What Holds You Back In Your Life?

The other day one of our service providers stopped in for a Courtesy Call – you know, just checking to see if we needed any collateral marketing materials for the Leasing and Move-In packets. As we usually do, we ended up sitting and chatting about life. Pretty soon, I noticed the conversation take a turn on a much more personal level so I asked him if something was bothering him.

He went on to tell me how sad it is for him these days – still – after a tough break-up with his girlfriend. This kind of life change can devastate even the most stalwart of people. I listened intently. I searched his face (wanted to make sure I had some Kleenex nearby if needed.) All I saw and heard was a sad tale of woe and a man filled with regret. So I asked him if he still talks to his former girlfriend.

“Oh, yeah, we still talk. I still see her; we still get together.”

“Do you try to tell her you’re sorry” (basically for being a jerk and not treating her more like a girlfriend instead of a mother – his words, not mine.)

We discussed a lot of details about the relationship. I looked at him and told him two things. One, he needs to decide what he wants and he needs to forgive his past actions. Then, he needs to let her go. Stop calling her. Stop hearing her say she doesn’t want to get back together right now. Those words, “right now,” are killing your spirit because it encourages you to be hopeful of the wrong thing.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You are 36-years old. You already said you recognize how you could have been a better partner and not taken her for granted. You just said you want to be married and you want kids and to be a dad, the kind of father you never had.”

He nodded.

“Then go after what you want!” I said. “If you went to her and laid your heart right out there in the palm of her hand and she said this is not what she wants, then let her go. Stop living in the past and stop idealizing this girl. There is someone out there who will want the same things you do, who is ready for that, too, and who will love you as you deserve. But if you sit at home, taking care of a dog you think of as your baby, then you will be exactly where you are now in five years. Then you’ve passed the 40-year mark.”

Let go of the past. We must all do this. Otherwise, how can you remain hopeful and move toward the future? The first step is recognizing where you went wrong, making self corrections, setting a new goal and doing what it takes to get there. This works in our business life, too.

What are you holding onto that is holding you back????

A Great Community Has Great People

You know I have written about some of the funny, odd, outrageous things my Residents have done or said but today I received a phone call that took me by complete surprise. Let me tell you about it.

First, a bit of background. Now, I know no one knows me from Adam but just from reading some of these posts you have probably figured out that I am a bit opinionated. Hopefully, too, you see I have a sense of humor. And sensitive! I hope you see I am a sensitive, caring person. But my Residents only see me as the “Manager,” not really as a person. It’s kind of like when I was teaching. If I was at the supermarket and one of the students saw me, they just couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“Mrs. Sharp! Mrs. Sharp! Mommy, I see Mrs. Sharp! Mrs. Sharp is here, here at Martin’s (a local grocery store).” Kids are funny like that. They don’t think you actually cook and eat and go to the bathroom and do all the stuff they do. J

I sent out a Notice to all the Residents this week letting them know the Office would be closed until Thursday of next week because I would be on vacation. Usually, on larger properties there is someone who also works in the Office and everyone covers when someone is away. But here it is different for me, as I truly work six days a week with no breaks, sometimes not even for lunch. This is my choice. I have a lot of fires in other ovens, so to speak, so my Office here is my work home base. The Residents are used to seeing me here – literally all the time – though they know I travel for work and occasionally the office is closed on weekdays. But my absence in that respect practically never affects them. Even when I am on the road, I can take care of them because I have email access and phone access and they can text me, too. I have been known to lease apartments from my kitchen in Indiana, at another property in a different state and even from my car.

However, since I would be gone longer than ever before, like a good mommy/manager, I notified the Residents to let them know. I did not expect to have Residents stopping in to say things like, “Have a great time!” and “Good for you! You deserve a vacation!” or posting comments on the facebook page telling me they hope I have a fun vacation. I certainly did not expect to have a Resident personally call me to say, “Hey, I just thought I would call and let you know that I'm hoping you have a great time on your vacation.” Then he asked me what my plans were and seemed to really be happy for me and then he said, “We’ll all be okay while you’re gone. And Greg (our Maintenance Tech) will take care of things! You have a great time!”

