ABODE July 2022 by HAA Publishing

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Return Service Requested

RPM TOPICS • EDUCATION CONFERENCE & EXPO PHOTOS

Houston Apartment Association 4810 Westway Park Blvd. Houston, Texas 77041

ABODE All In! THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE

www.haaonline.org

Celebrate RPM Week with timely information on hiring green, diversity, building relationships and more.

July 2022

ABODE • JULY 2022 • VOLUME 45, ISSUE 7 www.haaonline.org

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CONTENTS July 2022

ON THE COVER

FEATURES & PHOTOS

28 On the Scene – Photos from the Camp Construction Challenge Cup.

All In! – Celebrate RPM Week with timely information on hiring green, diversity, building relationships and more.

Cover image © Jacob Ammentorp Lund | iStock by Getty Images

30 On the Scene – Photos from the 2022 HAA Education Conference & Expo.

COLUMNS & MONTHLY UPDATES 7 President’s Corner – Be a part of our family. 8 Patron of the Month – Meet and support Apartments.com.

38 Hire Green, Then Help Them Grow – Will you take a chance on someone new?

9 Legislative Update – An update on the primary election.

40 The strongest case for urban density isn’t aesthetics, it’s math – Geometry, not row house aesthetics or cyclist identity politics, makes the strongest case for urbanism.

14 Resident Relations – A resident dispute is settled by the committee.

42 Relationships – Building them, feeding them and scaling them. 46 Find and Keep Them – Strategies for finding and retaining quality employees. 50 Ways to Improve Diversity Recruitment Strategy – Build a wide range of candidates and employees. 54 On the Scene – Photos from the NEXT Professional Breakfast. 56 On the Scene – Photos from the Supplier Education Program. 58 Take the Leaad – The HAA Product Service Council discusses the importance of the HAA Leadership Lyceum. 60 On Site with ABODE – Take a closer look at two of HAA’s 2021 Honor Award-winning communities. 72 On the Road – Photos from the Baytown Redbook Seminar and the Lake Jackson Region Meeting.

11 It’s The Law – Tips for vendor contracts.

20 Calendar – HAA’s schedule of events for the coming months. 25 RCR Update – Identity-related fraud has hit the multifamily industry hard.. 26 NAA Industry Update – Celebrate your company’s culture.. 59 Welcome Mat – A list of HAA’s newest members. 62 Go-Getters – Learn how to become a Go-Getter and see what the Membership Committee is up to. 66 The Ambassador ONE Society – Meet the HAA’s supplier network. 70 Portfolio Changes and In the News – Property updates and industry news clips from our members. 74 Index of Advertisers – See the supplier members who support this publication. 75 MarketLine – The latest area market numbers. 76 Back Page – News from around the community.

We welcome your comments. Email us at comm@haaonline.org.

www.haaonline.org

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OFFICERS AND ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP PRODUCT SERVICE COUNCIL OFFICERS STEPHANIE GRAVES President-Elect

LOYAL PROFFITT Vice President at Large – East

DEREK DEVRIES, CAS President Camp Construction Services

SHELLEY WATSON Vice President at Large – West

CANDIS MOHR, CAS Vice President, AAA Plumbers

QUINTINA WILLIS Vice President at Large – North

JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ, CAS Secretary, The Urban Foresters

HOWARD BOOKSTAFF General Counsel

TRACIE YODER Vice President at Large – South

DEBORAH DEROUEN, CAS Treasurer, OneApp Guarantee

CASEY WATTS MORGAN CEO

JOHN BORIACK Immediate Past President

DAVID LINDLEY, CAS Immediate Past President, FSI Construction

CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ President

GINA ERWIN Secretary/Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christy Rodriguez, CAPS President John Boriack Immediate Past President Mack Armstrong Julie Batche Jeff Blevins, CAS Jill Bounds, CAM Michelle Bridges, CAS Kyle Brown Joseph Bryson, CAM, IROP Tina Cavaco Terri Clifton Michelle Croasmun Deborah DeRouen, CAS Derek DeVries, CAS Scott Douglas, CAM, CAPS Gina Erwin Tamara Foster Israel Garza, CAS Diane Gilbert Monica Gracia Stephanie Graves, CAM, CAPS Clark Gregg, CASe, CAPSe Manu Gupta Bryan Head, CAM Melissa Herrera Deborah Holcombe Crystal Jackson, CAM, CAPS Tyler Johnson Debbie Kelm Jacob Kunath, CAS Barby Lake Laura Lestus, CAS David Lindley, CAS Sonia Lopez, CAM, CAPS Betsy Marshall, CAM, CAPS Kristin McLaughlin, CASe Candis Mohr, CAS Carlos Neto Dean O’Kelley, CAS Jenifer Paneral Mark Park, CAS Angelee Kumar Parikh Velissa Parmer Michelle Pawelek Loyal Proffitt Kelly Scott Kurt Seidel Corri Smith Penny Sprang Kelley Suess Debbie Sulzer

Ryan Terrell Starla Turnbo Richard Wall, CAM, CAPS Shelley Watson Quintina Willis, CAM Tracie Yoder, CAPS DIRECTORS EMERITUS Josh Allen Ken Bohan Gary Blumberg Kathy Clem Jack Dinerstein Jenard Gross Darlene Guidry Alison Hall David Hargrove Larry Hill Stacy Hunt Hap Hunnicutt David Jones Mike Koch Dick LaMarche Cesar Lima Tim Myers P David Onanian Jackie Rhone John Ridgway Kim Small Eileen Subinsky Steve Sweet Kirk Tate Suan Tinsley H J Tollett, Jr. Pat Tollett Vic Vacek, Jr. Beth Van Winkle Jerry Winograd ADVISORY DIRECTORS Melissa Friend Billy Griffin, CAS Amanda Kelly, CAS Stacy Lastovica, CAM, CAPS Mary Lawler Katy Myrick Bruce McClenny Bill Nye Ruha Vohra, NALP, CAM Tony Whitaker GENERAL COUNSEL EMERITUS Joe Bax

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Claude Arnold Kenn Brown Tina Cavaco Terri Clifton Kevin Fenn Diane Gilbert Anita Harrison Dwayne Henson Mike Koch Merry Mount Monette Reynolds Sherry Stevenson Kirk Tate Suan Tinsley Sonny Unverzagt Del Walmsley Nancé Wells H.P. Paul Young Jeanne Marie Zublin Dicks PATRON MEMBERS 1961 CSC ServiceWorks 1968 Century A/C Supply 1978 Houston Planned Energy Systems 1982 Cotton Commercial USA Inc. 1984 AAA Plumbers 1985 Gemstar Construction Development 1986 Craven Carpet 1987 Dixie Carpet Installations 1994 Camp Construction Services 1997 Apartments.com 1999 FSI Construction Inc. 2006 Lowe’s Pro Supply

PRODUCT SERVICE COUNCIL MEMBERS Marcelino “Tito" VICE PRESIDENTS Estrada, CAS AT LARGE One Source Karen Nelsen, CAS Realty Advisors ALN Apartment Giovanna Gone, CAS, Data Century A/C Supply Blaise Spitaleri, CAS, Dan James, CAS, Gemstar Redevelopment Construction Services Development Amanda Kelly, CAS, Brandt Electrical A/C Susan Alvarado, CAS & Heating Services Century A/C Supply Debra Knight, CAS, Chris Bell, CAS, Comm-Fit Roadrunner Restoration Stephanie Krop, Marivel Bownds, CASe, Poolsure CAS, Valet Living Liz Levins, CAS, Tammy Broadway, CAS Gemstar American Fire Systems Construction Shaun Callaway, CAS, Development Earthworks Jim Martensen, CAS Brandon Coleman, CAS Camp Construction Cinema Anywhere Services Neal Conant, CAS, Tracey Moore, CAS, Gemstar Flooring Warehouse Construction Matthew Nunn, CAS, Development Capital Construction Sean Cunningham, Nikki Sekunda, CAS, CAS, Flooring The Liberty Group Warehouse Mat Tilley, CAS, Deborah DeRouen, WeDoTrash CAS, OneApp Amber Whitaker, CAS Guarantee FSI Construction

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JULY 2022 I VOLUME 45, ISSUE 7 Chief Executive Officer and Publisher CASEY WATTS MORGAN, MPP cmorgan@haaonline.org EDITORIAL AND DESIGN STAFF Director of Publications and Design DEBORAH NIX dnix@haaonline.org ADVERTISING Vice President of Membership and Marketing AMANDA SHERBONDY, CAE asherbondy@haaonline.org CONTRIBUTING STAFF Chief Operating Officer SUSAN HINKLEY, CAE shinkley@haaonline.org Vice President of Professional Development EMILY HILTON, CPP, CAE ehilton@haaonline.org Vice President of Government Affairs BRADLEY PEPPER bpepper@haaonline.org Chief Financial Officer TREY WIMBERLY, CPA twimberly@haaonline.org Director of Resident Relations MATILDE LUNA mluna@haaonline.org Director of Events and Meetings LAUREN RAGIN, CMP lragin@haaonline.org Director of Rental Credit Reporting TINA DEFIORE tdefiore@haaonline.org Assistant Vice President – Outreach LAUREN TURNER, CAE, CMP lturner@haaonline.org Government Affairs Manager MADISON POLSTON mpolston@haaonline.org Membership and Marketing Manager KAYLON NEWCOMB knewcomb@haaonline.org Member Services Coordinator CINDY DE LA RIVA cdelariva@haaonline.org Director of IT WILL ALFARO walfaro@haaonline.org PRINTER TGI PRINTED www.tgiprinted.com

HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION COMMITTEES COMMITTEE CHAIR STAFF ADVISOR Executive Christy Rodriguez Casey Morgan Nominating John Boriack Casey Morgan Fair Housing Mack Armstrong Casey Morgan Ethics Michelle Pawelek Casey Morgan Finance Gary Blumberg Casey Morgan ByLaws Kyle Brown Casey Morgan Past Presidents Council Kathy Clem Casey Morgan Multifamily Fire Safety Alliance Elizabeth Castro-Gray Bradley Pepper Legislative Stephanie Graves Bradley Pepper Political Action Stacy Hunt Bradley Pepper Golf Starla Turnbo Madison Polston Century Club Deborah DeRouen Madison Polston Strategic Outreach Gina Erwin Lauren Turner Leadership Development Alison Hall Susan Hinkley Community Outreach Jackie Aguirre Susan Hinkley Product Service Council Derek DeVries Susan Hinkley Expo Exhibitor Candis Mohr Amanda Sherbondy Membership Richard Wall Amanda Sherbondy Ryan Weis Ambassador ONE Society Liz Levins Amanda Sherbondy Blaise Spitaleri Independent Owners Connection Ramon Nunez Amanda Sherbondy Education Advisory Council Betsy Marshall Emily Hilton Career & Community Development Penny Sprang Emily Hilton Resident Relations A Diane Totten Matti Luna Resident Relations B Jana Gragg Matti Luna Resident Relations Appeals Darlene Guidry Matti Luna HAF Fundraiser Brandon Coleman Lauren Ragin Stephanie Krop NEXT Ruha Vohra Lauren Ragin Amanda Kelly Property Awards Norma Alvear Tina DeFiore Diane Gilbert

HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MISSION AND VISION: HAA is the leading advocate, resource and community partner for quality rental housing providers in the Houston and surrounding area. HAA develops leadership in the multifamily industry by engaging broadly diverse membership, embracing effective technology and advocating for a geographically inclusive association. ABODE IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION serving the multihousing industry in Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Waller and Wharton counties. ABODE, JULY 2022, VOLUME 45, ISSUE 7 ABODE (USPS 024-962) is published monthly by the Houston Multi Housing Corporation. Publishing, editorial and advertising offices are located at 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041. Telephone 713-595-0300. The $50 annual ABODE subscription rate is included in all member dues and additional subscriptions are available. The annual subscription rate is $50 for members, $65 for non-members. Advertising rates are available upon request. Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Houston Apartment Association. Copyright © 2022 by HAA. Periodicals Postage Paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ABODE, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041.

