The Training Factor

As the Apartment Turns – Episode IV Plan B

Jonathan Saar — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:37:47 +0000

In episode IV of our series “As the Apartment Turns” we focus specifically on our maintenance teams. Our apartment maintenance professionals play a significant role in resident retention. Their skills and efficiency when dealing with common maintenance items can serve as a great memory impression on your residents. When the maintenance team handles a job correctly, it makes for a happy resident.

There are many common plumbing items that come up on a day to day basis. Items such as food disposals, faucets, pea traps and toilets are common plumbing related items that need maintenance. What our maintenance teams need training on is using the correct tool for the job but also best practices to make the resident happy and to handle the plumbing job in a safe, OSHA compliant approach.

We have often heard from many property management folks that our maintenance teams often get the short end of the stick when it comes to apartment training. You should never exclude them from a training program. They need it and they deserve it!

This episode of “As the Apartment Turns” stars Mike Flowers and Emily Fieg. Plan B usually never works out. Always use the right tools for the job. Be sure to check out the YouTube video below.

As always I really appreciate any feedback or comments you may have. Please feel free to share this post with your network.

Written by Jonathan Saar

Will you be at NAA 2012? Make sure you plan on visiting Booth 306. In the meantime please feel free to learn more about The Training Factor.

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As the Apartment Turns – Episode III I Love Marshmallows!

Jonathan Saar — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:23:24 +0000

Media and public relations policies are absolutely critical. A few years ago a public relations blunder could easily be contained within a local area, but these days with social media that is absolutely impossible.

There are many different situations that require solid public relations and media education. Fires, crime, natural disasters, bed bug infestations and many other situations are big news items. Therefore it is critical to have solid policies and procedures in place. Remember the days in school when we had to perform fire drills? The reason for this was to ensure safety. It was done repetitively so that it made a solid impression in our minds on what exactly needed to be done in that type of emergency situation.

The same principle applies with public relations. A repetitive review of your policies and procedures coupled with solid training is important. The above possible scenarios are often fully charged with emotion both with the residents and onsite staff. Emotions can cloud judgment and lead to a public relations nightmare.

Episode III of our series “As the Apartment Turns” is another exaggerated example of what not to do. The cast includes Kari Cardwell, Leigh Knight (Sam) and yours truly as Chip the Property Manager. Is roasting marshmallows really appropriate when a fire breaks out? Be sure to check out Episode III below.

I would love any feedback you have on the topic of media and public relations in the comment section below. Feel free to share this post with your network.

Written by Jonathan Saar

Will you be at NAA 2012? Make sure you plan on visiting Booth 306. In the meantime please feel free to learn more about us.

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As the Apartment Turns – Episode II Bagel Tossing

Jonathan Saar — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:37:55 +0000

Episode II of our series “As the Apartment Turns” really highlights the need for management to have solid conflict resolution skills. We live in a volatile and stressful world. Many times life stresses and worries are taken out on others in the workplace.

Episode II is an example of what not to do. Anyone who is in a supervisor type position needs to address workplace stress in a professional manner. Are you adept at reading body language and perceiving potential conflicts? This is a critical skillset that takes time and training to develop. Overall our goal is to make our workplace environment to not be a string of Mondays but a fruitful and positive environment, an environment that our team looks forward to being a part of everyday.

Don’t ever deal with absolute terms when communicating. Absolute words like “you always” and “you never” only generate negative emotions. As a supervisor it is critical for you to deal with just the facts. Don’t ignore potential issues since they will only fester and grow. Now you have a little problem that has just turned into a big problem.

Starring in Episode II of As the Apartment Turns is Mike Flowers (Tom), Leigh Knight (Sam), yours truly (Chip) and some new cast members on our team, Kari Cardwell and Jamin Saar (yes that is my son). Chip definitely is handling this conflict in a completely inappropriate manner. Check out the episode and see the bagel tossing for yourself.

Please feel free to share your conflict resolution stories and/or your thoughts on our apartment soap opera series in the comment section below.

Will you be at NAA 2012? Make sure you plan to visit Booth 306. In the meantime please feel free to learn more about us.

Written by Jonathan Saar

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As the Apartment Turns – Episode I Fair Housing

Jonathan Saar — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:16:47 +0000

Fair housing is not something to joke about. From a compliance standpoint it is still one of the biggest challenges that property management companies face with their team. Take a peek at these three articles that I came across this week.

A history of housing discrimination

Always Respond to Reasonable Accommodation/Modifications Requests. PLEASE.

