Picture this: it’s the end of the day on a Thursday. As you make sure the last of your traffic is entered and begin completing the closing checklist, seemingly out of nowhere Mr. Smith from #222 has appeared at your desk and is asking – no, demanding – to know why someone is parked in his parking space. Again.

Your first instinct may be to recoil, roll your eyes (hopefully just on the inside!) or even remark letting him know you truly don’t know why someone did it… but we’ve all had the thought of “Really? Again?! This is the 4^th time this week I’ve had to deal with someone parked in another person’s space!”

Whew… take a deep breath. Now take another. Feeling better yet? Here’s the thing – to you, it may be the 4^th or 400^th time you’ve dealt with that this week but for your resident, hopefully it’s his first.

The multifamily industry sure is a unique one. We must hit sales goals, but we also have to meet our customers’ needs as individuals. We must ensure we stay occupied, but we also have to navigate the unpredictable such as job relocations, layoffs or many other life-events that cause change. But the most unique aspect of our industry is we are both Needs and Emotional based. We aren’t selling cars, or new cellphones…we are selling them a home, whether they live with us for a few months, a few years, or sometimes even longer.

Think about your own world for a minute: When you have a bad day, where do you want to go? For most of us, that answer is “Home”. It’s the one place we can truly be ourselves, let go and be free. If you want to sit on your couch all weekend with no one but Netflix to judge you (yes, I’m still watching), you’re going to want to be in your home. You can unwind, relax, be sad or mad, happy and celebrative or just…be you.

Now, think back to the situation with Mr. Smith… while there’s no need for him to be irate or demanding, there’s also a lot of factors that may be affecting him that I’m just simply unaware of. Maybe he had a horrible day at work and all he has been thinking about all day, just like most of us, is “I can’t wait to get home”, and BOOM there’s a car in his spot…now what?! Of course he is going to be upset when he comes to the office to figure out where to park.  

So, when you find yourself yet again dealing with a mis-parked car, or a phone call asking if UPS has come today, or any other of the many things we encounter onsite each day: Take a deep breath. Take another one. Then put on a smile and help your customer like it’s the first time for both of you. After all, this is their home and it’s a privilege we get to be part of their story, even if only for a rental season.