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SPONSOR MEMBERS These companies have generously supported the Houston Apartment Association with their sponsor membership. Please give them careful consideration, whenever possible, in your business. 100% Tree & Lawn Care LLC 3BeeGuys Bee Removal A Affordable Services Co AAA Staffing Ltd AAdvantage Laundry Systems ACM Contractors of Texas ACT Security Group Action Window Coverings Inc ACTIV Answer by Audio Images Adobe Floors Inc Adventure Playground Systems Inc Alexander-Rose Associates Inc All About Doody Pet Solutions LLC All American Mailboxes of Houston Inc ALN Apartment Data Inc Ambassador Services LLC America Outdoor Furniture American Fire Systems Inc AmRent Andrews Myers PC Apartment Lines ApartmentData.com AppFolio Arbor Contract Carpet Inc ASAP Personnel Inc ASAP Steamers Carpet Cleaning Atom4 Security Camera AZP Multifamily Belfor Property Restoration Bell’s Laundries Benefits 4 Rent Bentley, Bratcher & Associates - PC Bettencourt Tax Advisors LLC BGE Inc/aka Brown & Gay Engineers Inc Bio-One Houston South BioTechs Crime & Trauma Scene Cleaning Black Tie Logistics Blue Marlin Maintenance & Services BluSky Restoration Contractors Brady Chapman Holland & Assoc Brannan Designs LLC Architecture & Interior Design BrightView Landscape LLC BSI Cano Electric Inc Cantrell McCulloch Inc Capital Disaster Solutions Carradine Valet CashFlow Pros LLC Centex Construction Century Fire Protection Houston CFI Group Chadwell Supply Citi Fence & Concrete City Pups City Wide Building Services Classic Same Day Blinds Commercial Fire Protection Construction ECO Services Contractors Inc ControlByNet Cloud and Managed Video Surveillance Solutions Core 24/7 Restoration Services CORT Furniture The Crawfish Men Catering CRE Business Solutions LLC Creative Blinds Crowned Eagle Construction CSC Serviceworks Cypress Landscaping & Irrigation Inc

D&G Quality Roofing Inc DeNyse Companies Designs by Holmes DHI Commercial Roofing Diamond Services LLC DNM Contracting Inc DoodyCalls Dryer Vent Wizard of Humble Ecolo Environmental Inc Embark Services Emersyn Electrical Services LLC EnviroSmart Multifamily Pest Solutions Epic Air Conditioning EPICHTX Construction Ezlo Innovation Fantastic Floors Featherston Sign Partners Fedora Intertech Fiat Construction LLC Fidus Construction Services Finish Factory Inc Finishes Insurance Agency Fire and Life Safety America Fire Reconstruction Inc Firetrol Protection Systems Flavor Finish Resurfacing Flexirocks Front Row Signs Frontier Waste Solutions fun abounds Furniture Refinishing Services Gambit Construction Garan Commercial Construction Inc Gateman Inc Gemaire Giordano Construction Inc Go-Staff Inc Grace Landscaping Graphic Stylus Promotional Products Great American Business Products Green City Security LLC Green Garbology Greenlogic Lighting & Electric GT Security Solutions LLC Guardian Gutters Halo Doors Inc Hamilton-Steele Outdoor Accents HARCO Insurance Services Hard Works Valet Trash & Recycling Hays Recruiting Higginbotham Hive Technology HK Morris Group LLC Hoover Slovacek LLP HQ Contracting Hut Services LLC Industrial Disposal Supply Infinity Power Partners Infinity Roofing & Restoration Inner Loop Construction LLC Innovated Homes LLC Insgroup J and B Carpet Services JAK Environmental LLC Johnstone Supply Jonah Digital Agency Kathy Andrews Interiors Keylo Painting & Construction KONE L.A. Public Adjusters LandscapesUSA Leah McVeigh Design and Consulting LeasePal Inc

Lee & Barrier Builders LLC The Liberty Group Liftmaster Lights Out Production Company Lincoln Jacob Construction Lithotech Printed Products/ Forms Center Local Roofing and Restoration Lopez Carpet Care & Painting LP Building Solutions: LouisianaPacific Corporation LSR Multifamily LVL Up Remodeling Macyas Remodeling LLC Maldonado Nursery & Landscaping Inc Masonry Solutions Inc Matrix Construction Services McMahan's Flooring Inc Men In Kilts MGL Rehab Construction Milwaukee Tool Modern Pest Control Monge Contracting Group MPS Direct Mueller Water Conditioning Inc MX2 Commercial Paving Nationwide Complaint NGC Renovation LLC Norman Roofing and Construction Northwest Construction Group O’Conor Mason & Bone PC Oasis Eco Services On Duty Tree and Landscape On Site Towing LLC Orkin Pest Control Outdoor Elements P.A.I. Restoration Pace Mechanical Services LLC Parking Management Company/PMC Towing Paul Davis Greater Houston PCS Creative Surface LLC Perma-Pier Foundation Repair of TX The Phoenix Staffing Pool Knights Precision Hydro Pros Precision Safe Sidewalks LLC Priority Protection & Investigations Inc Pro Turf Landscaping PROCO Commercial Roofing Professional Resurface LLC Property Guardians Pura Flo Corporation PuroClean Qira Inc Quatro Tax LLC Qwikkit RAM Construction Ram Jack Foundation Solutions Redevelopment Services Reliable Roofing of Texas Inc Reliant Remedy Roofing Inc RENCON RentPath Residential Waste Service LLC Restoration 1 of Central Houston REVS (Refuel Electric Vehicle Solutions) RezClean Houston RG Miller Engineers RLB Construction Ltd dba RoofTec Roadrunner Restoration Company LLC

Roosevelt General Contracting Roto-Rooter Services Co SafeRent Solutions Saifee Signs & Graphics Saint Clair & Sons Inc Sayan Renovations and Construction Scoop Troop HTX SEAL Security Solutions LLC Secure Insurance Sherwin Williams Company Sign-Ups & Banners Signal 88 Security Skyline Highrise Services Snappt SOS-ASAP Softwashing South Central Electric LLC Steward Trash Valet Service Storm Maintenance & Monitoring Stormwater Professionals Group Strata Roofing and Construction LLC Structural Concrete Systems LLC Sunny Pressure Washing LLC Swain & Baldwin Insurance & Risk Management Swift Bunny Texas Apartment Pool Services Texas Concrete Professional Company Texas Engineered Roofing & General Contracting Texas GroundWorks Management Texas Landscape Group LLC Texas Southwest Floors Inc Texas Waste Management Solutions LLC Texas Window Cleaning Co Inc The J.P. Barnes Law Firm PLLC The Law Office of Ernie Garcia, PLLC Three Amigos Texas LLC Threshold Agency LLC Tidal Renovations LLC Tile Center Top Brass Services Group Tpo Pros Roofing & Restoration Trash Roundup LLC Triangle DJ Contractors Two Brothers Foundation Repair United Protective Services Urban Value Corner Store USA Patrol Division USMEX Advisors Valet Living VBM Waste LLC VERO Leasing Vima Decor Warrior Patrol Services LLC WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems Watermark Restoration and Construction Wayfinder Tax Relief LLC Webb Pest Control Whitmans Contracting and Roofing Willbanks & Associates Inc Wilson Fire Equipment Wilsonart LLC World Cinema Inc WRLD PRO Vending LLC

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Letter from the President

By CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ, 2022 HAA President

WE WANT YOU AS A PART OF OUR “FAMILY!” We will be celebrating Residential Property Management Careers Week from July 18 to 22, and we want you and yours to consider continuing education and promoting careers in our great family – the multiFAMILY! The word “family” is so appropriate in our industry title, as our past, present and future apartment leadership contains so much family. From my boss, Jerry Winograd and the Winograd family, to the Eileen Subinsky/Jackie Rhone family, over to the Reeds, the Fingers, the Tolletts, the Morgans, the Whitakers and so many more, this industry thrives on family connections and legacy. Nikki Sekunda, The Liberty Group, discusses this in her article about hiring green on Page 38. Working in multifamily is in our blood and it’s important to bring new “family” members into the fold. As a member of the 2022 Texas Apartment Association Education Foundation Board of Directors, I want to spread the word, both inside and outside our industry family, about career opportunities and formalized training programs. There is so much potential in our industry with “Room to Grow!” TAAEF is led by a 15-person board composed of current TAA officers, past TAA and TAAEF presidents, members-at-large and TAA’s executive vice president. Houston members include myself, Gary Blumberg, Clay Hicks and Jackie Rhone. TAAEF was created to ensure that Texas’ growing multifamily housing industry has the pipeline of skilled professionals and trained talent it needs for continued growth and success. The apartment industry offers rewarding opportunities for growth and success across a range of skill sets and interests. Our industry is dynamic and recession-resistant, with positions in property management, real estate development, construction and more. We’re here to help talented Texans find their start, through TAAEF and through the Houston Apartment Foundation’s many local education offerings, including Leasing 101 and an array of certification programs for property management, maintenance and supplier professionals. We want to increase the pipeline of talent through awareness-raising recruitment efforts and supporting education and training opportunities throughout the state. Please, consider joining our cause by becoming a volunteer or through financial support. An investment in TAAEF and HAF is an investment in your community. We have needs locally for volunteers at career fairs, instructors and so much more. Learn more from TAAEF staff at taaef@taa.org and HAF staff at education@haaonline.org. No matter a person’s interests or background, there is a career to be found in the apartment industry. The apartment industry has job opportunities that are rewarding and challenging and gives prospective talent plenty of room to grow. Join me in finding and supporting our future family members!

https://taaef.taa.org/ www.haaonline.org

July 2022

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These companies have generously supported the Houston Apartment Association with their patron membership. Please give them careful consideration, whenever possible, in your business.

July Patron of the Month

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Houston Planned Energy Systems

Apartments.com

HAA Member since 1978

HAA Member since 1997

Cotton Commercial USA Inc.

