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www.fcaaonline.com â€¢ July/August 2016

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COMMUNITY DIRECTORS BRIAN CRON Atlantic Crossing at Deerwood Park KEN FURTAW WRH Realty Services LAURA HULSEY Promenade at Mayport BRANDY MORRIS Olympus Property DOROTHY PALMER Crescent Ridge SHARON STEFFEN Mission Springs

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FCAA STAFF PEGGY QUEEN Executive Vice President LINDSEY McCLAIN Associate Director KATHY DESHAZER Director of Education & Membership

CoastLINES

CONTENT

Cancerous Thoughts Successful People Quarantine 8 The Power of Vision 10 Ways to Master Apartment Marketing 12 “June Dinner Meeting” Pictures 14-15 “Summer Sizzler” Pictures 17 Register For CAPS 18 7 Deadly Sins of Email and Why You Should Care 19-22 Industry Resource Guide 24 Legal or Not? 28 2016 Premier Sponsors 30 Interchange and How It Affects Your Business 31 Annual Golf Tournament Registration 32 The Reverse Mullet and Other Lessons from Las Vegas 36 Personal Computing: Looking Your Best In Email

Calendar of Events! August 9:

EPA Review & Exam

August 11:

Bowl-A-Palooza

August 17-18:

Certified Pool Operator

August 18:

Reverse Trade Show

September 8:

Dinner Meeting

September 13:

NEW Advanced HVAC Troubleshooting

September 16:

Annual Golf Tournament

September 20:

CAPS Begins!

CoastLINES is published by the First Coast Apartment Association (FCAA) in the interest of all segments of the apartment industry. Copies of the newsletter are included free with each membership. Dues, contributions or gifts to the First Coast Apartment Association (FCAA) are not deductible as charitable contributions. For Federal Tax purposes however, such dues, contributions or gifts may be deductible under other sections of the Internal Revenue Code. Please consult your tax advisor. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of the publishers.

CoastLINES: The Official Publication of The First Coast Apartment Association 9456 Philips Highway, Suite 4 Jacksonville, Florida 32256 Phone: (904) 292-1345 • Fax: (904) 292-1291 E-Mail: info@fcaaonline.com Website: www.fcaaonline.com Executive Vice President & Editor: Peggy Queen

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Cancerous Thoughts Successful People Quarantine By Dr. Travis Bradberry

Your self-talk (the thoughts you have about your feelings) can make or break your career. When you make a mistake, they either magnify the negativity or help you turn that misstep into something productive.

When it comes to self-talk, we’ve discovered some common thoughts that hold people back more than any others. Be mindful of your tendencies to succumb to these thoughts, so that they don’t derail your career:

Perfection equals success.

Negative self-talk is unrealistic, unnecessary, and Human beings, by our very nature, are fallible. When self-defeating. It sends you into a downward perfection is your goal, you’re always left with a nagemotional spiral that is difficult to pull out of. ging sense of failure, and end up spending your time All self-talk is driven by important beliefs that you hold about yourself. It plays an understated but powerful role in success because it can both spur you forward to achieve your goals and hold you back.

“He who believes he can and he who believes he cannot are both correct.” -Henry Ford TalentSmart has tested the emotional intelligence (EQ) of more than a million people and found that 90% of top performers are high in EQ. These successful, high EQ individuals possess an important skill—the ability to recognize and control negative self-talk so that it doesn’t prevent them from reaching their full potential. These successful people earn an average of $28,000 more annually than their low EQ peers, get promoted more often, and receive higher marks on performance evaluations. The link between EQ and earnings is so direct that every point increase in EQ adds $1,300 to an annual salary.

lamenting what you failed to accomplish, instead of enjoying what you were able to achieve.

My destiny is predetermined. Far too many people succumb to the highly irrational idea that they are destined to succeed or fail. Make no mistake about it, your destiny is in your own hands, and blaming multiple successes or failures on forces beyond your control is nothing more than a cop out. Sometimes life will deal you difficult cards to play, and others times you’ll be holding aces. Your willingness to give your all in playing any hand you’re holding determines your ultimate success or failure in life.

I “always” or “never” do that. There isn’t anything in life that you always or never do. You may do something a lot or not do something enough, but framing your behavior in terms of “always” or “never” is a form of self-pity. It makes you believe that you have no control of yourself and will never change. Don’t succumb to it.

I succeed when others approve of me. Regardless of what people think of you at any particular moment, one thing is certain you’re never as good or bad as they say you are. It’s impossible to turn off your reactions to what others think of you, but you can take people’s opinions with a grain of salt. That way, no matter what people think about you, your self-worth comes only from within. Continued on page 13

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Vision By Charles Marshall Funny Keynote Speaker The Power of Vision is the lens through which you view the possibilities of your journey. If your windshield is obstructed or blurry, then you’re going to have a hard time telling if you’re on the right path in life, or whether you are still even on the road at all.

I remember wearing my new glasses home from the doctor’s office like it was yesterday. I was amazed that I could see each blade of grass and every leaf on the trees. From the back seat of the car, I excitedly told my parents about each new wonder I saw with my new glasses. It’s an amazing thing to not be How many people wander through life in a able to see, to not even know you can’t see, blizzard of bewilderment, not being able and then suddenly be given the gift of vito see five feet in front of them? How many sion. people drive off course and never even notice? Or, how many people notice that I think that one of the most important comthey’ve hit an obstacle and aren’t going ponents of this story is that even with all of anywhere, but have no idea it was their lack the symptoms of nearsightedness I evinced, of vision that landed them where they are? I was completely clueless that I had a problem. I had never been nearsighted before, Most people who wear corrective eye didn’t know what it was, and certainly didn’t wear, whether glasses or contact lenses, have the ability to self-diagnose my condican tell you exactly what it felt like the first tion. Additionally, for quite some time, no time they viewed the world through their one around me knew that I had a problem new lenses. I was in fifth grade by the time either. anyone noticed that my vision was impaired. I couldn’t see the chalkboard in My point is that you don’t have to be aware school and my grades were suffering. I had that your vision is bad to suffer the conseheadaches at the end of the day from all the quences. You can walk through the world, squinting that I did. I also became more in- bump into things, and be completely oblivitroverted because it’s hard to interact with ous that you have a problem. people when you can’t see their expressions. After I failed an eye exam at school, Mom and Dad took me to the optometrist/ophthalmologist to get examined. It was determined that I needed glasses. We ordered the glasses and then went back about a week later to pick them up and get them fitted.

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© 2016 Charles Marshall. Charles Marshall is a nationally known humorous motivational speaker and author. Visit his Web site at www.CharlesMarshall. net or contact him via e-mail at charles@charlesmarshall.net.

