At My Wit's End....

I have been a leasing agent at a C property for almost 2 years now.... This property... Well it struggles. Big time. I do my hardest to stay positive. But its hard to sell a product when you don't even really have the supplies to make the product! Right now we are sitting at 40 vacant. We go through our bouts of endless (unqualified) traffic. I run the app, do the paperwork, and pretty much know before my manager looks it over, if they're qualified or not. But what happens is that she's getting hounded to bring in traffic and more money by our supervisor that she just waves them in just to boost occupancy... Which then of course backfires on us a month or two later when we have tons of skips and squatters. I try marketing at businesses that have more stable clients rather than people that change jobs every two weeks. But nothing is working. We are based in a city which basically recycles its clientele. We have special hoppers and people that live in this small city really come here to settle down and not live the apartment life forever. I was born and raised in this city as well, so I know most of the first time renters and their history so I know when someone is a good idea and when they're not so its hard to filter out the bad, when my manager is just looking at the short term and not long term. Also, every time I try to buckle down on our criteria, my bosses just move in anyone and everyone. And it doesn't help that our owner is over-involved, so she's calling our office every week to hound us as well. I just don't know what to do anymore. I've tried many marketing strategies but nothing is working. I try to implement resident retention programs but we don't really have the money to do that either. I'm at my wit's end. Running out of ideas and motivation as well. How do you clean up a C property without the help of your bosses and without the money to really do anything as well? I NEED SOME SERIOUS HELP!

Hey Miriam,

I would love to know more about your property. I've been on the leasing side, and now I am on the vendor side. I might have some helpful ideas, but it would be good to know a little more about your asset

Like what do you mean?

I'm on a 240 unit C property. Multifamily.

Remember it takes a team to turn a property around. One person can't do it alone and expect results. Sit down with your property manager and share how you are feeling, share your vision for the property and for your self career wise. Create a plan of how you as a team are going to make this happen. Resident activities can be done for little to no dollars. This is not something you can do alone and needs the support of your supervisor. As a leasing agent you can do all the marketing in the world but if your property has the reputation of move in and leave them it won't help you in the long run. Seriously start at step one and talk to your supervisor.

Miriam, I am sorry that you feel so frustrated. At least that tells me that you are truly passionate in what you do. My advice to you is simple. Take all the passion you wrote on this blog, and write a professional letter to your supervisor providing them your feelings. In the same letter, write down ideas on how you believe they can improve the property and reach the goals they are looking at. Make a specific marketing plan with obtainable goals. Remember, people don’t only want to hear the problem, but also the solution to it. So, before you write the letter, do your homework. Come up with a strong marketing plan and objectives to meet the goals, and then write the letter professionally. Ensure that emotions are not writing it, but that you as a professional leasing agent are looking at the problem and finding solutions how to fix it. If your supervisors are any good, they will appreciate this approach and immediately implement the ideas.

Miriam, let me see if I can read between the lines here - you are in between that proverbial rock and hard place. Do you feel like you are beating your head against the wall because your manager is approving unqualified applicants? Your manager may very well be sharing that space between the rock and hard place as well, since her boss is telling her to fill up those boxes. Unspoken is the "Or else!" meaning she may be fearful of losing her job. It seems there is a basic fundmental difference of opinion as to how to achieve better occupancy.

I certainly agree with Jolene - it's a team effort to change the Resident profile and create better turns to attract a better Resident, one who will take better care of the place and stay longer. I also agree with Pedro in that opening the lines of communication with your manager is important. Presenting a linear, direct approach to the problem would be ideal. However, if I am reading this situation right, you have either tried this and was rebuffed or you are afraid to try it because you don't feel your manager will listen.

So, what to do? It is frustrating!!! First of all, don't give up the ghost! With 40 vacants, it is a challenge. Second, shop your A and B class properties and see what they are doing right. Look at their turns - are they showing vacant units that are wonderful because they are clean? Have lots of light? Open floor plans? If your apartments are dated, make sure they at least show well - clean, dustfree, no bugs in corners, clean windows letting in light, small displays in the kitchens and baths. Third, look at your current residents. Surely there are some good ones. Try a referral program with those residents and see if you can get one or two just from that. I would stick to my ideals though about not accepting unqualified people. Evictions cost a LOT OF MONEY, and why your management company has not figured this out is beyond me.

I would not give up on Outreach Marketing either. There are a ton of ideas out there. Have you ever read a Rent and Retain magazine? It is really an excellent source for marketing and leasing ideas!

In order for things to change there needs to be a catalyst and you could be just that. If your manager is not open to any ideas, I would ask why, why not? With 40 vacant units, what does she have to lose? Good luck!

Hi Miriam,

It sounds like you have a tough situation there!

I've managed the same C property for the last 5 years, so I can tell you, it does get easier, but over time, it's also easier to lose the "fresh eyes" to see outside the box.

Staying positive is very important because your attitude shows! I listen to uplifting audiobooks like "the Secret" to remind myself to be positive. This helps me show my residents that I care about them, which helps them feel a connection to our community. My maintenance tech gets up extra early to make sure everything looks pristine before residents get up and leave for work, so they will be discouraged from throwing trash on the ground. Most importantly, make sure to take good care of one of your communities most important assets- YOU! I rejuvenate by getting up before dawn every day for a four mile run, and take a long hot bath or a trip to the mall for shopping therapy on the weekend.
:cheer:

"waving them in just to boost occupancy" is illegal in my state, which makes my job easier for sure. If you don't have a set criteria, you may want to check with your fair housing bureau and see if one is required, then let your boss and the owner know. When standard criteria is followed, you will gain higher quality, longer term tenants who appreciate their community for providing them with better neighbors. Use a guest card with pre-qualifying questions. A great resource for more information about this topic can be found in the free landlord training manual by CDRI. www.cdri.com/community-problem-solving/p...ther-free-stuff.html

Finding resources to obtain supplies can be tricky, but can be done. I used to use freecycle a lot. You can find your local freecycle group on www.freecycle.org . I've picked up office supplies, maintenance supplies, appliance parts, a fridge, a stove, even a couple of computers!

Networking and bartering with other businesses can make a difference too. I network with a local non-profit who's purpose is to reduce the feral cat population. They help me trap cats that get abandoned in my apartment community and find homes for them (as country barn mousers.) They raise money to spay & neuter the cats by running a thrift store. Like every apartment community, I have to get abandoned property hauled to the dump on a fairly regular basis. The feral cat thrift store doesn't own a vehicle, so I add their unsaleable items to my dump run in exchange for a store credit in their thrift store. This makes my community more desirable to residents and prospects by getting the homeless cats out of my community, and pleases the animal lovers by ensuring the cats don't get put down. Showing support to a local non-profit boots my communities reputation, and the store credit can be used to buy anything in their store. I've picked up folding chairs, file cabinets, and even new gift baskets of soaps and such for retention party door prizes. We also promote each other's businesses on facebook, so all my facebook fans can see their page (and my support) and vice versa. Going to your local Chamber of Commerce meetings might be a good way to find other businesses to network with.

Resident retention also doesn't have to cost much. A potluck, a car wash, a coloring contest, a book exchange, etc.

I agree that a team effort would provide greater improvement, but I also strongly believe that one person can make a difference.


Good luck!