Morgan Oney's Blog

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to get out with the old and in with the new. Time to get into those nooks and crannies and add some sparkle to every corner of your home. Time to clean out your closets. Time to get down and dirty!

I know, spring cleaning really isn't all that much fun (for most of us), but it's something that most of us do to "de-clutter" not only our homes, but our minds and attitude as well. The fact is, having a clean, tidy and organized environment around us brings us peace. So here's the thing. We spend all this time cleaning our homes, organizing our bills and important papers, cleaning out our closets, etc., That's all well and good, but where do you spend the majority of your day? At the office! So why not take your spring cleaning on the road? It only makes sense that if tidying and organizing brings us peace and allows us to focus on other tasks, then we should make sure that the place we spend most of our time is as peaceful as can be!

Now I've seen some scary leasing offices in my day! It amazes me how things just get ignored. I know we all have a lot going on and our days can be pretty hectic, but I'm sure we can all find some downtime to spruce things up. Not only will you appreciate your new surroundings, but it will make you more confident about your community, and in turn, you'll pass that confidence along to your residents and prospects.

I'm sure you all know the basics of cleanliness and know what needs to be taken care of in your space. But, I'm also sure that there are some areas that you may overlook! So here are 10 tips on how to make your office space the most clean, organized and inviting place it can possibly be!

1. Clean, clean, clean. You may have a housekeeper that takes care of cleaning your clubhouse/leasing office for you. If you do, that's fantastic, but don't get complacent. There are sure to be areas that he/she misses. You're the ones that are there every day and notice every little thing. So take some time to go through your space with a fine tooth comb, dusting, scrubbing and disinfecting every surface you can possibly find!

2. Don't ignore your amenities! I know it can be a challenge to keep your Fitness Center fresh. You probably use air fresheners and wipe down the equipment every so often, but when was the last time you did a good disinfecting sweep of the entire place? Get rid of those germs by thoroughly cleaning your equipment, floors, mirrors, etc. Have a Business Center? Wipe down those phones and keyboards...they're breeding grounds for germs! Do the kiddos have a playground in your community? If so, freshen up the mulch and sanitize the equipment and you'll have all the parents signing your praises!
3. Tackle that mystery meat! When was the last time you cleaned out your fridge? Is that take out container from TGI Fridays over a month ago still in there? Do you dare to open it up and see what's inside? Take some time trash everything inside your fridge and freezer that's not used regularly or immediately.

4. Check out your package room. If you accept packages for your residents, chances are you've probably got some sitting there that have been there for quite a while. It's easy to forget about them once they've been dropped off. Send notices out to all of the residents with packages still there. Offer to deliver them to their apartments for them if they're unable to make it to your office during business hours.

5. Keys please! Oh, the key room. Likely a big mess. Chances are you have keys all over the place. Blank keys, unmarked keys, keys in the wrong place, etc. Getting them organized will make it easier on both your maintenance and office teams.

6. Come out of the closet! Typically, closets become the catch all for things that we have no idea where else to store. Start going through them and finding homes for everything. More likely than not, many items can be placed elsewhere and I bet a lot can go in the trash!

7. Lost...found...donated. If you have a lost and found box that has some items that have been hanging around for a while, consider donating them. Once you've hung onto them for a substantial amount of time, odds are they're not going to be claimed and they're doing no one any good just hanging out in a box.

8. Holy paperwork! Yes, I know. Paperwork stinks. File piles mound up quickly and before you know it, you're swimming in a sea of the stuff. As annoying as it may be, getting your paperwork filed, shredded and trashed is not only necessary in cleaning up your space, but it's critical in making sure you don't misplace anything (which can be a while nightmare in and of itself!)

