How did you get into the multifamily industry? Share your story!

I'll start: From talking to others, it seems like I'm one of the few that actually saw the industry and actively entered it, rather than falling into it. I've always been in love with the idea of a "sense of community", so I started a party-planning company, and later a company that provided a social network specifically for apartment communities. It was actually the precursor to MFI.

How about you? How did you get into the multifamily industry?

OK, Brent... let's see...


I 'fell into' retail and spent nearly 15 cumulative years with some well known national and international retailers. As good as I was at this; I got burned out and tired of a lot of things, including being asked to train new people (with college degrees, but somehow less intelligent than ice cubes) for positions I KNEW I could do much better. I did have one exception to this and the last I heard was that this trainee was a regional manager about 8(?) years ago. I trained her almost 15 years ago.

The one perk I really liked was the freebees... Not once between 1995 and 2003 did I actually PAY for a Microsoft product. These were given to me as training material (all versions of Windows from 95-XP and all versions of Office from 95-2003). I didn't even pay for the Office 2010 I am currently using as I pooled resources with my Dad and we used money from the class action lawsuit against Microsoft in CA.

I had contemplated 'changing my stripes' and was exploring other industries that could use the same skillset that I worked so hard to learn. I had been approached with real estate sales, but I opted not to pursue that because of the licensing requirements and the fear that the bubble would burst and that would leave a lot of people scrambling. I was also approached with Property Management; so I found a local temporary services agency that was willing to bring me in and allow me the opportunity to learn the industry while earning. This was good and bad in that it allowed me to learn from a number of perspectives without becoming complacent in my skills. It was bad in that it severely limited opportunities to be placed in full time employment with benefits as many companies do not like to pay out fees in compliance with their contracts, but fail to see that they are actually paying more while using a temporary employee AND conducting a traditional search for that opening (if the assignment is for more than to cover an employee's absence for whatever reason, which for me have included maternity and military leaves of absence) at the same time. If the assignment was to fill an actual opening, it was unlikely that I would be asked about it. It did also allow me to earn some valuable references.

After a few years, I relocated to another area to be closer to my family (and went through a separation with my now ex wife). I connected to a temp agency in the area so I could learn the market; but my staffing consultant understood that I was primarily looking for full time work, either direct hire or temp-to-perm positions only. I continued to be up front with her and informed her as soon as I learned if I had applied to the company directly, either by responding to a post or by blind submission. Eventually, the agency was able to place me in a temp-to-perm position as an assistant manager for a tax credit lease up (I had no tax credit experience up until that point). Subsequent to that, I also was a property manager for another tax credit property that had a lot of problems prior to my arrival that I solved. I am no longer there due to a number of issues, including a family medical emergency.

I have since learned that the first two agencies I used prior to relocating have closed for business; yet I have maintained contact with the agency I connected with after relocating.

Right out of high school and while I was going to college I also ran an on-demand print and design business for the real estate sector. I would generate graphics for business cards, flyers, postcards and whatever else was needed, then for most of the work would be able to print and deliver it all same day or next day adding a great value to customers during a busy time.

in 2008 I transitioned from real estate to the property management world using my graphical and computer knowledge to do IT and Marketing for CIC. Over the past year with additional growth due to our industry best standards and information, I have become the marketing executive for CIC. This change has allowed me venture even deeper into the marketplace working with property managers to provide a great product in the fastest time possible.

Like Johnny I was in retail for many years. I was a DM for a global company and had 14 stores in 4 states. In addition to my crazy travel schedule I too was asked to train people for positions above me.
Anyway I decided to change course and looked into real estate. The problem was I had just bought my first home and needed to know I could count on a paycheck no matter the market. So I applied at an apartment community thinking it would give me some experience in real estate, and was hired as a leasing consultant on the spot. I was promoted to assistant within 3 months and by 6 months had my first community. That was 16 years ago... I did leave MFH for about 9 months as I was disenchanted with the industry after working for a sub-par company. I went to work in an office environment, but that only lasted 9 months and then I was back in site. I couldn't stand being tethered to a desk all day!