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Ways to Master

Apartment Marketing By Tim Blackwell | June 28 2016

Reprinted from Property Management Insider. Apartment marketing shouldn’t be one-dimensional, as much as the online way of doing things is captivating our lives. There’s no question that many of today’s prospective residents are shopping for housing on the internet, searching through websites and even signing leases before they’ve even stepped foot on the property. But multifamily properties shouldn’t be without a diverse, proactive marketing strategy that includes both old-fashioned grass roots campaigning along with some high-tech branding. Taking apartment marketing through other traditional targeted techniques, as well as online, and into the communities will create a diverse platform that gets the most out of marketing spends. Here are seven ways to blend new and old marketing modes to increase awareness and help drive leases for your properties:

Identify your ideal audience with data

First things first, determine your target audience. Which demographic does your ideal renter fall into? If it’s everyone, go back to the drawing board. A good property manager understands the characteristics and make up of their target prospect. Using marketing statistics can help you determine not only who to market to, but where you can find them. Target an audience that will value the attributes of your neighborhood. The methods used to woo Gen Xers might not appeal to Baby Boomers, so take care to track which mediums are getting a response. Nailing down your audience will assist you in deciding where to spend marketing dollars.

Take advantage of social media

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds of American adults (65 percent) use social networking sites, up from 7 percent when Pew Research Center began systematically tracking social media usage 10 years ago. Leverage social media accounts that enable sharing photos of properties and can reach people online and increase awareness of your communities. Keep to a consistent posting rate of several posts per week so that you maintain a presence in peoples’ minds. Also, change posts several times per week and give visitors helpful information about your apartment community. Any piece of content they might find valuable is potentially content that will be shared to others.

Utilize word of mouth apartment marketing

RetailWire recently reported that, according to a study organized by the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), online and offline consumer conversations and recommendations account for 13 percent of consumer sales. That represents $6 trillion in annual consumer spending, and in higher price point categories the impact is almost 20 percent of sales. Residents like to share their experiences about their apartments, so ask yours to share feedback on your reviews sites. For more visibility, encourage renters to leave reviews on your sites garnering the most traffic to search engines. Or give them a reason to talk up the community at their next social event. Offer incentives for sending new prospects to the community. When people talkonline and in person – it creates buzz about a community, which can lead to new leases.

Continued on page 16

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Cancerous Thoughts Successful People Quarantine By Dr. Travis Bradberry

Continued from page 6

My past equals my future. Repeated failures can erode your self-confidence and make it hard to believe you’ll achieve a better outcome in the future. Most of the time, these failures result from taking risks and trying to achieve something that isn’t easy. Just remember that success lies in your ability to rise in the face of failure. Anything worth achieving is going to require you to take some risks, and you can’t allow failure to stop you from believing in your ability to succeed.

My emotions equal my reality. If you’ve read Emotional Intelligence 2.0, you know how to take an objective look at your feelings and separate fact from fiction. If not, you might want to read it. Otherwise, your emotions will continue to skew your sense of reality, making you vulnerable to the negative self-talk that can hold you back from achieving your full potential.

Bringing It All Together I hope these lessons are as useful to you as they have been to me over the years. As I write them, I’m reminded of their power and my desire to use them every day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the #1 bestselling book,Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by,Newsweek, TIME, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Harvard Business Review.

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Ways to Master

Apartment Marketing Continued from page 10

ByCharles Tim Blackwell 28 2016 Marshall| June Humorous Motivational Motivvati Speaker

Don’t underestimate the value of direct mail

Property managers should consider print advertising in the form of direct mail marketing. According to Target Marketing, effective copywriting in direct mail campaigns provides results. Reporter Gary Hennerberg says “the reason direct mail continues to be alive and well is because it’s the one channel that offers the highest opportunity for strong reading comprehension, which leads to long-term memory. Most online channels are ‘glance and forget’ impressions. Direct mail endures when strong copywriting is combined with precise targeting to a specific persona.” He adds that direct mail copy must stimulate emotion, create a unique selling proposition, in many instances should tell a story, and persuade the reader to give themselves permission to act. Also, within 35-40 words, the message should entertain, educate and engage.

Generate interest through email lists

Get proactive instead of reactive. Email campaigns work when they provide valuable community content that lets prospects know about the benefits of living in a particular property. A key is to look ahead and be mindful of the future, even though you may be charged with focusing on today’s properties. Establish email lists for different communities to build a list of prospective residents. Also, include properties that are available.

Establish roots within the community

For companies that have multiple properties in the same geographic area, getting face-to-face in the community is a good way to promote a property. Consider sponsoring an activity at a local school, recreational center or host or co-sponsor an event in the neighborhood. Encourage staff to participate in events that interest them while talking up a community. It can be as simple as handing out literature or other marketing materials. When you move your brand into the public eye, you become a trusted source that locals will recommend.

Market the overall living experience, not just the property

The amenities from one apartment product to the next may be valued differently, but everyone has an appreciation for their community. The community may mean different things depending on the types of renters who live there. For example, younger families may be more interested in the schools and daycare facilities, as well as opportunities for family activities and neighborhood safety. Seniors, on the other hand, may look for a community closer to a library, neighborhood recreation, and walking trails. Understands how it can add value to your renters living experience. Blending different styles of marketing can help reach capture different residents. Is your property’s marketing approach diversified enough?

Tim Blackwell is a long-time publishing and printing executive in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area who writes about the multifamily housing and transportation industries. He has contributed numerous articles to Property Management Insider, and worked as a newspaper reporter in the D/FW area. Blackwell is president of Ballpark Impressions, and publishes the Cowcatcher Magazine. He is a member of the Fort Worth Chapter/Society of Professional Journalists.

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Earn your

CAPS

Register for CAPS today! Earn your Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor designation to enhance your leadership skills, better interpret property results and track progress toward property or portfolio objectives. Whether you are a new or experienced portfolio supervisor, enhance your knowledge and on-the-job performance.

CAPS Modules: SEPTEMBER 20: Legal Responsibilities andand RiskRisk Management • Legal Responsibilities Management

SEPTEMBER 27: • Financial Management Financial Management

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For more information, call 904-292-1345 or e-mail info@fcaaonline.com. To register, www.fcaaonline.com. For Morevisit Information Visit: W W W. N A A H Q . O R G / C A P S

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7 Deadly Sins of Email and Why You Should Care By Pete Zimek, Brianne Kocher • May 25, 2016

Just when you thought you could put your leasing team’s email on cruise control, email providers have gone and changed the game. Think about these statements for a moment: • Email providers have a new definition of spam, and their definition now likely includes you. • Our industry spends hundreds of thousands of dollars getting renters to submit electronic guest cards, yet a significant percentage of our return emails aren’t even being delivered to the very prospects who reached out to us. • That drip marketing campaign that was all the rage in 2014 now puts you on the naughty list with Gmail and Microsoft Outlook. Email providers made changes to their spam filters recently. In combination with what we refer to as the “7 Deadly Sins of Email,” this results in revenue loss from student housing communities around the nation. You don’t have to fall victim to these sins any longer. Take back that revenue by making small adjustments to your leasing team’s email communication. And beware of some of the changes email providers are making. No email left behind: Why each individual email is important to you and your staff. Spam Filtering 2.0 is here… …and this new filtering system works in a way that even the best intentioned emails can get treated like spam. Student housing teams know the following story all too well. You start leasing season around October. In a good year, you reach capacity by let’s say March or April. Your staff begins sending quick responses to new email prospects letting them know you’re full next year. Renters don’t reply back because, well, you’re full. No harm, no foul right? Wrong. Unfortunately, those one-way emails are sending signals to Gmail’s spam detection algorithms that could come back to haunt you. When emails sit unopened for an extended period of time or when they’re deleted without ever being opened, Gmail is assuming that the recipient didn’t want to receive them in the first place. The more often this scenario plays out across email inboxes, the greater the chance for negative consequences.