9. Oh sweet tooth. Do you have candy in your office? Perhaps you have candy jars on your desk or mints by your front door. If so, chances are the candy at the bottom of those jars is REALLY old! We have a tendency when we refill our goodies to just dump more in on the top. Sounds good, right? Your jars look full and all is good. Well, all is good until an unsuspecting child cracks a tooth on that year old butterscotch disk that they so innocently grabbed!
10. Out of sight, out of mind. What's the number one place you put things in your office in when you don't know where else they should go? Your desk! I've seen it all scattered in leasing consultants' desk drawers....Chapstick, food, business cards, office supplies, jewelry, perfume, sanitizer, as well as some things I'd rather not mention! Clean them out, then organize your drawers with a handy drawer organizer. They're only a few bucks and do wonders for tidying up that small space.


I hope you've found these tips helpful! Feel free to add more in the comments section if you have something to add!

Morgan Oney, CAM: My App Connection...designing affordable mobile apps for apartment communities to connect with their residents and prospects. Users can pay rent, submit service requests and more with one click on their phone! http://www.myappconnection.com

Probably one of the most frustrating things when you work on site is the mountain of uncollected move out charges that are piling up in record levels these days. With the economy the way it is, people just don't have the extra money to pay several hundred or even thousands of dollars for charges stemming from damage to their apartment. Sometimes you'll get lucky and and that magic check will appear in the mail after someone moves out. But most of the time, you'll probably suffer a loss, whether it be on the complete debt or on a portion of it if you send it over to a collection agency to collect. It may seem like a helpless situation. You can't get blood from a stone, as the old saying goes. But, believe it or not, there are things that you can do to nip this situation in the bud and recover more of your damages than you ever thought possible. 

First things first, tackle the issue as far in advance as possible. That means doing a pre-move out inspection, typically between 30 and 60 days prior to the move out. I've seen these done probably 50% of the time, but trust me, the properties that do them have a much better collection rate than the properties that don't. When you inspect an apartment prior to the move out, you have an opportunity to accomplish several things. 

First, you are able to assess the condition of the apartment well before the move out date and determine what maintenance needs to be done, resulting in a quicker turn. Secondly, you create an opportunity to have the resident correct some of these issues prior to moving out, resulting in cost savings for both you and them. 

Back by popular demand....The Top 10 Things to be Thankful For as a Property Manager!  This was a hit last year, so I decided to post it again.  It includes some classics from last year as well as a few new ones!  Enjoy!

As we approach Thanksgiving and we ponder on what we have to be thankful for this year, I'm sure we're all thinking of our friends, our family, our health, etc. But with this crazy industry we work in, one where there's never a dull moment, there's a whole different meaning to the term "thankful." Here are the top 10 things you have to be thankful for this season when you're a property manager....

*disclaimer...this is meant to be humorous :)


10. Be thankful that you're fully staffed and that you don't have to work the weekends!

9. Be thankful that the police haven't been called to your property in over a month!

8. Be thankful that your regional manager is on vacation and you haven't heard from him ALL week!

7. Be thankful that you haven't had to take anyone to court this month!

6. Be thankful that all of your staff passed that "random" drug screening last week!

5. Be thankful you got 5 leases this week...and not a single one was declined!

4. Be thankful you haven't had any vendors calling your property this week trying to collect on that invoice that your corporate office "forgot" to pay!

3. Be thankful that your owner hasn't gone bankrupt and you still have a job!

2. Be thankful that half of your residents are out of town for the holidays and you don't have to listen to their whining about who's being loud, who's parked in the wrong parking space and who's leaving their trash outside of their door.

And the number 1 thing you have to be thankful for when you're a property manager this Thankgsiving.....

1. Be thankful that your maintenance tech on call didn't get drunk on Thanksgiving and can still respond to the emergency calls!

Morgan Oney, CAM
My Newsletter Connection (www.mynewsletterconnection.com) Affordable, Unique & Stylish Online and Print Newsletters for Apartment Communities

I don't know everything about everything, but one thing I consider myself to be an expert on is resident newsletters. It's my thing. It's what I do, it's what I love. I started writing them 9 years ago when I worked on site and I've been publishing them professionally for other communities now for a year. In the past year, I've had the opportunity to see how other communities write their newsletters. It's really interesting to read each community's submission each month, that's for sure. And I don't necessarily mean interesting in a good way!

