And a New Year will soon be here...

I hope each of you are ending your 2007 with many happy memories and are ready to start making new memories in 2008.

I will be back in the New Year with hopefully many, many new ideas and thoughts for you and I hope you have many, many thoughts and ideas to share with me...

Be safe bringing in the New Year.

I've not forgotten you or this blog

Hello all:

I just wanted to put a short note up to let you know that I have not given up on this blog and am still very interested in sharing ideas with you and learning from you.

I have been very busy (as I am sure most of you have been) with the Holiday Season, not only personally, but also at work. I am hoping that I will be able to catch up soon, so please keep checking back with me.

I am sorry for the delays and I hope you can forgive me. I may not be posting, but I am researching, so when I get a chance to catch up...I will have ideas after ideas.

K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple Sweetie - this goes for getting people to turn in applications to live at your complex.

Offering your residents a referral gift is a great way to get the word out about your complex. This can be something as simple as offering a carpet cleaning or a gift card as long as the person they bring to you signs a lease, pays the first month rent and security deposit.

Offer a gift card to a restaurant (especially if the resident has a family).

Or give one big gift out and put every one's name in a drawing for that...

Sometimes giving away something, gets you a great resident...

Activities with a twist

I have a family property, and I do tend to lean my suggestions toward families, but I recently decided to have a "Soup Off" with my residents and found that more of my elderly participated than my other residents. I asked one of these residents why I hadn't seen her at any of the activities before now and she told me that this activity was something she was comfortable with. This was something that she loved doing, but because it was just her in the household she didn't do much cooking. And she hoped I did more of these types of activities in the future.

So I have planned a "Pie Off", and a "Cookie Off", etc. next year and I hope this will bring out more of my elderly residents.

How do these "Cook Offs" work? You need to make it manageable. You can have each person bring in their soup and then you dip it out and everyone gets a taste. You have a questionnaire ready for each of them to fill out about what they like and dislike about the soup and they give it a score and then each of them put their questionnaire in a "suggestion box" type of container. I purchased some Ziploc freezer bags and put about 2 cups of each soup in a bag. I wrote the name of the soup on the bag (before filling it). This way everyone got a sample of the soup (and the recipe which the resident brought with them and I made copies of to hand out).

I then went through the questionnaires, added up the points and announced the winner while everyone was enjoying the soup and company.

I ended up with 6 different soup recipes to try at home and they ended up with some new friends. They have talked about doing some kind of cook off each month. I can't wait for the desserts, cookies, pies and cakes cook offs.

So try something a little out of the box. You might find your residents enjoy it and you might even get something special out of it.

Friday - Laugh day?

I've had a few people mention to me that they aren't sure telling stories about things that happen on their properties that involve residents is a good thing.

This whole blog is a learning in progress, so I appreciate the suggestions and comments...although, I would love to hear more from you on the blog. Let your comments help others...

So once again, I am asking for your help. What should Fridays be about?

I had thought about maybe moving the Q&A to Friday and leaving the weekend open...

Thanks,

Thursday - Your Staff

Recognition is a motivating tool that is easy to do and can go a long way. Here are some ideas:

Most employees want individual recognition and that doesn't necessarily mean money.

Make sure you give the recognition soon after your employee does something. Match the recognition with the performance.

Make sure you are specific about what you are giving recognition for. It helps the employee know what they did and helps them continue to do them.

And make sure you know your employee. Some employees don't want to be the center of attention, so making a big deal out of something in front of everyone can do more harm then good.

Wednesday - Extras

Bulletin boards can be a great feature in a community room or laundry room. Have one with a theme for each month. Hang up recipes, or craft instructions, make copies and put them in a wall file folder so your residents can enjoy them.

You can have one that has information on it about activities that are happening in your area, financial help fliers, information about flu shots and where they are giving them out, activities pertaining to your elderly. This bulletin board is your information area, so make sure the information that you post here will help your residents.

Another bulletin board can be used as a classified bulletin board. This is where your residents can post things that they have for sale or things they want to buy, etc.

Bulletin boards can be fun and interesting and something that your residents just might enjoy!

Tuesday - Move-ins

Send a survey to your new move-ins. Find out what they like or didn't like about the whole process and about their apartments.

Surveys can help improve ideas that you are already doing, and it lets your move-ins feel like what they have to say is important.

Make sure your questions are yes or no and give them a comments section.

Monday - Keeping Your Residents

Late again...sorry.

I think I've touched on this a little bit in other posts, but it is worth saying again...

Don't forget the children! If you have a complex with children then you know that they can sometimes be a handful. If you keep them active and give them things to do that are fun, then I have found that you have less trouble with them. And if the children are happy, then the parents will be happy.

So what ideas will entertain the children:

1. When it is time to plant flowers, give the children their own flower bed. Let them plant the flowers. I found that the children didn't run through my flowerbeds after they saw how much work went into planting the flowers.
2. Have coloring contests. This is something that is so simple and you can have a theme for just about every month. Give away a $10.00 gift card to the winner.
3. Have parties. A Fall Party can be great time to have a party. The children have just started back to school. They are half way between summer and Winter Break. Have games for them to do and fun food to eat.
4. Do a contest that helps the children in school, or if they volunteer.
5. Set up an "Adopt a Grandparent" day with your local nursing home. This is where the children will do activities and spend time with the elderly at the nursing home. Or if you have an elderly complex near by, see about setting something up with them.

