Leasing Managers, Unsung Heroes of Multifamily Property Management

I have been asked this question before, but when you stop and look at our leasing specialists, who are you and what do you do?

Well, I just answered the phone and spoke to an angry resident who says their sink is plugged up and water is leaking into the living room, and I just got back and got a Starbucks light Macchiato with soy milk and no cream for the property manager and I placed the coffee along with the copies you requested on your desk, of the lease that I just renewed.  I called the maintenance supervisor to look at that leak and unplug the sink in unit xyzmp. Today, I am going to stand on the corner with our management flags and wave people in to look at our units to increase our traffic, then I am going to put resident referral flyers on all the doors of all the units in the community just as soon as I go and empty out the washing machines and dryers and vending machine in the common area, and oh, after that, I will jump on AMSI, or Yardi, or RealPage and run all those management reports you were asking about yesterday and contact our accounts payable department and find out where are all those SODA’s that we submitted last week.

I will call some of our competitors and get some pricing for our comps just as soon as I update Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and Craig’s List and make sure we are still at the top of the list. I have to run by the post office on my way to pick up party supplies at the party store for our neighborhood watch meeting tonight because we need stamps. As soon as I get back, I will set the office up with coffee and snacks for the neighborhood meeting tonight and then I will call and verify that our courtesy officer will be making the rounds and then hopefully I can sit down and make appointments to meet with some prospective residents to show them how nice our community is and give them a tour of the property.  I will make sure that I smile every time I answer the phone just like the Telephone Doctor said I should, and if I don’t get a lease today, it might not look good, not getting my quota of leases. But as soon as I do, I will take the online training they have been telling me I have until the end of the year to complete. I am a leasing specialist and i just brought you some coffee, is there anything else I can do?

These are the days of the unsung heroes of multifamily leasing.  Leasing Specialists fill the spaces between the Property Manager and the Assistant Managers being excellent helpers and assistants, it is a job never done, and sometimes not appreciated as much as it should be. 

We thank our Leasing Specialists for doing what they do and doing it all with a smile.

Good Ole Creative Marketing for Apartment Communities

Apartment communities need a plan to market their communities in a way they never have before.  The economy is down, jobs are few and far between, and oil is spilling into the Gulf, but that doesn’t mean we fold up our tents and go home.  ''If you need traffic, you shouldn't cut your marketing budget, '' says Kate Good professional speaker, marketing solutions expert and partner on the Apartment All-Stars tour.

It is the summertime and something that attracts is a clean and properly maintained appearance.  Curb appeal is extremely important because if a prospective resident drives by and sees the lawn freshly cut, pretty flowers standing at attention blooming prolifically, and all the trash and litter picked up, chances are, they are going to come in for a tour.  The exterior details of your property can make a great or poor impression to your prospective residents. Make sure your windows are sparkling clean, the doorways swept of leaf debris, and every team member greets everyone with a smile and a “hello”. 

Find out want is unique and special about your property, what do prospective residents want when they come home, what is perfect about your destination?  Is it the location of the nearest shopping area or the fact that the interstate ramp is just a mile down the road or that the nearest hospital is within three miles, use these facts to market your community. Focus on communicating the benefits of your property to all prospective residents and create relationships with the local businesses that your residents may utilize while they live there.  Get some half off coupons for a restaurant nearby and send prospects there to have lunch on you while they look at your apartment’s brochure.  Work out a deal with a local pizza delivery restaurant to attach property flyers to pizza boxes. Connect with the local hospital, Wal-Mart, any and every local business who employs people and ask if you can leave your brochure and contact information in their break room. Reach out and connect with everyone. Those future residents are out there.

Do you advertise your amenities on your fax cover sheet and letter head?  Let everyone know what you offer at your community every day. What are you doing to create community? What kinds of activities and parties do you plan and coordinate for your residents? Holiday parties are fun and expected, but what about movie night in the club house?  Rent or bring a movie from your personal collection and pass out popcorn and Kool-Aid one night a week.  Keep the movies family friendly and create an inviting atmosphere. Times are hard right now and anything we can do to increase retention of our residents goes a long way to keeping our occupancies where they need to be.

