All in this together

AMA leaders share how they tackled COVID-19 issues during some of the apartment industry’s darkest days

By Peter Madrid

2020 will go down in history as the year the business world was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the world’s economy was disrupted. Locally, it hit like a summer monsoon dust storm, consuming almost everything in its way.

The AMA Communications Committee brought together (virtually, of course) four industry leaders from AMA member firms. Each shared how their respective company met the challenges of the pandemic, for both their employees and residents. They also shared what they learned about themselves and their leadership style.

The leadership roundtable comprised John Carlson, Mark-Taylor; Debbie Willis, P.B. Bell; Brian Swanton, Gorman & Company; and Nicole Wray, Greystar.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned about yourself during the pandemic?

JC: Looking back, I’ve experienced a wide spectrum of perspectives. More often than not I’ve found many individuals to look at the pandemic from a vantage point of fear and trepidation. Personally, I think of the pandemic through the lens of famous quote “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Meaning, I’ve embraced the pandemic and see it as an opportunity to reshape the future personally, professionally and as a society. Perhaps I’m a bit of an eternal optimist, but the acceleration of technology, how we you use it, and how we function in the world today has completely shifted. I will continue to be open-minded to more changes ahead.

DW: I learned I am more introverted than I thought. While I truly love my co-workers and seeing them every day, I found that having the time to actually think and strategize was wonderful. There was no noise and no one in my door. It was quiet, and gave me some thinking time. That I really appreciated.

BS: As CEO I enjoy socializing and networking. However, the pandemic didn’t rattle me as much as I thought. One thing I learned is that I’m resilient. All of our people are resilient. I felt uneasy in my career when I was hired in 2008. The economy had completely crashed right after I started. It was a pretty scary time. But we got better as a company. It made us more prepared. We took some conservative steps. It was not as harmful on the bottom line as we thought. We knew we would come out strong. We have drawn on that success during the pandemic. NW: I never considered myself to be a creative person, but the pandemic changed that for me and my colleagues. We acquired our largest, local competitor. We acquired an additional 16,000-plus units and 50 properties. I had to get creative. None of us have a playbook to manage through an international pandemic. I learned then I can be quite creative, along with our entire team. We remained nimble and took it one day at a time. We didn’t take anything for granted.

Q: How did you manage the fear and unknown with your employees?

JC: It would be a mistake to not mention the AMA through the process and its overall guidance to really help understand how to navigate our business with the additional executive order red tape. As an organization, we simply didn’t know what to expect heading into the spring of 2020. As we forged ahead, we created specific operational strategy for our teams which included significant education, support and communication. We ensured that everyone who had a concern could ask questions. This process really helped minimize the fear and anxiety of our employees throughout the pandemic.

DW: Our executive group had a conference call every morning at 8 to discuss what we learned from CDC, AMA, and any other agencies and then drafted our communication around that. So much was changing. We had to make quick decisions on protocol and get it out quickly. It was OK to change and modify. We just didn’t want to delay as our employees wanted direction and support. Then every Friday, our CEO (Chapin Bell) would send an email to all the employees. Sometimes it was motivational. Sometimes it was funny. The folks loved hearing directly from him. It kept their spirits up knowing his spirts were up. That meant a lot.

BS: I found our employees and residents wanted to know the same thing. They wanted to know we had a plan. All our energy and focus on getting together quickly, together a plan, and aggressively communicating that plan. And we have a lot of residents with limited resources and limited access to information, so communication was key. The

bio:

John Carlson

President, Mark-Taylor Investment Management

John is responsible for strategy, operations, new business development and property portfolio performance for 19,000 luxury apartment units in Arizona and Nevada. His diverse real estate and multifamily background includes onsite property management, financial management and operational oversight. John currently serves as immediate-past Chairman of AMA and Chairman of AMA Government Affairs Committee. He is a member and Region 7 Delegate of the NAA and a member of the National Multihousing Council. A licensed real estate agent in Arizona, and a licensed broker in Nevada, John received a bachelor’s of science electrical engineering degree from Concordia College.

team mapped out what the plan was going to be. We had a weekly leadership meeting. We were getting new information almost daily. How to clean. How not to clean.

NW: Our leadership team really hunkered down. That was the key was for us, and it was helpful we stayed lean. There were six of us in constant communication. We held regular weekly operational meetings. I made promises to our team that if had information they would have it, too. With more than 41,000 units managed in Arizona, that was great. We discussed PPE, evictions … there was

bio:

Debbie Willis, CAM, CPM

President/Designated Broker, P.B. Bell

a lot of fear of the unknown. It was all about transparency and ‘I’ve got your back.’ It’s OK to be frustrated and fearful. There’s strength in confidence, even when you don’t have all the answers.

Q: Has COVID-19 changed your design plans for future developments?

JC: We can’t unlearn what we’ve experienced during the pandemic and I believe the rules for success have completely changed not just in multifamily but business as a whole. Going back to last April, amidst the early storm of the pandemic, we locked our leasing doors yet doubled the number of leases by historical comparisons. It forced our organization to accelerate how we would reinvent ourselves post-pandemic. It was like an epiphany and there was no turning back. A great deal of time and resources were put into the endeavor of breaking down our actual operational model, with less focus on the actual building and amenity redesign. As we look ahead, we’ll focus a great deal on becoming more resilient or as I like to say, “anti-fragile” as an organization. If executed correctly we will find ourselves being financially evergreen regardless of economic cycles.