Gemstar Construction Development Inc.

HAA Member since 1982

Hire Priority Staffing & Executive Search

HAA Member since 1985

AAA Plumbers

HAA Member since 1993

HAA Member since 1984

CSC ServiceWorks

FSI Construction Inc.

HAA Member since 1961

HAA Member since 1999

Craven Carpet

Dixie Carpet Installations

HAA Member since 1986

HAA Member since 1987

Camp Construction Services

Century A/C Supply

HAA Member since 1994

HAA Member since 1968

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Legislative Update

By STEPHANIE GRAVES, HAA Legislative Chair, with BRADLEY PEPPER, Vice President of Government Affairs

THE BALLOT IS SET A Primary Election Runoff recap.

NOW THAT THE May Primary Runoff Elections are wrapped up, the ballot for the November 8th General Election is set. This year will see us elect nearly every state office from Governor to State Representative, as well as every member of our Congressional delegation. In addition, and of particular interest to us, we will vote on all County Judges as well as some Commissioners, Judges and Justices of the Peace. This election cycle officially started last November when candidates began filing for office. With the close of candidate filing in December, the ballots for the March 1 Democratic and Republican Primary Elections were locked and we knew all of the contenders at that point. If a candidate did not receive 50% plus one vote following the March 1 Primary, their election required overtime and proceeded to the May 24 Primary Runoff Election. The HAA PAC has been active during this cycle. We have screened candidates and made endorsements in dozens of races through the first half of the year and that effort will continue as we move toward the November General Election. Below is a quick summary of the Runoff Election races that the HAA PAC was interested in. Harris County Judge – Alex del Moral Mealer (R) HAA PAC endorsed Mealer received 75% of the vote during the runoff with opponent Vidal Martinez. She will face incumbent County Judge Lina Hidalgo (D) in November for the County Judge seat. Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4 – Monica Singh (D) After receiving 64% of the vote, HAA PAC endorsed Singh was victorious in the primary election. She will face Brian Staley (R) in the November election.

TX House District 133 – Mano DeAyala (R) In a very close race, Mano DeAyala (R) received 51% with Shelley Barineau getting 49% of the vote. In this solidly Republican seat, DeAyala will face Mohamad Maarouf (D) and James Harren (L) in November.

Texas House District 147 – Jolanda Jones (D) Jones received 53% of the vote while Danielle Keys Bess garnered 47%. Jones will go on to face Damien Thaddeus Jones (R) for this solidly Democratic seat during the November election. Texas House District 76 – Dr. Suleman Lalani (D) HAA PAC endorsed candidate Dr. Suleman Lalani received 64% of the vote over his opponent Vanesia Johnson. Dr. Suleman Lalani will go on to face Dan Mathews (R) in November for this Democratic leaning seat. Midterm Elections This year’s elections are termed “midterm elections” because they fall two years or in the middle of the president’s four-year term. Historically the president’s political party (in this case Democratic Party) will see some losses due to the electorate’s view of how the country has fared during the last two years. This year has the potential to see substantially greater losses than in years past. This could be due to a number of factors, including American’s view on the economy and the approval rating of both President Joe Biden and Congress. In a Gallup poll conducted in May, only 41% approved of President Biden’s job performance,

Your Vote Matters www.haaonline.org

The HAA PAC has been active during this cycle. We have screened candidates and made endorsements in dozens of races through the first half of the year and that effort will continue as we move toward the November General Election.

18% approved of Congress’ performance and 16% were “satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S.” Only 14% had a positive view of current economic conditions and 46% rated the economy negatively. Typically, Americans have a 51% approval rating for the president on average for midterm years, a 30% congressional approval rating, 35% satisfaction on “how things are going in the U.S.” The number to watch, once we get to November, will be the number of U.S. House of Representatives seats that the Democrats could lose. Going back to 1974, the average number of seats that the sitting president’s party has lost has been 23. There is potential for more though, as we saw in 2018 when Republicans lost 40 during President Trump’s midterm and in 2010 when Democrats lost 63 during President Obama’s first midterm cycle. With such a volatile political climate and several hot button policy issues on the top of voters’ minds, it remains to be seen what the political landscape will look like on November 9. That said, Republicans only need to flip five House seats to gain control of the chamber, and one seat in the Senate, where the parties are currently split 50-50. If you have a regulatory problem or question, call the HAA main line at 713-595-0300 and ask for Government Affairs. If a particular code requirement or issue concerns you, let us know by emailing Bradley at bpepper@haaonline.org.

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It’s the Law

By HOWARD BOOKSTAFF, Hoover Slovacek LLP , HAA General Counsel

TIPS FOR VENDOR CONTRACTS

Here are some tips for entering into and negotiating contracts with various suppliers.

CONTRACTS ARE IMPORTANT! They determine the rights and responsibilities of the parties. They can also be used to limit liability under certain circumstances. The best contracts are those that you never have to look at after they are signed. However, when problems occur, contracts become an essential part of either a claim or a defense to a claim. Here are some tips to consider when entering into and negotiating contracts with various types of vendors. Use a written contract You wouldn’t enter into a verbal lease with a resident, so why is it any different with a vendor? Every time a contractor does work for you, you have a contract, even though it may only be a verbal contract. However, if you have any problems with a contractor, it is beneficial to have the rights and responsibilities of the parties in writing. Contracts can cover all or any part of the aspects of your relationship, including outlining the scope of work, identifying payment terms and minimizing liability through indemnification and insurance requirements. Comply with the Sue Weaver Act Chapter 145 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code (known as the “Sue Weaver Act”) addresses an owner’s liability for a claim of negligent hiring of in-home service companies and residential delivery companies. An “in-home service company” means a person who employs a person to enter another person’s residence and for a fee repair of: (i) an appliance; (ii) the residence’s heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation system; (iii) the residence’s pluming system; or (iv) the residence’s electrical system. A “residential delivery company” means a person who employs a www.haaonline.org

person to, for a fee: (i) deliver an item to another person’s residence; and (ii) enter the residence to place, assemble or install the item. The Act provides that a person who contracts with a residential delivery company to deliver an item, or who contracts with an inhome service company to place, assemble, repair or install an item, is presumed to have not acted negligently in doing so if: (i) the residential delivery company or in-home service company meets certain criminal history screening requirements; or (ii) the person who contracts with the company requests that the company obtain a criminal history background check on any employee of the company being sent to deliver, place, assemble, repair or install an item and the person’s request is in writing and is delivered to the company prior to the company’s employee being sent. The criminal history check required by the statute provides that the person who hires the designated company will be presumed to have not acted negligently if: (i) at the time a person is hired, the company obtained criminal history record information regarding the officer or employee; and (ii) the criminal history record information shows that, in the 20 years preceding the date the information was obtained for a felony, or in the 10 years preceding the date the information was obtained for a Class A or Class B misdemeanor, the officer or employee has not been convicted of, or placed on deferred adjudication for certain offenses. In order to avoid a claim that you would be responsible for an employee of a company that you sent into an occupied unit, you want to, at least, make a request that the company obtain the appropriate criminal history background checks in accordance with the statute. It would be beneficial in any written contract to confirm that you have made this request.

Outline the scope of work What work will be performed by the contractor? The more detailed the description of the work, the less problems you will have holding the contractor accountable. Be sure the contractor is responsible for obtaining all of the applicable licenses and permits and complying with applicable law. Also, be sure to have a clear understanding when the work will begin and when the work will be completed. Clearly outlined payment provisions The most common problems owner and managements companies run into is not having clear payment provisions. It is essential to outline when payment is due, how much will be charged and what the terms of payment will be. It is beneficial under certain types of contracts to have a provision requiring that you approve the work before payment is due. Several types of contractors can file liens against the property. You do not want to be surprised when an invoice comes. By outlining these terms in a written contract, you can minimize, or build defenses to, claims. Obtain a solid indemnity clause, where appropriate. Depending on your negotiation power and leverage, you may be able to have the contract contain appropriate indemnities whereby the contractor will indemnify you for any claims resulting from the conduct of the contractor, subcontractors or their respective employees. If contractors are coming to your property, be sure that the contractors will comply with all applicable rules of the property with respect to access to and from the property, representations to residents and conduct towards residents. Continued July 2022

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Have appropriate insurance requirements Be sure the contractor has the appropriate type and amount of insurance to cover claims relating to its conduct on the property. When appropriate, you may want to require that you be listed as an additional insured. Job responsibility of off-duty police officers If you hire an off-duty police officer, be sure to clarify what services you are hiring the officer for. You do not want to be held responsible if a claim is made against a police officer exercising police-type authority on your property. It is beneficial to clarify that the police officer is not being retained for the purpose of exercising the officer’s authority as a peace officer. You do not have the authority, nor should the officer give you authority, to make arrests, investigate or prevent criminal activities or pursue other conduct which the officer is only authorized to perform as a peace officer. You do not want to be held responsible for the actions the officer takes as a peace officer. Payment provisions in locator contracts Locators are widely used in the apartment in-

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dustry. However, most locators are not operating under a written agreement with the owner of the property. This causes problems with respect to determining whether a locator has earned the locator fee assessed. A written contract can identify when the locator’s commission is earned and payable. If your plan is to only pay a locator if the perspective resident has been a resident in good standing for a period of time, its best to provide this in a written contact. How long is a laundry contract? Many laundry companies have their own contacts which owners tend to sign without much review or question. These are long-term contracts and could significantly impact property operations for a number of years. These contracts should be reviewed and negotiated when appropriate. You may want to consider expressly stating that after the initial term (which is often five to 10 years or more), the contract continues on a month-to-month basis, rather than for “successive periods” (which could be successive 10 year periods). New cable contract rules On February 15, 2022, the FCC promulgated regulations intended to promote the goals of

prohibiting cable companies and other video service providers from enforcing or executing contractual provisions that grant them exclusive right to provide video programming service. The rules prohibit certain revenue sharing agreements and require disclosure of exclusive marketing arrangements. The new requirements went into effect for new contracts April 27, 2022. The compliance date for existing contracts is September 26, 2022. If you share revenue with the cable provider or have exclusive marketing arrangements, changes may have to be made to your contract. You should consult with your cable provider to determine how the contract can be revised to maintain compliance with the new rules. Contracts are a necessary evil in many types of businesses including the apartment industry. You should review your existing operations to determine how you can better avoid problems through written contracts with various types of vendors. Hopefully this series of tips will help you navigate these potentially difficult waters.

Want more Howard? He’s online! Go to http://issuu.com/haa_abode.

www.haaonline.org

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Resident Relations from the RESIDENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE

HOLES IN THE STORY A resident disputes charges for wall damage and a late returned deposit.

