RFP, willingness to engage with the board's priorities
Score every respondent on the same rubric. Document the scoring in a memo attached to the board resolution. A hire made on "gut feel" without a scoring trail is vulnerable to fiduciary-duty challenge if the CAM later underperforms.
Beat 5: shortlist interviews
Top 2-3 responses get in-person or video interviews. Attendees: board president + treasurer minimum. Interview topics:
- Walk through the RFP response + any gaps
- Specific questions on recent FL statute amendments (tests depth of practice)
- Handling of a hypothetical scenario (e.g., "How would you respond to a 720.311 pre-suit mediation demand filed by an owner over a fine?")
- Transition planning if this is a replacement hire
- Reference phone calls completed + report back
Treat the interview like hiring a fractional executive, because that's essentially what a CAM is for a small community.
Beat 6: reference checks
Call 2-3 current board clients per short-listed CAM. Questions:
- How long is the current engagement?
- What surfaces are they crushing on?
- What surfaces are weak?
- How does the CAM handle disputes + owner complaints?
- Would you re-hire them tomorrow?
- Any procedural drift you've noticed?
A board-reference call where the answer to "would you re-hire them" is anything less than an immediate yes is a significant signal. Dig into why.
Beat 7: conflict-of-interest disclosure
Per F.S. 617.0832 director conflict cure, any director with a pre-existing relationship with a responding CAM must disclose + recuse from the vote. Common scenarios:
- Director's family member employed at the CAM firm
- Director has a personal friendship or business relationship with the CAM's principal
- Director's real-estate brokerage has cross-referred business
Disclosure + recusal protects the selected CAM from a future challenge on procurement grounds.
Beat 8: board resolution + contract negotiation
Selected CAM named in a formal board resolution at a noticed meeting. Contract negotiation covers:
- Term (1 year initial recommended for any new hire)
- Pricing (itemized fee schedule)
- SLA commitments (records requests within 10 business days per 720.303(5); draft minutes within 7 days; financial reports monthly)
- Termination clause (30-60 day notice, no cause required)
- Non-compete / non-solicit for board + owner relationships
- Transition clause (records transferred to association upon termination within 7 days)
Have counsel review the contract before signing. A generic CAM-provided contract often includes terms heavily favoring the CAM (long cancellation notice, automatic renewal, owner- relationship ownership clauses).
Beat 9: 30-day onboarding
New CAM starts. Onboarding checklist for the board:
- Records transfer from outgoing CAM within 7 days of new CAM start
- Governing documents package delivered to new CAM
- Bank signatories updated (board president + new CAM)
- Insurance policy notifications (CAM change is a named-insured modification on most policies)
- Vendor contacts transferred
- Community introduction email from the board to members
- First board meeting with new CAM attending
- Emergency contact protocol established
Beat 10: 90-day review
Nintey days post-hire, board formally reviews CAM performance:
- SLA compliance (records turnaround, minutes timeliness, financial report delivery)
- Owner complaint trend (compare to pre-transition baseline)
- Budget variance (actual vs forecast for the transition period)
- Directorship relationships (CAM attending meetings prepared)
- Any statute-compliance issues surfaced or remediated
Document the review in board meeting minutes. If concerns, raise formally with the CAM at the next board meeting; document the CAM's response + commitments. The 90-day review is the early- intervention moment for performance concerns.
Five CAM-selection failure modes
Observed patterns in post-hire CAM disputes:
- Selection made without scoring rubric. Board selects on "feel"; CAM under-performs; board has no documentation of alternatives considered; fiduciary-duty challenge on prudent-hiring grounds.
- CAM's license not verified at hire. CAM was unlicensed or on suspension; all CAM-executed actions during the engagement are subject to being voided.
- Contract's termination clause favors CAM heavily. Board wants to terminate for cause; contract requires 180 days notice + cure periods; cost of exit exceeds cost of continuing.
- Transition records lost at handover. Outgoing CAM's archives never fully transferred; new CAM reconstructs from scratch; procedural drift accumulates during reconstruction.
- Conflict disclosure skipped. Board director has undisclosed family tie to CAM; discovered later; all CAM- related board votes during the engagement become voidable.
Bottom line
CAM selection is a board's most leveraged operational decision. A rigorous RFP + scoring rubric + reference discipline produces a hire that runs governance on autopilot. A shortcut-selection produces a hire the board manages constantly + eventually replaces under worse conditions than the first hire.
Three months of thoughtful selection saves three years of managed drift. The statute is the floor on credentials. The playbook is how the board gets above the floor reliably.
This post is an operational walkthrough, not legal advice. For specific RFP or contract-negotiation questions, consult a licensed Florida attorney familiar with CAM engagements.