I had just retired from 30 years in the US Army, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major. I was 58. My wife had retired a year earlier from Public School administration after 25 years, and was 56. We were sitting on our front porch and wondering "what next"?
A guy in the American Legion with me came by and told us if we would sell him our travel trailer, he would give us his job. "What kind of job"? "Running the Terrace" he says. I ask what it amounts to? He says you do it all. Well we thought about it and went down to the apartment complex. It was a Section 515 Elderly and Handicapped complex. We would need to "live" there. It was a whole 5 minutes from our home, but the PMC at that time wanted "on site" managers. A phone call was made and the keys handed over. We completely redid everything in the office and shop. We made it like a professional office. I brought a lot of my stuff to the shop, and set it up very nicely. We set up a cute apartment where we would spend most week nights, "living there". Now its not necessary to live in one to run it. Now you can collect rents on any property you work without living on it. Before you had to have a Real Estate License. (State laws only here).
In about two months we finally met the managing agent. She spent an hour, mostly to set up our personnel files and get some W4 forms and Background stuff. Actually they did most of it from their offices. While she was there, she gave me the keys to another complex in another town. No manager there, would I take care of it?
We did not see her again for 2 months. At our next visit from her, we got another set of keys to yet another complex 65 miles away. We were now running three in between managers for her. Then came the maintenance at some other properties and then the big dump on me---painting. She found out as a young man I was a journeyman painter, working at the time for my grandfather's painting and decorating business (back in the 60's). Now I was doing 2-3 units a week, painting, no cleaning, but fixing everything in the units. This is where I got into spraying by buying a sprayer and learning to use it sitting in the middle of a nasty apartment and reading the booklet. Now I would paint NO other way!!
Wife was learning RD, HUD, and market rents. We were both learning management. My hardest job was learning to deal with the civilian population. It was a whole different way of life.
Now we are up to 5 complexes. That is about two more than you can really do justice to. In 2006, we won Managers of the Year from our PMC, and our State Housing Association, as well as Rural Development's first runner up.

I would like to find my friend who I sold the travel trailer to and blow it up!

Anyway, yes it certainly is something to do in retirement!! Now, I have retired from the PMC for the second time. However I am still on their payroll. They keep me around for things that go bump in the night.

Like the US Army, and the school system, this would be a hell of a job were it not so "damn much fun"!
Cheers

A good friend knew I was looking for another job and called me when her son told her he needed a part-time leasing agent. I applied and got the job. It helped that I had been licensed to sell real estate for many years and had managed real estate offices and a few single-family houses.

My new boss was fired 6 weeks later for breach of trust. He had been stealing from the company. So, my first job was an eye-opener. I moved on to other things after 7 months, but fell back into leasing the following year through contacts I made at the property.

I now own a small property management company and work for myself. :woohoo:

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for a job I just graduated college and had been working at a temp service when they asked me to fill in for about a month as a property manager. They said all I have to do is answer phones, record some rents, and maybe show an apartment :laugh: . I agreed and even though what they told me I would be doing wasnt even a fraction of what I actually do I loved it I have been with the company going on my third year now and can't think of another job I would rather do or company I would rather work for.

First off, I'm new so I wanted to say hi..."hello!"

I saw a careerbuilder.com ad for a off campus student housing community manager, so I applied. I didn't really think I had much of a shot. I mean, I hadn't finished my own college degree and I hadn't had any property management experience. I do however have sales and marketing on my side. It helps to interview with the marketing director as well I'm sure, ha. I was offered the position, which ended up to be more of a gloried leasing agent who just made sure everyone showed up on time for the out of state owners. I was there for about 6 months, until I had to relocate.

It was quite the experience but now I am hooked! Plus, now I have an excuse to talk to all you good folks!

I had a house, but when the kids moved away I decided to rent it out. As a former teacher and advertising logistics manager, becoming a landlord was a disaster! I didn't know how to screen residents or enforce a rental agreement. Of course I had musical chairs of residents with great excuses and sob stories. After the last one took five months to get out, costing me well over 3k, I decided to sell. Fortunately I made this decision when the market peaked (2006) and did pretty well, but I still didn't like the idea of paying rent. I took a sabbatical, donated 90% of my possessions to goodwill, and moved to a cheap studio apartment in a horrible neighborhood. I had a firsthand view of how landlords treated their apartment communities and their residents- and how the expectations that were set by landlords created bad behavior by residents.

I assume it is the same everywhere, but here in Oregon, people hate three other types of people. Lawyers, Tow truck drivers, and Landlords. I decided that I wanted to be a part in changing the "evil slumlord" perception. I updated my resume and started applying for jobs in the property management industry. I went to the library and checked out some books on landlord/tenant law.

