Every manager and leasing person has experienced the frustration when a new resident challenges a policy or clause in their lease. I didn’t know: -The non-smoking policy would apply to my guests. -I had to have management approval to have a pet. -There would be a penalty if I moved outt before my lease is […]
We are all chasing the elusive magic ticket that brings prospective residents to the apartment community. We invest our marketing budgets in AdWords. The staff is scheduled to update Craigs List. With every visit, the guest card documents the source of traffic. “How did you hear about us?” And we drill down to […]
“Çall if you have any questions,” is often the closing comment for an onboarding, orientation or training event. This short phrase, six little words could be the first step to failure for a newly hired or recently promoted individual. As the supervisor, the team leader, it appears that we are always available;”just call,” “call anytime, day […]
Some of the most dreaded words from a prospect in a leasing conversation are, “I’m not planning to move right away, maybe in a month or two, or six months…” We want to create urgency. Our apartments are vacant now! We need move ins now! Leases signed! Commitments today! Too often, the reference for a future […]
The holiday season and the dreaded months of winter are often cited for the reason for decreased phone calls and visits to a property. Resulting in lower closing ratios, almost matching the outside temperature. People don’t wants to move between Christmas and New Years. It’s complicated to move in the winter No one is looking at apartment advertisements, […]
Contacting residents regarding unpaid rent can be difficult. To prevent the need for collection calls, we often incentivize timely rental payments. However, apartment communities continue to have individuals that do not pay their rent on time. Tasking a team member with the responsibity to follow up on the individual with unpaid rent generally has the […]
Learning something new does not require enrolling in a certificate or a four-year degree program. Opportunities To Learn It can be a simple as: -Learning a new app for a phone or mobile device. Too often, we download a tool someone has recommended, but we don’t try to use it. A quick check of […]
Emergency Contact List Keeping the Emergency Contact List updated is the first step for a property’s emergency plan. This includes a reminder to contact alarm companies or other support service providers with changes in telephone numbers or staffing. This should be included on the team meeting agenda. When an alarm company is unable to […]
How often are residents thanked for the choice to live at our community? Demonstrating resident appreciation in the smallest ways, can have surprising and rewarding returns. Most choices for housing involve long-term commitments, buying a house or a condo, requires a mortgage. Individuals who rent can make a change in an instant. Granted breaking a […]