But that’s what I got. And it made me pretty humble. And … happy.

Pay Rent Or Live In Your Car

There is a couple who moved into the community this summer. They are professionals who belong to an athletic club (the kind that you pay dues for in excess of $200 monthly) and talk about their many adventures whenever I see them out walking. You know – just basically nice people. They’ve never been a problem.

The wife started “selling” a weight loss shake product and her husband is frequently inviting me to get involved with the program. Okay. They look amazing! When they moved in, I did not really notice either of them being overweight. However, after a couple of months drinking these shakes, I did notice they certainly were looking slimmer and trimmer. I saw them walking and biking daily. Now, me, well, I could stand to lose some weight. I mean, maybe my middle age has spread more than I care to think about.

Anyway, the husband came into the Office one day at the end of August to tell me his wife was doing so well that she earned a new BMW car, loaded to the gills with all the fancy features and decided to quit her job to boot. I congratulated him, declined his offer to join the Pyramid, and as he walked out of the office, I thought to myself, “Hummm. Something is not right with this picture!”

Yeah. Wait for it. The first of the month comes and no rent check is given. The second comes and still no check. I send a little reminder note. Eventually, the husband calls to tell me they will have to pay a little late this month, he’s as sorry as he can be, etc. I talk to him on the phone and let him know what the amount will be including the Late Fees. He is okay with that and everything is taken care of.

I couldn’t resist saying to him, “So, Ed, what is the issue? I mean, I hope this is not going to be a continuing problem.” Not that I meant to be rude, you understand, but I wanted him to know I am concerned.

After all, I know that BMW is nice and all, but who wants to live in their super tricked out brand new Beamer? Trust me, I hope he got the point.

What Time Is Your Office Open???

Apples and Oranges.

Apples TO Oranges.

Two completely different “same” things erroneously compared to one another. For once, I understand this concept. Recently on a Discussion thread posted on the Multifamily Insiders website (www.multifamilyinsiders.com) someone wrote that he is better off keeping current RESIDENTS happy than taking care of the MAYBE ones. It really struck a nerve with me.

Obviously, to me, Residents are different from Prospective Residents and each has different needs and reasons for coming to the Leasing Office. I think it is important to take care of both. One is not more important than the other; however, those who are already living in my community already understand what we are about and how we can help them. For example, they may place work orders on line; they may pay rent on line; they may call and leave a message or send an email for all their questions and they can reasonably expect a response within fifteen minutes. Prospects visiting the property for the first time are our guests and deserve our time and attention when they arrive.

At issue was handling those Residents who arrive at your Office as the Office is being closed. Do you stop everything and take care of their needs? The discussion evolved into closing the Office at the end of the day so you can handle Resident issues, return phone calls, and “catch-up.” This is simply the worst way of providing customer care that I can think of in our industry.

Quite frankly, every apartment community caters to a certain demographic. There are properties whose residents are on limited incomes so this Office may deal with Project Based Section 8 renters, or the income restrictions of Section 42, or they may accept vouchers issued by the Housing Choice Voucher Program. There are properties with age designations where residents must be aged 55+ or disabled. One property may be oriented to those who are students attending a nearby university or college. There are others whose residents are made up of all people who happen to meet all the selection criteria and are qualified to live there (which could be anyone!)

My point is, people are different, with varying needs and schedules, and they deserve to have business hours that meet those needs. For properties who have vacant units to rent, does it make any sense at all to turn someone away who happens to arrive at 5:45 PM on a sunny June evening just because you want to close at 6:00 PM? For properties who handle several Recerts each month and an Open Waiting List to keep filled, does it make any sense to close your office during the hours that the bus system runs? People who have transportation limitations should not be told that you cannot extend your hours because your office is always closed on Saturdays or Wednesday or every day from 8:00AM - 11:00 AM to new Applicants.

I don’t feel taking care of my Current Residents is more important that helping new Prospective Residents. Companies should staff their properties according to the needs of the community they are serving. It is not an either or proposition.

