Are you the Better Property or the Better Deal on the Block?

I started working in this industry in 1994 at a 238 unit community.  I can remember working and living on-site and how I truly enjoyed going to work everyday.  Each day brought new challenges and was always fulfilling.  I loved my property and treated it as if it were my own personal investment each day.  I worked long hours (because I wanted to), did landscaping on the weekends, decorated the property for the holidays, and so much more and enjoyed every minute of it. 

What do we have today?  Today I see people who grumble as they walk in the door because they would rather still be in bed and they don't want to deal with that resident today and they are not shy to tell you that. If they don't tell you that you can probably read it on their Facebook page. We have people who tell prospects they can't view an apartment without an appointment. I mean after all, who do they think they are walking in our offices without notice? We have people who refuse to talk with a resident because they are "off the clock".  We have people who refuse to bend over and pick up trash while walking property because it's not their job.  We have a "Maintenance Department" and an "Office" and neither should ask the other a question. The last time I checked, one can not function without the other can they? And this list can go on and on.

What has happened?

We are hiring and training people on company policies and giving them a few leasing courses and a concession to offer prospects and expecting them to close deals.  What we're not teaching them is something I think is most important....to believe in their community and their product. 

We are doing very well at teaching them they need that concession to lease an apartment by offering our prospects concessions they simply can't refuse. We are turning the world of helping people find a home in our community into a feeding frenzy for concessions and these concessions are costing our properties thousands of dollars a year! I recently had a site manager email me and ask "What is my next special going to be....."  Something is wrong with that picture isn't it?  We have fallen into the do it because everyone else is doing it and are now having brainstorming meetings to create a more creative special than our comps.  Exhausting!

Where has the compassion for our prospects, the belief in our communities, and concern for servicing our residents gone?  We are so worried about increasing occupancy and the bottom line that we are giving away free rent and TV's to achieve it and we're teaching our people that is just the business. 

Refocus....

When I worked on-site I never had any formal "leasing" training and we very seldom had a leasing special however I always maintained a closing ratio of above 65%.  How ?  I loved, respected, and believed in my community and it showed.  I didn't have to sell service, it sold itself by the well maintained grounds, 100% prepared vacant units, and clean common areas. 

We need to refocus our teams and teach them to love their property, believe in their property, work as TEAM, respect and service their residents, and be helpful, not pushy, to their prospects instead of teaching them how to sell, sell, sell and close that deal!   And, yes we need to close deals but if your team doesn't care about their property, what good is a closed deal to only end up with an unhappy resident because the property is not maintained? There goes another move out AND your competition is going to pay them to move! Yes someone in my city is actually running an "All moving expenses paid" leasing special.

When you go to a high end department store, you get a salesperson who truly believes their product is the best in town and an overall cheerful environment. You will continue to shop that store and pay a little higher price for the service and quality.   In lower end stores, you get someone who knows nothing about what products they have in the store except for their location on the shelf. 

Does your team believe their community is the best in town or do they just simply know the location of their vacant units and try to hard sell them because they want their bonus?   

I strongly believe in the training that is out there for this industry.  I love the Grace Hill courses, Toni Blake, Lisa Troisen, are amazing and I could go on and on!  Along with this great training though, you better make sure your team knows and believes in their property.  You can give them all the training in the world but without a genuine care for their community, they and your property will fail and you will continue to give away concessions to lease it up because that is all your team knows. 

Break the Cycle and refocus your team. 

Become the Better Property not Better Deal on the Block!