A RESIDENT FILED a complaint with HAA disputing charges and the failure to return a security deposit in full within 30 days. The resident’s unit was walked at move-out and the resident and managment agreed that the apartment was in “great shape.” However, the property manager mentioned the need to charge for patched holes in the walls caused by pictures and a TV mount. The resident stated that he did not agree to the charges as he considered it to be normal wear and tear under Texas Property Code and he was not provided an itemized list of deductions at any point. He was charged $330.48 of his $700 deposit for damage to the walls. The resident did not receive his partial

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deposit refund within 30 days and received no response from management. A partial deposit was returned 52 days after move out. The resident provided photos of the apartment. Management Response Management responded to HAA with copies of call logs, email exchanges, photos, move-out statement, move-in/move-out inspection form, photo of the security deposit refund check and the resident ledger. The Committee’s Decision The committee decided in favor of the resident. Management did not provide a signed lease and did not provide the resident with

his security deposit within the 30-day allotted timeframe. Management was to refund the resident’s remaining deposit of $369.52. The HAA Resident Relations Committees provide an impartial review of resident complaints using the documentation provided by both the resident and management. If you are a manager with a resident relations issue, call HAA at 713-595-0300 for direct assistance. Renters can be referred to HAA by calling 713-595-0300 to speak to a trained consultant, fluent in English and Spanish, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents can also be directed online to www.haaonline.org/renters.

www.haaonline.org

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Stand Up & Stand Out

Forty Under 40 Celebration Thursday, September 15 6 p.m. to 8:30 pm 40 Below

located under Bayou Music Center at 520 Texas Ave. Early bird register by August 19: $65 After August 19: $75

www.haaonline.org/events

Join the conversation: #HAA40under40

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Property management supervisors and executives: Don’t miss this free networking opportunity that supports our industry. Join HAA and our chairs, Melissa Herrera, Cushman & Wakefield, and Penny Sprang, Greystar, for the 16th annual HAA Business Exchange, a great opportunity to learn about the latest industry products and services in an online, controlled environment and give back to your industry. Find supplier partners that can help with your needs with CapEx Projects, renovations, staffing, pest control, technology and more!

Thursday, September 1 HCC West Houston Institute, 2811 Hayes Road, 77082 8 a.m. – Registration 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Exchange

Owners/Property Management: The Business Exchange is a forum where property management leaders are seated at tables while supplier representatives move around the room, selecting the individuals they wish to visit. Each visit has a five minute limit. Supplier companies pay for this opportunity and your attendance makes this possible. This event raises money for the Houston Apartment Foundation Scholarship Fund. The HAF Scholarship Fund provides monetary assistance to students who are pursuing their credentials. By simply attending, (you pay nothing) you are helping us grow talented people to work in the industry. To take part in this great fundraising event, contact HAA’s Susan Hinkley at shinkley@haaonline.org.

Suppliers: See more at: www.haaonline.org/businessexchange or contact Susan Hinkley at shinkley@haaonline.org or 713-595-0313 for more information.

You will have access to a number of property management leaders from owner executives to maintenance supervisors. The first two participants from your company pay $400 each with an option for a third participant at $425.

www.haaonline.org/businessexchange

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Friday, July 8

Welcome to the jungle as we roll on over to Copperfield Bowl for the 2022 HAA Bowling Tournament! Shout it out loud as the top bowlers bring home the hardware and light your fire with a bit of lunch and libations. Get lost in your rock-n-roll for the team and individual bowling and costume contest awards.

Copperfield Bowl 15615 Glen Chase Drive 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Registration and practice – 12:30 p.m. Tournament begins at 1 p.m.

Spectators – $30/person Team Registration (5 players) – $320 Maximum of two teams per company. Price includes 3 games, shoes and buffet.

Sponsored by American Fire Systems and Contractors Inc.

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y l i m a f i t l u M The

Game Show

hosted by

NEXT Fundraiser supporting Halo House Foundation

Wednesday, july 20 HAF Education Center 4810 Westway park blvd.

Open to all HAA members Proceeds will go to Halo House Foundation, a nonprofit that enables access to lifesaving treatment at the Texas Medical Center by providing affordable fully-furnished apartments and a community of support to blood cancer patients and their caregivers.

5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Table of 8 - $500 Individual Seat - $65 Registration includes heavy appetizers and your first drink.

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JULY S M

Calendar HAA Education, Events and Meetings SCHEDULE

W T

3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28 31

F 1 8 15 22 29

S 2 9 16 23 30

AUGUST S M T 1 2 7 8 9 14 15 16 21 22 23 28 29 30

W 3 10 17 24 31

T 4 11 18 25

F 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

JULY 4

HAA Closed Monday, July 4 The HAA Offices and HAF Education Center will be closed in observance of Independence Day.

New Supplier Member Orientation Wednesday, July 6 10 a.m. Via Zoom All new supplier members are welcome. Contact members@haaonline.org for the link to join. Ambassador ONE Society Happy Hour Wednesday, July 6 3:30 p.m. Kirby Ice House Memorial City 1015 Gessner Road Ambassador members only. Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

Legal Lowdown Thursday, July 7 3 p.m. HAA's Monthly Legal Series comes to you virtually with Howard Bookstaff. Registrants receive access links via email one day prior to event date. Visit the event calendar at www.haaonline.org to register. Sponsored by Carrier Enterprise

Featured Event: HAA Bowling Tournament Friday, July 8 12:30 p.m. Copperfield Bowl 15615 Glen Chase Drive 77095 It’s time to jam! Join HAA to Rock-nBowl! See Page 18 for details. Sponsored by American Fire Systems and Contractors Inc.

Crime Prevention Round Table Wednesday, July 13 11:30 a.m. Contact Lauren Turner at lturner@haaonline.org for details. Sponsored by American Fire Systems Resident Relations Committee A Meeting Wednesday, July 13 Via Zoom 2 p.m.

13-14

CPO Course Wednesday, July 13 and Thursday, July 14 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. See Page 24 for details.

Baytown Region Meeting Thursday July 14 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Open to onsite personnel only. The program and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m. This event is free, but we kindly ask you to RSVP yourself and/or team members. Visit www.haaonline.org/outreach meetings for up-to-date information. Contact outreach@haaonline.org to RSVP. Sponsored by Redevelopment Services Product Service Council Outing Thursday, July 14 Noon Contact Susan at shinkley@haaonline.org for details.

Community Career Night Tuesday, July 19 Noon Open to hiring from outside of the industry? HAA will host a career fair for those job seekers looking to begin a new career in multifamily Cost for table: $250. Contact education@haaonline.org with questions or to register to attend as an employer.

Expert Exchange Wednesday, July 20 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Join HAA and guest Satisfacts for HAA’s Micro Webinar series made available to you via Zoom and YouTube (subscribe to HAATV). NEXT Fundraiser: The Multifamily Game Show Wednesday, July 20 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Open to all HAA members Join the HAA’s young professionals group as they host a fundraiser supporting Halo House Foundation. See Page 26 for details.

Avenues: Leadership Lane 2 – The Middle Child of the Multifamily Industry: Specialized Training for Assistant Manager with Vicki Sharp Tuesday, July 26 8:30 a.m. to noon This session will focus on typical duties of the assistant manager, including rent collection, lease renewals and stepping in the manager’s role when needed. See Page 22 for details. Sponsored by Best Plumbing

NEXT Committee Meeting Wednesday, July 27 6 p.m. Contact Lauren at lragin@haaonline.org for details.

27-28

TAA Quarterly Meetings Wednesday, July 27 and Thursday, July 28 Visit www.taa.org for details.

21-23, 28-30

Extreme CAM Thursday, July 21 thourgh Saturday, July 23 and Thursday July 28 through Saturday, July 30 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Managers: Get certified fast in this intensive program. See Page 23 for details.

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, all events meet at our Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., second floor, in either the Direct Energy and Liberty Personnel & Executive Search or the Camden and Michael Stevens Interests Room. Meetings located at the HAA Offices, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., first floor, will be held in the Redi Carpet and Winograd Families/Judwin Properties Conference Room. See www.haaonline.org/events for an interactive calendar. 20

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www.haaonline.org

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Please note that dates and times are subject to change. Check the calendars at www.haaonline.org/events for the most up-to-date information.

AUGUST 3

New Supplier Member Orientation Wednesday, August 3 10 a.m. Via Zoom All new supplier members are welcome. Contact members@haaonline.org for the link to join. Ambassador ONE Society Happy Hour Wednesday, August 3 3:30 p.m. Kirby Ice House Memorial City 1015 Gessner Road Ambassador members only. Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

Legal Lowdown Thursday, August 4 3 p.m. HAA's Monthly Legal Series comes to you virtually with Howard Bookstaff. Registrants receive access links via email one day prior to event date. Visit the event calendar at www.haaonline.org to register.

Resident Relations Committee B Meeting Wednesday, August 10 Via Zoom 2 p.m.

16-17

Leasing 101 Tuesday, August 16 and Wednesday, August 17 8:30 a.m. to Noon NEW: Attend both days or Day 2 only for a TAA Lease 2.0 refresher course! From Fair Housing and the TAA lease paperwork, to today’s terminology and techniques, the industry’s most seasoned and dynamic instructors are on hand to educate students on the boundless potential that awaits those who choose the apartment management industry as their career. Visit www.haaonline.org for more information.

Product Service Council Meeting Thursday, August 18 9 a.m. Contact Susan at shinkley@haaonline.org for details. Woodlands Region Meeting Thursday August 18 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Open to onsite personnel only. An update from Judge Matt Beasley and Constable Ryan Gable open to onsite personnel only. This event is free, but we kindly ask you to RSVP for yourself and/or team members. Visit www.haaonline.org/outreach meetings for up-to-date information. Contact outreach@haaonline.org to RSVP.

IROC Breakfast Friday, August 19 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. The Independent Rental Owners' Connection offers customized education and networking programs just for you!

HAA PAC Luncheon Wednesday, August 24 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact Madison at mpolston@haaonline.org. for details.

Blue Star Program Thursday, August 25 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Blue Star Certification Program is a joint effort by the Houston Police Department and HAA. Created for rental properties of all sizes, the program's goal is to help law enforcement officials and the multifamily housing industry work together to effectively reduce criminal activity in rental properties. Please direct questions to officer Leoroy Ferguson at Leoroy.Ferguson @houstonpolice.org.

NEXT Social Thursday, August 25 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Join the HAA’s young professionals group for networking and more! This niche group within HAA is dedicated to the networking and professional development needs of HAA members under 40. Visit www.haaonline.org/NEXT for details.

Featured Event: Maintenance Appreciation Night at the Houston Dynamo Wednesday, August 31 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. PNC Stadium Treat your maintenance teams to a night out with the Houston Dynamo as they take on LAFC.