Resident or Prospect? I just can’t imagine closing the door in someone’s face because your “time is done for the day.” I also cannot understand someone who has a conventional 200-unit property with eleven vacant units to fill, closing the Office between 4-6 PM to “catch up on paperwork.” Too many times, this is when people get off work to come and look for a new home. If you close every day at 4:00 PM, how mnay leases are you missing? Whose needs are you serving? Yours or thos of your Residents and Propsects?

Not a Fan of Craigslist, Are You?

I am not a fan of Craigslist in this market. I am not a fan of Craigslist in my Indiana market either. In fact, I am just plain old not a fan at all for using it to rent apartments for a long term lease. Maybe it works in larger metropolitan areas, but in small towns, I am not happy with it – not for generating good traffic. I am sure there are going to people who will tell me I am just not creating “quality ads,” “good ads,” or catchy enough titles for our ads. While I don’t necessarily disagree, I don’t think the ads are unprofessional, bad, or even lame.

We always get calls on the ads, and we have gotten a few rentals from them, but somehow, it never fails to disappoint in some way. My biggest complaint is that:

People just do NOT SHOW UP for their appointments!

Leasing Consultants base their entire schedule around appointments: talking on the phone trying to book an appointment, setting up the tour each day, sprucing up vacant apartments and/or Models to show, and getting the deal done – you know, closing the lease. What a time waster it is for them to have to deal with NO SHOWS. When I hear them lament about this, it makes me want to pick up the phone and call and ask those Callers why they have no common manners. Isn’t it just polite to call and let someone know you have gone elsewhere, had something else come up – you know, the “It’s not you, it’s me” speech?

Prospects Say the Darnedest Things

The other day I received a phone call from a Prospect wanting to know about availability at our community. Since I had just gotten a cancelation (Boo Hiss!) on a two-bedroom unit, obviously I was happy for the opportunity to re-lease it quickly. Right off the bat, though, this person’s phone demeanor was … honestly, not pleasant. She made an appointment to come in, which she did yesterday.

She was early for the appointment, which is one hundred times better than being late! She brought an accordion file folder with her and placed everything on the table in the Leasing Office. With what I now know to be her typical “directness” she began interrogating me about policy and procedure. Immediately, it put me off – not necessarily making me defensive, but I thought, WT*? You aren’t even a Resident and you are questioning every possible scenario that could come up in a lease situation. I wondered if she’d had some terrible issues somewhere else, so I asked her, but she said she had not.

I asked for her ID and went to tour the community and the available apartment. (I admit, it was kind of hard not to think ugly thoughts about the person who was a perfectly wonderful elderly woman who had had to cancel her lease! Were it not for her, I would not have to be with this mean person.)

On the way to the unit, Ms. Prospect asks me, “Are there any children here?”

I asked, “Why do you ask that?”

“I don’t like kids. I don’t want to live anywhere near kids. They’re loud and where we live now, they have a kid and when they play, they make all kinds of noise. I think they let the kid ride his tricycle all over the place.”

“Well, there are some children here. I don’t control that,” I said. “I do understand your concern though.”

“Oh, I know you can’t answer this question because of Fair Housing, but I just want you to know I don’t want to live around kids,” she said.

“If you understand that my renting to families is a Fair Housing question, then you know there is nothing I can do – or want to do – about families living here. I do know there are people who don’t really enjoy children. I get that. I really do. ”

After that little exchange, I was ready to say something else entirely, but we continued to the apartment. She loved it and made another appointment to bring her husband back over the weekend. I hope her husband, as a police officer, will be more respectful or at least open minded.

All In a Day's Work For a Property Manager

A friend of mine posted the statement on her facebook page that she had been working for the past couple of days at the elementary school where she teaches setting up her classroom and making copies of these little booklets she uses with her kindergarteners. May I be honest with you? When she included the statement that most parents don’t realize that she has worked these two days – UNPAID – I took pause. It really irked me, I have to say.

Friend, I want to say, you use this same little booklet EVERY year. Why don’t you proactively make them before the end of the last school year so you don’t have to waste your time doing it prior to the first paid work day of the new school year? 

