Property Management

Prometheus Real Estate Group takes the leap to Non-Smoking apartments

Bay Area Owner/Developer Takes No-Smoking Stand to Eliminate Fire, Health Dangers
Published: December 24, 2007

By Teresa O'Dea Hein, Managing Editor

San Mateo, Calif. -- Prometheus Real Estate Group, which has over 18,000 housing units planned or underway in California and the Pacific Northwest, has implemented a no-smoking policy for all its new multifamily communities. The company is said to be among the first leading apartment owners to implement the policy in the San Francisco Bay Area. [see

  full story here]

 

 

Beyond Credit and Background Checks: Real time reputation determination

Dave Chiu and Didier Hilhorst devised a tool called RentAThing that allows you to take your reputation with you wherever you go. [Check it out here].

I could see this working both ways in the apartment leasing world. It takes the renters resume to a whole new level. Not only that it would take an apartment management company (brand) to a whole new level. Be that good or bad.

Taking their broom example and applying it to the apartment space, a manager or a prospective resident could consult RentAThing in order to determine one's nature of paying rent on time and or being a nuisance to the community. Likewise, the consumer could consult RentAThing to determine the nature of a property management company to get service requests done in a timely manner and or otherwise respond to the various needs of a resident.

Exciting stuff to say the least.


Technorati Tags: rentathing, mike brewer, apartment marketing, property management, apartment management

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In the apartment business the front line is the face of the business

As we enter into a transparent world, a world that includes the likes of blogs and websites like apartmentratings.com, it will become critical that the front line embraces and edifies the values of your business. The front line is the face of the company not the David Neithercuts or Scott Sellers of the world but John and Jane service persons' of the world. We have to make certain we all understand the gravity of this perspective. Your companies reputation depends on it. If you don't believe me read the case study in the December 07' issue of the Harvard Business Review.


Technorati Tags: Apartment managent, Property Management, mike brewer

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Thank You

I was thinking about the words "thank you" today. It made me think of the last time I said it to one of my associates. Luckily it didn't take to long to think of an occasion and at the same time it gave cause for me to ask myself, "do I say it enough?"

That being said, I am making it a point to say it more often and for the right reasons. As we know the property management business is difficult and taxing at times and we often miss the little things like saying thank you. Think about it this week and find ways to say it to someone who deserves it.


Technorati Tags: apartment management, apartment leadership, mike brewer

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Scary Thought

Lisa Trosein over at apartmentmarketingblog.com shares this alarming post. Take note.


Technorati Tags: apartment keys, apartment management, property management

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Email translation software

We need a program that will allow us to communicate via email over all
language barriers. Does Outlook have that ability?

Stay Fluid...

Social media: creation of the niche

Social media is doing nothing more than comingling perfect target 
audiences. They are taking most of the guess work out of finding those you want to market to (Myspace, Facebook). How we harness that is the next question. Go where they are and quit trying to get them to come to you. (For  Rent and Apartment Guide).

Stay Fluid...

Apartment Management two years from now

There are only two years left in this decade. Two years until 10'. Sounds weird to say 10 when referring to a year, it just doesn't have the flow of 69', 79', 89' or 99' and certainly not 8'.

It got me thinking about what will happen over the next 2 years in the apartment business. I mean with so many solutions coming for so many of the pressing problems of the past 7 years what will be next? There is so much that can and will happen to the property management business in the coming decade but today I am interested in your thoughts for the next 2 years.

What do you see in the way of team building?

What do you see in the way of leadership development?

What do you see in the way of the internet and resident portals?

What do you see in the way of apartment marketing and advertising?

What do you see in the way of exterior amenities?

What do you see in the way of questions and that will need answers and solutions?

What do you see in the way of interior amenities?

What do you see in the way of technology?

What do you see in the way of public vs. private companies?

What do you see in the way of the apartment seeker?

What do you see in the way of customer service for the apartment dweller?






Technorati Tags: Apartment Marketing, Property Management, mike brewer

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Leasing Office computers: The internet abuse solution

What would you do if you knew one of your co-workers spent work time surfing the net for personal interest? What if you went to the extent of pulling up the internet surfing histories only to discover that that time was significant?

   

I am not after the basic one, two three your out kind of response. I wonder what steps you would take to prevent the temptation in the first place.

My thought is to ask that employee for a refund from the paycheck our company gave them. Or, add up the total cost in the way of time and take it out of a year end bonus. I have some otherwise simpler methods and would love to hear your thoughts as well. I will share all of them in a future post.

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Differentiate by being different

Looking back over my life in the context of Christmas gift giving I have come to notice that the act in and of itself is becoming less and less personal. In my youth, I received actual physical gifts, in my mid to late twenties gifts came in the way of a gift card and this year I had a code sent by email for gifts on Amazon to be delivered at a later date.

I can't help but to think that as we adopt technology more and more into the mainstream of the apartment marketing business, it will become not unlike this years' Amazon gift. Impersonal and lacking in emotion.

Now some of you would argue that the coveted 18 to 34 year old market desires to be communicated with via email, IM and or the tools provided by Facebook, MySpace and the like. I would agree with you and in the same breath say that in that case a card in the mail carries more weight than it used to given the advent of all this  technology.

People will always cave to the personal touch. Think about it your own personal relationships. Did you enjoy the last time your spouse sent you a text in the middle of the day more so than the foot massage he or she gave you after a long day at the office? Did you enjoy the 334th email forward your Mom or Dad sent you this year more so than the hug they gave you at Christmas?

That being said, I think one way to be different in today's market is to be more like we were 10 years ago. That is certainly not to suggest that all the above mentioned tools don't have a place in the apartment business. They do. And they will morph into a more and more successful way to communicate going forward. It is to suggest that the hand-written thank you note will always have affect and relevance.

I have put together an agenda for a team meeting tomorrow and it includes one item.

• Thank you cards

Technorati Tags: apartment thank you cards, apartment marketing, mike brewer

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