Marcylene Esformes' Blog

Whether you have been downsized, terminated, or are looking for a new growth opportunity, the way you conduct your job search will determine your level of success.  Your job search should reflect your professionalism, intelligence, and character.  

As a professional with over twenty years experience in the multi-family industry, I have had the opportunity to review hundreds of candidates.  The follow are some suggestions:

1.  Your resume is a reflection of you and your abilities.  Make sure that is is well-written with no spelling or grammatical errors, it is easy to read, and the receiver doesn't have to search for position titles, work history, etc.  Your resume should show a potential hiring manager what makes you the ideal candidate for the position.  If you are looking for a position in property management, the hiring manager already knows the duties and responsibilities for a leasing consultant, property manager, or regional property manager.  You should give information that is important - number of units, types of properties you have experience with, number of individuals supervised, what you accomplished in your previous positions, what awards you received, etc.

Having had the opportunity to visit many apartment communities in the past few months, I have to say that I am more committed than ever to uniforms! 

While touring, I have seen it all lately.  From jeans to t-shirts to micro-minis to oversized sweaters and capri pants, the variations are endless.  I have been to very few properties lately that have professionally dressed associates.  Why?  I wonder . . .

I hear those of you out there - Uniform programs are expensive, Our associates like to express themselves, etc., etc., etc.  I agree that we are all in a position to watch our expenses and to we have to make decisions every day on where to save but I would urge everyone to have a uniform program.  There is something to be said about walking into a property and seeing a professionally dressed staff.  By uniform program, it could be any variation of the following:

 

If you have been doing all of the things outlined in the previous Leasing, there is nothing basic about it articles, the next part should be easy!  Leading the way home is a simple process that a lot of leasing consultants either don't do at all or they make it a lot more difficult than it is!  The main thing that you should do is - ASK FOR THE MONEY!

Leading the way home is not:

• Sending a prospective resident out the door with an application;
• Giving a prospective resident your business card and saying, "Keep in touch";
• Dropping a prospective resident off at their car and saying, "Have a nice day".

Here is a list of the different techniques that can be used when asking a prospective resident to live at your community:

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear a speech given by Mark Miller, Vice President of Training for Chick-fil-A.  During the speech, he was talking about their hiring process and the different techniques that he has used over the years to determine whether someone would be a good fit for the organization or not.  The thing that I found most interesting was that he told us that the average length of time from initial contact to the actual hiring was six months!  Given the success of Chick-fil-A and their employee retention and satisfaction rates, it made me pay attention.

I will admit, grudgingly, that during my early years as a Property Manager, I did not always make the best hiring decisions - for a couple of reasons.  They are:

1.  I had never hired anyone before and didn't really know what I was doing.  (For those of you who know me, you know how difficult that admission was!) I wasn't given any instruction on the interview process, sample questions, etc.  I had an open position and I needed to fill it.

 

As you take your prospective resident on a property tour, you need to be able to overcome objections that are presented.  Here are some suggestions that will help:

• LISTEN: So often we leap into answering an objection before we even let the prospect finish explaining what their objection is. Listen to understand and don't jump to conclusions.
• ISOLATE THE OBJECTION:
  • a. Let me get this straight, this is the only thing that makes you hesitant in selecting your new apartment home here at ABC Properties?
  • b. Let me make sure I understand, if the apartment had a washer/dryer, it would be the perfect new apartment home for you and your family?
• CLARIFY OBJECTION: Be sure you understand exactly what the objection is. Feed it back to the prospect and ask them to elaborate if necessary. Make certain you know just what their concern is. You could create a second objection by not clarifying the first objection.
• INDICATE UNDERSTANDING:
  • a. I understand...
  • b. I can relate...
  • c. Other people have said the same thing and they have...
• "CUSHION" THE OBJECTION: "I'm glad you asked that" or "I see what you mean" are great ways to soften your response and encourage your prospect to speak freely. It also validates your confidence in yourself and your product.
• ANSWER WITH ALTERNATIVES: It's our job to show the prospect an alternative to the way they see something. Most people have a tendency to see with "blinders". If you get them to remove those blinders they may see things differently and in your favor.
• PRESENT THE OTHER SIDE:
  • a. Consider this...
  • b. Honestly...
  • c. Has it occurred to you that...?
  • d. What some people have done is...
  • e. I'm glad you mentioned it...
• OVERCOME THE OBJECTION BY SHOWING THE FEATURES AND BENEFITS.
• FINISH WITH A BOW: After you've answered their question and offered an alternative make sure all is well. You'll want to finish with finesse. Don't assume they are okay with your alternative. Try statements like:
  • "What do you think...will this work?"
  • "Does that make sense to you?"