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To add even more confusion to the mix, Gmail engineers are on record stating that one person’s spam is another person’s coupon. Simply put, they may be willing to deliver your emails to one prospect but not to another. This doesn’t just apply to Gmail. All the major email providers are taking steps to improve and customize their mailbox user’s experience. The end result is that most of us marketers have been completely oblivious to the fact that email deliverability could even be a problem. You’re probably thinking, “I receive test emails with no issue, so why wouldn’t a prospect?” The truth is that you don’t know if 100 percent of your emails are being delivered. The difference between poor and good delivery could be small by percentage, but huge in lost revenue. Email marketing provider Informz pegs “poor deliverability” at 81 percent of emails being delivered. That’s a B in most schools! Certainly a passing grade right? But the business consequences of languishing 17 points lower than “good deliverability,” defined as 98 percent and above, could be quite significant, especially in our industry. Let’s translate this to lost revenue. Assume that your team emails 5,000 potential renters this year. What is the the difference in lost revenue comparing poor vs. good deliverability? Revenue generated with poor deliverability 5000 Emails x 81 percent = 4,050 Emails Delivered 4,050 x 4 percent (average conversion rate) = 162 Leases Signed 162 x $6,000 (average lease signed) = $972,000 revenue

Now let’s examine a good deliverability 5000 Emails x 98 percent = 4,900 Emails Delivered 4,900 x 4 percent (average conversion rate) = 196 Leases Signed 196 x $6,000 (average lease signed) = $1,176,000 revenue

That’s a difference of $204,000 in revenue left on the table each year! Continued on page 26

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RESOURCE

GUIDE

BANKING SERVICES Colliers International Northeast Florida .(904) 861-1101 BATH & KITCHEN REFINISHING/REPAIRS AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Creative Multi Care, Inc. ........................(904) 384-1047 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 BIOHAZARD WASTE CLEANUP PuroClean Emergency Services ...............(904) 573-3566 BROKERAGE Colliers International Northeast Florida ..(904) 861-1101 CABINET REFACING Northern Contours .................................(904) 449-4527 CABINETS AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Chadwell Supply, Inc...............................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters .........(866) 630-6747 MFS Supply .............................................(800)-607-0541 Oxley Cabinet Warehouse Inc ..................(904) 981-3011 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 Turnz .......................................................(904) 445-9573 CARPET CLEANING, DYEING, RESTORATION Aqua Restoration ....................................(904) 683-6982 Creative Multi Care, Inc. ........................(904) 384-1047 MM Turnkey Services ..............................(904) 998-3608 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 CEILING FANS Chadwell Supply, Inc...............................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters .........(866) 630-6747 Wilmar Supply ........................................(800) 345-3000 CERAMIC TILES AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Rolland Reash Plumbing .........................(904) 260-7059 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 CLEANING SERVICE AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 All Renew Services, LLC ...........................(904) 386-1762 Aqua Restoration ....................................(904) 683-6982 City Wide Maintenance ............................(904) 737-4969 Jean’s Maid Services ................................(904) 463-5704 Krystal Klean ...........................................(904) 309-3877 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 COLLECTIONS CoreLogic SafeRent .................................(855) 491-2696 National Credit Systems ..........................(407) 574-4927 NCC Business Services .............................(904) 733-3033 Professional Debt Mediation ...................(904) 398-0286 COMMUNICATIONS TextBox ..................................................(850) 205-1111 COMMERCIAL POOL & PATIO FURNITURE Admiral Outdoor Furniture ......................(800) 999-2589 ET&T Distributors ....................................(888) 642-2226 Frattle Stairs and Rails ............................(904) 384-3495 Horizon Casual, Inc. .................................(866) 657-8731 Taylor & Associates Pool and Patio Furniture, Inc. ..............................................................(855) 734-3580

CONCRETE REPAIRS AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Greenpoint, Inc. ......................................(904) 570-8323 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Precision Sidewalk Safety Corp................(352) 401-9090 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 CORPORATE / TEMPORARY HOUSING Leasing Jacksonville/Corp. Suite Shoppe .(904) 363-2346 COUNTERTOPS AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Oxley Cabinet Warehouse Inc ..................(904) 693-5554 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Turnz .......................................................(904) 445-9573 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 CREDIT CARD PROCESSING RentPaidOnline .......................................(904) 599-2794 Three Rivers Consulting Inc. ...................(855) 677-4048 DESIGN/GRAPHICS JOE Design, Inc. .......................................(904) 501-9526 DISC JOCKEY DJ Mario Entertainment ..........................(904) 655-2518 DOG PARKS ET&T Distributors ....................................(888) 642-2226 DRY WALL REPAIR All Installation of Jax, Inc. .......................(904) 514-8750 All Renew Services, LLC ...........................(904) 386-1762 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Aqua Restoration ....................................(904) 683-6982 Creative Multi Care, Inc. ........................(904) 384-1047 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 Rolland Reash Plumbing .......................(904) 260-7059 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 Xtreme Solutions ....................................(904) 716-6843 DRYER VENT CLEANING Window Gang .........................................(904) 262-7300 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 EMERGENCY RESPONSE Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 445-0210 Restore24 ...............................................(904) 737-8673 EVICTION SERVICES Dale G. Westling, Sr., P.A..........................(904) 356-2341 Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk..........(800) 253-8428 Mitchell Ritchie .......................................(904) 387-6100 FENCING/STAIR/RAIL INSTALLATION & REPAIR AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Frattle Stairs and Rails ............................(904) 384-3495 Greenpoint, Inc. ......................................(904) 570-8323 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 FIBER CEMENT SIDING Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 FIRE & SAFETY EQUIPMENT Agent Fire LLC .........................................(904) 687-3876 Aegis Fire & Integrated Services ..............(904) 233-7930 Apartment Fire Extinguisher Service.............. (904) 398-2030 Cintas Fire Protection ..............................(904) 562-7000 First Coast Fire & Safety........................... (904) 346-0111 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, Inc. .................(904) 553-4222 Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers ............(904) 268-3030

