Honors Q pg 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59.qxp_Layout 1 12/16/20 12:15 PM Page 3
Onsite Manager of the Year (350 units or more)
RuHa Vohra, Veritas Equity Management How did you get your start in the industry? My best friend was working as a leasing agent, and when a position became available, she recommended me. I was excited to have an office job at 19 years old! I quickly fell in love with the industry and grew into leadership roles over the years. When you started working at Westchase Creek, it was a property with high delinquency and low occupancy. Because of your leadership, the property now has a delinquency rate of 1%. How were you able to achieve that? It took a lot of urgency, determination and not accepting any excuses. I have an amazing assistant community director, Amanda Archie, who was the driving force of achieving the delinquency rate of 1%. We used new management to our advantage and made it respectfully clear that a new set of standards was now in place. At the start of 2019, Westchase Creek had an occupancy rate of 89% and ended the year at 98.03%. In addition to that, you have been able to keep occupancy high (96.7%) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What is your secret to achieving high occupancy, especially during such a challenging year? The secret is having an amazing and resilient team that understands and shares your vision and goals. We held a March Madness event where the entire team worked every Saturday. We had 40 move ins that month! This set a solid foundation and helped jumpstart the rest of the year. We also strive to provide an exceptional living experience to all our residents. We made it our mission to retain our loyal residents and offer upgrades to make them feel valued and appreciated. What is the best leadership advice you’ve ever received that you need to share it with HAA members or so terrible that you need to warn us? Never burn bridges. That was my first leadership advice as a new leasing agent that I never forgot. Our industry is a small world. Fill in the blank: Leadership is ______________ … a lifestyle. I firmly believe a leader is a leader anytime, anywhere. It's a lifestyle choice and you have to continue learning and growing each day. I constantly remind myself that I have to educate and nourish my ability to inspire and lead others. It's a wonderful and challenging journey.
54
ABODE
January 2021
“When cancer hit, it was a shock, but not in a bad way. I was curious to see what the next step to my journey would be. My supervisor and team rallied behind me. When doctor appointments rose, being part of Greystar has been like having and extended family. I was able to lean on other teammates at different properties. I always wanted to ensure that Memorial had coverage. I truly believe when you are hired as a community manager, that asset has been entrusted to you.” – Chavonne Lafleur