Deaf student sues, claiming Portland State University didn’t allow her service dog in some housing

Articles of this sort are not at all uncommon and solidify the point that Fair housing and compliance training are a must. Earlier in the month our team got together for a brainstorming session on how we could present a memorable message regarding the need for apartment training and education. Hence the birth of: “As the Apartment Turns”. They say that laughter is the best medicine. Why is that? It has been medically proven that laughter supports overall good health. Not only that but humorous moments are also memorable. Our series “As the Apartment Turns” definitely has a comedic side to it. It is our goal to bring some humor into our industry but at the same time provide some lasting training and best practice memories.

Many of our current clients will recognize the actors and actresses in these skits as they are the same folks you see throughout your online apartment training classes. Our first skit is all about fair housing. It is only appropriate since this is fair housing month. Kari Cardwell, who is our Director of Support Services, stars as the untrained leasing professional. The exasperated Manager (Chip) is yours truly. Enjoy and smile, chuckle or laugh out loud at your leisure.

I would love any feedback you may have in the comments section below. Please feel free to share this post with your network. That is always deeply appreciated by me.

Will you be at NAA 2012? Make sure you plan to visit Booth 306. In the meantime please feel free to learn more about us.

Written by Jonathan Saar

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You Might Need a Fair Housing Class

Jonathan Saar — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:27:16 +0000

In honor of Fair Housing month we decided as a team to put together a post Jeff Foxworthy style. Below you will see some of the typical blunders that can really get you in Fair Housing hot water. The first set of blunders comes from our team at the office.

Brian

If you make a comment about a prospects “cute baby bump”! You might need a Fair Housing class

If you hear kids in the background of a prospect call and you ask “Oh, how many kids do you have?” You might need a Fair Housing course

If you describe one of your buildings as “the kid’s zone”. You might need a Fair Housing class

Cynthia

If you say: I’m sorry that you are depressed, but we don’t allow any dogs in this community. You might need a Fair Housing class

If you say: We put all of our families with kids in this building by the playground…. or: you would really like this particular apartment because it is nice and quiet with few children around”. You might need a Fair Housing class

If you say: I see that you are disabled…I can have our maintenance team mark a Handicap parking spot for you. You might need a Fair Housing class

If you have a sign in the pool area reads: “No children under 4 allowed in the pool area.” You might need a Fair Housing class.

Leigh

If you notice a cool sounding accent and you ask the prospect where they are from. You might need a Fair Housing class

Sherry

If you are making copies of a potential resident’s Driver’s License before you go on tour so that you may keep it with his/her guest card information. You might need a Fair Housing class

Renee

If you tell a prospect new to the area that you have a gay friend and ask if they want to be introduced (since this is a new protected class) You might need a Fair Housing class

If you skip the question on the guest card about which floor they prefer because “this poor guy has a walker and he doesn’t want to go up all those stairs”. You might need a Fair Housing class

Amanda

If you do not get every prospects ID’s before showing an apartment. You might need a Fair Housing class.

Mechelle

If your pool sign looks like this.

You might need a Fair Housing class.

Below are some great comments that came from our Facebook page. A big thank you to Kara, Judy and Lisa!

Kara

If your prospect is handicapped and you only offer him/her ground floor apartments. You might need a Fair Housing class

Judy

If you have Rules/Regulations that apply specifically to “children” or “kids.” You might need a Fair Housing class

If the term “empty nester” has appeared in your marketing materials. You might need a Fair Housing class

If you think it’s OK to “hit on” your single female residents. You might need a Fair Housing class and probably a sexual harassment one as well!

If you charge a higher deposit to someone with a service animal you might need a Fair Housing class and a class on the American Disabilities Act

Lisa

If your Hispanic maintenance tech is approached by a Hispanic resident in the parking lot and runs over to fix their service issue “real quick” (ahead of the ones he is holding) because they only speak Spanish and the girls in the office don’t. Both of you might need a Fair Housing class.

What blunders can you add that would necessitate a Fair Housing class? Please share in the comments section below.

Written by Jonathan Saar

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Tomorrow I Plan on Procrastinating

Jonathan Saar — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:54:15 +0000

We are all guilty of procrastinating in one way or another. There may be parts of our job that we hate doing but we have no choice. We hate working on our taxes so we put it off until tomorrow. We may be assigned projects that just seem tantamount to climbing a mountain and so we say to ourselves: “I will do it tomorrow.” One thing is for certain, there are endless tomorrows. So how can we remedy the situation?

Why Are We Procrastinating?