How do you answer the phone?  Are you smiling as Nancy Friedman “The Telephone Doctor” explains, it might be the boss calling. Everyone can hear a smile on the phone and you should be smiling every time you answer the phone. It could be your next resident calling to find out where you are located. Greet everyone warmly and see how your occupancy soars. Excellent customer service is free and easy in any circumstance and something that most companies want to be known for. Count your calls and return phone calls promptly. Keep These Tips In Mind from Rent and Retain,

Be clear, quick and concise. This method will be completely different from your competitor who just rattled off every amenity and feature of their apartment community.  Ask for permission to give more information. That will draw the prospect in, making them more receptive to what you say next. An article in Sales and Marketing Management magazine suggested using simpler words vs. the sales-pitchy words: "use" instead of "utilize" "talk" instead of "have a dialogue" "help" instead of "facilitate" Listen to yourself on the next few phone calls. Does it sound like you are talking to a friend or stranger? You’ll close more sales to friends than strangers. 

In closing, remember you represent your company, your brand, your community, and most importantly, yourself.  Marketing is all about showing who you are and what you have to sell and the value it is going to bring to the consumer. Renters are out there, you just need to bring them in and show them the goods. Make sure the goods you show will bring them pleasure in providing a high quality apartment home and a high quality living experience.

My Top 12 Favorite Things to do on the 4th of July

Our country celebrates its birthday on July 4^th. commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. This is a time of the year that we celebrate with firecrackers and grilling our favorite foods and lighting firecrackers and sparklers. What are your favorite things to do?

1.  Sleep in till at least 7:00. Yes, this is sleeping in for me. I haven’t slept in since I gave birth. After that is was all over.  I don’t even set an alarm, I just wake up every morning at, you guessed it, 7:00.

2. Linger over several cups of coffee and watch the Today Show, I just love the Today Show.

3.  Hang up my American flag, this is the one day of the year to proudly display the American spirit.

4.  Stay away from the grocery store, this is the worst day to go shopping because everyone else who forgot stuff will be in line getting ice, fireworks, watermelon, you name it, they will be in line to get it. I hate lines.

5.  Make a 4^th of July cake, you know the one, a yellow cake mix, poke it with a fork and fill it with red Jello.  Put it in the fridge to chill and then cover it will Cool Whip and decorate the top like a flag using blueberries for the blue and white stars and strawberries for the strips.

6.  Make a new drink, or adult beverage.  Maybe I will mix Vanilla Vodka, cranberry juice and drop in a couple of blueberries. That sounds patriotic.

7.  Get the hubby to grill, because if I can get him to grill, then there is no clean up in the kitchen and that means I don’t have to work too hard.

8.  Hang with the family, yep, in my corner of the world, holidays like this are for family. Pick up grandma and bring her to the house for some burgers and dogs, make the potato salad and cole slaw, the cake is already made and chillin in the fridge.

9.  Go swimming, either in my pool or the Gulf of Mexico looking out for tar balls, they haven’t arrived here yet, but unfortunately it is just a matter of time, but go swimming and relax and enjoy this day of celebration.

10.              Play Farmville on Facebook.  Yes, I know, how pathetic, but I am hooked and obsessive about it.  If you are a friend, you know already, if you are not a friend yet and play Farmville on Facebook, we could play if you friend me.

11.              Buy some firecrackers, you know the kind, in the prepackaged boxes at the grocery store for $24.99 and it comes with about a zillion little colored paper thingys that go pop and scream and light up and dance on the ground when lit with a match, how fun is that I ask.

12.              Finally, go and watch the fireworks at a park or on the beach, anywhere where large gatherings of people will be, all with their coolers of soda and cold drinks, children running around with sparklers and just enjoying the freedom that we have.

So there you  have it, that is what I am going to do on the 4^th of July, now tell me what your plans are and whatever they are have a safe and happy 4^th of July.