Letting children have a little fun doesn't hurt and it can help a lot!

Did you get enough to eat?

Did you get enough to eat for Thanksgiving?

Yes, I did

Did you go Black Friday shopping?

Yes, but I did it from my home computer. Less traffic that way. lol

Thursday - Having a "Gonna have fun day"

Why not take a day and do something with your staff. Your staff's personalities, likes and dislikes can be used to figure out what to do.

Something as simple as taking your staff out to dinner can be the boost they need. Sign up for a day long class in something. Maybe an art class or even a class at Lowe's to learn something new.

If you have a large staff or a complex close by with a similar size staff, then why not have a checkers contest or a baseball game. Anything with teams.

Get an old fashion group picture taken. One of those black and white pictures.

Have your staff and their families meet you at an ice cream shoppe for some free ice cream.

Get together with your staff and have a little fun. You might find that you enjoy yourself as much as your staff.

The New Wacky Wednesday

I am changing Wednesdays. I think Wednesdays will be for "extra" topics. Like maintenance, paperwork, etc.

It will be a melting pot of information. If you want to learn about something, just let me know and I will see what I can do to find the answers.

For the first Wacky Wednesday, I think we will discuss maintenance.

I want to believe that the majority of our residents really want to help us anyway they can, I just don't think they know how.

Most residents don't know that there are some very basic things they can do on their own or that they can do to keep an emergency from being a MAJOR emergency.

Things like turning the valve off behind the toilet if the toilet is overflowing to keep the mess from being worse.

How to reset the garbage disposal if it won't spin. Or flipping a breaker back on if it flips off because of a power surge.

Simple things that a resident can do (that isn't dangerous) that will not only help them, but will help us also.

Tuesday Topic - Move-Ins

The holiday season has put me a little behind, but I am going to try very hard to catch up this weekend.

Move-ins are as important as your residents. When you have a vacancy, your applicants are like gold.

People need to know your complex is there before they can take an interest in it. Placing fliers around your town, sending letters to different agencies and having your complex be involved with local groups are all great ideas to get your complex name out there.

Your fliers need to have basic information: layout, size, does your rent include anything (water, trash, etc). But your flier also needs to stand out. Make sure you put things down that will make your complex stand out. Are you the only complex that has a pool in your area? Do you offer van service to and from stores for your residents? How about after school programs (tutoring or babysitting) for your students? If all the complexes in your area do these or have these things, then you need to come up with a way to make yours stand out. If you offer the after school service, what about having healthy snacks for the students and/or a fun learning experience...bike safety, drop, stop and roll programs, basic first aid courses, etc.

Sending letters to different agencies is a great way to get your name out there. If you manage affordable housing, then make sure you get your letters to your local Housing Authority, Women's shelters, Salvation Army, thrift stores, etc. The letter you send can be a copy of your flier.

Get your complex involved with your local groups. If you have a community room, then why not see if the Boy/Girl Scouts would like to meet in there. A writing group might like to meet there because it is quiet. See if your local art teacher would like to teach art to non-students, etc.

All of these ideas get your complex name out there and by inviting local groups into your community room, potential residents and/or friends of potential residents will be in and out and they will remember your complex when someone they know, needs a home.

A Special Note Just For You...

Do you remember the last time you were having a bad day? Did someone do something small for you that made you feel better? Well your residents are human also and they are bound to have bad days. So what can we do to help them feel better?

What about little notes? They are simple, to the point and you can make them cute and clever. They can be sent for different holidays or just for the heck of it. They don't have to say a lot to say sooo much.

For Thanksgiving, you could send a note that says: "In the spirit of Thanksgiving we want you to know that we are grateful to you for being our resident.

You could send a note along with a small bag of the goldfish crackers and the note would read: "You're a big Fish in our Pond!

In a small ziploc snack baggie, put some type of mint (Andes Mints, Peppermint patties, mint certs, etc) with a little note that says: "You're a Mint of a resident and we're happy you're here."

Send some Starburst candies with a note that says: "You're a Star in our sky!" OR "We're bursting to tell you how wonderful you are."

Milky Ways with a card that says: "You're out of this world."

Send apple flavored Jolly Ranchers (or an actual apple) with a note that says: "You're the apple of our eye and we are so happy that you are here."

Get creative, send a tea bag with a note that says: "You're TEArrific!"

An Equal sugar packet with a card that says: "Nothing Equals how happy we are that you are here."

These are just a few simple ideas that will let your residents know they a special, and when someone feels like they are wanted, they tend to stay.

Are you ready for the holidays?

The holidays get crazy around my complex. For some reason, my mind is somewhere else during this time. Do you think that is why things get crazy? lol...

I use to be done with my holiday shopping before Thanksgiving and my husband would do his shopping Christmas Eve. Now, we pass each other in the stores on Christmas Eve.

So are you ready for the holidays?

Elderly Residents...aren't they cute!

I have several elderly residents on my property that are such a joy to talk with. They are fun, active and have a lot of spunk. Sometimes too much spunk.

Several years ago, I had one of these overly spunky resident. She made myself, the staff and other residents laugh and was loved by many.

She also had a crush on my maintenance man! He was 40 and she was 75. She would cause something to go wrong with her unit, just so he would come "visit".

With every work order, she would bake him something or make him something. He would come back to the office wearing a new scarf or carrying a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

Then one day, he came back from her apartment wearing and carrying nothing. So I asked him if he had made her mad or something and he said "no". He didn't make any other comment or anything else, so dropped it for the moment.