If they answer "yes", move on.  If they answer "no", try another approach.

Here are a couple of objections and possible ways to overcome them:

As we all know, it is difficult to read a headline or watch the news these days without hearing negative economic news.  Between stock prices, job losses, and the shrinking economy, it is sometimes hard to find a silver lining.  Facing an uncertain economy and in many areas uncertain market conditions, we need to recognize and understand the following:

1.  People are scared.  Whether it is your residents or your coworkers, everyone is facing challenging times and we all react differently when dealing with these challenges. 

2.  Competition is fierce.  From job searches to apartment searches, everyone is looking for an edge over the competition.  Remember that you should always show integrity and professionalism.

 

Before you take your first property tour of the day, you need to get prepared and have a plan. You should:

• Check the model apartment and amenity areas and make sure that they are spotless and everything is in working order.
• Know your availability and what units are ready to show as per your company policy. Remember, you should NEVER show an apartment that is not ready and in move-in condition. Remember, you only get one opportunity to make a first impression.
• Map out your tour path and make sure that it is neat and tidy. Review walkways to the apartments and make sure that all trash is removed, etc. You do not want to be surprised while on tour.
• Make sure that you have keys to all the units to be shown and that the keys work. There is nothing worse than taking a prospective resident and not being able to get into the apartment you want to show them.

The property tour is your opportunity to shine.  You get to show your prospective new resident all of the reasons why they should select your apartment community over the competition.  When you are touring, you should:

• 1. Be proactive - don't make them ask to see something. Let them know that they have your undivided attention and that you are going to take them to see the amenity areas, the model apartment, and an available apartment.   "Based on the needs you have given me, I have the perfect apartment home for you. Would you like to see your new home first or look at the community amenities first?" or "From what we've discussed, I have just the right apartment for you. " or "I can't wait to show you your apartment - I know you are going to love it."
• 2. When entering a model or vacant, have an opening statement like, "Welcome home" or "You're going to love this apartment".
• 3. Get the prospective resident involved in the tour. Encourage them to open cabinets, doors, etc. Make your presentation "hands on".
• 4. Point out features that relate to their individual needs (storage, sunlight, closet space, view, etc.).
• 5. Through conversation, you need to find out your customer's hot buttons. What are they looking for in their new apartment home? What features are important to them? Once you know their hot buttons, your presentation will become much easier and can highlight what is important to your potential new resident.
• 6. Whenever you are out on the property, you should address every resident you come in contact with. Remember, customer service never ends.
• 7. While out on the property, you should point out the features and benefits of the apartments and the property. For example, the swimming pool provides great exercise and is a wonderful place to meet your neighbors.
• 8. Overcome objections presented during the tour.

Remember, the property tour is the perfect opportunity to connect with your prospect and to really find out what is important to them.  You are the main reason that a prospective resident will select an apartment home at your community.  They want to know that you care about their needs and wants and are going to provide excellent customer service to them - during the initial visit and beyond.

As the manager, one of the best tools available to you is your budget.  It provides you with the blueprint for the expectations for your property's performance in the coming year.  A budget will provide you with a guideline for the following, just to name a few:

• Rental increases
• Renewal increases
• Occupancy expectations
• Concession guidelines
• Advertising programs
• Expense guidelines
• Capital improvement plan

While I understand that a budget can be intimidating and there are many professionals out there who break into a sweat just thinking about the budget process, the more familiar you become with the budget the easier it will be to work with. 

When I worked with Lane Company, I was fortunate enough to participate in a budget workshop.   During this workshop, I learned what each budget category meant, where the numbers came from, and how to create a budget.  As a result of that budget workshop, I was confident with my budget and knew that going forward the budget process was never going to be intimidating to me again.

As a leasing professional, you can either make the deal or blow it with the greeting.  First impressions last a lifetime.

STOP whatever you are doing when someone enters your leasing office.

SMILE - the single most powerful human bonding behavior.

STAND UP and walk towards the person.  Standing communicates respect and a willingness to help.  Don't make them come to you.

In most cases, the customer's first contact with an apartment community is over the telephone.  Therefore, it is crucial that you develop and use top-notch phone techniques that project professionalism, courtesy, and enthusiasm.  You only get one chance to make a first impression.  What is the impression you are giving to your customers?

Selling over the telephone requires practice.  The following list of things should be accomplished when selling over the phone:

• Paint a picture of your property.
• Create a sense of urgency.
• Build value - don't give the price up front.
• Get their name and use it.
• Find out how they heard about your community.
• Establish their needs - what, when, number of occupants, pets, budget, floor, view, special features, why they are moving, etc.
• Set an appointment.

Important do's of the telephone:

DO . . .