As a teacher, you have now obtained tenure, which means, basically you can screw up any number of ways and still keep your job, which pays you about $65K per year. Your work day, by contract, does not start a minute before 8:00 AM or last a minute past 3:30 PM. You never have recess or lunch coverage duty. Your contract makes it impossible for a parent to contact you outside of those hours except by email, but you are under no obligation to answer it. You have a huge number of sick days (because they accrue from one year to the next and can be banked.) You also have personal days. If you cannot be at work, there is a qualified substitute available at a moment’s notice. Your students are dropped off for art class, music class and PE class each week, which I know lessens your actual instructional time.

I understand this. I worked in the same school you teach in and I know the culture there is wonderful, welcoming, nurturing, very relaxed and friendly. You may have to submit lesson plans to your Principal but they are pretty much rubber-stamped with his approval. You are not obligated to attend PTA meetings, sponsor any extra curricular activities, or cheer on your Sixth Grade football or basketball teams. You do not have to attend the Spell Bowl meets or put together the Yearbook.

Let me tell what a property manager deals with whether she wants to or not. There is no choice to not participate. Property Managers are on call 24/7. That’s twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They have to handle irate Residents who show up unexpectedly, out of the blue, often for no really good reason. They have to deal with emails from Prospective Residents, Current Residents, other Managers requesting verifications on past and current tenants whom they had no idea were considering moving leaving the property with a potential vacancy to be filled. They deal with scheduling painting contractors, carpet cleaners, landscapers, carpet installers and other contractors for special projects or emergencies. They create newsletters, marketing materials, Goodie Baskets for Move-Ins, perform Outreach Marketing, usually weekly and they must update websites, ILS services with the new rents and other property info. They must be Team Leaders to all the Maintenance Techs, Assistant Managers and Leasing professionals. They have complete responsibility for the total financial health and outcome of the asset they manage, including preparing and submitting a detailed, line item budget every year. A large majority of these professionals have no health insurance, very few sick or personal days, and cannot schedule time off if it is “inconvenient for the property.” They have to mediate between all conflicting parties and if the parties want to, they can take their complaints over the Manager’s head, up the corporate ladder and usually “win” and eventually get their issue resolved, whether it should be in their favor or not. They must decorate mini models and Model Units, show apartments and sell the property so that occupancy does not drop. They must submit daily, weekly and monthly property reports even though no one usually reads them and then calls to ask about the information directly because they “don’t have time to go through all that.” They walk the property whether the thermometer reads 105 degrees or -5 degrees below zero.

I know I haven’t listed all that a teacher does in the course of a day. Nor, have I listed everything a Property Manager does either. Both professions require continuing education, dedication, a passion and desire to educate and help others become and create. Teachers may be more concerned with developing an individual and a Property Manager may be more interested in helping others create homes, but come on, putting two “free” days in is really nothing to complain about in the long scheme of life. 

Does Your Apartment Community Feel Like Home?

Saturday was a Hot Leasing Day. I mean, as in, lots of leases got – not just that it was blazing hot outside (as this apparently has become the norm this summer.) One of those leasing with us is a former Resident. She first moved here – alone – and lived in a one bedroom apartment. She then found Mr. Right and he moved in, too. They got married and lived there in their first apartment together for about four years.

Then I started noticing she seemed, well, a bit different. Yep, there was soon to be a little one to add to their family. They began looking for a larger place. They toured other apartment complexes but found it hard to commit. I was curious since at that time, almost everybody and his brother had specials running and deals were being wheeled all over the Dayton market. This community, however, was doing fine without the specials.

One day I received a phone call and they wanted to come and look at one of our two-bedrooms. “Great,” I said. Really I was thinking, “What took you so long? Why didn’t you come here first anyway?” They come in and I explain that although I have a few of this style available and would love them to reserve one, if they like the floor plan they have to let me know today. It’s generally acceptable to transfer a couple when they are over-occupied at the end of their lease without charging a hefty Transfer Fee.

Several days go by and I don’t hear from them. I call. I leave messages. Did something happen? What happened???? Of course they call on a busy Saturday and I tell them NOW THERE IS ONLY ONE AVAILABLE! Tell me right this minute if you want it! The morning goes by and I had three Prospects who all seem happy with the possibility of living here. One reserves an upcoming one bedroom; one applies and is approved for the available one-bedroom leaving the two bedroom still available. BUT … I have a good feeling that one of the other couples will want to apply as well. Good problem to have, right?