So let's review for a moment.....what exactly is the purpose of a resident newsletter? Well, there are several. The first, and most obvious, is to create a sense of community and boost resident retention. This is achieved by letting readers know about community news and events so they know what's going on around them. Then there's the marketing aspect of a newsletter. What most communities don't realize is they can be a fantastic marketing tool, particularly if you have an online version of your newsletter. Newsletters give prospective residents an opportunity to have a window into the community. To see what it's really like to live there. Now that's a fantastic opportunity, but you'd be surprised how many communities ignore it. 

If you're going to take the time and incur the expense of providing a monthly newsletter to your residents and prospects, then it only makes sense that you make the most of it, right? Whether you create your own newsletter each month or use a newsletter service, following the tips below will help you do just that. 

1. Make your newsletter attractive. If you design your own newsletter, spend some time researching newsletters and find ones that stand out to you. If you use a service, find a company that offers unique designs. People are much more interested in reading something that's aesthetically appealing than something that's dull and boring. 

When you think of your community, do you think you have a tight knit neighborhood? Are residents close? Do they interact with their neighbors? You may think so, but what do your residents think? Odds are, they aren't feeling as close as they could.
You may put on the occasional resident gathering to get everyone together, but are you truly building a neighborhood? Feeling a sense of community is huge factor in why people lease where they do, and an even bigger factor in why people stay where they are. While you may think you're doing everything you can to make that happen, I bet there's more that you can be doing. Try giving this a little more focus and I bet in the long run, you'll notice increased leasing, and most importantly, a higher retention rate.

Here are some ideas on how you can bring your neighborhood together. If you have any to add, please feel free to leave a comment!

1. Hosting regular resident events. This is a no-brainer. We all know that having social activities is critical. But it goes a little deeper than just planning a party here and there. The goal is to make your residents excited about your events so that they actually attend! You can do that by holding them regularly at accessible times (weekends are best when people are off), offering prizes (ask your vendors to donate if you're on a budget), playing games and making them fun. Also, be sure you're not doing the same old thing all the time. Change things up a bit so each one is different and interesting!

2. Hold outings for residents outside of the community. Work with local businesses to create a special night out for your residents at a discounted price, like a bowling alley, movie theater or restaurant. Residents will get a chance to socialize outside of the neighborhood and the outside environment will be a great way to get residents talking and interacting with one another.

3. Encourage resident participation by offering contests. Think of each building as a "team" and challenge them to complete different tasks. It will help them work together for a common goal and get them communicating. You could do contests for the building with the best looking balconies, cleanest breezeways, stylish front door, etc. Not only does it foster teamwork, but it's beautifying your community at the same time!

4. Work with a charity. Nothing brings people together like helping other people. Choose a charitable activity that will allow your residents to come together, like Habitat for Humanity or Race for the Cure. You're showing your residents that you can and bringing them together at the same time.

5. Encourage holiday antics. Have you ever heard of "booing" on Halloween or "elfing" at Christmas? It's where a person anonymously leaves a special poem and bag of goodies at a neighbor's doorstep. That person then does the same to 2 neighbors, then they do it to 2 neighbors, and before long, the entire neighborhood has received a treat! This can be done for pretty much any holiday. To get it started, announce the plan in your newsletters so residents know what to expect. Then get it started by sending treats to one or two residents in each building, anonymously of course. Try to do ones who you think will reciprocate! :) Watch it take off and your residents get excited about their little gifts!

6. Host a "Good Neighbor Contest." Let all of your residents know to be on the lookout for a neighbor doing something good to help out in the community. They can be picking up their pet waste, holding a door for someone, helping a neighbor with their groceries, etc. When they spot someone doing a good deed, they can report them to the office to be entered in the contest. Then hold a random drawing offering the winner a small prize, like a gift card to a local restaurant. It encourages acts of kindness among neighbors and lets them know that you appreciate it!