Later that day before he left, I asked him if everything was okay because he seem to have been down in the dumps all day.

He sat down in the office and said he didn't want to get her (this resident) in trouble, but he didn't think he could go over there again, alone anyway.

It seems that this spunky 75 year old really had the hots for him. She had put candles all over her apartment and when he came through the door, she wrapped herself around him and kissed him on the lips!

My maintenance man said he had turned around and left right after he peeled her off of him. I told him he should have told me earlier and that from now on I would go with him so that I could keep her busy.

I did this a couple of times and then on one work order visit, she sat me down and wanted to know if I was jealous of her and if I was afraid she would take my man away from me. I told her the maintenance man was not my "man" and the reason I was coming with him was because she could not behave herself when he came alone.

She said, "I knew it. I'm too much woman for him. I guess I will have to keep baking him things."

And then she looked at me at said, "You know that is the way to a man's heart." I said I heard that before.

She promised not to throw herself at him again and she promised to be a good resident when he was near.

He finally started going to her apartment alone again and she did behave herself. Of course, the fact that the maintenance man had an uncle that he fixed her up with didn't hurt.

Days off vs money?

If your staff is like mine (and if you are like me) days off with pay or more money is what most employees say would motivate them to do extras in their job.

So why not give them what they want? Now if your property is like mine, it is set in stone when it comes to the budget. So the money part might be out of the question, BUT what if "money" doesn't mean hourly wage?

What if you gave them a gift card when you see them go above and beyond their job? Or buy their lunch every now and again. This saves them money. If your maintenance man drinks soda all the time, why not buy him a six pack, again, this saves him money. If your assistant has children, why not give her a gift card to a restaurant or give her McD's/Burger King gift cards for those evenings when she has to run little Jimmy to football practice the same that she has to get little Suzie to dance class.

As for the time off with pay - The same goes as with the money, if you see them go above and beyond, then give them half a day off on Friday. If your staff has worked hard to make your property the best it can be, give them "get out work early" cards. Each card can be worth a 1/2 hour or one hour and they can save them up and turn them in when they want a day off (with prior approval from you and you can set the limit on how many hours they can take at a time).

You can purchase Monopoly money and use it: a $5.00 play bill can equal 5 minutes of early leave or you can buy those business cards that you can do yourself on the computer and create a "get out of work early" card. That way you can put the amount of time you want to give them right on the card. Neither of these ideas cost much and both are reusable items.

Motivation is the key and you can motivate your staff with the things they want, without going overboard and let them know this is something you want to do for them as long as it doesn't get taken advantage of.

Wednesday Activities

I sat down (a day late...sorry) to do this Wednesday post and I realized that my Monday posts on residents usually has an activity of some kind mixed in with it.

So I was thinking...What else could I do on Wednesdays?

• I could do something on paperwork, but if you aren't affordable housing you probably don't have the same kind of paperwork
• I could make Monday's for the adult activities and Wednesday for activities for the children
• I could do something on maintenance issues. Mold, plumbing, OSHA, simple tips for cleaning vacant units, etc.
• Or...do you have something else you would like to read about? Suggest and I will see what I can do...

Since I listed some activities in Monday's posts, I will leave this post with these things for you to ponder.

What would you like to learn more about or share ideas about?

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Welcome Home

We've talked about a move-in folder that gives your new move-in important information about your complex and your town, etc. but what about giving them a little gift also.

I give my new move-ins the "move-in notebook" right after signing the lease. I go over the things that I think are important (if they have children, I go over school directions, etc.)...

After going through this notebook, I hand them the key and welcome them to the complex, and then I send them on their way to their new home.

Waiting for them is a gift bag. Inside this gift bag is a sample bottle of dish liquid, a small packet of dishwasher cleaner, a small box of laundry detergent and of dryer sheets, and two trash bags. Beside the gift bag, I have a regular size roll of paper towels and toilet paper. And sticking out of the bag is a "Welcome to your new home" letter that is signed by my entire staff.

These are just some small things that I can get in bulk through my maintenance supply company. The entire bag costs me under $5.00 and several new move-ins have written me thank you notes or come in and thanked me for their little gift bag. Some new residents have even gone out of their way to track down and thank my staff.

What other move-in gifts can you try?

• Gift card to the local grocery store with a note that says, "Enjoy your first meal in your new home on us"... or something like that...
• I know a manager who gives out a toilet plunger, with a roll of toilet paper to each move-in. She puts the roll of toilet paper over the plunger handle and ties a bow at the top, with a little note that says, "Thanks for taking the plunge with us."
• Or how about leaving them a roll of toilet paper, paper towel, some paper plates and paper cups with a note that says, "Let us take the paperwork out of moving"
• How about getting a pack of "We've moved" cards, stamps, and typed labels with their new address on them and put a note that says, "People need to know where to send your housewarming gifts."
• Some bottled water in the refrigerator will be a nice refreshing drink during/after their move. Just make sure you put a note on the counter so they know it is there.

A simple gift with a cute note, will make them smile and they will appreciate the fact that you took the time to think of them.

Just For You...

Residents love to get things! It is a fact and we just need to get use to it. But then, who among us doesn't like to get things. Free things are even better.

But residents also like to feel they are a part of something. Given the chance I think residents do want to be good residents and they want to make your job easier and they do appreciate everything you do for them.