INDUSTRY FIRE RESTORATION AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 445-0210 PuroClean Emergency Services ...............(904) 573-3566 Restore24 ...............................................(904) 737-8673 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 FITNESS & EXERCISE EQUIPMENT Advantage Sport & Fitness, Inc. ..............(904) 437-6343 Commercial Fitness Products ..................(904) 392-6977 First Place Fitness Equipment..................(904) 998-0738 Fitness Pro ..............................................(850) 523-8882 SOFITCO ...................................................(850) 259-5946 FLOORING Arbor Contract Carpet ...........................(904) 781-2003 Cutting Edge Carpet ................................(904) 475-9300 Expressions Carpet and Flooring ........(904) 739-2885 First Choice Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring ..(706) 271-8023 Fitnessmith .............................................(561) 529-5590 House of Floors ....................................(904) 262-6989 Integrity Restoration ...............................(904) 644-7878 Lifestyle Flooring ..................................(877) 383-1062 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Mohawk Industries .................................(321) 287-3572 Redi Carpet ...........................................(904) 781-4300 Sherwin Williams ................................(904) 448-8109 Southeast Floors ....................................(407) 888-8008 Urban Surfaces ........................................(800) 492-8722 Wilson Carpet Service .............................(904) 737-9593 Xtreme Solutions ....................................(904) 716-6843 FOUNTAINS BlueWater Environmental of FL...............(904) 880-1817 FURNITURE Cort Furniture Rental...............................(904) 396-9000 Southern Furniture Leasing.....................(866) 736-8481 GENERAL CONTRACTORS AAPCO Florida .........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Atlantic Coast Construction Group...........(904) 396-4005 Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Building Innovations ..............................(904) 400-0421 Coastal Reconstruction Group, Inc. ........(407)-644-1800 Fidus Roofing ..........................................(904)-230-5548 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Ronin Contractors, LLC.............................(904) 219-9447 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 GOLF CARTS Mid Florida Golf Cars ...............................(904) 731-1832 GUTTER INSTALLATION AND SERVICES AAPCO Florida .........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 Window Gang .........................................(904) 262-7300 HOUSEWARES Cort Furniture Rental...............................(904) 396-9000 Southern Furniture Leasing.....................(866) 736-8481 INSURANCE Brown & Brown Insurance ......................(904) 565-8304

RESOURCE

INTERNET SERVICES Apartment Finder ...................................(904) 464-0709 Apartments.com..............................................(904) 778-5118 Finally – Fiber .........................................(904) 238-0123 For Rent Media Solutions .......................... (904) 296-7171 RentPath ...............................................................(904) 262-0863 IRRIGATION DM Koehn Landscaping ..........................(904) 716-0683 Duval Landscape Maintenance................(904) 233-3388 Greenpoint, Inc. ......................................(904) 570-8323 JANITORIAL SUPPLIES Chadwell Supply, Inc...............................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters .........(866) 630-6747 Wilmar Supply ........................................(800) 345-3000 LAKE MAINTENANCE BlueWater Environmental of FL...............(904) 880-1817 LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE City Wide Maintenance ............................(904) 737-4969 Davey Commercial Grounds Maintenance.....(904) 768-8733 DM Koehn Landscaping ..........................(904) 716-0683 Duval Landscape Maintenance................(904) 233-3388 Greenpoint, Inc. ......................................(904) 570-8323 Landscape Professionals .........................(904) 880-6165 Mulch Masters, LLC .................................(904) 727-1100 Southern Cross Total Lawn Care ..............(904) 477-1230 TLC Total Lawn Care.................................(904) 699-0046 ValleyCrest Landscape Companies...........(904) 292-0716 LAUNDRY SERVICE & EQUIPMENT CoinMach Corporation.............................(407) 937-9345 CSC Service Works ...................................(321) 696-1241 Washco Laundry Equipment ...................(904) 724-2622 LEAK DETECTION American Leak Detection ........................(904) 519-5700 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 LEGAL SERVICES Dale G. Westling, Sr., P.A............................ (904) 356-2341 Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk..........(800) 253-8428 Mitchell S. Ritchie, PA .............................(904) 387-6100 LIGHTING & LIGHTING SUPPLIES Chadwell Supply, Inc...............................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters .........(866) 630-6747 Wilmar Supply ........................................(800) 345-3000 LOCKSMITHS The Flying Locksmiths ............................(904) 512-0699 LODGING/MEETING FACILITY Four Points by Sheraton ..........................(904) 562-4920 MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES Chadwell Supply, Inc...............................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters .........(866) 630-6747 Marcone Supply ......................................(341) 241-1946 Rapco Supply ..........................................(407) 933-4102 Wilmar Supply ........................................(800) 345-3000 MARKETING Apartment Finder ...................................(904) 464-0709 For Rent Media Solutions .......................... (904) 296-7171 JOE Design, Inc. .......................................(904) 501-9526 Leasing Jacksonville/Corp. Suite Shoppe .(904) 363-2346 mbpr ......................................................(904) 424-6641 RentPath ...............................................................(904) 262-0863

GUIDE

MARKETING & TEXT SERVICES TextBox ..................................................(850) 205-1111 MOLD REMEDIATION Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Coastal Reconstruction Group, Inc. ........(407)-644-1800 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 445-0210 Property360, LLC .....................................(855) 932-3784 PuroClean Emergency Services ...............(904) 573-3566 Restore24 ...............................................(904) 737-8673 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 MOSQUITO CONTROL BlueWater Environmental of FL...............(904) 880-1817 MOVING COMPANY Two Men and a Truck...............................(904) 580-2963 ODOR ELIMINATION Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 PAINT SUPPLIES Behr Corp ..............................................(352) 219-4434 PPG Paints ............................................(904) 737-6474 Sherwin Williams ................................(904) 448-8109 Valspar Pro Solutions. ............................(904) 328-5492 PAINTING CONTRACTORS AAPCO Florida .........................................(800) 728-2690 All Installation of Jax, Inc.........................(904) 514-8750 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Aqua Restoration ....................................(904) 683-6982 Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Creative Multi Care, Inc. ........................(904) 384-1047 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 MM Turnkey Services ..............................(904) 998-3608 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 Ronin Contractors, LLC.............................(904) 219-9447 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 Xtreme Solutions ....................................(904) 716-6843 PARKING LOT MAINTENANCE All County Paving ...................................(407)-610-8069 Duval Asphalt..........................................(904) 296-2020 Fidus Roofing ..........................................(904)-230-5548 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 PET WASTE STATIONS First Coast Scoopers ................................(904) 338-4236 PEST CONTROL/TERMITES A Greener Image ....................................(904) 739-8090 A.R.T Pest Control....................................(888) 926-6488 Crown Pest Control ..................................(904) 743-1132 DM Koehn Landscaping ..........................(904) 716-0683 Massey Services Inc.................................(800) 881-8861 Property360, LLC .....................................(855) 932-3784 PHOTOGRAPHY Art & Alex Photography ..........................(904) 273-4442 PLAYGROUNDS Advanced Recreational Concepts.............(866) 957-2355 ET&T Distributors ....................................(888) 642-2226