Morgan Oney, CAM
My Newsletter Connection-affordable & stylish online resident newsletters for your community! http://www.mynewsletterconnection.com

We spend so much time these days working on our social networking, but are we forgetting the true roots of what it means to be "social?" There are so many things these days that take the personalization out of life. For instance, when I'm at the grocery store, I love to use the self checkout line so I don't have to deal with the grumpy cashier. When I go to the bank, I chose the amazing new computerized ATM to make all of my deposits, avoiding the need to go to the teller. Heck, I can even buy stamps there so I don't have to make a trip to the post office. When I was recently looking to purchase a new car, I did all of my searching online and never even spoke to a person until I found the van that I wanted. I've realized that I rarely interact with an actual person these days. On one hand, I like it. It's convenient, it's on my terms and I don't have to be bothered by less than friendly people, which is what I always seem to encounter these days. But even though it's nice to do my own thing, it's also refreshing to actually talk to a friendly person every now and then.

A recent discussion post on a multifamily board got me thinking about this recent shift in the customer service industry and how it pertains to our industry. The question was in regards to inviting prospects to resident activities. It got me thinking that more than likely, we're not spending enough time actually being social with our residents and prospects. We spend so much time focusing our efforts on our internet advertising and our social media because that's the direction our industry has taken. And while yes, it's a great thing to move forward and stay current with the trends, it's also important to remember the general roots of customer service. Being present for your customers and giving them your personal attention is priceless in gaining their trust. Here are just a few things you can do to accomplish that. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section!

1. Invite your prospects to your resident socials. Most communities have events once a month. Print some invitations to those events and have them ready to go in your traffic information packets. By inviting your prospects to your resident events, you give them an opportunity to interact with you and your residents and see what it's really like to live in your community.

2. Make phone calls. So much is done by email these days, which is great, but a phone call shows that you care. Call residents on their birthday and follow up all service requests with a quick ring.

3. Send handwritten thank you notes. These are really becoming a thing of the past, but nothing is more personal than a handwritten note. Send them to prospects after they tour and residents after they refer someone.

4. Treat them like family. Send residents a card on their birthday, a small gift when they have a new baby or get married, etc. Think of each and every person as a member of your family, and when they celebrate an accomplishment or milestone, do what you would do as if it were one of your family members celebrating that event.

5. Give them face time. Most residents work during office hours and never get a chance to talk to the manager directly. Have a night once a week to leave the office open an hour or so late and have the manager accessible. If a resident has a problem that requires the manager's attention, they'll greatly appreciate being able to talk that matter over in person rather than on the phone or via email.


Morgan Oney, CAM
My Newsletter Connection-stylish and affordable online and print newsletters for apartment communities http://www.mynewsletterconnection.com

I'm sure you've all seen the story about the Jet Blue flight attendant who got so stressed out by a customer that he creatively "exited" his job by going on a verbal rant on the plane's loudspeaker, grabbing a couple of beers and leaving the plan via the emergency slide. Ok, I have to say, I like his style. Who wouldn't want to quit their job by sliding down a fun inflatable slide? I think we have a lot to learn from him, and while I do admire his "cojones," I think most importantly, we can take this opportunity to learn how to keep from getting this burnt out ourselves.

Dealing with needy residents, grumpy maintenance men and pushy vendors on a daily basis certainly takes its toll. One minute it's the resident mad that you're about to file for their eviction, the next its your maintenance supervisor grumbling about having to shave his evergrowing beard. Then there's that vendor who just won't leave you alone about signing up for their services. Working in the leasing office, whether a manager or leasing consultant, puts us on the front lines to take constant abuse. I think its only natural that you're going to get burnt out. Afterall, there's only so much one person can take! So here are some tips to help you cope so that you continue to love your job and don't get tempted to pull a "Steven Slater!"

