Getting Comfortable with ‘No’

“Are you comfortable hearing the word ‘no’?”  This is a question often asked during the leasing agent interview process and while most interviewees say they’re exceedingly comfortable with rejection, the reality is that few are. With the industry’s average closing ratio hovering around 30% one can only assume that leasing agents are in fact scared…

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Communication is Key

Leasing up a new construction community is much different than simply filling empty apartments at established communities. The process is riddled with unforeseen barriers that can be minuscule, yet time consuming, for the management. There are many people involved and a lot of moving parts, so it is very easy to have a fracture in the…

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The Power of a Checklist By Kristi McMillin

As simple as the concept may seem checklists are utilized in some of the most complex and respected industries in the world. From surgeons to pilots to lawyers, checklists have been shown to greatly reduce mistakes and increase proficiency. In any profession or process, breakdown can occur if tasks get too complicated, rushed or are…

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When The Power Goes Out! Leasing Tips….

I was recently in Baltimore MD and had a few minutes to spare before flying home to Atlanta.  So I decided to swing in and shop a brand new class A property near the airport.  While the property was nothing short of impressive, here are a few tips for the leasing agent that showed me…

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Training Tip: Focus on Role-Playing By Kristi McMillin

Think back to the last time you shopped an apartment community. At the end of your tour, did the leasing agent try to close the sale or merely give you an application and let you walk out the door? I’m willing to bet it was the latter. There may be a few different factors that…

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Apartment Leasing Tip: Effective Follow-Up By Justin Coleman

When it comes to leasing apartments, it is an understood fact that there are going to be circumstances that will keep your prospects from being able to lease the first time they come into your community.  They may be the type of consumer that truly does their research before they make any financial decisions, they might…

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An Apartment Shopping Experience by Kristi McMillin

The Secret to Leasing isn’t a Secret                 This past weekend I scoured the Atlanta area looking for an apartment for myself. After leasing to other people for a couple years I was looking forward to sitting back and having someone sell to me for once! However, what I experienced was extremely discouraging. Not one…

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3 Ways to Use Vine and Instagram at Your Property

As Social Media progressively asserts itself into the everyday lives of our prospects and residents, apartment marketers are always looking for a new way to leverage a property’s Twitter, Facebook or Google + page into a viable marketing and retention tool.  With the recent launch of Twitter’s new Vine App and Instagram’s new video format,…

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Multifamily Leasing Case Study: Rehab Property

PROPERTY OVERVIEW: The subject was a distressed property located outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.  The property had a terrible reputation for crime and gang activity and was poorly managed.  The asset was acquired by a local company that invested a significant amount of capital for both an interior and exterior renovation.  The property underwent a name…

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Don’t forget the parents!

With all the talk about marketing and leasing to college students, we often find that a critical decision maker is left out of the sales process.  I’m talking about the parents.  You know, the folks who are actually writing the rent check.  While the property must first appeal to the student in order to have…

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