Around three in the afternoon a Be Back from that morning comes in and fills out the Application for the two bedroom and pays the Security Deposit. It’s a steady stream that afternoon, when at the last minute before closing, in walks this couple wanting to take the two bedroom and I DON’T HAVE ANY LEFT.

Were they upset? You bet – he lost his temper in the Leasing Office and eventually after yelling at me and every Prospect in the Leasing Office they walk out. I pretty much don’t skip a beat and get everyone else taken care of. I close the Office for the day and call Mr. Right (and his wife) and explain that this is how the world of real estate works. Take it when it’s available or leave it for someone else. I invite them back to the Office and they come, but he’s still angry, but we work through it and I put them on my “Wait List”. They fill out a new Application, pay the new Security Deposit and we move on. Eventually they do move into a nice two bedroom apartment and all is well for a while.

It turns out that Mr. Right was indeed Mr. Wrong and the couple divorce with both parties eventually moving when their lease was up. He to a new place; she to her mother’s. Now she is financially sound, happy and came to me to re-apply because she says, “This is our home.” I had taken them to see a townhouse (Occupied) and I look over to see her daughter sitting in the Resident’s rocking chair happily rocking back and forth singing as only four year olds can. “Yes, this is your home!” That message was written all over their faces and it made me smile. I expect that they will be at home in this community for a long, long time.

Here's To The Maintenance Techs!

Our Maintenance Tech, who has been in this position since 2005, came into the Office yesterday morning pretty upset. When I asked what had gotten him to riled up, he asked me if I get alerts to one of the apartment ratings sites.

"No, why do you ask?"

"I got on last night! I can't believe what someone wrote on there. I'm gonna write back and tell them what I think of them!"

I looked at him and told him I did read it last night, too (wondering how we were on the same page at the same time!!!) and I wasn't concerned about it. I asked him who he thought it was and then I asked him if we could have handled their issue better. Apparently, this particular person has had a couple of issues with the air conditioner and was not happy about it. They complained that they pay a higher rent and - this is what upset him the most - they wondered how the Maintenance Guy could afford to live here, too. It was a pretty rude kind of observation to make let alone to post it was not very nice, and it apparently hurt his feelings. It actually hurt my feelings, too, because of its condescending tone.

I told my Maintenance Tech that I was planning on writing a reply that morning, which I did. I posted a reply explaining how we handle work orders, etc. and I supplied my email address and telephone number for follow up contact purposes and thanked them for the opportunity to understand their concerns and address them. He read my reply and agreed that it was probably a better public response than what he would have posted. :-) Of course for the next twenty minutes we discussed which Resident we thought had written the original post and could not agree on any one person. And I told him I guess it doesn't matter who wrote it, but it does matter how we respond to all the work order requests. We must be proactive; we must be efficient and prompt. We must continue to provide excellent customer service every day to all our Residents.

So, I was thinking that it is time to TOAST the Maintenance Team here! I think for the entire month of August, I will have a Treat-of-the-Week for them,  some special little surprises sprinkled throughout the month, too, and publicize it to all our community Residents, vendors and the whole city itself. It is time to celebrate our unsung heroes in a big way. They do work hard and they all deserve more appreciation.

Fortify the Relationship With Your Landlord

Generally having anyone show up on a Saturday looking for an apartment is a great thing. However, this past Saturday I must have had the most diverse group of Prospects as I have ever had in my life. But my “favorite” was a couple where one half of the couple came in to “scope” out what I would say to their rental dilemma. Apparently, she said she and her family arrived from out of state, went to the Leasing Office to sign the lease and pick up their keys. They had visited the property once before and had seen a different style of two bedroom, but when it came time to reserve one, they chose a completely different floor plan from the one previously viewed.

She proceeded to tell me every little thing she was dissatisfied with and ask me how I would handle that if it had occurred here. I answered, “It doesn’t really matter how I would handle it. The question is, how did they handle it? You must still be upset since you are here today.”