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INDUSTRY PLUMBERS AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 David Gray Plumbing, Heating & Air .......(904) 724-7211 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Rolland Reash Plumbing ......................(904) 260-7059 Roto-Rooter..........................................(904) 354-7321 PLUMBING SUPPLIES Moen Inc. ................................................ (407) 340-3249 POOL SERVICE, REPAIRS & RENOVATIONS Certified Pool Consultants .......................(904) 997-6679 Crown Pools Inc. ......................................(904) 858-4300 Crystal Clean Pool Service .......................(904) 855-8884 Henderson Pool Services, Inc. .................(904) 241-7665 Poolsure ..................................................(800) 858-7665 Rolland Reash Plumbing ......................(904) 260-7059 POOL SUPPLIES Certified Pool Consultants .......................(904) 997-6679 Chadwell Supply, Inc...............................(888) 341-2423 Crystal Clean Pool Service .......................(904) 855-8884 Henderson Pool Services, Inc. .................(904) 241-7665 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters .........(866) 630-6747 Poolsure ..................................................(800) 858-7665 POWDER COATING Frattle Stairs and Rails ............................(904) 384-3495 PRESSURE WASHING AAPCO Florida .........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Krystal Klean ...........................................(904) 309-3877 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 Window Gang .........................................(904) 262-7300 Window Washing & Pressure Washing ....(904) 885-7840 PRINTING JOE Design, Inc. .......................................(904) 501-9526 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Property Solutions International, Inc. ............ (801) 375-5522 ResMan ...................................................(972) 349-1406 PUBLIC RELATIONS mbpr ......................................................(904) 424-6641 PUMPS Rolland Reash Plumbing ........................(904) 260-7059 Weeks Utility Service, Inc. .......................(904) 726-5869 RECYCLING Conex Recycling ......................................(866) 879-2663 Residential Disposal Services, LLC ..........(904) 226-5191 Waste Management................................(904) 370-1907 RENOVATIONS AAPCO Florida .........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Fidus Roofing ..........................................(904)-230-5548 Integrity Restoration ...............................(904) 644-7878 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 Turnz .......................................................(904) 445-9573

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Davis Restoration RPaul E S Oof North U Florida R ..(904) C 739-6047 E GUIDE RENTAL RELOCATION Apartment Finder ...................................(904) 464-0709 Apartments.com ....................................(904) 778-5118 For Rent Media Solutions......................(904) 296-7171 Leasing Jacksonville/Corp. Suite Shoppe .(904) 363-2346 RentPath .................................................(904) 262-0863 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 Two Men and a Truck...............................(904) 580-2963 RESEARCH/PLANNING Real Data.................................................(704) 369-2345 RESIDENT SCREENING CoreLogic SafeRent .................................(855) 491-2696 RESTORATION/REHAB AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 AAPCO Florida .........................................(800) 728-2690 Aqua Restoration ....................................(904) 683-6982 Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Coastal Reconstruction Group, Inc. ........(407)-644-1800 Fidus Roofing ..........................................(904)-230-5548 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Moen Inc. ................................................(407) 340-3249 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 ROOFING AAPCO Florida .........................................(800) 728-2690 All Pro Roofing ........................................(904) 337-1082 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Excel Roofing Contractors........................(904) 631-7663 Fidus Roofing ..........................................(904)-230-5548 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida...(904) 739-6047 Performance Roofing .........................(904) 224-3628 SRG Roofing ............................................(904) 377-0866 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 Tillman Building Services ........................(904) 845-8280 SECURE ON-LINE RENTAL PAY RentPaidOnline .......................................(904) 599-2794 SECURITY, COURTESY OFFICER S3 Security .............................................(904) 449-6104 SIDING AAPCO Florida .........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 SIGNS, BANNERS & FLAGS Giglio Signs .............................................(904) 396-9046 STAFFING BG Staffing .............................................(904) 224-5000 MSB Resources ........................................(215) 661-8834 Career Strategies ...................................(904) 757-3456 TOWING Adkison Towing......................................(904) 260-3000 ASAP Towing & Storage Co., Inc................(904) 771-7111 Sky Towing and Recovery ......................(904) 695-0202

TRADESHOW EVENT SERVICES Cort Furniture Rental...............................(904) 396-9000 TRAINING / EDUCATION For Rent Media Solutions .....................(904) 296-7171 TREE TRIMMING & REMOVAL Bold City Tree Service ..............................(904) 285-1417 Davey Commercial Grounds Maintenance.....(904) 768-8733 Duval Landscape Maintenance................(904) 233-3388 Roberts Tree Service, Inc. ........................(904) 777-4793 TURNKEY OPERATIONS All Renew Services, LLC ...........................(904) 386-1762 Aqua Restoration ....................................(904) 683-6982 AllWeather Contractors ......................(904) 379-4614 Creative Multi Care, Inc. ........................(904) 384-1047 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC .(904) 683-4468 MM Turnkey Services ..............................(904) 998-3608 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 739-6047 Restore24 ...............................................(904) 737-8673 Ronin Contractors, LLC ...........................(904) 219-9447 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance ............. (904) 332-6805 Turnz .......................................................(904) 445-9573 Xtreme Solutions ....................................(904) 716-6843 UTILITY SUBMETERING Minol USA ...............................................(972) 386-6611 NWP Services ..........................................(678) 612-8094 VALET TRASH SERVICE Invisible Waste Services ..........................(407) 509-1293 Skinner Waste Solutions .........................(904) 239-7222 Tide Valet Waste, LLC...............................(803) 216-0063 Valet Waste .............................................(813) 248-1327 WASTE REMOVAL Advanced Disposal Services ....................(904) 783-7000 Residential Disposal Services, LLC ..........(904) 226-5191 Skinner Waste Solutions .........................(904) 239-7222 Sunshine Recycling Inc............................(904) 838-2852 Tide Valet Waste, LLC...............................(803) 216-0063 Waste Management Inc. of Florida .........(904) 894-4516 WATER MITIGATION Baxter Restoration, LLC ..........................(407) 580-0167 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ..(904) 445-0210 PuroClean Emergency Services ...............(904) 573-3566 SweetWater Restoration ....................(904) 880-1919 WEB SITE DESIGN JOE Design, Inc ........................................(904) 501-9526 WINDOW CLEANING Window Gang .........................................(904) 262-7300

Please contact FCAA at 904-292-1345 to make any changes to your company information that appears in this Guide and may also appear online.

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by Brian Wolk, The Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk, PA b

LEGAL OR NOT? Many of our residents have read articles on the internet about the possible dangers of secondhand smoke. In fact, a few of our residents have lodged complaints with our resident relations department due to the smoking habits of other residents. Our apartment building is not airtight. For example, if a resident is smoking on her balcony, the smoke can either rise up to the apartment home above, or it can drift below the balcony to the unit underneath. The smoke can also simply enter adjacent or other apartment homes through windows or doors. Yesterday, another complaint was lodged. The resident is complaining that smoke is drifting into his apartment home, because his next door neighbor has been smoking outside his front door ever since his wife became pregnant. I am worried that we will get sued unless we prohibit smoking. Is that something we can do?