DW: We changed some design plans, but we still have large social areas. We’re just being more mindful of individual seating arDebbie is responsible for residential property management operations. She has been in the property management field since 1979 and with P.B. Bell since 1983. Debbie administers all functions of the Property Management Division and oversees all new business and development activities. Debbie has served as the AMA’s State Convention and Trade Show chairperson, Education Committee chairperson and currently serves as the Ethics Committee chairperson. She is a member of the AMA Board of Directors. She participates in P.B. Bell philanthropic endeavors which include St. Mary’s Food Bank and UMOM. BS: The most significant shift for us is what you don’t see. We are working with the City of Phoenix around St. Luke’s (Hospital) knocking down 577 units of public housing to construct 1,100 units of mixed-income housing. There is a massive digital division between the haves and have nots. More people need high-speed internet capability. Kids should not have to leave their apartment to do their schoolwork. Kids were getting laptops from school and no way to log on. Cox and other partners are building in high-speed internet in the units.

NW: One thing we are concentrating on for our clients post COVID is the what the amenity spaces will look like. We want common area spaces that will accommodate our athome workers with good distancing. Larger, more robust fitness centers. Things we have been focusing on for a number of years have

eas and more social areas outside and in the clubhouse. We are designing larger spaces for groups and some individual work stations. Some touchless features Such as Automatic doors. Things we’ve never done before. We were one of the first developers to introduce tech centers inside apartment homes. We got away from them for a bit, but have brought them back in some of our floorplans. overall been amped up. Our recommendations of what people’s habits will be like? Nobody has the crystal ball there, but there will be substantial change in design plans.

Q: Understanding the impact that COVID has had on your customers, what change, or practices has your company put in place to retain them?

JC: Our company mission is to create exceptional communities that invite, inspire and feel like home. One piece of our core strategic initiatives to support our mission includes creating a 5-star resident experience. The design will ensure our customer from the very first touch point, through the leasing process,

bio:

Brian Swanton

President & CEO, Gorman & Company Brian transitioned into the role of President & CEO in 2018 after serving as the Arizona Market President since 2008. Founded in 1984, Gorman is a national real estate development company specializing in affordable and workforce housing and a key player in the public housing redevelopment space. Gorman is also the largest developer of workforce and affordable housing in Arizona. Prior to joining Gorman, Brian held various leadership positions in the public and nonprofit sectors in affordable housing and community revitalization. Brian received his bachelor degree in urban planning and Master’s degree in public administration, both from Arizona State University, where he and his wife Leah recently began an endowment for urban planning students seeking to address issues of social justice. move-in, living experience and move-out has a “white glove” type experience. This will undoubtedly be challenging, but is something we believe is vital to our future success and brand evolution.

DW: As we have always done, we continue to cater to what makes the customer experience easier. Never say no. Roll with the times. This includes self-guided tours and virtual tours. They will only get more sophisticated. It kind of struck me that we never think of our sanitizing our common areas as we do now. We want to keep that going. Residents would like to see that. There are a lot of touch points in our communities. Living through a pandemic made us think more about germs and how people use those common areas.

BS: We haven’t changed too much in practice or belief. The shift for us was more on the mental health of our employees and residents. We wanted to get a better handle on recognizing and paying attention to mental health due to a burdened economy. It was an emotional drag and people are tired of dealing with it and tolerating COVID. We need to continue to recognize this. It has taught us to pay attention to our people’s emotional needs not just in times of crises but all the time.

NW: Obviously, everything got turned upside down. I still remember that Friday in March when the president shut things down. It made us rethink a lot of things. Virtual leasing. Self-guide tours. From A to Z, we had to revamp our platform to include mostly virtual leasing at least for the next year. It will be a work in progress. We have to go back to the basics. We know will see our residents less. How do you retain that customer service? We will focus on technology to circle back on what made us successful in the first place.

Q: What is the first thing you want to do (that COVID has taken away or made it near impossible to enjoy) when this is all over?

JC: I’ve still been traveling and remained extremely active during the pandemic. I can’t wait to walk through a restaurant without a mask and sit down. DW: Travel again and spend time with friends and family. It will also be nice to hug people again. To see people smiling behind those masks.

BS: Take my mask off. I’m still traveling through the pandemic, but looking forward to normalcy in travel. On top of my things to do list is seeing my in-laws.

NW: I’m a big hugger. And during the pandemic my company acquired hundreds of new employees. Senior leadership is touring all 160-plus assets in person, safely, to show our appreciation. I want to hug the 1,400 employees I have never met or not seen in a long time. You don’t have that ability to connect when you can’t meet people face to face.

bio:

Nicole Wray

President & Managing Director Greystar

Nicole oversees all aspects of operations for the company’s 41,000-unit portfolio, including high-rise, mid-rise and value add, and large-scale renovation communities. Her team specializes in operations, marketing, renovation, and acquisition support. Nicole is on the AMA Board of Directors, served on the Executive Committee for 5 years, and served as Chair in 2018. Nicole joined Greystar in 2010. She regularly speaks at industry events and charitable endeavors.