Running Your First AGM: A Template and Checklist

Why your AGM matters

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the most important meeting your leaseholders association will hold. It is the occasion where officers report back to members, finances are reviewed, decisions are made, and the association sets its priorities for the coming year.

A well-run AGM builds credibility — both within the membership and with the freeholder or managing agent. A poorly run one undermines confidence and makes it harder to engage members next time.

If this is your first AGM, don’t be daunted. This guide walks you through everything you need to plan, run, and follow up on a successful meeting.

Before the AGM: planning and preparation

4–6 weeks before

• Choose a date and time — weekday evenings (6:30–8:00pm) tend to work best for working professionals. Avoid school holidays if possible.
• Book a venue — a communal room in the building is ideal. Alternatives include local community centres, pubs with function rooms, or a video call platform for remote participation.
• Prepare the agenda — use the template below as a starting point and adapt it to your association’s needs.
• Prepare financial accounts — if the association holds funds, prepare a simple income-and-expenditure summary for the year.
• Confirm which officer positions are up for election — check your constitution for term limits and requirements.

2–3 weeks before

• Send the notice — give every member at least 14 days’ written notice (or whatever your constitution requires). Include the date, time, venue, and agenda. Email is usually fine, but check your constitution for requirements.
• Invite nominations — if officer elections are due, invite nominations in advance so candidates can be listed on the agenda.
• Circulate any papers — send out the financial summary, any reports, and any resolutions to be voted on. Members should have time to read these before the meeting.
• Set up a way for absent members to vote — consider proxy voting or an online voting tool so that members who cannot attend can still have their say.

Day before

• Send a reminder to all members.
• Print copies of the agenda and any key documents.
• Prepare a sign-in sheet (name, unit number, signature).
• Test any technology (projector, video call, online voting).
• Confirm the venue is accessible and has enough seating.

AGM agenda template

This template covers the standard items for a leaseholders association AGM. Adapt it to suit your association.

During the AGM: running the meeting

• Start on time — respect the time of those who arrived promptly. If you don’t have a quorum, wait 15 minutes before deciding whether to proceed (your constitution should address this).
• Stick to the agenda — the Chair should guide discussion through the agenda items in order. If a topic needs more time than expected, suggest scheduling a separate meeting rather than letting the AGM overrun.
• Keep it civil — leasehold issues can be emotional. The Chair should set the tone: professional, constructive, and respectful. Shut down personal attacks and keep the focus on issues.
• Record votes clearly — for each resolution, state the motion, ask for votes in favour, against, and abstentions, and record the result. If your constitution requires share-weighted voting, use the appropriate method.
• Take minutes — the Secretary (or a designated minute-taker) should record: who attended, key points of discussion, decisions made, and action items with owners and deadlines. Minutes do not need to be a verbatim transcript — a clear summary is sufficient.
• Keep to time — aim for 60–90 minutes. Anything longer risks losing people’s attention and patience.

After the AGM: follow-up

• Circulate the minutes — send draft minutes to all members within two weeks of the meeting. Invite corrections before finalising.
• Share the results of any votes — transparency builds trust. Make sure all members (including those who didn’t attend) know what was decided.
• Follow up on action items — assign clear owners and deadlines for every action agreed at the meeting, and track progress.
• Thank attendees — a brief email thanking people for their time and summarising the key outcomes goes a long way towards maintaining engagement.
• Store everything — file the minutes, financial reports, sign-in sheet, and any other documents from the meeting in a central, accessible location.

AGM checklist

Use this checklist to make sure nothing is forgotten.

How LeaseholdConnect can help you organise the AGM

If you are running your AGM for the first time, use LeaseholdConnect to keep planning and execution in one workflow rather than splitting tasks across email threads and spreadsheets.

• Start from New Meeting Draft and use the AGM agenda template.
• Set visibility to all members or management-only depending on purpose.
• Track RSVPs and follow up with members who have not responded.
• Attach financial reports and supporting papers to agenda items from Documents.
• Move the meeting through draft, scheduled, completed, and archived statuses.

While preparing the AGM draft, changes autosave. If you need to upload a document or create a voting topic, use the in-form shortcuts to switch tabs and then resume the same draft when you return.

If you still need to plan the basics before an AGM, start here: How to Set Up Your First Association Meeting.

Tips for a successful first AGM

• Keep it short and focused — your first AGM does not need to cover everything. Focus on the essentials: electing officers, reviewing finances, and agreeing on priorities.
• Prepare the Chair — the person chairing the meeting should be familiar with the agenda, comfortable managing discussion, and prepared to keep things moving.
• Expect low turnout — getting more than 30–40% of leaseholders to attend is a good result for a first meeting. Don’t be discouraged. Over time, as people see the association is effective, attendance tends to improve.
• Make it accessible — offer a remote option (video call) for those who cannot attend in person. Allow proxy voting for those who cannot attend at all.
• End with clear next steps — every attendee should leave knowing what the association plans to do next and how they can help.
• Celebrate the milestone — holding your first AGM is an achievement. It means your association is real, active, and accountable. Acknowledge this.