“Oh, they gave us a $75 Gift Card but I would rather not have had it happen in the first place.” She then listed several things that occurred and I agree, it was not an ideal situation.

“Are you planning on breaking the lease,” I asked.

“Yeah, maybe. But I don’t want to go somewhere and have my appliances not work, my toilet leak and flood the bathroom and all this other stuff!”

I do understand her frustration. However, the team at the other community fixed things as they occurred and gave them a Gift Card. They apologized as well. But then the Prospect added this, “I just don’t trust them any more.”

I have said it before and I will say it again, trust is the key ingredient in all relationships. I told her that trust is a two-way street, too. This person, while the experience has been less than satisfactory, should not be threatening to bale on the lease obligation at the first sign of trouble. Both parties need to fortify the relationship.

“Give them the benefit of the doubt,” I said. “Tell them you are unhappy and you think you have made a mistake. Ask them what they plan to do to restore your confidence. Then, tell them you love the community and the gym and all the reasons you chose them in the first place. Wait a bit before you dump them and start shopping again. You are, in fact, legally obligated to do so.”

I am still wondering why people leap to the conclusion that life sucks at the first sign of a problem?

Sooner Or Later, Something Shocks You

If you stay in the property management field long, you are bound to run across something that shocks you. This happened to the on-call maintenance tech during the recent Fourth of July holiday weekend. Apparently, he received a page from the Resident in apartment X reporting the air conditioning was not working. He received two different calls, as a matter of fact, and because he couldn’t make out the phone number of the second call he called me to decipher it. I have an excellent track record of doing this.

We confer and I figure out whose number it is and think nothing more about it. I call the Resident and tell him the on-call Tech will be there in about an hour. It was a Saturday night. At 11:02 P.M. I receive the first distress call, followed by another a couple minutes later. Suffice it to say it was not a good time for me… we’ll let it go at that. Two words: Food Poisoning. Use your imagination. Anyway, I call him to find out what the matter is.

Apparently, the first call went fine and he went to attend to the second page. When he reached this unit, he was greeted by an aggressive female, baring breasts and asking him for a little sexual escapade. Really, I’ll tell you, most Maintenance Techs at one time or another encounters this very thing. However, what my Maintenance Tech soon discovered was the female, who was not on the Lease, was staging the encounter to be “filmed” and broadcast over the internet by the actual Resident on the Lease. He was horrified. No kidding. I was horrified but not shocked. My Maintenance Tech was shocked. I worked a Section 8 property once where a couple was making pornographic “shorts” (no pun intended) to be viewed by paying customers on the internet. I caught a little discrepancy in their reported income when it came time for their annual recertification. <grin> They no longer live there.

The Tech kept asking me what I was going to do about this. I told him to report it to the police department and I’d take care of it on Monday.

On Monday I served the “Guest” a Trespass Notice with a police officer. In fact, we escorted her into a cab and sent her to the bus station. Once I had police reports in hand dating back to incidents from the previous month (Month!) I gave the Resident a Notice of Non-Renewal. It took him more than a week to call me to discuss the letter and ask if he could stay. “No,” I told him. “This is now an issue where I have an employee who feels as though he cannot do his job properly. He feels threatened. So, no, I can’t allow you to stay when your lease ends. You will need to find a new residence.”

“Okay,” he replied. He is now looking for a new home. I don’t feel bad about it either.

Testimonials

Some days you just need a tea party and today was one of those. Lucky for me, I had the sweetest Aunt with her Great Niece available to do just that with this afternoon. What a pleasant surprise when a Resident happens to stroll into the Office accompanied by the loveliest of all little girls, a bright, happy, five-year old enjoying a beautiful summer day before the start of her first year in school. We drew pictures with my array of Sharpie Markers and she drew a picture for me and I drew a landscape for her and we sang songs. And laughed! And shared secrets as only girls do.

I showed her how the table lifted up and we ate cookies and drank "tea". We braided each other's hair and I enjoyed the company of a new found friend. Suddenly, the door opened and a couple came in who were looking for a new home and my new small friend told them confidentally, "If you live here, I can be your friend!"

What better testimony does anyone need?