Maintenance Appreciation NIGHT

Wednesday, August 31 • Register at www.haaonline.org/events www.haaonline.org

July 2022

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Sponsored by

All new content foaaron2lin0e.2org2fo!r details. See www.h

Maintenance

BLVD

Leadership

Marketing

Avenues: Maintenance Blvd - 2 October 6 Creeped Out by Bids and Scopes of Work? Top Tips to Produce Successful Contractswith Chris King-Dye, Full House Marketing

Avenues: Leadership Lane - 2 July 26th The Middle Child of the Multifamily Industry: Specialized Training for Assistant Manager with Vicki Sharp

Avenues: Marketing Place - 2 July 7 Connecting The Dot: Your Blueprint to TikTok & Instagram with Megan Orser, Smart Apartment Marketing

Avenues: Maintenance Blvd - 3 November 3 Dude, where’s my caulk? Inventory Management and Shop Organization with Chris King-Dye, Full House Marketing

Avenues: Leadership Lane - 3 September 21 Feedback Is A Gift Successful Leaders Give with Steve Wunch

Avenues: Marketing Place - 3 September 8 Getting “HITCHed!” How to Help Your Clients Fall in Love with Your Community! with Rommel Anacan

Follow a road that fits you career journey with Avenues. The Avenues series of seminars feature some of the best nationally-acclaimed speakers in the industry with learning sessions for every level of multifamily professional. Annual Property Subscriptions are available with unlimited attendance for all on-site property staff to all sessions at discounted prices: • Only $199 per year per property for properties with fewer than 200 units • Only $399 per year per property for properties with 200 to 350 units. • Only $450 per year per property for properties with more than 350 units. If you need a single workshop, individual sessions are priced at only $50 per person, a real steal for quality education.

Look for the class schedule and online at www.haaonline.org for details. Contact the HAA Education Department at education@haaonline.org or register online at www.haaonline.org.

Need just o ne seminar Individual s e s s ? ions are pric per person, ed at a real steal

o for quality e nly $50 ducation!

Look for the class schedule and online at www.haaonline.org for details. Contact the HAA Education Department at education@haaonline.org or register online at www.haaonline.org.

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The Certified Apartment Manager credential is already exceptional. Presented in a super-charged format, Extreme CAM accelerates the education process and allows you to attain the CAM credential via a schedule that works best for you. (Recommended for experienced managers only) Designation Requirements To qualify for the CAM program, candidates must: • have worked in the apartment industry for at least 12 months (can be obtained during the candidacy period for CAM); • successfully completed the nine courses listed below (which total 55½ hours) • receive a passing grade of at least 70 percent on the online comprehensive exam Please note that new registrations received within three days of the course will be assessed a $50 administrative fee to cover shipping costs for course materials.

Extreme CAM Class Schedule: Two scheduling options; classes during the week only or classes offered on Saturdays. Cost: $1,300/person

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Summer Schedule (six days): Classes are held Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays July 21-23; July 28-30 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fall Schedule (five days): Classes are held during the work week only November 7-11 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Successful completion of this course offers apartment industry personnel a five-year certification from the National Swimming Pool Foundation and ensures pool chemicals are being used properly and when appropriate.

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Recommended for anyone working with pools, this course is also a great course for property managers. Make sure you are up-to-date on local codes to help reduce risk and liability by attending this informative session.

Although the course and texts are presented entirely in English, Spanish-language exams are available upon request.

Instructor: Grant Almquist, Texas Apartment Pool Services

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RCR Update

By TINA DEFIORE, Director of Rental Credit Reporting, and CHRISTIN RYALS, SafeRent Solutions

A NEW FRONTIER OF FRAUD Identity-related fraud has hit the multifamily industry hard since the COVID-19 pandemic.

FRAUDSTERS ARE VERY tunedin to significant world events, the most recent being the COVID-19 pandemic. With contactless interaction and business functions moving digital – including virtual tours, online lease applications, and payments – it’s no wonder why identity fraud is one of the most prevalent trends in multifamily rentals. Since the pandemic, the rental industry has been one of the hardest hit by different variations of identity-related fraud. A recent survey of over 150 property management companies revealed that more than 73% identified fraudulent activity after an applicant moves in. Costs for fraud-related evictions vary depending on the eviction laws of the state where a property is located. Some states allow immediate evictions, while fraudsters in other states may be able to live rent-free for up to a year. Synthetic Identity Fraud Makes Waves With today's technology, any identifying document – birth certificates, driver's licenses, pay stubs, Social Security cards, even passports – can be created or purchased to build an identity. The murky underworld of the dark web and internet forums provide an international platform for buying and selling stolen identities. Synthetic fraud has been the fastest-growing type – the fabrication of an entirely new identity using legitimate components from several different identities. Fraudsters create fictitious identities by using various elements of real identities, such as the name of one person, address from another, or the Social Security number of a minor or deceased person. One of the reasons synthetic fraud works

is because every inquiry to a credit bureau creates a credit file. A study by Equifax reveals that accounts are typically created with a postal address, phone number and email address the fraudster has access to and can control. For example, in the Fall of 2020, a fraud ring was indicted in New York on charges of scheming banks out of more than $1 million in loans through synthetic fraud. They combined real Social Security numbers with fictitious names to create new identities. With their first scheme being incredibly lucrative, they decided to go bolder and strike again. The target was the federal government this time. The fraudsters managed to take $1 million from the Paycheck Protection Program, designed to help people who had lost their businesses or employment due to the pandemic. The group is currently awaiting sentencing for more than 108 counts of illegal financial activity. Last year, a new variation of synthetic fraud emerged – the development of AI to impersonate consumers' voices and faces. These sophisticated tactics can impact your bottom line and complicate the identity verification process. The ever-changing fraud landscape Learn more about the current tactics used to commit identity fraud and how to prevent fraudsters from securing a lease at your property: Incorrect Applicant Data and No Social Security Number A screening provider can help take the guesswork out of assessing potential appli-

cants and alert you to inaccurate data. Typically, you will experience two types of alerts: • An applicant that provides falsified data will likely not match any credit reports through the credit agency you are working with • If the Social Sercurity number (SSN) is false, you may receive a warning that the SSN is out of range and has never been assigned Some solutions can help you verify SSNs. You can know in minutes if the SSN is valid and verify that the name, date of birth, and SSN match the Social Security Administration’s records and Death Master File Audit. Credit Profile Number or Credit Privacy Number You have probably seen ads on social media for credit repair companies offering their services to help individuals clean up and repair credit. These companies usually create Credit Profile Numbers or Credit Privacy Number (CPNs). With a new CPN, applicants could potentially circumvent bad credit or often use stolen Social Security numbers of children or the elderly to build new credit files. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the use of CPNs in the place of an SSN in a financial transaction is a federal crime and could be considered identity theft. Income History Pay stubs are usually the best proof of income. Still, property management companies should collect at least one other source of income and compare the two. Be sure that you are auditing paycheck stubs with a few / See Fraud, Page 55

Sources: Identity and Fraud Trends Report Q2 2021 - Equifax Fraud in Multifamily: A call to action, by the numbers https://www.experian.com/blogs/global-insights/7-fraud-trends-and-predictions-for-2022/ https://www.naahq.org/cpns-and-their-ill-effects-resident-screening https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/04/07/thieves-hit-on-a-new-scam-synthetic-identity-fraud https://ﬁtsmallbusiness.com/renter-show-proof-of-income/ www.haaonline.org

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Industry Update from the NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION and the NATIONAL MULTIHOUSING COUNCIL

SOCIAL MEDIA’S PERSUASIVE EDGE: EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT

By celebrating a company’s culture, new hires and career tracks, hiring and retaining employees becomes easier. By Paul Bergeron

RECRUITING ON SOCIAL media, especially LinkedIn, is the “new marketing” for the rental housing industry, and it’s roaring at just the right time. “Companies are having a really hard time keeping good people,” Jen Piccotti, Chief Learning Officer, Swift Bunny, said in a presentation in March at the Multifamily Social Media Summit. Before applying to a job, 82% of employees (a 7% increase over the past five years) consider employer brand and reputation, she says, and 86% of job seekers use social media in their job search to search for relevant jobs, and apply to jobs directly from social sites, engage with jobrelated content and more. Sites such as Glassdoor are having a greater impact, she says, as more candidates are checking out a company’s “Rate Your CEO” section on Glassdoor as part of their due diligence. “Passive candidates might not be scrolling through job boards, but they are scrolling through their social media feeds and looking at your company’s culture to see if yours is a company that would be a good fit,” Piccotti says. Atop candidates’ rankings for places where they are considering employment: Is the executive leadership team respected by employees, and whether the company has dedicated and hard-working employees, she says. ‘We’re Different’ LinkedIn gives companies a chance to show “how we’re different,” Piccotti says. For example, a Senior Vice President at Wood Partners, four months into her position there, posted to LinkedIn, “I often find myself grateful and proud to work at Wood but today is extra special. On our all-employee call, our CEO announced in celebration and in recognition of having our best year on record, our Partners will award to all associates, across all disciplines and divisions, a bonus equal to one month’s salary.

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“This is incredibly generous of our partners, especially considering that Wood is over 800 associates strong. Not only did our CEO announce this news on behalf of himself and the partners, but he thanked every associate for being here and choosing Wood. “Throughout the day I’ve heard of the emotional responses of so many, humbled and full of gratitude, several moved to tears. What a great day for this company.” An Executive Vice President at TriCap Residential posted, “Our sales managers are 100% remote. We provide the tools to rent our valueadd apartment homes and they get to do it from their very own home-work space. Interested in checking out a new way to lease? We are hiring – from anywhere! Come join us and ring in 2022 with a new career at TriCap.” RangeWater Real Estate recognized the efforts of one of its employees (Andrea Collins), who became the company’s first recipient of its $10,000 Impact Foundation grant. She will use those funds to support the Birmingham, Ala.based nonprofit Morgan’s Closet (where she volunteers), a company that provides women job candidates with interview training and wardrobe staples. Personal and Celebratory Posts Resonate Venterra Realty’s social feed is very lively “and it seems like their employees are having a great time over there,” Piccotti says. One effective post read: “Congrats to our latest Lifelong Learning winners who have $500 headed their way for their dedication to professional development last quarter!” To that, Piccotti says, “Way to turn a requirement into an incentive! I hear so many companies struggling with getting their people to comply with their training requirements and Venterra turns it into a bonus opportunity, as well as a social post which celebrates these folks as super stars! This is all very smart.” Showcasing career development and opportunities to develop and grow are very impactful.

A community manager with Hawthorne Residential posted, “This morning I received the news I’ve been working towards for the last year – I have officially completed my career path for Community Manager and could not be more excited.” Underneath, Hawthorne posted, “Congratuations! You Have Reached a New Level!” “First of all, Hawthorne has a well-defined career path, and their actively moving folks through it,” Piccotti says. “Think about all the multifamily peeps or random job seekers on LinkedIn encountering this post. They’ll all think: That’s the kind of company I want to work at.” Apartment Dynamics posted a photo of a team member. It reads, “Happy to share good news! [She] was promoted to Senior Property Manager!” And the post goes on to tell a little bit more about her and her career journey. “This is so very personal and celebratory,” Piccotti says. “No doubt, sharing this story not only made her feel like a celebrity, but it revealed to everyone else in their organization what it takes to be promoted and how they can be like her. And like the Hawthorne post, every non-employee who sees this on LinkedIn will also think – hey, great opportunities exist at Apartment Dynamics.” Campus Advantage had a post that not only celebrated an individual promotion but an overall achievement. The company announced that it had 101 promotions in 2021. This is very inspiring to employees and job seekers alike, Piccotti said. The post read, “Here’s to many more in 2022. We love celebrating our team’s success!” “Such a simple message but a powerful one,” Piccotti said. Olympus Properties offered what is clearly a recruitment focused post on LinkedIn. Its choice of copy is “excellent,” Piccotti says. Here’s a bit of it: “Your Career Starts Here: Regardless of your current job title, role, or responsibilities, there’s / See NAA Update, Page 65 www.haaonline.org

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On the Scene with the CHALLENGE CUP TOURNAMENT 25th Annual Camp Construction Challenge Cup Thursday and Friday, May 5 and 6 at TPC San Antonio The 25th Challenge Cup Tournament, pitting Houston against Dallas, raised $32,000 for the National Apartment Association Political Action Committee. This year’s big winner was the Houston team! Kirk Tate, one of the founders of the Challenge Cup Tournament, is retiring after 25 years of dedication and was honored during the event. During Tate’s tenure, the tournament has raised more than $600,000 for the NAA PAC.