Smokers are not a protected class. Laws do not prevent you from restricting the places where your residents can smoke by setting a required distance from the apartment building or even imposing an outright ban on smoking. Unfortunately, if these rules did not exist at the time your smoking resident signed the lease, most judges will not let you implement new rules and restrictions during the existing lease term. In a new building with no residents yet in occupancy, you could more easily create rules. For instance, since smoke tends to travel upwards, you may wish to create non-smoking units in the lower level floor units or ban smoking in the common area breezeways so the smoke does not flow under other residents’ doors. Also, you can ban smoking for entire buildings. Keep in mind that you must be careful when advertising a building as “smoke free”, as there may be occasions when residents or guests will not adhere to the rules and will smoke. Do not let your staff create unreasonable expectations, or you will have residents attempting to terminate their leases once they learn of some other resident or guest who was smoking. Make sure your lease and any applicable addenda make clear that any smoking will be a material violation of the lease for which the tenancy may be terminated. With respect to the resident who complained yesterday, you can consider offering to relocate him, or even let him out of the lease, if the smoking problem persists.

As part of her employment arrangement, one of our residents requested that her employer be responsible to pay her rent. In fact, the employer has been paying rent directly to our office for the past 5 months. Our apartment community has no policy restricting the acceptance of payments from third parties. No rent was received this month, so we served the resident a 3-day notice. The resident indicated she does not have the money to pay right now. This afternoon, I called the resident’s boss at his office and asked if the rent would be paid by the company. He told me to never call him again and ended the call abruptly. May we file a collection action against the employer? Are we required to sue the employer if we have to file an eviction action? Continued on Page 34

J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

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Continued from page 18

7 Deadly Sins of Email and Why You Should Care 5 Thou Shall Not Forget to Ask for the Tour By Pete Zimek, Brianne Kocher • May 25, 2016

Okay, so now that you know why it’s important to get email communication right, let’s address how you can get them right. Our team reviewed thousands of email conversations between leasing teams and prospective renters. After analyzing this data, we were able to pull out seven commonalities that led to poor renter communication. Without further ado, here are the 7 Deadly Sins of Email that you should avoid to craft emails with a better response rate.

Thou Shall Not Spam Your Prospects

After reviewing our data, we found that 10 percent of leasing teams are spamming their prospects. Sending email after email with information potential renters don’t ask for or want is a sure-fire way to lower your deliverability rate in the future. Plus, our data shows that it simply doesn’t work. Just don’t do it.

Thou Shall Not Be Impersonal in a Personal Business

Hello Jane Smith. or Dear Fred Flintstone: Awkward greetings like the ones above do not resonate with renters, and unfortunately 20 percent of the emails we studied used greetings like these. If your leasing team is using something comparable, they’re being impersonal in a very personal business. In your emails, address prospective renters the same way as if they were walking into your leasing office.

Thou shall not use a crappy template

This is a tough one for some marketing directors. You want an efficient and clean way to respond to renters. If you choose to use a template, that’s your choice, but remember these numbers. The emails we reviewed in Gainesville, Florida, that didn’t use template performed 248 percent times better than those that did. In Orlando, they performed 402 percent times better. So if you don’t want renters to respond to you, send them a template.

One thing most of us can agree on is that leasing agents are at their best when prospects are standing right in front of them. They certainly wouldn’t forget to ask for the tour in person, yet, a surprising 57 percent of leasing agents forgot to invite their prospects to take a tour in their emails. Ask for the tour in both in person and by email.

Thou Shall Not End the Conversation

Relationships start with conversations. Quick, impersonal responses end conversations. As mentioned before, this industry is personal. You need to create and develop relationships that establish trust with your community. Even if the renter’s response is a quick “yes” or “no”, keep the conversation open. A bonus, this signals to email providers that this person wants your emails. Surprisingly, 57 percent of the emails we reviewed committed this sin.

Thou Shall Not Take too long to respond

We found that the average email response time is 33.5 hours. That doesn’t even include the hours when an office is closed! Think about your target market today. millenials and Generation Z don’t wait. With companies such as Amazon and FedEx speeding up the rate of delivery, combined with the internet providing information 24/7, today’s student housing renters are not going to wait around. And when you do call back four days later, they’ve forgotten you and moved on. Think about it. Do you remember what you ate for lunch or wore to work four days ago? They don’t remember calling you that long ago either. Email communication and deliverability is an emerging issue in our industry. As providers continue to improve their services, this will only become more of an issue for us. Luckily, what email providers are looking for is not some sort of secret. They want to know their users, your prospects, are engaging with you and your leasing teams. Concentrating on improving this communication doesn’t just appease the Gmails of the world, it’s also a great business practice and something your team should be doing. Our research shows that many student housing communities are not following these best practices.

But the future belongs to those who do.

Thou Shall Not Spew Word Vomit

You know that relative that goes on and on at the family reunion? You asked one direct question and they go off on tangents about their health, the weather and how you never call. Don’t be like your crazy relative. We noticed that 32 percent of the emails we reviewed committed this sin. If a renter asks a direct question, answer it succinctly and don’t respond with a bunch of other information they didn’t ask to hear.

Pete Zimek, CAS, MSM, is the Founder and CEO of the iLS network, an award winning collective of internet listing services covering 6 Florida markets and serving over 600,000 prospects each year. Pete is passionate about using technology to solve problems that are incredibly human. An NAAEI Faculty Member, Pete teaches CAM, CAPS, and original curriculum for NAA Affiliates across the State of Florida. Brianne Kocher is the Director of Marketing for The Collier Companies where she oversees community branding, lease ups, property listings, and a leasing call center for a 50-property portfolio. Brianne’s passion for instructing was forged during her time as a leasing trainer for Equity Residential, and she still cherishes any opportunity to work alongside her on-site leasing consultants. Co-workers admire her “high level of organization and calm approach,” traits that help her excel in the often chaotic world of student housing. This article is adapted from the presentation “Seven Deadly Sins of Email & Why You Should Care” at the NAA Student Housing Conference & Exposition 2016.

