Operations Insights

A monthly newsletter for professionals involved in onsite apartment operations and maintenance, with insights on trends, best practices, services and ideas for you to consider during day-to-day operations.

Two Controllables in an Uncontrollable World

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Online reputation and “caring about the staff” are the leading factors affecting apartment performance and revenue, according to recent data from J Turner Research. Apartment operators today are experiencing more factors out of their control than ever before. And with the pandemic wreaking havoc on…

The State of Mental Health, Well-Being in the Apartment Industry

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Results of a national survey on the state of mental health, well-being in the rental housing industry now available. Mental and emotional health are always important topics, and they have become even more vital during the pandemic and the resulting staffing challenges elevating pressures on…

2021 Apartment Demand Breaks Decades-Long Record

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Apartment demand is at its highest ever, breaking the previous record set more than two decades ago. Apartment demand is at a new high despite the record-low vacancy across the nation. Net demand hit more than 673,000 units, breaking the 2000 record by 66%, according to a RealPage Analytics Blog.…

Bots Linked from Google My Business, ILSs Improve Lead Nurturing

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How one property manager is leveraging AI to funnel email prospect leads. Morgan Properties is driving more signed leases by leveraging its Google My Business (GMB) listings with links to online bots that live on its websites. The strategy represents two emerging marketing trends: Emphasizing GMB…

Rents Decline to Close 2021

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Rent prices fell across the nation for the first time all year. A year of substantial rent growth has ended. According to the latest Apartment List National Rent Report, the national index dropped 0.2% during December, the first month-to-month decline of 2021. Despite the slight dip, rent growth…

Best Practices for Employee Communication and Engagement in Policy Compliance

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Simply communicating new policies and procedures is not enough; companies must also be able to measure adherence. It was one of the many head-spinning aspects of life in the rental housing industry during the early days of the pandemic: The need to continually update policies and procedures because…

Next-Level Secret Shopping and the Benefits of Being Nosy

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Only 5% of associates asked prospective residents if they wanted to lease today; associates should ask that every time. Associates often fail to ask the right questions and dig deep with prospective residents, who are willing to share more information than many believe, and that can lead to a lost…

Use Online Reviews to Attract and Retain Talent

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While curating online reviews is crucial, acting on associate feedback is even more important. Prospective residents aren’t the only ones visiting multifamily review sites. Job seekers are sneaking a peek at both resident and employee sentiment, as well as the company’s response, when they’re…

Stay on Vax Mandate Lifted, Prepare for Enforcement in the New Year

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On December 17, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit lifted the temporary stay on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). Now that the stay, which delayed OSHA’s enforcement has been lifted, housing providers who employ…

Apartment Occupancy Hits Record High in November

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Apartment occupancy is at an all-time high. Apartment occupancy is at an all-time high. According to RealPage, occupancy hit 97.5% in November, breaking the typical trend of occupancy cooling off with the arrival of colder weather. Effective asking rents also jumped in November, up 0.4% from…