I know at my complex, the residents that know their neighbors and become friends with their neighbors, tend keep the common areas, their apartments and the grounds cleaner. They take pride in where they live and they don't want their new neighbors to think the worse of them.

So why not find a way to bring your residents together:

• Plan an ice cream social for the complex (have the residents make their own ice cream - there are some very simple recipes on the Internet that you use)
• Plan a cookie swap for each building/floor a month - when you have gone through all your residents, then have one big cookie party. You can make a "cookbook" of sorts for all your residents with all of the recipes in it. Why not have a contest, let those who want to make cookies bring them to the party and have some local judges (bankers, policeman, etc) judge the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place cookies and give away cookie jars as gifts or something to do with baking.
• Have a breakfast or cookout for your residents. Your staff can take their orders, cook for them, serve them, make them feel special.
• Have a theme party - Valentines Day - Everyone can wear red or have heart name tags on, etc. - they can draw names and end up in groups with other residents (or have each floor/building be a group) and have them complete several tasks (word finds, mazes, etc.) the team that gets done first, wins. Give them tasks that they have to work together to complete. But make sure you think of everyone and don't make the tasks too hard or too easy.

Simple tasks that are fun will get your residents in touch with each other. I know at my complex something like this took a little while to get started. The first time we did something (we did the ice cream social) we only had about 10 residents show up, but when we did the breakfast we had almost 40 residents show up. The word gets around and hopefully even more residents will show up with each activity.

These residents will share their experiences with family and friends and who knows, one day those family or friends may need an apartment and they will keep your complex at the top of their list...

What song takes away your stress?

There is one song that takes me away from everything stressful. When this song comes on, it quiets me, it helps me take a deep breath and wipe away stress. It is my song. It fits me like a glove and I know that everything will be okay, when I hear it.

What is this wonder song? The song that I should have piped into my office during working hours is..."Unwell" by Matchbox 20

What? I guess you thought I was gong to put down something deep and inspirational. Well for me this song is. You have to find the song that is inspirational to you.

Why does this song make me feel so good...Well, because it lets me know that...

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

For me, this song gets me through the day and I know that things will be less crazy when I'm home.

So what song fits you? What song inspires you? What song takes away your stress?

Laughter never hurt anyone...

Laughter, it makes the world seem better, makes the day go by faster and exercises your stomach muscles...honest...

Working property management, we somehow lack laughter at times. There's reports to do, residents to tend to, new applicants to impress and a boss to please. So how come, laughter, couldn't work to do all of these things...or at least help do them..

There are days when I am buried behind paperwork. Someone on my staff will come into the office and laugh at me. You see, it seems that I stick out my tongue when I am concentrating on paperwork, this in turn makes me laughable. So they are laughing at me, I look up and realize what they are laughing at and I start laughing. This little break in my day, helps me get my paperwork done sooner and more efficient. You can concentrate and work on things so much that you lose track of what you are doing, which leads to mistakes and long days.

Have you ever had a resident come in to your office and ask for something that you just have to say, "huh?" You do property management so of course you have. Has this ever brought out the smile in you? Maybe not while the resident is standing there, but you laugh afterwards. Come on, you can tell me...

I recently had a resident ask (in writing) if he could knock the wall down that was in between his two bedrooms. You see, he didn't want 2 bedrooms, he only wanted one bedroom, but the neither of the bedrooms he had were big enough, but knocking down the wall, would give him the space he needed. (I didn't ask what he needed the space for...I figured I wait for another moment in time for that answer). Of course, I sent him back a note that said, "sorry, but you can't do that." He then sent me another note that said he didn't think I could turn down a reasonable request. I wrote back and said when he requests something reasonable, I will try not to turn it down, but that knocking down entire walls is not a reasonable request. He told the maintenance man that he didn't think he would talk to me until I changed my mind. I guess I had better learn sign language to do his re-certification...

As for laughing with an applicant. You need to make the applicant feel comfortable. And believe it or not, most applicants are scared of you. They don't know you anymore then you know them, but they see you as someone in the position to give them a home, so you scare them. I recently had an applicant you submitted an application with about ten people listed on it as co-applicants. When I called him about his application, I informed him that he could only have 5 people total in the 2-bedroom apartment he was trying to get. He said, "Okay" and then we sat there for a little bit, when I finally informed him that he turned in an application with ten people on it. He said he knew this. I said that I would have to turn him down because there were too many people in his household and would not meet our household occupancy limits. He then told me that he wasn't planning on living with ALL of them, only the first 4 who could pass our credit and criminal criteria. He just listed that many people because he knew his friends were kind of shady people and he wasn't sure which ones would pass these two tests. He went on to say that he figured I could weed out the bad ones and that way he could trust the others. I guess that is one way to figure out who you can share a bathroom with...?

Laughing with your boss is probably the hardest way to laugh. I'm not sure what kind of boss you have, but mine is sort of, I'm boss - you employee. He knows his job, but he doesn't know how to interact otherwise. I like to think I am, not a better boss, but a friendlier boss. I like to work as a team with my staff and not as a me against you. By working WITH my staff, I find that all of us are able to laugh and get along and that makes the day go by much faster. I really don't have one story to share, because my staff makes me laugh a lot and we laugh together just as much, so my advice here would be to find a way to laugh with your staff and AT yourself. There's a reason that people like the show Candid Camera...it helps you realize that none of us are perfect and laughing makes a situation so much easier to deal with.

