I am getting excited and ready for my visit to the Washtenaw Area Apartment Association in Ann Arbor, Michigan next week. The topic, "Expect the unexpected...Emergency Preparedness." Over the past weeks I have received friend requests from both service providers and property management professionals in Michigan, and look forward to seeing them at the workshop. Our industry is expansive, however, in some aspects small. We all share common interests and even though there are tens of thousands of professionals in our industry, it never ceases to amaze me how common topics bring us together. Service providers, site maintenance professionals, and management and leasing members have become new friends on Linkedin and Multifamily Insiders with me. I will have the honor and privilege to meet some of them next week, and hopefully build new relationships and share information as we discuss this very important topic. This will be a very interactive workshop, and I promise will be not only informative but also enjoyable. I have a couple of surprises lined up to make it fun and we'll throw in a few magic tricks to make it memorable.
It has also been a week for looking at new opportunities. My friends and many I have worked with in my career know I miss the challenges and opportunities of leadership and management. One of the managers I worked with a few years ago recently called to check on my status, reminding me how relationships we build can last a lifetime. I have thoroughly enjoyed doing the training and education, traveling all over the country sharing information and myself learning along the way. It never fails I learn something as well with every workshop or seminar I either prepare for or present. As my father once told me, "If you learn something new every day, you become a better person every day." Sure miss my Dad, as he was not only my best friend but also the wisest person I have ever known. Anyway, looking to return to property management has been something I have concentrated on for the past few months. After a couple of months with only a couple of interviews, I have three this week and am very thankful to have the opportunities. Hopefully I will find a home with a new company, doing what I love and have a passion for. In addition to the speaking many of you know I also have been a diver for Disney, spending time in the water with sharks when not speaking. Someone once asked me if I was afraid of being in the water with 9 foot sharks on a regular basis. My response was, "Have you met some of the residents I have had to deal with?"
We'll keep you posted on where I end up, and the blog will no doubt continue. I was extremely proud when I reported week before last I had over 3,000 visitors to my blog page, and as of today I hit 4,000. An email I received yesterday from another friend and former co-worker told me I was NOT allowed to drop the blog in returning to active management. Her comments and the others I have received encourage me to continue to share information now matter what I am doing, which is something love doing.
Have a great week and remember the key to knowledge is not having all the answers...but knowing where to find them.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Leasing isn't difficult...so don't make it so hard!
First let me say thank you to the now over 3,000 people that have visited my blog site. I hit that mark over the weekend, and am excited to reach this milestone. I also have received hundreds of great comments about some of my topics, and a few phone calls saying they appreciate the forum. Those that know me understand I do this to keep our industry as professional as possible and hopefully help others with subject matter than can help apartment professionals exceed and excel. Now, on with this weeks topic.
Never ceases to amaze me in the number of leasing associates that do not follow-up or do not follow-up timely. We review our advertising, make sure our apartments are the best, check to make sure the amenities show well, and even polish our shoes. For some reason we do all these things but forget to polish the sales and leasing techniques that create the lease and often discover additional information that can increase income and occupancy. This is not rocket science people, and often times is what triggers getting the deposit.
Recently I visited properties and was in the "shoppers" world as I made my rounds. I wish I could say this was a one time problem I have run into, however, we all know the answer is that it was not. Last week I visited four communities and in the past month have shopped about fifteen sites for various reasons. The results were not encouraging and I have to say rather disappointing. One in five sites gave me an email or phone call within 24 hours of my visit. Three other sites contacted me within three to four days of the visit, and the others I believe were abducted by aliens and the communities are now being leased only to Martians. Only six of the fifteen sites asked for the deposit or asked if I would like to fill out an application at the visit (guess they were 100% occupied and didn't need my money). Of those six, only three did a great job of selling me and ones I would consider good leasers (that was until two of them did not do timely or failed to follow-up).
I can only guess they all had so many other prospects coming in the door they didn't need my lease. In this day of emails, instant messaging, and software that can track my inquiry down to the underwear I was wearing during the visit, we have forgotten some of the basics. Oh and by the way, I have received ZERO thank you notes or cards telling me they probably failed to order ink for the printer or pens so they could right me a personalized note. Honestly I expected more from what are supposed to be trained professionals. There again, possibly training and checking guest cards for things like follow-up maybe have been forgotten because we are too busy twittering and doing financial reports explaining why our income is so low.
I'm sure Lisa, Mindy, Kate, Rebecca, Bill (last names withheld to protect the innocent) and all the other great trainers out there are probably shaking their heads, but not surprised to see the results. We have so many challenges and difficult things to deal with and follow-up and selling our sites, management, team, and apartments does not have to be one of them...it should be the easiest if we only do what is so easy.
Now go lease!
Never ceases to amaze me in the number of leasing associates that do not follow-up or do not follow-up timely. We review our advertising, make sure our apartments are the best, check to make sure the amenities show well, and even polish our shoes. For some reason we do all these things but forget to polish the sales and leasing techniques that create the lease and often discover additional information that can increase income and occupancy. This is not rocket science people, and often times is what triggers getting the deposit.
Recently I visited properties and was in the "shoppers" world as I made my rounds. I wish I could say this was a one time problem I have run into, however, we all know the answer is that it was not. Last week I visited four communities and in the past month have shopped about fifteen sites for various reasons. The results were not encouraging and I have to say rather disappointing. One in five sites gave me an email or phone call within 24 hours of my visit. Three other sites contacted me within three to four days of the visit, and the others I believe were abducted by aliens and the communities are now being leased only to Martians. Only six of the fifteen sites asked for the deposit or asked if I would like to fill out an application at the visit (guess they were 100% occupied and didn't need my money). Of those six, only three did a great job of selling me and ones I would consider good leasers (that was until two of them did not do timely or failed to follow-up).
I can only guess they all had so many other prospects coming in the door they didn't need my lease. In this day of emails, instant messaging, and software that can track my inquiry down to the underwear I was wearing during the visit, we have forgotten some of the basics. Oh and by the way, I have received ZERO thank you notes or cards telling me they probably failed to order ink for the printer or pens so they could right me a personalized note. Honestly I expected more from what are supposed to be trained professionals. There again, possibly training and checking guest cards for things like follow-up maybe have been forgotten because we are too busy twittering and doing financial reports explaining why our income is so low.
I'm sure Lisa, Mindy, Kate, Rebecca, Bill (last names withheld to protect the innocent) and all the other great trainers out there are probably shaking their heads, but not surprised to see the results. We have so many challenges and difficult things to deal with and follow-up and selling our sites, management, team, and apartments does not have to be one of them...it should be the easiest if we only do what is so easy.
Now go lease!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)