Curing our procrastinating ways takes some real soul searching. First step is to really analyze ourselves to see why we are procrastinating. Focus on the underlying problems that initiate the procrastinating feelings and address them. Often times we overwork ourselves. A lack of proper rest only facilitates procrastination. In other words do you find yourself working 12-16 hours a day and feeling like you accomplished nothing? A lack of rest initiates bad decisions and poor planning. Getting good rest helps you to accomplish more in less time. Work smarter not harder.

Split it Up

If the project looks too big then break it down into installments and schedule when those various installments need to be done. If a project looks overwhelming then we are more apt to procrastinate and put it off until tomorrow. Remember how are parents taught us to eat properly? My folks would always say: “Don’t bite off more than you can chew”. It is such a timeless expression that still serves us in our career. Once you bite something, chew it, and then swallow it you feel like you have accomplished something. When we feel like we have accomplished something then we are less apt to procrastinate.

Kill the Distractions

Distractions can be a real time management killer and of course really encourage procrastination. Stop for a minute and write down three items that consistently distract you. Do you have control over them? At times multitasking can really be a time killer so it is super important to prioritize. When I feel projects piling up I actually get out my scratch pad and write down what I need to accomplish in the day. Then I put a number beside each item to give me a sequence. That little trick has helped me tremendously. Once I am done an item or two I make sure I reward myself with something as simple as getting out of my chair and taking a quick walk outside. The facts are that we have to take control of our feelings and create an environment that discourages procrastinating and encourages productivity.

I would love to hear any tips and tricks you have learned to overcome procrastinating. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Written by Jonathan Saar

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Your Career Path – Take the Challenge

Jonathan Saar — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:56:20 +0000

Your career path cannot be taken lightly. It is not something you can leave up to chance and yet complacency can set in so quickly that we can’t see our way out of our current position. In my network there seems to be a plethora of posts about physical fitness and accepting personal physical challenges in order to better ones self. I am on that kick too and it feels great every time I make that gym appearance. It has led me to think of where mental challenges play in our life which spawned this post.

When in our life do we ever stop learning? The answer is simple –NEVER! Learning is a part of life and should never stop, especially with our career path. I remember all too well the complacency a few years ago in my own career path. I could not see myself doing anything else. I worked so many hours each week that I did not even have the energy to see myself doing something different. It took the recession to change that.

My point is that it should not take life shattering moments in order for us to move along in our career path. I have learned and I am sure many of you have as well that you need to take the challenge and keep yourself open to opportunities. Opportunities may even exist within the property management company you work for currently. We have had the privilege to work with and guide many of our clients to help establish a career path program for their team and have seen great results. It all starts with education. So it comes back to our current situation. How many hours a week do you spend a week on education? Whether if it’s from your property management company or things you do personally, try and calculate how much time you spend. This can serve as a baseline for where you think you need to improve.

It’s a proven medical fact that the more the same information that passes over our neural pathways, the quicker we are to react. So never ever say to yourself or to your supervisor: “Why do I have to take a Fair Housing course again? I just took one last year.” We need repetitive education on various levels to keep us on our toes. We also need to look for opportunities to self-educate ourselves on both topics inside and outside the industry. Yes, we need to challenge ourselves! Look for opportunities and investigate them.

So take control of your career path. Seize opportunities. I qualify that by saying, don’t run over and trample people just to get what you want. Do it professionally and ethically. You will sleep better. Now I need you to share your experiences. What have you done to keep your career path moving forward? Please share in the comment section below.

Written by Jonathan Saar

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Do Your Employees Pay Their Own Liability?

Jonathan Saar — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:44:33 +0000

Do your employees pay their own liability? That is a good question isn’t it? I am sure it is an easy answer as well; perhaps even a preposterous question even to pose. However from time to time I will come across folks who will state to me that they do not want a training program to keep them compliant because their employees don’t have time or they will buck at the program.

So that circles back to the original question. Who pays for the liability? The property management company does. Your employees should not have a choice. On our Facebook page I am constantly highlighting real new items that show negligence in Fair Housing, American Disabilities Act, pet deposits on service animals, OSHA and others. Property management companies are shelling out thousands and thousands of dollars for violations in any of these areas. On top of that the majority of the time they are forced into training anyway and the most costly of methods.

It is absolutely critical for property management companies to have a solid compliance training program. Coupled with that they also need a way to manage that training and record it. That way if you ever have to face Fair Housing testers or allegations made against your team you have documentation to show the government which could lessen the blow. The fact of the matter is that if your team is trained on a regular basis on compliance matters you are reducing your risk. If you have a system that reports to you who is not compliant then you have real data to make some decisions.