It is so nice to meet you

Do you know your staff? I mean really know them? Not things like you know he drinks a coke everyday or that she likes the color red because that's the only color she ever wears.

Do you know their likes, dislikes, what they think of their jobs, of the company you work for, etc.

Why not buy a pizza and gather your staff together for a fun "getting to know you better" lunch.

You can think of some fun questions (nothing too personal) and see how they answer them. Play a game of "Newlyweds" on make it "co-workers"...have them pair up (if you have a large enough staff. If your staff is small, then have everyone answer the questions without looking at each others answers and then you ask the question and see how the others answer...

You can ask something like: What is your favorite hobby? Your staff would write their answers down for themselves. Then you would collect those answers and ask them again, only this time the other staff members will answer them and the person who scores the highest gets a prize. It could be something as simple as a 6-pack of their favorite soda.

Taking time to get to know your staff, will motivate them to do better at their jobs, because they know you care enough to learn something about them.

Have fun and get to know your staff!

Let the kiddies play...

First, I want to apologize for not posting yesterday. I have been sick and still not up to par, but will try to get Wednesday and Thursday posts done tonight.

If you have a family property, then you have children. Entertain the children and the parents will be happy...



Here's some ideas:

1. Have a contest with the children that has to do with school. Count the A's they get and the child with the most A's wins a gift card/prize. Don't forget that each age level has a different way of reporting on the report cards, so you may have to have a couple of categories.


2. For Mother's Day/Father's Day have a craft that is "kids only" and do up a surprise for their parent. Bath fuzzies, etc are great for the moms and why not do a hot/cold sock wrap for the dads. (If you need instructions for any of these or more ideas, just let me know and I will post them.


3. Plan a scavenger hunt. This can be something that both children and parents can participate in. You can make it something like the "Amazing Race" and each building/floor is a different country. You give them clues to get them to the next floor/building and the first family done wins...don't forget to have a fun activity along the way (if you do this in the summer, make sure you have something with water, balloons and popping the water balloons). Scavenger hunts can be as long, hard, easy, etc. as you want it to be. They can bring items to you or take pictures of the items.

So don't forget the children when it comes to planning your activities. Activities for elderly properties that don't include BINGO will posted later...

Enjoy!

We're gonna have a party!

Have a party for the people on your waitlist? I know it sounds crazy, and you're right, but???

What if you have a get together for your residents and invite your applicants? If you have a Christmas/Winter party, why not send your applicants an invitation? RSVP of course, so you know how much food, etc. Have your residents bring someone they would love to have as a neighbor and give away a door prize.

If you have a long waitlist, then why not send a Season's Greetings card "newsletter" with the activities you have done this past year and how much you look forward to them becoming a part of the fun. If you want to add a letter or a spot on your newsletter that tells them what number they are on your waitlist, this might keep them from calling you up and asking.

Marketing our complexes is something we must do. If you have a vacancy problem, then you most definitely have to market yourself and your complex. I still say, that word of mouth is the best marketing strategy that we have. So making your residents happy and keeping your applicants excited about your complex, are the best tools to keep your complex rented.

Don't forget your applicants and they won't forget you!

Won't you please stay...

Another year has gone by and your resident's lease is coming up for renewal. Is this the only time you have any contact with them? If it is, you may be hurting your chances of retaining that resident.

Letting residents know they are important should be a year around practice, NOT when their lease is up and you need to kiss butt to get them to stay.

If the resident has signed a new lease with you, then consider that new lease a "new lease on life" - life of your complex, and life of your budget. How many of you have a budget? How many of your budgets are based on the rent you get each month? I know mine is, so keeping my residents help keep me in budget. Not to mention, there is a lot less paperwork.

Here are a few ideas that you can do throughout the year to make your resident feel important ALL year long. (HINT: Start this with all new move- ins also)

This example is for a resident (or new move-in) who signed a new lease for January 1:

• Within the first two weeks of the new lease, send them a "Thank you" card and let them know how much you appreciate them re-signing/coming to live at your complex. See if they are settling in okay. Let them know if they need anything you and your staff are there to help. You can send a small inexpensive gift along at this time, if you wish. Something like a magnetic grocery list (you can get these for $1.00 at most big chain stores), two year planner (maybe you could get these done up with your complex information on it), etc.
• Three months into the new lease (April)...call them to say "Hi" and see if there is anything they need.
• Six months into the new lease (July) send them a survey. You can do a pretty standard survey. Make sure all the answers are "yes" or "no" questions and leave room comments. Give them the option to sign their name or not. Ask about their move-in experience, work order experience, cleanliness of the complex, the laundry room/community room (if you have one on site), what do they think of the activities, ask them what types of activities they would be interested in doing in the future, what do they think of you and your staff, etc. Make your questions things that you and your staff can learn from.
• Nine months into the new lease (October) send them a stick of gum with a note that says "Lets stick together for another year" or think of something else just as fun and send it with their re-certification letter. (if you do not have to send them information on their re-certification at least 3 months ahead of time, then wait until your letter about them signing a new lease comes up and then send this out)
• When they sign a new lease with you (this is not for new move-ins), then give them something for doing so. Give them a menu of items to choose from, but make sure these items can benefit you also. Such as a free carpet cleaning, new blinds, or a new bathroom medicine cabinet. Something new for the apartment that they would like and that would help you upgrade. OR you can enter each of their names into a drawing and one person wins something big, like a new kitchen faucet, microwave or vanity for the bath.