It took me six months of applying to 45 different agencies to get a job managing a tiny community for no salary in another bad neighborhood. But I was willing to start at the bottom to get my foot in the door. I had to do all the cleaning, painting, turns, leasing, accounting, etc. I found out what I liked (customer service!) and didn't like (Maintenance!) about the industry. With my advertising background, leasing was (and still is) a piece of cake!

Within six months I was working full time covering larger properties. After one year I was promoted to a larger property in a much better neighborhood (with a salary!) I've been at this property for five years, made it to manager of the year, and also train new managers.

Oh, and I love my job!

After leaving the field of education for personal reasons, I let a PTA acquaintance talk me into applying for an Assistant Manager position at her Section 8 community. This is such a hoot - the property was owned and managed by The Habitat Group out of Chicago. The Regional Manager had submitted his resignation to enter into retirement (seemingly less stressful) :)Mary, the Manager sent him my resume and he called me from his Retirement Party to do an interview. A few days later, Mary called to tell me he said he thought I wasn't right for the job, that I was more "like a social work and not enough business oriented" and he couldn't have 2 people there like that! (I was a at that time an Executive Director of a non-profit, creating budgets,etc.and managing a staff of 30 educators of an NAEYC program.) So, okay - this is something I learned much later - once that Regional was gone and they were in between Regionals, Mary submitted the paperwork again to Human Resources in Chicago who then sent me for a drug test and well, I was in! I started that next Monday. By the time the new RPM was hired I had been in place for three weeks.

Anyway, those first few weeks on the toughest Section 8 property around gave me many moments to pause to reconsider. None of the recerts had been done, no rent posted, no turns were being completed, I figured WOW! I could make a difference. The Manager did not know how to do anything on the computer, let alone understand the accounting system. I immediately got on the phone with Christine in Yardi IT/Help Desk and she spent hours walking me through how to do everything from processing move ins and move outs to figuring out the magic that is Yardi. I loved her! But the minute the person at Corporate called and said they needed the Monthly Report submitted by 8:00 AM the next day and Mary looked at me blank, I took over. "Well, Mary, we HAVE to figure this out!" .... and we/I did. The rest is history, I guess. I was hooked! This field is the most challenging, most personally rewarding and very energizing!

I am one who "fell" into it. I graduated from college in 1990 (maybe not quite as bad as today...but not good) into a poor job market. After going to college in VA, two friends and I decided that we wanted to move to Northern Virginia. Finding jobs from out of state was difficult so we decided to bite the bullet and move first.

It took me 3 months to find my first job which was as a receptionist for a computer software company (hardly what I thought I'd be doing, but the job market was tough and it paid the rent). After I'd been there for 3 months, there was a 15% company-wide lay-off. I was last in and so first out! I saw an ad for a job as an Activities Director for an apartment community and ended up getting it. From there I moved into Leasing and into Marketing and almost 22 years later....here I am....Multifamily is definitely in my blood!

I love to tell the story of how I got started!

My dad has been the maintenance supervisor at a large student-drive property for 39 years. When I was a kid, we lived onsite as an apartment/utilities were part of his compensation. I remember knowing the property, having a good understanding of what he did, writing "play" work orders at the maintenance shop, being familiar with the onsite staff and hearing the "work stories" my dad would share.

My mom runs a contract cleaning company, specializing in apartments. She started her business in the early 80's. Because she did vacant apartments and clubhouses, my summers were often spent tagging along with her to work. She would pay me $2 per apartment to vacuum and to rehang receptacle cover plates. I knew the Columbus market in and out by the time I was 13, knew many of the vendors, management companies, communities themselves and industry professionals.

When I turned 18, I had been working at a grocery store part time and decided I needed a job that was a little more "career oriented". I started looking at different things, receptionist jobs, file clerk jobs, etc. when I stumbled upon an ad for the maintenance department at a large student property that is the direct competitor of the property my dad works at. I easily got an interview, and based on my industry knowledge from my family, I was offered a job on the spot. I worked at that particular community for 4 years, all in the maintenance department. For overtime and experience, I would work weekends in the leasing office through the summer months.

I will never forget telling my parents I had gotten that job; They looked at each other and asked me if I was sure I knew what I was getting into.

During my career, I have held a variety of positions - starting in maintenance, moving to leasing, then to management and now to my Social Media marketing role. I did leave the industry for about 8 months and worked in corporate housing, but it's something that I cannot give up.