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Interchange and How It Affects Your Business By Steven Foster Over the past sixteen years of working with various clients including CFOs, accountants, controllers, business owners and CEOs, I have found that these business leaders seldom understand how credit card processing works. This is not an insult, but rather an observation. This lack of understanding is a result of banks and merchant account providers failing to support your business as they often keep businesses in the dark and misinform you. This scenario yields more revenue for them and unnecessary expenses for businesses. In this article, we will dive into interchange and how you can better manage this complex, but necessary tool that produces revenue for your businesses. Interchange The backbone of the processing industry is called interchange. Interchange is an association comprised of banks that fund (send you the money), acquire (underwrite and approve merchants) and issue credit cards (distribute cards used by consumers/businesses). Currently, there are roughly 240 different types of Visas® and MasterCards®, and each one has a different rate that is set by the association. This can be complicated for the companies you do business with called Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs). ISOs are important as they: • • • •

Have Relationships with Processors Provide Customer Service Set Up Your Merchant Account Are Typically Your Point-of-Contact

Most ISO sales associates have limited knowledge about how the interchange system works. When they set up your merchant account, they typically show you the lowest rate irrespective of your business’s configuration. A basic merchant account is a retail account with 95% of cards swiped, batches closed at the end of day and no unsettled authorizations. However, merchant accounts for rent payments, hotels, restaurants, and online stores more often require more specialized credit card processing expertise.

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Real-World Example To illustrate the importance of having specialized credit card processing expertise, here is a real-world example: I recently corrected a merchants account that should have been mail order/telephone order (MOTO) versus retail. The merchant’s bank set up my clients account as retail because this offered them a very low credit card processing rate. In actuality, the merchant’s account should have been set up on the slightly higher rate structure, mail order/telephone order (MOTO). If the account were set up correctly, the merchants would have paid significantly less over time. The reason is this: When a customer is set up for retail processing and the transaction is manually keyed, the risk for loss is higher and consequently, the interchange rate is higher (1.58% vs 1.80%). In this example, the merchant’s transactions did not clear as retail and the merchant had to pay the 0.22% difference, called bill back. In most of these cases, the processor will charge a .50-.75% fee, which increases the effective rate (total cost of processing) by as much as 1.00%. This merchant processed $1,000,000 in sales annually. The extra 1.00% fee cost him an additional $10,000. If his account were properly set up as MOTO, he would have been charged $2,200 (1.58% vs. 1.80%) on top of $10,000. Because there were no downgrades, however, he would have had $7,800 less in processing cost for the year. In this case, the merchant paid unnecessary fees and the processor made more than they should have. Your real effective rate should be 2-3%, depending on your merchant category. Due to lack of customer service and transparency from processors, I often see merchants paying more than 4%. This is a prime example of what I see repeatedly. Due to a lack of competent and transparent support, merchants often do not understand how the credit card processing system works which may cost your business more in the end. Steven Foster is the Founder & CEO of Three Rivers Consulting Inc. He has been in the payment industry for 16 years and in the Multi-Family space for 9 of those years. Steven can be reached at steven@ threeriversconsultants.com or by phone at 904-599-2794.

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The Reverse Mullet and Other Lessons from Las Vegas by Leah Brewer, NALP, CAM, The Leasing Queen While I always dread conferences in Las Vegas, the venue seems to be a favorite for conference planners and I find myself in Sin City at least once each year. Following a recent conference my husband and I stayed to experience more of the Las Vegas locale than just the inside of a cab, a hotel and a conference area. We moved to a non-casino Hotel, visited Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, shopped, and enjoyed some “would you take our picture, please?” vacation photo ops. The experience reminded me that, similar to unique cultures of a country or region, industries and companies also have culture and expected practices. Moreover, borrowing the best practices from an industry (or city) can renew our ideas and ideals. For the apartment industry, here are my Lessons from Las Vegas:

The Reverse Mullet: Party in the front, business in the back.

Like Disney, Vegas focuses on the customer experience and manages everything a customer sees, hears, touches, tastes, and smells. While the stimulus might be overwhelming to many, this general idea of separating business and customer experience translates easily to property management. Just like Treasure Island or Caesar’s Palace themed décor, your customer/resident areas can identify your property’s charisma and spirit. For example, what does your leasing office say about your community? Does your space and stimulus appeal to the status renter, the value renter or the just-get-down-to-business professional? Does it feel over-the-top glitz and glam, casual and comfy homespun, or sporty and active? Regardless of which story you tell with your décor and sense appeal, keep your business office, paperwork, files and bulletin boards away from your customer experience areas.

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Customer Service is always…and everyone.

Vegas is renowned for its stellar customer service, regardless of the product or the price. Needing to buy a suitcase, I passed up the $795 displayed beauty at The Venetian’s boutique store, and opted for a half-price close-out off the back wall for $95 (it was purple, after all). The salesperson spent just as much time with me, showing me the attributes and warranty, weighing it “empty” to highlight its lightness and then insisted on having it delivered to my hotel so I could enjoy the rest of my evening. Leaving Las Vegas, I bought breakfast at Popeye’s Chicken in the airport (who knew they had breakfast chicken biscuits?) The young man at the counter was as courteous, engaged, helpful and patient as the waiter in the expensive restaurant the previous evening. And honestly, I enjoyed my chicken and biscuit more! In property management, our level of service shouldn’t depend on the price or age of our apartments, or our perception of any particular resident. To our residents, the rent on the apartment home they chose represents a large portion of their monthly income, generally their largest monthly purchase. Give stellar service to everyone, regardless of the price of their purchase.

Serve your customer as if you are working for tips.

I kept re-stocking my one and five dollar bills in tip-centric Las Vegas. I also noticed that the level of service was stellar whether or not a tip was received, and when a tip was given the receiver was humble and thankful as if to say “ah, you didn’t have to do that…but thank you!” I often wonder if our leasing staff would close more if they were paid on straight commission, like most realtors. Would we deliver better service if we received an immediate monetary reward based on our level of assistance? I’m not suggesting we tip the Service Tech for plunging the toilet, but I am suggesting we serve our customers as if our income depended on our level of service. Because in the end…it does!

Don’t judge your customer by their dress, but they will judge you by your dress. Dress your role!

In Vegas, everyone is in costumes appropriate to their positions – and most include name tags. You can easily identify a cocktail waitress from a valet and an exotic dancer from a waiter. Customers, however, wore everything from expensive evening gowns and tuxes to shorts with black socks and sandals and a fanny pack. And they were all treated like they wore the same clothing choice: a fat wallet. Judge a prospect by their completed application, verification and background review, not by their initial appearance or appeal. If you’ve been in multifamily housing for even a short time, you’ve learned that some who look and act like Trump, aren’t Trump….and that sometimes the Beverly Hillbillies just struck black gold…Texas tea…oil that is!

There’s something for everyone; customers have diverse tastes, expectations and willingness to spend.

Casino customers choose their experiences from the penny slots to the High Roller room. They choose lodging from off-street motels to the SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand. Apartment age and wear, size and style, and amenities and price differ between communities. Take a tip from Vegas… there’s something for everyone. It’s our jobs to find the right resident to fit each apartment home and the right home to fit each prospective resident.

Guests park best.

Parking on the Vegas strip is always free, whether you self-park or valet. And the closest parking is always reserved for guests, not for staff. I once visited a Real Estate office whose closest parking spot was reserved for the owner, with the next three reserved parking spaces designated for their clients. I got the message of who was more important – and chose a different realtor! Even though our on-site staff is in and out of their cars multiple times each day, the parking closest to the door should always be reserved for our VIP Guests – our prospects and our residents.