Title Sponsor Camp Construction Services Gold Sponsor Century A/C Supply

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Silver Sponsors On Point DeFord's AZ Partsmaster Guardian Construction Renu Inc. Valet Living Luma Residential We Do Trash Rasa Floors H2O Plumbing Liberty Rent MFI Pappas Roofing Element Enterprises Impact Property Solutions AAA Plumbers Infinity Power

www.haaonline.org

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www.haaonline.org

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On the Scene Photos by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography HAA 2022 Education Conference & Expo Thursday, May 19 at NRG Center HAA members and exhibitors were back on schedule for HAA’s annual conference and expo. Thousands of attendees enjoyed education sessions with the Apartment All Stars and networking on the show floor.

Thank you to our generous Sponsors: Lanyards: Crestmark Construction Services Grand Entrance: Crestmark Construction Services Expo Showcase: AAA Plumbers Contractors Inc. Bars: BluSky Restoration Contractors Guardian Construction Expo Mobile Device Charging Station: Camp Construction Services Century A/C Supply Expo Aisle Signs: American Fire Systems Cotton Commercial USA Dixie Carpet Installations Guardian Construction Hire Priority Staffing & Executive Search Ideal Towing Milwaukee Tool Urban Value Corner Store Expo Hand Sanitizer Stations: Core Landscape Flooring Warehouse Board Meeting SafeRent Solutions Booth Winners: Best in Show 1st Place Single 2nd Place Single 3rd Place Single 1st Place Multiple 2nd Place Multiple 3rd Place Multiple

Crestmark Construction City Pups Ameritex Movers Apartment Life La Salle Landscaping Redi Carpet Sales of Houston Dixie Carpet Installations

“Scan to Win” Prize Winners: Ivana Tinoco Billy Smith Liliana Ponce Ruiz

For more photos, visit the photo galleries at www.haaonline.org.

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On the Scene Photos by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography HAA 2022 Education Conference & Expo

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On the Scene Photos by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography HAA 2022 Education Conference & Expo

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On the Scene Photos by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography HAA 2022 Education Conference & Expo

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There has never been such a lack of candidates as there is today. Simple as that. Will you take a chance on someone new? By

NIKKI SEKUNDA, CAS, The Liberty Group

Hire Green, Then Help Them Grow

e’ve heard it from many multifamily executives: They fell into this industry because someone they met on a random day offered them a job to manage a community on the spot. A small base salary and a free apartment is how many of our executive leaders today got into our industry. It wasn’t a highly decorated resume with tons of qualifications or a degree. Was it personality? Drive? Maybe it was fate that brought them into multifamily. I fell into this industry because my mother has worked in multifamily for more than 20 years. She came to this country with nothing and started off as a leasing consultant. I’ve seen it all through my mom’s struggles and wins in the industry and how wild it can be. I told myself when I was younger “I will NEVER work in multifamily.” Though, I couldn’t help but look up to my mom and the leaders around her, like Suan Tinsley. And just like that, straight out of high school, I found myself onsite, leasing away and realizing the potential multifamily offered me.

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Who’s Giving Green A Chance Today? Being part of the Houston Apartment Association’s Careers Committee has sparked a new passion in me. I find myself thinking “How can we go back to the days when someone was willing to take a chance on our leaders of today?” How can we hire green again? I read an article that stated, “In a recent survey conducted by multifamily software provider AppFolio and the National Apartment Association, 74% of property professionals said staffing and recruitment was their top challenge today. Hiring new talent was the toughest task within that category, according to the survey results, with training and retaining current talent a close second and third.” With our industry expanding this must be an area of focus, for those who believe that it’s not the product that sells, but the people. Getting ahead of the curve is how we solve these issues. According to ApartmentData.com, 81 communities with 21,777 units recently opened, 48 communities with 12,618 units are currently under construction and 108 communities with 32,285 units are proposed. Our industry is thriving, so targeting green

talent is more important than ever! I’ve heard it from executives more times than I can count, “We can’t find anyone.” Our focus needs to shift. It’s not just hiring college graduates. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 67.2% of high school students don’t go to college. Targeting this huge number could solve our industry’s labor shortage. There are tons of benefits to hiring green employees. Inexperienced employees can be more eager to learn, work harder to prove themselves and can be easily trained on your systems and processes without the potential bad habits an experienced person can bring with them. Lack of experience can also bring fresh perspectives onsite. Out of the box thinking and innovation is key to keeping our industry fresh and forward thinking. Are You Maintaining Your Professionals? There is never enough time in the day for our onsite teams. The responsibility of running hundreds of units with staff – collecting rent, pushing rent, turning units, completing work orders, ordering parts, working with vendors – the list goes on

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Most people I speak with outside of our industry don’t realize the potential multifamily has. Hire that eager server at your favorite restaurant for leasing, talk to that HEB parking lot attendant for maintenance. and on. Yet one of our biggest challenges is PEOPLE. We need people to collect rent, run tickets, turn units and push rent. Most importantly, what’s setting communities apart from one another isn’t amenities, it’s customer service. We don’t have the luxury of always finding the right person with the right experience. More and more companies are now hiring trainers, but not hiring green talent. So why isn’t hiring green a priority? Incentivizing onsite employees to hire green is a great opportunity. Creating mentorship roles for leasing and maintenance professionals and compensating them for helping train these new employees promotes comradery and loyalty. Tenure for candidates is getting shorter and shorter onsite and we can combat this issue. Proper training and investing in your employees can go a long way. Maintenance is a huge struggle for our industry as well. I have asked industry professionals their personal opinions and nine out of 10 management employees, from different companies and levels, said that maintenance has the highest turnover. Maintenance is such a huge key to a community’s success, yet it has the highest turnover in our industry. Establishing good maintenance programs will entice the younger generation into joining our industry. Investing in their education, so that they can become a Certified Maintenance Technician or HVAC certified, giving them opportunity for growth and fair compensation are all huge for the next up and comers

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of our industry. Most importantly, a wellbalanced on call schedule. You’d be surprised how many maintenance professionals say that the on-call schedule is their main motivation to make a change in employment, followed by compensation and lack of appreciation. More and more professionals I speak to are exiting the industry. Not just maintenance, but property managers as well. Lack of support, compensation and training, and exhaustion, are among the biggest complaints I hear. Having a good training program to promote from within and hiring green behind them is the easiest way to grow our industry. Retention is important too, but there must be employees to retain! In fact, 87% of millennials rate career growth and development opportunities as one of the most important parts of their jobs. Asking our employees what they want and promoting them is a great retention tool. Why aren’t onsite employees being promoted into corporate roles as well? I’ve had so many conversations with onsite employees about their goals to get into a corporate role. Why not promote them? They have a great understanding of onsite management and how things work. They understand your company and have loyalty to you when they are promoted. Take the Challenge I challenge our leaders of today to consider the entry level candidate and help them grow. Not just the degreed interns, but

MORE degreed interns and MORE high school graduates. Our industry lacks sufficient candidates in finance, construction, leasing, maintenance and development. I also challenge our supplier partners to hire green. Now more than ever suppliers are looking for eager sales representatives, installers, plumbers, painters, roofers – the list goes on. Most people I speak with outside of our industry don’t realize the potential multifamily has. Hire that eager server at your favorite restaurant for leasing, talk to that HEB parking lot attendant for maintenance. There are tons of opportunities in our daily lives to touch others and help them rise in our fast-paced industry. Let’s remember how someone took a chance on us. With the amount of growth Houston is experiencing, we cannot afford not to challenge each other to hire employees without experience. One of my favorite quotes says it all: “You don't hire for skills; you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.” – Simon Sinek. Nikki Sekunda, CAS, is senior executive search recruiter for The Liberty Group. Nikki is an active HAA volunteer and is a member of the HAA Product Service Council and Careers Committee. She can be contacted at 832-243-8888 or nikkis@thelibertygroup.com.

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It is important to spend time intentionally connecting and creating relationships with people. By

CAROLINE FERGUSON, Southwest Utility Solutions

Relationships. Building them, feeding them and scaling them. The saying “our network is our net worth” has some truth to it. The collective impact and influence that our networks have is massive. Think about it for a second in terms of the world we’re all in: Multifamily … Though we may directly be interacting and engaging with a small group of people, the impact our engagement has touches other people.

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how me an article or news story that says “This just in, relationships are no longer important.” It’s like a company having a core value of dishonesty or disrespect – it just doesn’t happen! Relationships and connections with other human beings is what has always, and will continue to, make the world go ‘round. So the question is, why? Why is it important to spend time intentionally connecting and creating relationships with people? Why is it so necessary for us to invest our energy in feeding and maintaining relationships? If they’re so fruitful and great, how do we scale them in an authentic way to support our businesses? It’s all in the network. When I was in college, I remember sitting down with my mentor and listening to him explain to me the power of having a robust network. I also remember him explaining that having a real, engaged and thoughtful network has to go beyond simply connecting with someone on LinkedIn or Facebook. The saying “our network is our net worth” has some truth to it. The collective impact and influence that our networks have is massive. Think about it for a second in terms of the world we’re all in: Multifamily. Your onsite teams, your offsite teams, your supporting partner and vendor teams, your ownership teams, your asset management teams, your residents. These are all teams composed of human beings that you have (or should have) relationships with. If no one has told you yet, let me be the first to say it, we’re in

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In our industry especially, when we’re thoughtful and intentional with how we choose to cultivate and maintain our relationships, the impact we have goes far beyond the immediate person we’re in relationship with.

the people business. Everything we do as an industry is intimate and impactful. Touching someone’s home and creating a space for them to live in and raise their families is deeply personal. There are real relationships, real emotions and real connections that take place here. Can you imagine for a moment if Walt Disney had decided to build his Disneyland dream all by himself? What if one person on your team decided that they alone could run every facet of your company without any help? Have you ever heard of a skyscraper being built by one person alone? Great things require people. Working with people requires being in some form of community with them. Being in a community means, yep, you guessed it, you’re now in the relationship business! It’s all in the engagement. When we think about building and feeding relationships intentionally and authentically, one overarching theme comes to mind: engagement. I’m not talking about getting engaged or a wedding ceremony. When I say engagement, I’m referring to its literal definition: “the state of being engaged.” Building and feeding relationships in an intentional way means we’re engaged authentically with the people we do life with. This means our relationships should be active. An active relationship means there’s communication, presence and acknowledgement. Relationships that are impactful require participation. We’ve all experienced the one-way relationship and aren’t they exhausting? Meaningful connections require time and energy. • It’s important that you remember birthdays. • It’s important that you celebrate new promotions. • It’s important that you mourn and grieve during times of loss. • It’s important that you are showing up for your community, team and partners.