Hello Brent,

I think as many know I am retired from the military with 25 years of service. I got into housing in the military. When I knew I was going to retire my Division Sergeant Major told me that I was not ready for civilian life because I was very type (A) personality by the nature of my position and job. He said you will not be ready because you will not know how to deal with civilians and you need this before as well as being able to wind down gently.

He told me to go out into the military community and find a place I think I would like to work and I asked where do you see as needing the most help and he said the Director of Public Works (DPW). I went out and checked out the DPW and in all the areas I seen Housing office as needing the most assistance. It was also an area where I thought I could do the most good for the soldiers and their families.

They never had a Sergeant Major as a noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) before and thought I was just going to come in and cool me heals until I retired, but I rolled up my sleeves and got on it.

I loved it so much that it was what I chose as an industry to get into as a civilian. The rest is history and I have stuck with it and eventually started instructing the Housing Service Office (HSO) for the Army as a subcontractor and consulting with management companies in the multifamily industry.

Good afternoon!

I'm new here- and new to the Property Management arena.


I retired from the Navy at 22 years of service (Seabees CAN DO!)- and have quite a lot of construction and Project Management experience. Being a type A personality- it was the best fit for me. Anyone who works construction knows to do exactly what the PM says- and immediately. I walked in and was hired before my interview was even over!
After working for a global company- and experiencing the economic downturn (and the ruination of expensive new multi-year energy projects such as Keystone or refineries) I found work in the REO industry again as a project manager.

Good thing the Seabees think on their feet! At any one time I had between 70-100 properties on my desk in varies stages of rehab- not to mention client calls, and Realtors who want the moon- and subcontractors who wanted one thing or another. I loved it!

The money was great- and so are the relationships that I have built. As a result of my efforts one of our sub contractors offered me an executive level position on his staff- and it was an offer I could not refuse.

So, now I handle all of their property management and real estate rehabilitation clients. This is even more fun than real estate!

I love how we can take a "loser" property- spruce it up - meet the client's budget and get them profitable- the looks on their face and their gratitude are nothing short of amazing. (No property is a loser!)

I just completed a 600 unit senior care facility- and have several more in the various stages.

I'm in Los Angeles- own a convertible- and I'm surrounded by happy clients- how much better can it get?
Okay- I could win the powerball and have a beautiful actress fall madly in love with me.

But then my wife would probably get all the powerball money- then the beautiful actress would leave.

Think I'll keep things the way they are for now!

I was one of those that fell into the industry after bouncing around doing office management and bookkeeping in the retail industry. I was a new mom with a 6 month old and a marriage that didn't survive becoming parents. I posted a housing wanted ad on Craigslist looking for an affordable rental in the San Francisco Bay Area. I got a response from the woman who would become my mentor for years and she hired me to manage 2 small properties. After a year she moved on to a different company and I felt I needed a new challenge. At that point I moved to a larger property who used Yardi.

The Yardi Admin recognized my computer skills immediately and shortly after starting I was promoted to the corporate office to the IT assistant, with some admin duties to fill my time. After a while I moved on to another company as a Yardi trainer and database admin.

These days I am working for a Yardi Consulting firm in Portland using everything I have learned along the way to help me in my daily work.

The company that I was working for closed their doors back in 2007 and while searching the job listings I saw this position for an Administrative Assistant. Having been in that line of work for almost 12 years I decided to apply. Turns out it was for a leasing consultant position!! The interviewer must have seen something in me :laugh: cause I was hired the very next day. Given that I had never worked in the industry before, I was a bit nervous, but eventually realized this was my place. I can say with all certainty that I love my job even on those days I don't feel like facing the day :cheer:

I fell into it and it was the best fall I have ever taken!

When my husband and I were first married and living in our first apartment I was home one day and noticed on the "info" channel that the apartment community was looking for a leasing agent... I figured I could do that so I went in applied... that was in 1998 and I have been hooked ever since!

I always had an interest in working in the "leasing office". One day, I was feeling very OVER my relationship with my boyfriend at the time. On careerbuilder, I saw an ad for C.L.A.S.S. Leasing--- no experience required and your get to travel with all expenses paid! I applied for the job...and forgot about it. They called me 4 weeks later and I became an employee.

I later quit and went back into food service. One day, I found out that a friend whom I met through C.L.A.S.S. Leasing had been promoted to an Assistant Manager. I contacted her, interviewed with the property manager and became their newest leasing consultant. Ever since then, I have fortunately always had a job in this industry-- and all based on referral.

I thank C.L.A.S.S. for teaching me the foundation of what it takes to be an excellent leasing consultant.