PropertyManager.com

The Importance of Property Maintenance, Part 2

Posted on 09. Jan, 2012 by Mary Girsch-Bock.

If you find yourself neglecting the small items, you’ll soon be on the hot seat for more expensive repairs. Building managers can find themselves with a run-down, in-desperate-need-of-repair building a lot sooner that they think.

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Market Fun Holiday Events For Residents

Posted on 16. Dec, 2011 by Mary Girsch-Bock.

While the holidays always make us think about ways to engage residents in the holiday spirit, there are many activities and events that property managers can organize and easily implement that can be used not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year.

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The Importance of Routine Maintenance

Posted on 12. Dec, 2011 by Mary Girsch-Bock.

With marketing activity being ramped up in a tough rental market, property managers are sometimes guilty of neglecting property maintenance. Warning: you do so at your own risk.

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Don’t Be Like Seaworld

Posted on 30. Nov, 2011 by Lisa Trosien.

On a recent family vacation, we went to Seaworld (you probably guessed that by the title of this blog post). After paying the fairly hefty entry fee, we headed straight to the dolphins because they are my girl’s favorite at Seaworld.

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College Prep: Sustainable Off-Campus Living

Posted on 10. Nov, 2011 by Jennifer Newton.

College and university campuses are increasingly defining sustainable practices for their campus communities. This is, in turn, raising the bar for students’ off-campus expectations.

If your property is near enough to a campus to provide housing to students or staff, take a moment to assess any green attributes that could be leveraged to attract eco-conscious tenants. If you discover your property doesn’t have much to boast about, let this exercise be an incentive to you to explore adding a few green assets to your property.

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Retaining Residents

Posted on 27. Oct, 2011 by Mary Girsch-Bock.

While the number of renters in the market has increased in the last few years, retaining good tenants can still pose a problem for property managers. Maintaining a current tenant is much less expensive than locating, approving, and moving in a new tenant. Of course the nature of renting itself is often transient; many people rent while looking for a home to buy, others only in the community for a short period of time.

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Maintenance Manners Matter

Posted on 16. Aug, 2011 by Lisa Trosien.

Have you ever had your maintenance team members trained on the maintenance of the residents at your property? While it is critically important that your staff be able to correctly repair items like dishwashers, stoves and disposals, it’s also essential that they be able to repair and maintain relationships with your residents.

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5 Steps You Can Start TODAY to Get More Resident Lease Renewals

Posted on 26. Jul, 2011 by Heather Blume.

Here are 5 ways for you to capitalize on the opportunities in front of you today to help you get more renewals tomorrow!

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iPad – Beyond the Cool Factor

Posted on 19. Jul, 2011 by Heather Blume.

If you’re trying to justify the purchase of tablets to your company, you’re going to have to have more than a strong, “I want it because it’s neat,” factor. With all the programs that have been coming out with great tablet integrations and apps, on site teams are salivating over these little toys. In fact, over the last 18 months I can’t even count how many people have told me how great leasing with a tablet can be. It’s cool.

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Service vs Experience

Posted on 02. Jun, 2011 by Lisa Trosien.

I went flower shopping at Lowe’s this weekend. And while I hated fighting the crowds (it was even hard to snag a cart), I was able to experience two completely different kinds of service in the same department of the store.

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Love Your Residents More Than They Love You

Posted on 16. Mar, 2011 by Mike Brewer.

Warning…not for the faint-of-stomach but a true lesson in love. Roughly three years ago I had a most unusual experience. I had just moved to St. Louis and taken the role of property manager at a 700+ unit community near the city. I will say that the property gave a whole new meaning to ‘never a dull moment’ as there was always something going on.

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Webinar Recap: Increase Your Occupancy In a Down Market with Mindy Williams

Posted on 05. Oct, 2010 by Aimee Miller.

