June 24th I presented "Going Global Sell and Service Your Multicultural Residents and Watch Your Revenue Grow" for NAA in New Orleans.  In preparing with my colleague Leah Brewer, I rediscovered just how much passion I have for understanding different cultures.  In particular we spoke about the Hispanic or Latino community as this segment of the population is growing leaps and bounds: With numbers totaling 43.5 million, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the US, representing 15% of the total population and 700 billion in annual purchasing power.  Nearly half of all Hispanics in the US – nearly 22 million people – rent their homes.

So this begs the question: Are you embracing this group?  I think that most property management operators recognize the importance of the Latino renter; have you really embraced this group?  We can all do a better job of understanding the nuances within the variety of Hispanic cultures (i.e.: there are differences between Mexican and Puerto Rican cultures) and make their renting experience a bienvenida (welcome/warm welcome). 

Similarly, nor all Asian cultures are the same.  We cannot afford to pigeonhole our residents and prospects into even one culture.  More about this later.

[Editor Note:  If you would like an audio copy of Rebecca's NAA presentation, click here.]