Save the "just for them gifts" for the contests. When you give out gift cards, etc. that needs to be done for the fun of it, so they feel like they are really winning something. The "re-cert" gift is a thank you gift and should benefit both of you.

How do you keep track of all this? If you have a huge property, then this can be difficult, but if you get organized BEFORE you start doing this, it will be much easier.

A three ring notebook, tab dividers with the months on them and notebook paper is all you need. Now you can get fancier then this, but honestly, these three items are all you need. Behind each monthly tab, you can do something like this:

• One page per resident, with columns for 1st month, 3rd month, 6th month, and 9th month. This way as you complete each task, you can put a check in the box, so you know it is done.
• One page listing all the residents for that month with columns for each task.

Either of these will work, it really just depends on the number of units you have to keep track of and your personal preference.

Don't forget to change things up each year. You don't want to send the same "thank you" card to a resident every year. It will stop meaning something to them.

Have fun and be creative. Your residents will thank you by staying and/or by sending other applicants your way.

What part of your job do you NOT like?

I would have to say this would be dealing with the residents on a regular basis. I really don't mind the paperwork, going to court or the deadlines, but the residents can really rub my last nerve at times.

If I could do the paperwork and someone else deal with the residents, then I would be a happy Manager.

So, what part of your job do you NOT like?

Laugh with me, not at me...

So Fridays are suppose to be a fun day. This is where we will share funny stories that only other apartment managers will understand. I will go first, but YOU need to share your stories also...

Gosh, where do I start...

A few years ago, I moved this young lady into the complex. I went over her lease. She paid her security deposit and her first months rent. I gave her the keys to her new apartment and welcomed her to her new home. She was nervous, but excited and my gut told me she would be a good resident.

The next month rolled around and she didn't pay her rent. I sent the late notice and she came to the office, with tears in her eyes, and she said she didn't understand the letter. So I explained that she hadn't paid her rent and that this notice was sort of like a reminder with a price tag. She looked at me and said, "But I did pay my rent. I gave it to you the day I moved in. Don't you remember?" I looked at her and said that yes, I remember her paying the rent for the month that she moved in, but she still owes for this month. She looked up at me and said, "You mean I have to pay you every month?" I said yes. That is why I went over the part of the lease that told her when her rent was due and what would happen if she didn't pay it. Just as serious as she could be, she said, "I didn't think you meant that for me."

I just sat there and stared at her. I wasn't sure what to say, so I said, "Well I did. Just like I meant it to all the other residents when they moved in. And just so we are straight, in 5-days, I will be going to the courthouse to file in court for the money if it isn't paid."

She stood up and said, "Well, you just go ahead and file in court. No judge will make me pay for anything more then what I have already paid for."

"Why wouldn't they?" I ask.

"Because, I have my lease and I will take it for the judge to read. I bet you didn't think I was going to say that did you?"

"No, I honestly can say I didn't think that was going to be your argument."

"I guess I'll see you in court, then." She says...standing up and sticking her hand out for me to shake. "No hard feelings and don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this. Let them fight their own battles." and out the door she went.

We did go to court and yes, she did show up with her Lease. The judge asked her if I had gone over the lease with her and she said yes and that she couldn't understand why I was changing my mind after doing so. The judge looked at me and all I could do was shrug my shoulders. He explained to her that the lease was for a year and then he showed her in the lease where it said she was to pay this amount each month. She tried to argue with him but he stopped her and gave me judgment...she ended up moving back in with her parents. She came in a few months later and told me she really thought that it was a good thing that things happened this way, because she would never had been able to afford the new car she had if she would have still had to pay me rent every month...

I've thought about changing to crayons for the residents to sign the lease with...obviously the ink in the pen is too strong for them to handle.

Okay, so now you share...What's something funny that you've had happen to you?

You Are Who You Hire...

Did you know that 70% of all hiring decisions are based on "chemistry" and not on if the person is qualified or even if they are willing to do the job.

So what qualities should we be looking for:

• The ability to do the job. This doesn't necessarily mean their experience.
• Their wiliness to do the job.
• And are they teachable.

Employees with these three qualities will perform beyond expectations and be the "great staff" that we all hope we can have.

Now you've just hired a new employee. They have the three qualities that we are looking for, so now what?

Let the new hire know that you and/or another staff member is there if they need anything or have any questions. Give them feedback throughout the "getting to know things phase" (the 90-day probationary period) and let them know that you want to hear from them if they have any suggestions or problems.

You welcome your new residents, so why not welcome your new employees. Do a welcome letter/card and have it signed by all staff members. Let them know you are happy they on your team.

Give them a new hire packet that consists of things for their job and something special just for them. Most all packets could include: A list of when your company pay days are, a list of holidays your company take, if they have a time sheet that they need to fill out, a notebook and pen (employees from maintenance to porter to management always have a use for paper and pen in their jobs), give them an almond joy candy bar and let them know that you are over"joy"ed that they are starting work with your company, give them copies of insurance information, 401K information.

If they are not from the area, then do as you would with a new resident. Give them local restaurant menus, directions to schools, shopping centers, etc.

So what about the employees you already have? You didn't do anything like this with them and you don't want them to get upset.

Well - how about having a "what a great staff I have party". Get a pizza (or with the weather getting cooler outside, bring a crockpot to work and make some vegetable soup or chili), give each staff member a new hire packet and don't forget the letter/card that lets your staff know that you couldn't make it without them.