We were fortunate to have Mindy Williams (President of RentandRetain.com and Apartment All Stars co-creator) as a featured presenter on our Webinar titled “How to Increase Your Occupancy in a Down Market”.

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Nurturing a Long-Term Relationship with Residents

Posted on 15. Sep, 2010 by Jennifer Newton.

Turnover in any industry is costly. That’s why it’s in the best interests of your bottom line to seek out residents who might stick around longer than just a year (and certainly longer than a month if you use a month-to-month lease).

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Keeping Residents and Property Owners Happy

Posted on 20. Jul, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

If there is one thing that all property managers want it’s an over abundance of qualified potential residents. Many property managers are trying to make it easier for prospective residents to sign that rental agreement. That can be one of those trade-offs that sometimes disappoint your owner-clients and existing residents.

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Attention to Resident Retention for June

Posted on 14. Jun, 2010 by Heather Blume.

A lot of communities have open play fields or courtyards integrated into their design, the purpose of which, usually, is to sit there, look pretty, and encourage us to pay landscapers. If you have the resource and you’re paying to maintain it, the least you can do to be responsible to your budget is to find some use for it.

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June Property Management Marketing Ideas

Posted on 10. Jun, 2010 by Heather Blume.

June is a month with amazing marketing possibilities! With the kids getting out of school, the sun beating down and the days getting as long and bright as possible, how can we expect our traffic and touring numbers to do anything but shoot through the roof this month?

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Attention to Retention

Posted on 11. May, 2010 by Heather Blume.

The last thing we want to do is to add anything more to our already overflowing schedules, but I want to encourage you to work in some resident retention time. Remember, it’s STILL cheaper to retain them than to turn even one apartment

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May Property Management Marketing Ideas

Posted on 07. May, 2010 by Heather Blume.

I know that by the time I start seeing snippets of sunshine peeking through the Seattle clouds, the rest of the country must be 3 or 4 weeks into the beautiful weather that late April and Early May bring. As long as the outside is enticing, people will do the most that they can to spend time in it, which hopefully means a spike in on site traffic for you!

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Yet Another 5 Inexpensive Ways to Improve Rental Properties

Posted on 05. May, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

Property owners and managers are competing for new residents at an advantageous time. To compete effectively and economically, property managers are “turning up their imaginations” to make their properties more desirable. Here are five ideas to consider:

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April Property Management Marketing Ideas

Posted on 22. Apr, 2010 by Heather Blume.

April is one of my favorite months in property management because it’s full of ANTICIPATION! We’re all waiting for that first big weekend, when the leasing season really kicks in to high gear for all those late May and early June moves. Instead of waiting this year, why not take a proactive approach with some fresh ideas to drive traffic to your door?!

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Even More Ways to Improve Rental Properties Inexpensively

Posted on 19. Mar, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

Yesterday I received an advertisement from a rental car company. It simply stated, “The next time you need a rental car call us and receive a free upgrade”, and they meant it.

The word “free” strikes a positive chord for us all. So if I’m a couple looking for an apartment or a rental home and I see the word “free”, I’m likely to investigate this offer.

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Property Management Marketing Ideas for March

Posted on 09. Mar, 2010 by Heather Blume.

We in the property management world know that sunshine brings in the tours, something that has proven to be a major challenge this year. To encourage a little more traffic, here are 3 ideas for your marketing teams.

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4 February Marketing Ideas for Property Managers

Posted on 10. Feb, 2010 by Heather Blume.

Whether you refer to the best known February holiday as Valentine’s Day or Single’s Awareness Day, this month packs a lot more marketing power than just events circling the 14th. Let’s look at 4 ideas that can bring you some buzz and some great new rentals!

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Tap In to Tax Time: Providing Resources for Residents

Posted on 09. Feb, 2010 by Heather Blume.

It’s the start of the new year, so inevitably the thing in the forefront of everyone’s minds right now is the same: tax time! Okay, maybe not. When it comes to taxes, you’ve got basically two camps of people.

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