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It’s all in the influence. Let’s talk about impact and influence. Most of the time, we assume the impact and influence we have ends with the person we’re directly in relationship with. As an example, if I’m talking to one of my clients, the assumption could be made that the impact of my words ends when our conversation ends. The truth is that rarely happens. The impact we have on the people around us goes beyond the people we are directly doing life with. My favorite way to think about this is by comparing it to how networking on LinkedIn works. For those that are looking for some pointers on how to use LinkedIn, take some notes here. It’s all in the connections. LinkedIn has three levels of connections: 1st Degree, 2nd Degree and 3rd Degree connections. 1st Degree connections are people you are directly connected with, 2nd Degree connections are connected to your 1st Degree connections and 3rd Degree connections are connected to your 2nd Degree connections. Imagining these levels is easiest for me if we look at them like circles within a circle. On LinkedIn, when you interact with people and engage with posts, most of the time you are going to be engaging with someone you are directly connected to, or your 1st Degree connections. The engagement doesn’t stop there, though. While you may not be engaging directly with content posted by your 2nd and 3rd Degree connections, LinkedIn is sharing your content with them. This means that the connections of your connections on LinkedIn are seeing what you are posting and who you are interacting with. Why does any of this matter? Our real life communities and relationships are not much different. Though we may directly be interacting and engaging with a small group of people, the impact

our engagement has touches other people. Consider Simon Sinek or Brene Brown, neither one of them have immediate connection to us (if they do, you are super cool and I’m jealous), but we are impacted by the power of their relationships and how they engage with their community! It’s all in the community. Building, feeding and scaling relationships is crucial for our businesses. Building and feeding thoughtful community and intentionally connecting at scale creates an opportunity for tremendous impact. In our industry especially, when we’re thoughtful and intentional with how we choose to cultivate and maintain our relationships, the impact we have goes far beyond the immediate person we’re in relationship with. How we build and feed relationships with our onsite teams affects how our residents perceive how their home is maintained. How we build and feed relationships with vendors and supplier partners affects how your management team is perceived and viewed. How we build and feed relationships with our coworkers and employees affects how they show up to work and how they go home to their families in the evening. It’s all in the relationships. Relationships are non-negotiables. They’re necessary and required. Building, feeding, and scaling them has tremendous impact on our businesses and communities. Caroline Ferguson is the vice president for Southwest Utility Solutions. Ferguson can be reached at cferguson@swutilitysolutions.com.

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Finding new talent and keeping staff members satisfied can be a daunting feat for property managers in Houston. With a bit of strategy, a willingness to communicate with staff members and the right resources, you can face these challenges head-on.

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Here are strategies to help property management companies find and retain quality employees. By

LEIGH IGUESS, Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates

Find and Keep Them A

s employee retention rates fluctuate in the property management industry, Houston apartment owners are struggling to find tenants and hold on to talent. The National Apartment Association reported in December 2021 that more than half of job openings in Houston’s real estate sector were apartment job requisitions. These statistics, combined with the nation’s ongoing labor shortage, present a weighty challenge for the apartment sector to overcome — how to improve employee retention with minimal financial risk. With corporations offering competitive benefits and attractive salaries, property owners and community managers are looking for low-risk strategies with proven results. There are several approaches companies can take to combat these issues, but the best solutions take into consideration industry-specific conditions, long-term financial outcomes and individual employee needs. Be Strategic When Searching for New Team Members Many companies are using higher salaries, unique benefits packages and flexible working conditions to attract employees and stand out from the competition. Of course, before settling on any such offerings, it’s important to consider how they might impact the business as a whole. For example, flexible hours can be a great way to give staff members more control over their schedules, so long as they don’t result in extended office closures or issues that impact the resident experience. At the same time, salary increases can improve employees’ quality of life, but won’t fix convoluted issues in the job market, and must be approached with careful consideration to the company’s bottom line. You might consider other small offerings that have a big

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impact on employees’ wellbeing. Mental health benefits, opportunities for growth and incentivized health programs, for instance, can show a company cares about its workers while also meeting the needs of a post-pandemic work environment. Such programs only work if team members are on board, however. Conduct anonymous surveys to help identify what benefits matter most to current employees. Then, use feedback to guide conversations with your company’s employee benefits expert to determine the solutions that make the most sense for your business, current and future employees, and the residents you serve. Find Ways to Help Existing Team Members Grow in Their Field Upskilling, or training current employees to take on additional responsibilities within a workplace, is an effective way to add value to roles while promoting growth within the company. By implementing a professional development plan, you can encourage individuals to master new skills, help your business meet its objectives and provide opportunities for team members to advance in the industry. Personalized training which matches a team member’s individual talents and interests to the needs of the company can benefit employee and businesses alike. After all, if a person can envision a future with the company, they’re more likely to remain on. Here are some simple steps you can take when implementing such a program. • Step 1: Determine Areas in Need of Improvement Together with your benefits advisor, assess the company’s situation. Evaluate skill gaps among current employees, identify areas of overspending and pinpoint outdated practices that could benefit from updates. From there, you can develop train-

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In many ways, employee and resident retention go hand in hand. By creating an uplifting work environment with offerings that make employees feel valued, companies differentiate themselves from their competitors and create a community where people want to live.

ing methods that help you meet your business’s unique obstacles. • Step 2: Look to the Future It helps to know what you’ll be up against. Analyzing the market, observing industry trends and reviewing public opinion surveys are just a few ways to determine what your company’s needs might look like down the road. Your risk management professional should be able to help you pinpoint trends and issues that could impact future business, and help you determine the best strategy to address them. • Step 3: Evaluate Your Current Workforce Once you know the skillsets required to help your company continue into the future, it’s time to determine which team members can help you get there. One-onone performance evaluations help you address employees’ goals and past work while also gauging their interest in picking up additional skillsets. Such reviews help employees understand exactly where they stand in terms of performance, and help you get to know them better. Once you have a firm grasp on who they are, what they’re good at and what they hope to achieve, it becomes easier to determine future steps. • Step 4: Provide Training Resources It isn’t enough to simply tell a team member he or she needs to improve in an area. They need the tools to get there. In-person

training can help a person gain real-world experience in tasks they aren’t yet accustomed to, even if that means incorporating new responsibilities gradually. Online courses and certification programs can also be a great way to foster growth. For companies looking to take upskilling further, many institutions offer professional certifications (such as NAA credentials), licenses and even degrees. Depending on your company’s size, you might consider incorporating educational funding or tuition reimbursement programs into your benefits package. Resident and Employee Retention In many ways, employee and resident retention go hand in hand. By creating an uplifting work environment with offerings that make employees feel valued, companies differentiate themselves from their competitors and create a community where people want to live. And that can drive resident referrals and positive reviews. Not only is the end result advantageous from a marketing standpoint, but it puts the company in a preferable position among properties offering competitive rates. In the last few years, apartment studies have shown that renters are willing to leave their properties and pay more for a better living experience. Another way employee retention and low turnover rates can drive business is through establishing more personal relationships between residents and team members. Oftentimes, renters rely on staff members

The Houston Apartment Foundation Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center is here for you.

they know and trust to assist with sensitive matters. Frequent employee separations and overly complicated procedures can make tenants distrust upper-level management, especially when they sense frustration from staff members with whom they have a personal relationship. In the same way, an uplifting work environment is contagious. When employees act with assurance and purpose, residents are more likely to trust their knowledge and respect the effort involved in arriving at a conclusion. Finding new talent and keeping staff members satisfied can be a daunting feat for property managers in Houston. With a bit of strategy, a willingness to communicate with staff members and the right resources, you can face these challenges head-on. Insight from advisors who specialize in assessing industry-specific risks, mitigating employment-related loss and recommending custom solutions can help you meet the needs of your business and those in it. Leigh Iguess is director of brand strategy and communications with Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates, an independent insurance agency specializing in risk management, business insurance and employee benefits.

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Ways to Improve Diversity Recruitment Strategy Through diversity and inclusion recruitment, you can build a wide range of candidates and employees. By

PEARL RODIL, ClickonHR

hat is diversity recruiting? Diversity recruiting is the idea that your team should reflect the society that is around you and that your recruitment policies are free from biases for or against any individual or group of candidates. It is still based on meritocratic systems and structured to find the best candidates while excluding biases from the recruitment process. While many may think diversity is primarily related to multiculturalism, diversity recruitment is actually about creating a wide-ranging workforce with attributes including age, gender, race, sexual orientation, education, background, languages, abilities and so on. However, having a more diverse workforce isn’t easy to create or easy to manage. As a practical application, diversity exists because of conflicting perspectives, therefore a diverse workforce will have to deal with conflict in different ways.

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Why is a diversity recruiting strategy important? There are many associated benefits of diversity strategy in your organization and, through recruitment, you can build a wide range of candidates and employees who can bring these benefits to your organization as well. In order to benefit from these advantages, you will need to employ diversity recruiting strategies. • Diverse perspectives – Diversity brings about a wide variety of diverse perspectives, but what that truly means is that diversity will show the different characteristics and backgrounds of each individual. From different experiences to wide-ranging skills, a diverse workforce has many different access points to a wider variety of perspectives, which is extremely beneficial when it comes to planning and executing a business strategy. • Boosted creativity – It has been shown countless times that a diverse workforce is more creative. The different perspectives

that are brought together in an environment will bring fresh, new ideas and in return, improve the creativity of your workforce. • Improved decision making – Researchers have found that when diverse teams made a business decision, they outperformed individual decision makers up to 87% of the time. • Increased productivity – Again, the more we can create a diverse workforce that focuses on talents, skills and abilities, the more positive impact it will have on productivity. • Reduced employee churn – A more diverse workforce is generally more inclusive of different individual characteristics and perspectives. This leads to greater inclusion, which means that employees feel more accepted and valued. The more diverse the workplace, the lower the turnover rates. • Higher employee engagement – As with reduced turnover, the principals of engagement remain very similar. With more people having the shared knowledge and experiwww.haaonline.org

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We are all naturally biased when it comes to a myriad of things. The music we listen to, the people we hang out with, the things we decide to purchase over another and so on. Unconscious bias dictates the way we behave most of the time, and in a diversity and inclusion recruitment strategy, we want to minimize its impact as much as we can.

