Blog Post

THREE WAYS TO ENGAGE RESIDENTS THIS SUMMER

Jun 05, 2018

It is important for any landlord to engage with their residents from time to time. Maintaining consistent contact will result in residents who are invested in your property. Residents who feel connected and engaged tend to stay longer, cutting down on turnover and vacancy costs. Here are three ways to reach out and engage residents this summer.

Resident Functions

Functions are a great way to engage residents. They are also a perfect venue to announce new projects, regulations, or programs happening within your property. They do not have to be fancy – something as simple as a movie night, potluck, or game night are great budget-friendly ways to vitalize your community. Residents will have face-to-face time with each other and the management staff, stimulating dialogue and fostering connections. Don’t have a big budget for a function? No problem! Potlucks require very little out-of-pocket expense and you can encourage people to bring their favorite family recipes. Clubhouses, pools, and tennis courts make perfect gathering areas for outdoor movies, barbecues, or pool parties. Make sure to advertise your function early and often with the help of email blasts, paper notifications, and fliers in your property’s common areas.

Community Facebook Page

In today’s technology age, many people turn to sites like Facebook to stay in touch. A free community Facebook page is a great way to share information with your residents. It also serves as a communication tool for residents to ask questions, post concerns, and generally keep you informed of your property. Share pictures of on-going projects, advertise your resident functions, and post your vacancies. The back-and-forth from engaged community members could lead to discovering deferred maintenance or potential criminal activity, which you can proactively solve with the help of you community manager. Finally, make sure to name your Facebook page after your community and that it is registered as a “Page” not a “Profile”.

Maintenance Technicians

Your boots-on-the-ground maintenance technicians interface with your residents every day. Keep an up-to-date picture of the quality of service you are providing with the help of paper surveys. If your management software has a survey feature even better! You can activate this feature to send a survey every time a work order is completed. Be sure to reward your team for excellent service with gift cards or bonuses. Also, follow up with residents who submit a survey or comment card with a thank you note or email. You should also take this time to promptly address any unsatisfactory comments you may receive. Happy maintenance technicians are professional and courteous. They will go above and beyond to help a resident feel safe and comfortable in their apartment. They are your rental business’s front line, so do not overlook them when considering ways to keep your residents engaged.

People want to live in vibrant communities where they feel connected and engaged. The result will be loyal, long-term residents who care about your property. These examples are a few ways you can engage residents and grow a community they are proud to call home. Contact us today and see how we can help you improve the way your residents live.

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The Management Works teams with Ghetto Rescue for the holiday season

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covid-19 written in medication with virus graphics

HOW THE MANAGEMENT WORKS IS STAYING VIGILANT AGAINST COVID-19

By Sarah B • 15 Feb, 2021

As COVID cases continue to impact Southern California, The Management Works is staying vigilant and taking all possible precautions through the coming winter months. There are many different measures that The Management Works has implemented since the start of the pandemic to keep residents and team members as safe as possible. All CDC guidelines are followed when interacting with current residents, prospective residents, and vendors. One tool which was previously in place for the convenience of residents turned out to be extremely helpful once the virus hit the United States. The Managements Works utilizes an online portal where residents and owners can easily access online statements, update renter’s insurance, and pay rent. Important maintenance work is also able to be effortlessly requested on the website. All leasing offices are closed to the public to minimize in-person contact, so we have increased our online and phone communication to stay responsive and helpful to residents. To protect our staff and eliminate unnecessary exposure for residents, we have confined our maintenance work to emergency requests only. When our staff does need to enter a unit, a PPE (personal protective equipment) is worn for the entire duration of the project. All maintenance work is completed with the utmost care and precaution. Before entering a unit to begin work, managers will check with residents to ensure they are feeling well and have not been in contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19. Work orders can always be rescheduled if necessary. Maintenance work areas are sanitized, and new sanitizing equipment is provided regularly to employees. Face coverings are worn by our staff for the entire workday, both inside and outside, to protect residents and team members. Prospective residents still need to be able to view potential apartments before deciding, so we have many 3D virtual tours available in an attempt to limit the need for in-person viewings. If someone still requests an in-person tour, we provide a lock box code which is changed daily. All units are also disinfected between viewings.

Example of survey response from a resident reading

PRIORITIZING RESIDENT FEEDBACK

By Sarah B • 14 Nov, 2020

At the Management Works, our biggest priority is ensuring that our residents are happy with their homes. We seek to improve wherever we can and foster an environment of open communication with everyone living in a property we manage. One way we facilitate this is by surveying our residents after they move in, after they move out, and following maintenance visits. Using our online platform, residents can easily give a star rating out of 5 and answer a few questions. This provides a straightforward way to track how our residents feel after each important interaction, while simultaneously allowing us to see where we might improve. By providing an almost effortless way for residents to give feedback, we find they are more likely to respond and offer constructive comments. Property managers read through these surveys and track progress over time. We often reach out to individual residents following the surveys if they were not satisfied with any part of the moving or maintenance work process to ensure we fully understand their concerns.