I think trust is the biggest factor in any relationship. Once trust has been established, then it better not be broken or there will be consequences. I think this is why I tend to personalize my relationship with the community's residents. When someone submits a notice to vacate, I always secretly wonder if there is something I could do - personally - to make them change their mind, even though 98% of our Residents only move because they are buying a house or moving out of state. However, I still wonder whether or not I have given enough to each person to ensure they have enjoyed their living experience here.

Recently I was so thrilled to read two posts on our Facebook Page by two of our Residents who were so complimentary of the community and me personally. Helping someone settle into a new home is personal, not just business. For me, it will always be like this.

This Is Why I Wouldn't Hire You, Ms. D

Recently there was a discussion thread on the Multifamily Insiders site regarding this Post:

“I have been a leasing consultant for 4 months now. After one month I felt like this wasn't the place for me. My assistant manager and property manager are both very fond of me but I have to consider my future. Is it too early to start looking else where?” ~Danielle

“It depends on if you see a future in this industry. When I was a leasing agent, I was overqualified (in my opinion) and felt that I could be the property manager because at the time, I already had a college degree and a real estate license--both of which my property manager didn't have.” ~Nathan Borne

“Thank you Nathan!! I feel so much better after reading your response; mostly because I can relate. I felt the same way when I got hired. I felt overqualified and the pay is too low. I have a 4 year degree and my manager does not. The only thing they have over me is the experience in this field. But I have very many transferable skills from working in the education, staffing, and non profit markets. Not to mention I was a Resident Assistant in college for two years!” ~Danielle

Here’s the thing, Danielle. You have been in the industry for about a minute and already you think you can do the job of managing a multimillion dollar company better than the person in place. And maybe you can. However, DON’T come to me and ask me to hire you. This is why.

1. Attitude. I think your attitude is questionable, to say the least.
2. Ego. Please check your ego at the door. Property Management is a team sport. Yes, of course there are stand-out players, but even the Star Players need to control their egos.
3. Attitude. Sorry, I can’t get past this one.
4. Closing Ratio. What is yours? If it is less than 65%, you cannot qualify to lease for me because right now you think you know it all.
5. Trainability. Your attitude will prevent you from being open-minded about learning new things.

I suppose this sounds harsh. However, I invest a lot of time and money in whomever I hire for any property management position. I don’t want someone to come on-site who has no experience at MY PROPERTY or with MY COMPANY and feels she/he knows more than I do about MY PROPERTY or MY COMPANY.

This is not to say that after two weeks on the job, you won’t be able to be promoted. This is not to say that after a month on the job you couldn’t run the whole show. More power to you! But there’s a way to show me you can do it. Come in every morning embracing a new leasing strategy, a new technique for turning the units, a method that will save the company money, or do something simple like set a goal for leasing a certain number of apartments that week and then achieve it.

What I don’t want to see is you sitting at your desk texting your friends but not the Prospects. I don’t want to hear you answer the phone in a dull, listless monotone. I don’t want to know that you are rolling your eyes every time I say something, the Assistant Manager says something, or the Maintenance Techs do. I don’t want to hear you muttering in your cell phone to your mother about how bored you are and how you should be running the company because you are so much smarter than everyone here and at the Corporate Office. You may well be very qualified to do that. However, while you are working at XYZ Property you owe it to yourself and to every person there to do the best work you are capable of producing without complaining and posting how much you hate your job.

It Might Be a Long, Long Summer

How do you handle property damage caused by a couple of unsupervised six-year-olds at your community? I was actually accepting an Application from a gentleman when one of my Residents came into the Office and told me some kids were taking out a mature bush. So, I excused myself and went to the door, looked out and sure enough, they sure were. In all honesty, I can handle mischievous children, having taught for years and raising two children of my own. What I find difficult to understand are the parents who non-chalantly behave as though this is MY problem and they share no responsibility for supervising their children. To be fair, one parent brought her son immediately into the office afterward because he was so upset himself and told his mother that he had "done something bad" and "Mindy's mad at me." (Not that I want a child to think I am angry, although I did want him to know how disappointed I was in his behavior.)

I saw this as a great opportunity for a teaching moment and I spent some time talking with Carson and explaining how hurt I am that now my landscaping does not look so great. He came into the Office crying and left smiling but sober in the realization that he needs to learn some self-control.

The other parent's reaction to the news of the incident? "Allistair!!!! You can NEVER PLAY OUTSIDE AGAIN!" Really??? You are never ever going to let your little boy play outside again? I looked at her and said, "Now, you know that isn't what is going to happen. In the future, you are going to have to spend more time watching him and less time talking on the phone inside. He's six years old. He's your responsibility and I would not want to see him get hurt."