Corporate cannot allow their employees to dictate what compliance training they need to take. There should be no buy in. There should be no hand holding. This simply needs to be a policy. In order for everyone to feel secure about their jobs, everyone should be involved in keeping it safe and compliant. Thankfully we work with a great deal of companies who share this approach and it is great to see many more taking compliance training seriously.

So it may be a harsh question to ask but it may be necessary the next time an employee balks at training. I am sure they would not like to see a payroll deduction for insurance liability. For all of you employees who are reading this, embrace whatever compliance training you are required to take. It keeps you safe and it keeps your company safe. Embrace the spirit behind the compliance laws. Apartment training is a key component to the smooth function of multifamily operations.

As always I would love you to share this article on your social networks and provide me any feedback you have on this topic in the comments section below.

Written by Jonathan Saar

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From New Hire to GREAT Hire (Infographic)

Jonathan Saar — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:36:49 +0000

Turning a new hire to a great hire is not a simple add water and stir process. It takes a tiered approach and a comprehensive strategy in order to produce the optimum results. Too often we see scenarios where someone is hired and left to fend for themselves in their new job position. This typically turns out to be catastrophic. The employee does not feel empowered. They see that they are struggling and this creates frustration. Their supervisor sees a lack of results. The employee either quits or is fired and the cycle starts all over again.

Employee turnover can cost property management companies thousands upon thousands of dollars each year. What is refreshing to see from our perspective is a significant shift in attitude towards training and performance in multifamily. A few years ago it was marketing marketing marketing. Now we are seeing property management companies take a serious look at their people and investigating ways to really optimize and strengthen their teams. I had the privilege of attending NAA Student Housing last week and one of the gentleman on the Executive panel used the expression “We are first and foremost Chief People Officers”. I just about jumped out of my chair and did a little dance. That is the kind of attitude and passion that infuses your team!

Our President Mechelle Flowers designed the infographic you see below. This will help you have a clear visual on what it takes to go from new hire to a GREAT HIRE!

Written by Jonathan Saar

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Five Mobile Apps for Multifamily Marketing

Jonathan Saar — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:36:32 +0000

Mobile marketing is a critical element for multifamily. With the various apps that are available and the unique niches they provide we cannot help but at the very least be aware and in tune with their possibilities. I am going to summarize five: Pinterest, Instagram, News Booth, PicFrame and Forkly.

This tool seems to be hitting a fever pitch quickly. In my opinion it is one of the best visually stimulating platforms available. It is a social sharing site so like platforms like Twitter you receive the most benefit if you continue to build your network. It is like a digital bulletin board where you have the opportunity to make your own boards and pin content that are associated with those boards. Apartment communities are already leveraging this tool for apartment marketing and are seeing success. Check out Bailey Properties boards as an example. They started out with a corporate account and have since started rolling out individual ones for their communities.

An example from Bailey Properties

Instagram

This is a great photo sharing tool as well. Besides all the various lighting you can add to your pictures, you can also syndicate it with Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, Posterous and Tumblr. It is only available for the iPhone currently. You can geo tag your pictures as well. For apartment marketing this gives you an opportunity to really highlight community events or other unique items about your community and showcase them in a much more unique way. Melissa DeCicco from Mills Properties is an avid user of this tool. I love seeing the pictures she posts in connection with events that she and the Mills team are involved in.

Forkly

I have just started using this recently. It is one of those items I am on the fence about since most folks do not care that I am eating a bologna sandwich. However this has a unique twist to it where you can share some of the unique cuisines you are trying in your area. It tags the restaurant and adds your photo and those who are following you can interact. Once again I am just testing this out but I can foresee possibilities in some mobile niche markets with this.

News Booth & PicFrame

I am going to lump the both of these together. They are both tools to help make your photos just a little more interesting. PicFrame allows you to put together a compilation of 1-5 photos and make your own collage to share with your network. News Booth is pretty cool as well. You can now turn your pictures into “Breaking News” add some text to it and then share it with your network. Again I am highlighting the fun in just adding a bit more flavor to such a visual world that we live in.

I cannot predict the future for these tools but I can share my enthusiasm for them. Apartment marketing continues to evolve. Mobile marketing has taken a strong foothold and cannot be overlooked. Every demographic is unique so it takes some research and testing to evaluate response and return. The point is to at least be aware and try these out. If they generate any wow factor with you then I am sure your creative juices will kick in from there.

I would love any feedback you have on these tools or perhaps others you are testing and playing with currently for your apartment and mobile marketing efforts. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Written by Jonathan Saar

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