Motivate your staff by letting them know you think of them all as being part of your team. Let them know that together each of you can make a difference and who knows - you might even have a little fun along the way.

Keeping Your Residents Active

Activities...this is something that can take a lot of time, cost a lot of money and then no one (or very few people) show up.

So why do activities?

Because activities can be fun, can get you away from the boring work, can make your residents happy enough to want to stay at your complex and tell others to come live there.

So what activities can you do that are fun, inexpensive and don't take up a lot of your time? Well, how about:

1. Set up a coloring contest for the children? Print a picture out that has to do with the season/holiday and invite the children to color them and bring them back. When you get them back, give each picture a number (ex...Little Suzie and Bobby each bring back the picture they colored. You put the number 1 beside Suzie's and the number 2 besides Bobby. Then on a note pad or computer program you put #1 = Suzie, #2 = Bobby.) You leave scrap paper in a basket next to the bulletin board where you have hung all the colored pages. The tenants write the number down of the picture they like best. (If Mrs Smith and Mr Campbell each like the picture that has the #2 beside it, then they would write down the number 2 and put the piece of scrap paper in a drop box or drop it off at the office) Make sure you don't tell anyone who actually colored the picture until the contest is over. When the contest deadline comes, then you count up the votes and the child with the most votes wins a prize. How much money or time do you have in this activity? VERY LITTLE. Purchase a coloring book that has seasons in it or holiday pictures (you may have to get different levels of difficulty depending on your age groups - just make sure the 3 year olds have a different voting section of their own different from the 7 year olds), make copy of the page you want to use for the contest. Hand it out to the children on your property. Depending on where you get the coloring book you may have anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 cost (and the web has lots of places that you can print out coloring pages for free). I don't' know about your office, but mine always has scrap paper that I can use for the numbering of the artwork and for the votes. Cost - nil. As for the prize, make it what your complex can afford. A free pizza (some local restaurants will give you a $10.00 coupon if you purchase a $10.00 coupon - so you now have two prizes for the cost of one and you can use the 2nd prize for another contest later on), a $10.00 gift card to Wal*mart (this is like gold to some children) or give movie tickets, etc.
2. Have door decorating contest. You can go with whatever holiday is coming up or be more creative and use something fun like: The first week of August is National Smile Week, so have a contest that the decorations have to make you smile. Ask three business people to be the judges (a police officer, a teacher, the florist, etc.) You may be shocked at how many people will agree to come look at the doors and vote. Not all of course, but keep asking. And what if the teacher, the florist, or the officer knows someone looking for an apartment...now they know what kinds of things you do for/with your residents and bang...you have someone applying for an apartment. You can give out only one prize or the top three
3. Another simple thing is to create an activity board. You take a cork board and you decorate it with a theme. Since today is Halloween, I will use that as an example...I took a cute Halloween coloring picture and I colored it, then I stapled it to the bulletin board. I found a few quick and easy "gross" recipes (Jell-o has some neat stuff on their website), so I printed the recipes out and stapled them to the cork board, then I found some simple Halloween crafts (from decorating your house to making a simple trick or treat bag) and I printed them out and stapled them to the cork board. Then I made copies of each, the uncolored pictured, the recipes, the crafts...I used a different colored paper for each item and I put them in a 3 tier wall file holder next to the bulletin board. This way when the residents came into the community room, they saw the bulletin board and they could take the copies home to do there.

Activities don't always mean a group thing (although we will talk about those kinds of activities later). An activity is taking the time to give your residents a chance to shine...in public or in the privacy of their own home...

Try these activities and/or let me know some of the things you have done with your residents.

Ya gotta get them through the door

Move-ins...we all need them at some point in time. But what if you live in an area that doesn't get much traffic? That is when you need to promote your property!

I don't know about you, but I don't have time to send out letters to agencies or post brochures all over town. What I do have is "word of mouth". Your residents can be the sugar that fattens up your wait list. If they enjoy living there, then they will tell someone and that person will tell someone and so on and so on. But what can you do for your move-ins?

Things that make your new Move-ins feel special are not hard and doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.

One of the easiest things to do is: Create new move-in folder/notebook for them. This folder/notebook can have as little or as much as you want.

• a few address change cards from the post office
• menus from local restaurants
• gift certificate to the local grocery store with a note that says "Let us take care of dinner tonight."
• Information on how to keep the units clean
• Information on how to handle a work order or an emergency if they have one
• Your laundry room hours, policy
• Your snow removal policy
• Directions to the nearest grocery store, movie theatre, park, swimming pool, etc.
• Local school information (phone numbers, directions, etc.)
• Phone numbers to the local police, rescue, fire department (non-emergency numbers)
• Information on how to get the electric, water turned on in their name. The phone numbers and utility company that your property uses.
• Information on your local library. The reading programs, etc.
• And don't forget to put a copy of their lease in the move-in folder/notebook

I'm sure there are many more things that pertain just to your property or area that you could put into this move-in folder/notebook.

Again, depending on your budget, you could get those 3-prong, paper-type, report folders, dividers, etc. so everything can be kept in a nice little spot. So if the resident has any questions, they can check out the folder/notebook. Or just purchase a folder pocket...anything that will keep the information in one place.

Just make sure the information you put in the book are things they may use. If you do a newsletter, put a couple of past months in there. If you are doing any kind of activity for your residents, make sure that information is in there. Making the new move-in feel like part of a family, will help with that word of mouth

I have a lot of residents that have never lived outside of their parent's homes and they have told me that this little notebook that I give them helps. Some of these residents have never had a utility bill of their own, so they can look at my instructions and they don't have to ask the parents for help.