Oh, and by the way, the new bush will cost $65 and labor to install. I'll send you the bill.

Fifty Shades of Crazy

I have been a student of the psychological condition since I was ten years old and discovered if you opened a Webster’s dictionary to look up the definition of crazy, you would see a picture of my family. Okay – maybe not crazy, but certainly a light shade of dysfunctional (okay, I’m exaggerating!) When I saw a quote on my Twitter feed the other day saying some version of this: “Go somewhere else. We don’t sell Crazy here!” I could only think one thing. If you’re in Property Management, chances are you have to deal with some kind of “Crazy” every day. And by crazy, I don’t mean the amount of paperwork you do everyday or the number of reports you complete on a daily, weekly, bi-monthly and monthly schedule (an insane number!) I am referring to the politically incorrect kind of crazy – the kind of people who leave you with your jaw-dropped and eyes-popping-out-of-your-head because you can’t believe what someone just said or did, either in your Office or their apartment or on the property. It is time to recognize it and learn to deal with it.

Some psychological conditions are easy to spot; however some conditions may remain completely buried until some event triggers a reaction. It is important to learn not to trigger a reaction if possible. My first on-site experience with triggers occurred in my first year on a project based Section 8 property. The receptionist noticed that “Mary Ann” was walking back and forth in front of the office patio door window and called out to me and the manager. The manager took a look and said not to worry about it, that “Mary Ann” sometimes did that. Being new I didn’t want to object; however, when “Mary Ann” continued her pacing and looked as though she were talking to herself quite animatedly, I took pause. “This is not normal behavior,” I said, ever one to state the obvious.

Long story short: “Mary Ann” was not okay … at all … in any way. Eventually she made her way into the office and asked to speak to the manager, so the manager escorted her to her office and shut the door. As soon as I heard the door close, I KNEW something bad was about to happen. Two minutes later “Mary Ann” left the Office visibly agitated and muttering under her breath. I was in my office and the manager was in hers. Within five minutes the Resident returned to the office with a knife and tried to attack the Receptionist. By the time we could react, “Mary Ann” had left and the Manager went to attend to the Receptionist and I called 9-1-1.

How did I know that the sound of the door closing would or could be a trigger for this person? It’s simple. That sound is a trigger for many abused people because perpetrators sneak into bedrooms, quietly shut doors and then perpetrate horrendous acts on their victims. Most of the time, most people have no idea why they feel freaked out and anxious when they hear a door click shut. They only know they are experiencing that “Fight or Flight” response.

The problem is exacerbated in a multifamily setting. Those who live in detached single family dwellings can shut the door and remain obscure and anonymous in their painful struggle with daily life. Those who live in an apartment community may not have this ability. General stressors tax their ability to cope especially with dealing with paying rent on time or reporting a work order request. Although we who work in the industry cannot be expected to recognize and diagnose our residents, we may need to understand things such as triggers and behavioral affect. For example, one of your residents is never seen on the property. I mean, really, never seen. He pays his rent on line, never calls in a work order and refuses to allow Maintenance in for routine preventative maintenance even though he received the notice. This should be a red flag to the on-site team. Another example is the resident who appears to walk around on the property cursing under his breath, is unkempt, and keeps his hands in his pockets. He may stop and start screaming for no apparent reason. Or, the resident who has paid her rent on time without fail ever since moving in eight months ago suddenly stops paying. The first comes and goes and no rent. You call; you post a Balance Due Notice Reminder on her door, and finally a 3-Day Notice to Vacate. With still no communication, you go the unit and discover someone who is holed up in a dark apartment, refusing to talk to you OR they are so animated and hyper vigilant you are entranced. All of these are signs of breaks with reality.

Handling Residents who happen to also have a mental illness can be a problem for Property Managers and their teams. Always try to remain calm and do not be afraid to call 911 if threatening behavior is exhibited (threatening to kill self or someone else.) Second, make sure you always have up to date emergency contact info and that the form Residents sign explicitly allows you to contact their Emergency Person in the event of a problem. Always take notes on any conversations and fill out Incident Reports with date and time and list names of those present, if applicable. It is vital to keep an objective outlook as everyone in your community has the right of privacy, as well as the right to be treated with respect. The following link is an excellent reference source and should be a part of every team member’s training: www.jfcsboston.org/LinkClick.aspx ... Although this guide is geared toward working with older adults, it is applicable for all aged residents.

Most people have quirks that are a part of our charming personalities. However, there is a difference between being eccentric and quirky and being a danger to self or others. As professionals, we should be on the alert for those who are one shade of crazy in our communities.