Surviving A Lease-Up and Beyond

Surviving A Lease-Up and Beyond: 6 Tips From Someone Who’s Been There and Done That

July 19^th, 2018

By: Erin Kofoed and Roberta Miller, Weigand-Omega Management, Inc.  

Recently I heard that a manager met her goals to lease-up a property in record time. I found this intriguing because getting a property and meeting the goal of filling it to 100% is a daunting task for many. I just had to interview Roberta and find out HOW she did it – and today I’m sharing those little nuggets of truth with the world so that you too can be the Queen (or King) of a lease-up!

Lesson 1: You need to have DRIVE – and recognize your success is part of something much bigger!

Roberta’s main drive (in her own words) is that she “hates to fail.”  She also gave credit to the team, stressing that she could not have done it without the support of her district manager, Lisa Espinoza, and the whole leadership team of Weigand-Omega. Their belief in her, and encouragement was beyond anything she had experienced previously, and she felt proud to be a part of something bigger than herself – the team.

Lesson 2: You have to really care about the resident/applicant as a whole person. Two ears, one mouth.

When asked if she has any tips for other managers in lease-up situations, she shared that the main thing she focuses on is listening to the prospects very carefully. She made sure to address any concern they had, and also the things they loved or were hoping to find in their new home. She then helped them realize how this property could help fulfill those desires.

Lesson 3: Connect. Leave an impression, you only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it a good one!

Roberta doesn’t just pretend to care to get a lease, she walks the walk. “I treat everyone that comes in here as if they were one of my own,” she said. It’s important to remember that these applicants are people with their own friends and family members. Roberta will intuitively ask them about their families and always tries her hardest to make sure she connects with them on a personal level. People crave connection and this leaves a positive impression they won’t soon forget.

Lesson 4: We are a service company here to serve others, our customers are not an interruption – they
are the reason we have a job!

Although managing a community can be hectic at times, Roberta made sure that she never let anyone think they were bothering or imposing on her day. She made them feel like they had 100% of her attention. She practiced patience with every visitor, even when things felt crazy.

Lesson 5: You have to “walk the walk.” Lease-Ups never end – you have to focus on retention and community standards.

Roberta has found her own niche as a manager. She intimated that when dealing with resident relations, she tends to be somewhat stern. “I send them weekly or at least bi-weekly updates on what is going on,” Roberta explained, “if someone made a mess and didn’t pick up after themselves I send out an email addressing that.” Roberta even overheard a resident tell a guest that she would not let “just anything” fly around here, and they could tell that she really cares about doing whatever it takes to “keep our community nice and respectful.”  She shared that receiving positive feedback from residents makes her feel very proud of what she does.

Lesson 6: Put yourself in their shoes. 

Surprisingly, Roberta has made such an impact that she has had parents thank her for taking such good care of their children, and watching over them. She shared that one resident said “the kids all seem to love me and feel safe. I have kids of my own and I would not want them to ever feel unsafe, so I treat them as my own. I put myself here, even though I do not live here. I make sure I keep this place running and up to the standards I would have at my own home. I try to enforce rules like I would at home, I completely bring all of myself to this job.”

When asked for a final comment, Roberta simply stated, “that is really all of the wisdom I have and it isn’t even wisdom it is real life and I am proud of this building, my tenants and that we are full! Oh yeah, and ask a lot of questions, don’t ever think any question is stupid or not worth asking!”

And there you have it – Roberta’s guide on surviving a residential lease-up.

Do you have any tips or tricks that you would like to add to this article? Comment below – maybe you will be featured next!