Leaving Las Vegas: I do believe that everywhere we look we find great ideas to incorporate into property management. When you are in constant “idea mode”, each of your experiences can turn into new and renewed service techniques to make the best even better. Due to my recent experiences, my mind’s perception is now that Las Vegas culture equates with stellar customer service. This is a good challenge for our industry, your management company or your apartment community. How would your delivery of customer service have to change for your residents, prospects and the general public to equate the multifamily housing industry with stellar customer service?

Leah Brewer, NALP, CAM, is known as The Leasing Queen for the creative and compelling leasing techniques she employs to fill apartment vacancies, with 30 years of battlefield experience in multifamily housing, from a leasing consultant to a consultant for leasing. Leah is an industry leader with results-oriented training and marketing solutions to apartment occupancy challenges. She presents fun, interactive and informational workshops nationally, designed to get immediate results. www.FullHouseMarketing.com.

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by Brian Wolk, The Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk, PA b

LEGAL OR NOT? Continued from Page 24

Yo have not handled this situation properly. First, you need to have a clear written policy You as to whether or not you will accept payments from third parties, and you must apply that po policy consistently to avoid a fair housing lawsuit. Accepting payments from third parties is not w without pitfalls; bad check charges should not be applied to the resident’s ledger for a di dishonored payment made by a third party, because the resident is not the maker of the check. It can take a while before you are notified that an out of town check on a third party’s account ha has been dishonored. You also can run the risk of creating a tenancy with a third party payer, pa particularly if the third party payer is residing in the unit, which is probably not the case here. It was also a mistake to call the employer. The fact that the rent was paid by this third party for th the last five months does not mean that you can discuss the resident’s debts with the employer. You are prohibited by law from contacting a resident’s employer to discuss any debt or any aspect of the tenancy without the written permission of the resident. If the employer did not sign the lease or a separate guarantee of lease document, the employer has no ongoing obligation to pay the rent, and we would strongly recommend against naming the employer as a party in an eviction action or pursuing the employer in a collection action.

Last month there was a fire in one of our apartment homes. The resident that lived inside fortunately was able to escape. We believe the resident was negligent and caused the fire, since it was a kitchen grease fire. Unfortunately, he did experience some minor burns to his arms. The resident has now hired an attorney. The attorney is demanding that we send him our insurance information along with the resident’s entire file. He is also claiming that the property has defective smoke detectors, and that the smoke detectors are not regularly tested. What would you advise here?

Yo must contact your insurance carrier or risk management department at once! By failing You to notify the insurance carrier in a timely fashion, coverage under the insurance policy may be je jeopardized. You should not speak with the attorney. Within 30 days of a proper demand for in insurance information, the attorney is entitled to receive the name of your insurance carrier, th the name of each insured, the limits of liability coverage, a statement of the insurer indicating an anticipated coverage defenses, and a copy of the policy. The key is to let your insurance co company and lawyers deal with all of this. Your insurance company will likely obtain a copy of th the fire marshal’s report to see if fault was assessed to the resident. It is very important at the le lease outset to make notations on the move-in inspection report that the smoke detectors ar are in proper working condition. Notes should also be added to the file after each regular test of the smoke detectors after move-in. If your files do not contain that information, then your company will be more vulnerable in a potential lawsuit.

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PERSONAL COMPUTING:

Looking Your Best in Email By Reid Goldsborough Despite the popularity of texting, email remains a standard means of communicating digitally in business and other organizational settings.

What makes you look good, and what doesn’t? There’s no universal agreement, and how you present yourself is in large part up to you and whatever organizational culture you’re a part of. But thinking through the options regarding the recipient fields, the subject line, the opening, the body of the message, and the ending can help.

This is old hat to most of us, but sometimes reexamining old assumptions can shed new light. Make your subject line informative. Instead of a nondescript label such as “Hey” or “Important information,” use words that indicate what your email is about, such as “Health benefits changing next year” or “Party this Friday.” If the conversation veers off to a new subject, change the email’s subject line to reflect the new subject matter covered. Be careful who you’re emailing. The scenario of sending a flirty email intended for the cute girl or guy on your floor to your entire department has become a cliché, but it still happens. Check before sending.

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Copy only necessary people when responding to a group email. Don’t forward jokes or other irrelevant messages indiscriminately to others. When you’re sending a group email and don’t want everyone to see everyone else’s email address, use the Bcc field, for “Blind carbon copy.” Opening an email with “Dear [Name]” is old school, and chances are this quaint letterwriting practice will just make you look fuddyduddy. Use “Hello, [Name]” or “Hi, [Name]” or just get right to your point. In the body of your emails, place your most important information first to make sure it’s read. Then expand upon it with supporting detail. This is sometimes called the “journalistic triangle.” Keep emails, including material quoted from previous emails, short. When possible restrict individual emails to a single request or theme. Quote previous messages only if you need place what you say in context. Shorter quotes work best at the top, before you comment, and longer quotes work best at the bottom, after you comment. Another option is to quote multiple snippets and comment directly under each.

Think twice about typing in all lowercase, running sentences together, spelling words any which way, and using little-known jargon. This may save you time, but it will make it more time-consuming for recipients to understand what you’re trying to say. Be careful about potentially offensive content and tone in an email, which can easily be forwarded to a third party. Better to be safe than sorry with jokes, political commentary, and overall snarkiness. Needless to say, avoid all sexist, racist, and other explosive subject matter that can get you fired. Many organizations have email policies that spell out appropriate use, but not all do. Regard email as public, particularly email sent at work. When you’re using company equipment, company overseers have the legal right to see what you’re saying. Organizations are required to retain email, so assume any email you send will last forever. Don’t waste your and others’ time by reflexively shooting back a response instead of considering whether a response is really needed.

One-word replies such as “Thanks!” or “Great!” that are sent to the entire group that received the initial email just pull people away from other things they could be doing. Don’t email someone and immediately follow up with a text or phone call. Email closings are also generally less formal than letter closings. You can still use “Sincerely,” which is better than “Dear” as an opening, but not by much. Similarly, “Yours” and “Yours truly” almost never mean what they say. These letter-writing conventions themselves are old-fashioned, coming from a time when people would write “I beseech you” in making simple requests. “Cheers” can make it seem like you’re trying too hard to sound British. Better closings are “Best” and “Regards,” though “Regards” or “Best regards” should be used only if you mean it. “Thank you” or “Thanks” can work if you’re requesting something or filing a complaint. Or you can simply sign your first name or end with a more complete “sig” that includes your name and other identifying information. Email can still be an effective, efficient means of communications. But it has its place within the realm of appropriate technology. If an email discussion goes beyond two or three messages between you and your co-communicator, you may both save time if you finish it by picking up the phone or stopping by in person. Reid Goldsborough is a syndicated columnist and author of the book Straight Talk About the Information Superhighway. He can be reached at reidgoldsborough@gmail.com or reidgold.com.

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