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.