Fit it to your complex. Do as little or as much as you know will work for your property and that will fit into your budget.

And don't forget a "Welcome to your new home" letter/card. Let them know that you are happy they chose your property as their new home.

Keeping the Residents you have, happy...

As we all know, this can be the hardest part of our job. There are some residents, that no matter what you do, you can't make happy. Then there are those residents who just love everything you do.

Customer service is, of course, the biggest way we can keep our residents. Be friendly, get their work orders done in a timely manner, etc. But I don't want to beat that dead dog. We all know these things and I'm sure we all do them.

But there are so many other things that we can do to make our residents happy (or at least happier).

Residents love to know they are important to you and your staff. Just waving "Hello" when you see them out and about is a simple and easy way to do this. Not to mention it is a very, very inexpensive way to let them know you are happy they are living on your complex.

Another way is by giving them things. Like for their birthday. Yes, you heard me, Birthday gifts. These "gifts" don't have to be expensive or time consuming. Here is a list of simple ideas that can make your residents feel special:

1. You can purchase inexpensive Birthday Cards or type up a "standard" birthday letter, only make sure you address it to them personally and add a paragraph at the end just for them and put them on their doors, so when they come in or out, they will see them.
2. Get those inexpensive party hats, tip it upside down and put things in it. You can put a handful of mints, some miniature candy bars, or a box of animal crackers for younger children. Anything small that doesn't weigh very much and wrap them up in colored plastic wrap that you tie off with a little ribbon and then put this little "package" inside of the party hat. Insert a card or a birthday letter that you and your staff has signed and hang it from their door knob.
3. Make Birthday signs on your computer. Decorative paper doesn't cost that much and a simple Happy Birthday typed in large letters and posted to their door might get them some birthday wishes from their neighbors. (and as we all know - if your residents get along with each other, life runs a lot smoother on a complex)
4. Start a Birthday of the month club. Each resident who has a birthday in that month gets their names put in a drawing. You pull a name out of hat (you can pick more then one name if your property has the money) and give the winner(s) a small gift. It could be a birthday cake/cupcake from Walmart/Food Lion, etc. or a gift card to the grocery store/gas station, etc. or give them a "Birthday Menu" and list 5 different things they can choose from. The amount you spend depends on the money your property has. It could be 5 different items that cost $5.00 each or $50.00 each. You could have a different list for the adults and the children.
5. Purchase the candy bar "100 Grand" in the mini sizes and give each birthday person 10 of them with a note that says "Here's a million to spend anyway you want for your birthday"
6. Do a Birthday bulletin board up and put snapshots of your birthday residents on it...have balloons, etc.

These are just a few ideas and I'm sure you can come up with even better ones. The important thing is to make your residents feel special on their special day.

If you do a newsletter, make sure to include the Birthday'ers in the newsletter. (I will have more on newsletters later).

p.s. These ideas can work for your staff birthdays also...

Our First Q & A...

Since Saturdays & Sundays are Q&A days, I thought I would start off with a question that I think we have all asked ourselves at any given time:

QUESTION(S):

Why did you become a Property Manager? And why do you continue to be a Property Manager?

MY ANSWER(S):

I became a Property Manager almost twelve (12) years ago. At the time, I did it out of necessity...I was a single mom and needed a job.

As the years passed, I found I did enjoy doing this type of work. Don't get me wrong, I still have days when I wish I were doing something else, but all-in-all this job has given me experiences that I would never have gotten anywhere else. The days are never the same and my Residents keep me on my toes.

I have met some wonderful people (other managers) who have become great friends and that makes the job worth it (at times)...grin...

So what about you? Want to share your story with us?

The Leasing Notebook

Since this is the very first post, I thought I would take a minute to explain what THE LEASING NOTEBOOK is all about. This is a site that will hopefully help make your job a little easier.

I have been in Property Management for almost twelve years. I have a very poor property, so I have had to find ways to keep my residents happy so they will stay put. I

Being a poor property, I can't afford expensive parties and/or gifts, so I have had to figure out a way to make things look expensive, but cost my budget very little. These are the types of things I will be sharing with you, along with tips on motivating your staff with some other useful tips thrown in along the way.

Our complexes can't operate without our Residents, so each Monday, I will post a new idea on how to make your Residents feel special and how that will help keep your apartments rented.

On Tuesdays, I will share ideas on how to make that new move-in happy they chose your complex and hopefully they will spread the word and your wait list will be thicker for it.

Wednesdays, I will give you some neat, inexpensive ways to entertain your residents. From newsletter ideas, to parties that cost very little.

Motivating your staff will be the Thursday topics. These will consist of ideas that, again, are inexpensive, but will help keep your staff motivated and working.

Fridays are for fun. I will be sharing fun (funny) things that have happened to me over the years and I hope you will share your stories also.

Saturday & Sundays are all about the Q&A's. I will come up with polls and questions that I hope will help you with situations you may be having at your complex and who knows, maybe your answers will help another manager with a problem they are having. I will post a Question on Saturday or Sunday so you have the weekend to answer...

I hope that you will share your ideas, problems and questions with me and the other PM's that might read this blog. The Leasing Notebook is here to help you. I know, from experience, the amount of work that we managers have and I'm hoping this blog will be the light at the end of the workday for you.

Welcome and please jump right in with your comments.