Some kids are quiet, sweet, and completely respectful when their parents are trying to talk with someone.  This does not describe my kids.  My kids are incredibly talkative and energetic, and when they were younger, having an adult conversation while they were around was an exercise in extreme patience.  As a leasing consultant, if one of these families walks through the door, the key to that lease very well may depend on your ability to provide a bit of quiet to allow a normal conversation with the parents!

From a kid’s perspective, apartment hunting has got to be painfully boring.  They might be interested as you walk by the pool or playground, but a discussion about the family’s needs in an apartment, especially when they have had the same discussion five other times that day, is going to drive those kids bonkers.  And when they flip out, then you have lost the parent’s attention, as well as the sale.  So the key is to distract, distract, distract!   

My initial inspiration for this blog was actually from my sister-in-law, who is a teacher and shared her reading nook in her classroom:

My reaction was immediate – wouldn’t something like this be great for a community leasing office that had a high percentage of families with kids?  As a parent, this is an incredible lifeline giving me a few minutes a peace and quiet so I could have a conversation with the leasing consultant about what we were looking for.  Stress goes down, happiness goes up, and potential for a new lease soars! 

Not only is this providing a nice respite for the parents, but it is also sending the message that your community is a welcoming and positive place for their family.

Granted, this might be a bit over the top for many leasing offices, but even a simple kid-sized table with some Legos would be incredible.  The goal is simply to have a strategy in place so that you can manage the situation, rather than the situation managing you. 

I’m sure many of you out there already have a strategy in place for these types of situations, and I would love to hear them!  Please share them below!