1. When you find yourself in a stressful situation, take a moment. If you have a resident in front of you going on and on and on, it's ok to excuse yourself for a moment to regroup. Take some time to go into another room, take a deep breath, and think about how you're going to handle the situation. If you don't take a moment, you could very well get into a heated argument with the person, saying things that you don't mean and making the situation even worse.
2. Pass it on. If you're in a situation that you feel is going no where, get someone else in your office to help you. There's no need to keep going back and forth with someone to no avail. Maybe your co-worker will have a fresh perspective on the situation and be able to handle it better.

3. Managers....watch your team! Keep an eye out for comments and actions that your team members may make indicating they're a little stressed. It's best to nip it in the bud rather than watch it escalate and make them unhappy with their job. If you notice someone's having an off day, have a talk with them, buy them lunch, do whatever you need to to get to the root of their issue so it doesn't consume them. People feel so much better when they know they have someone else in their corner.

4. Regionals and Managers...offer "time outs" for your team members. Maybe it's a trip for pedicures for your girls or a golf outing for your guys. Everyone needs a little break sometimes, and when your team sees that you're looking out for them and willing to help out, it will do wonders for your team morale!

Anyone else have any more suggestions? Post your comments for the rest of us to see!

Morgan Oney, CAM
www.getmoreleases.com Unique, risk free advertising for your community!

Getting your residents together for a special event is a fantastic resident retention tool. Not only does it show your residents you care about them by showing them a good time, it also gives them an opportunity to socialize with their neighbors and form a bond with your community. Holding regular resident events is a crucial tool to making your residents stay put!

So what happens if you're managing a property that's a bit low on funds? No worries! There are lots of things you can do for your residents that cost little to nothing. Here are some great ideas to help you stay connected with your residents on a budget!

1. Utilize what you have! More than likely, your community offers a wide range of amenities. Take advantage of that and host some events using those features. Some examples include:

-Fitness Center-hold group fitness classes, nutritional counseling, weight lifting contest
-Business Center-resume writing course, job loss support group, computer program workshops (like how to learn Excel, Power Point, etc.)
-Car Wash-The obvious-resident car wash!
-Pool-The obvious-resident pool party!
-Sports Courts/billiards-form basketball, tennis, volleyball leagues, competitions
-Common grounds-host resident yard sale, pet parade, children's bike parade
-Lake-Fishing outing, "green team" grounds clean up, nature walk
-Cinema-host regular movie nights for adults and kids, show special events like awards shows and big games

2. Talk to your vendors. Most are willing to donate gift cards and other items that you can offer your guests as door prizes.

3. Check out local restaurants. For a little bit of advertising, many local restaurants will be willing to donate or deeply discount food for your resident events.

4. Contact local home based business reps. There are so many great home based businesses out there that are of interest to lots of groups of people. The representatives of these businesses would love an opportunity to show their product to your residents. Most will do it for free and show them a great time! Some great ones include:

-Creative Memories-scrapbooking
-Mary Kay, Avon-make up and skin care
-Lia Sophia, Premier, Silpada-jewelry
-Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple-cooking
-Uppercase Living, Southern Living-decorating
-Usbourne Books, Discovery Toys-children's products
-Scentsy, Partylite-candles
-Tupperware-storage containers

5. Organize nights for interest groups. There are so many things out there that people love to do in their free time, and more importantly, they love to do it as a group. Give your residents, and even outside members of your community, a place to come together to do what they love. Ideas include book clubs, scrapbooking clubs, knitting clubs, painting clubs, Bunco group, playgroup...the possibilities are endless!

6. Create a neighborhood watch group. While it doesn't sound very exciting, it's a great way to bring your neighbors together. Enlist your local police department for help-they'll conduct seminars for your residents for free!

7. Resident night out! Check with your local movie theathers, bowling alleys, fun parks, etc. to see if they'll offer a special discout to your residents on a particular night. Your residents can get out, enjoy the special rate, socialize with their neighbors, and best of all, it didn't cost you a dime!


If you have any ideas on hosting a resident event on a budget, leave a comment!
Morgan Oney, CAM
www.getmoreleases.com Online advertising with no set up fees, no lead fees and no monthly fees!