ences of feeling like they may not traditionally fit into the workplace, the more diverse the teams, the less that this is an issue. Diversity recruiting strategies A diversity recruiting strategy should define the goals of recruitment and will often be part of an overall diversity and inclusion policy. Recruitment is just part of making the cultural changes happen in the workplace. Your D&I policy should reflect questions about what the recruitment process is going to look like and how you will achieve diversity and inclusion in your strategies. The second most important part of the diversity recruiting strategy is identifying who is accountable for the results. Is it going to be HR? Is it going to be department heads? Is it going to be the board of directors? Usually, the task sits in HR, but it is then shared across departments to highlight processes and procedures of this recruitment style. Finally, your diversity recruitment strategy should set out how the results of this strategy will be assessed and measured. These are just some of the various strategies that are used to develop a diversity recruiting strategy. • Psychometric testing in the recruitment process – Psychometric testing is often made up of an activity or assessment given to potential candidates to assess their skills, abilities and knowledge in specific areas of competence. They can also be used to gain an understanding of a candidate’s personality, making it easier for you to identify individuals who will fit, not only your job description, but your company culture and work patterns. • Target diverse candidates – Instead of targeting candidates from just one source, i.e. a web recruiting platform, reach out to different platforms to get a wider selection of candidates. Something as simple as a job posting on social media like LinkedIn or even Instagram can provide a wider sample alongside web recruitment than you may realize. You need to identify the relevant channels through which

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to reach diverse audiences with vacancy advertisements. • Encourage referrals from existing staff – A candidate referral program is something that you will have either heard of or experienced. But for diverse groups it may not occur to them that they can recommend friends or people that they know with similar backgrounds and experiences to put in an application.The current workforce can be a good lightning rod of getting new job postings out to the wider community and for that specific demographic as well. • Develop and promote the organization’s diversity credentials – Undergoing some brand development in recruitment is a good way to showcase your D&I recruitment vision. Discuss the benefits and importance of diversity with your team, get their buy in and engrain those values into your company culture. Being an organization which can show that it values differences, people and opinions from all walks of life will help it to become recognized as a diverse employer. • Establish diversity and inclusivity policies – You need to live daily values when it comes to recruiting diverse candidates and not just say you do. This is why it has become so important to implement company policies that appeal to diverse candidates. Things like understanding religious holidays, encouraging flexible working hours, so that candidates can see an upside in still continuing to support their communities while also working, means that you become instantly more appealing to a wider group of people. • Introduce diversity targets – One way to increase diversity is to set diversity targets. This could be as a percentage of the total number of the staff or a number that has been carefully thought of and considered across the board. While this may be appealing to some, the practice can be disapproved by others. Manage the process correctly and show that there has been no bias in selecting candidates and this mechanism can be beneficial to the business as a whole.

• Avoid unconscious bias – We are all naturally biased when it comes to a myriad of things. The music we listen to, the people we hang out with, the things we decide to purchase over another and so on. Unconscious bias dictates the way we behave most of the time and, in a diversity and inclusion recruitment strategy, we want to minimize its impact as much as we can. One of the measures that can be taken is unconscious bias training for all involved in the recruitment process. • Ensure consistent interview procedures – Whenever you standardize something you are making it easier to compare and contrast. In interviewing for diverse candidates, you want to be able to do the same and one of the best ways to do so is by using the same questions and the same interview procedures for all candidates. This helps to mitigate the risk of unconscious bias and give you a better benchmark to compare candidates against. • Offer remote and flexible working opportunities – As already touched upon, being able to offer solutions which help to increase or widen the diversity of candidates is going to be essential. Remote and flexible working opportunities are just one of the key elements of being able to reach out to a wider range of people. For those who have commitments like children or looking after a sick relative, being able to offer flexible and remote working opportunities will appeal to their needs as well as that of the business. • Provide valuable training opportunities – One of the best ways to retain your staff is to provide them with training opportunities, but did you also know that staff who have benefited from employer-provided training tend to be more loyal to their employer? Also, by providing training, people who don’t immediately have the necessary skills for a role might apply because they know that they can upskill in the role. Reprinted with permission from ClickonHR’s HR Corner Ideas, www.clickonhr.com or call 1-833-CLICK-HR. www.haaonline.org

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On the Scene with the HAA NEXT NEXT Professional Breakfast Friday, June 3 at the HAF Education Center Sponsored by Cinema Anywhere and Texscape Services The HAA young professionals group learned about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) with an overview from Trevor Mitchell, CAE, CDP, of American Mensa.

MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF HAA LEADERSHIP. This niche group within HAA is dedicated to the networking and professional development needs of HAA’s young professionals. Network with your peers and grow your career together among the next generation of HAA leadership! To Learn how to become involved with NEXT, see online at www.haaonline.org/next. 54

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Fraud, continued from Page 25 simple searches. Have your leasing team look up the company names and status on the State SOS or Comptroller websites. You can verify income by requesting a transcript from the IRS. This transcript will show the applicant's federal tax documents and is the official income recorded by the IRS. Implement Strategies to Combat Fraud Fighting fraud is not easy. Arm your portfolio with key strategies to stay on top of applicant fraud and build a layered framework. Be proactive and implement data-driven solutions so you can evaluate as soon as the applicant applies. Data Fight stolen data with more data. Use fast, reliable identity verification solutions that check applications against multiple sets of public and proprietary data. • Is the address real? • Does the ID look grainy or photoshopped? • Is there an employment record or registered vehicle? • Does the applicant own a phone, have cable service or use electricity? Detect Suspicious Patterns Analytics-based solutions can detect linkages and suspicious patterns to determine if the applicant is a real person. More advanced fraud solutions can help enable quick decisions to flag an application or give a green light. Technology can help Fraudsters have invested tremendous time and effort in creating elaborate identity fraud schemes targeting the rental property market. By incorporating technology solutions into their application process, property management companies can uncover inconsistencies and prevent a dishonest applicant from signing a lease. SafeRent Solutions has been a valued partner for HAA’s Rental Credit Reporting for more than 14 years. Christin Ryals supports the partnership between SafeRent and HAA by helping to expand the RCR presence for Houston-area apartment owners and management companies. For more information on SafeRent, see inside the front cover and for more on HAA’s Resident Credit Reporting, see Page 69 or visit www.haaonline.org. www.haaonline.org

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On the Scene with the HAA PRODUCT SERVICE COUNCIL

Supplier Education Program Wednesday, May 25 at the HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center Suppliers members joined the HAA Product Service Council and speaker Tyrone Poole, founder of OneAppGuarantee, to learn how to overcome adversity in their lives and careers.

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Take the Lead The Houston Apartment Association’s Product Service Council is here to help supplier partners navigate the association. Learn how you can get the most out of your membership.

his month, we interview HAA PSC members on the importance of Leadership Lyceum: 2020 Graduate Stephanie Krop, CASe, PoolSure, and current 2022 candidates Neal Conant, CAS, Gemstar Construction Development, and Nikki Sekunda, CAS, The Liberty Group.

From the Graduate: Stephanie Krop: As a member of HAA, it is always a constant goal to stay relevant. Staying well-informed and educated on everything happening within the association prepares you to be at our very best. The Lyceum program offers the very essence of these ingredients and for this reason, I decided to fill out the Lyceum application believing it would contribute to my continued growth as a leader. My goal in being a part of the Lyceum leadership program was to develop myself better. I wanted to gain a greater strategic understanding of the industry that would improve my operable skills when working with, not only my internal team, but with my industry partnerships. I enjoyed being a part of a group of individuals with similar goals and supporting an association that has always supported me. The benefit of the Lyceum program is definitely the deep dive into the mission and strategic objectives of not only HAA, but the affiliated associations. As a candidate we are invited to take a peek into the many discussions of advocacy initiatives for both local and state, media coverage, legislative, public affairs, the extensive work behind professional development, career promotion and continued education certificate programs. You cannot graduate from this program without feeling more knowledgeable and with a pretty big sense of pride in the levels of support provided by our association. I absolutely love that you can be a long time member of the industry and still have additional learning opportunities. There are so many programs like Lyceum that allow members to develop themselves both professionally and personally. Being a member of the 2020 Lyceum class,

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although smack dab in the middle of the pandemic Covid year, has definitely contributed to my growth as a leader, influencer and teacher. The most surprising thing that I have learned or maybe just realized – I can't believe it took me so long to be a class member of this program! Don't wait, take advantage of these growth opportunities. They will take you as far as you want to go! From the Candidates: Neal Conant: I have looked up to many attendees of the Leadership Lyceum program and it has been a goal of mine to be a candidate for my progression in HAA for about five years now. I applied for the first time for the 2020 group and did not make the cut. I was able to get in for 2022. Receiving personal recommendations from some great HAA Leaders, past and present, along with my growing involvement in the HAA, all helped me get into the 2022 class. I have heard so many good things about this program and have seen many that have succeeded in HAA after completing the program. I knew it would great for my understanding and knowledge of the industry. I wanted to learn more about how things happen within HAA and so far, it has not disappointed. I am looking forward to learning and developing relationships in this program. I am lucky to be in the class with some great leaders in the industry and am learning a lot from them as well as from the HAA Staff. Developing relationships is what our industry is all about and this program has been great at allowing new and growing existing relationships. With being accepted into this program, I wanted to set forth on opportunities to become a leader in the industry. I have been involved in HAA for over 20 years in multiple capacities, but much more involved since joining Gemstar Construction in 2014. I am learning so much in this program and will use it to further my involvement in HAA as a leader. My advice for members who want to be

Krop

considered for the Leadership Lyceum in the Conant future is get involved now with committees that interest you and take initiative. I have always looked to help people throughout my career and if you show that you are willing to and make it a Sekunda priority, it won’t go unnoticed. Develop as many relationships with the leaders of these committees and the wonderful staff at HAA and the sky is the limit. Nikki Sekunda: I had thought about taking part in the Leadership Lyceum for some time but Jacob Kunath pushed me to apply last year. I want to dedicate the time to learn as much as I can on the HAA/TAA/NAA mission. As a more knowledgeable member, I feel that I would be able to advocate and contribute more. I’m looking forward to learning about the things that go on behind closed doors. I was always curious how things got done and how important many of our meetings are on a legislative level. The dedication and knowledge of our members is unmatched and I want to be a part of that and I’m hoping to be a better servant to our industry! This program is great for those who are passionate about our industry and want to get a better understanding of why our local, state and national associations are so important. Contact Susan Hinkley at shinkley@haaonline.org about next years program!

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Welcome Mat

Introducing HAA’s NEW MEMBERS

OWNERS 5CM Development LLC Kathie Kennedy 24688 Sorters Road Porter, TX 77365 (281) 974-9404 5CM Development LLC - Properties Blueriver Capital Partners Anthony Tran 1115 Palmer St Houston, TX 77003 (832) 543-1041 Referred by Randa Dick Cardinal Group Management Rachel Johnson 6300 La Calma #520 Austin, TX 78752 (512) 969-2564 The Hollows Referred by Theresa Ebner Grade A Realty LLC Amir Sharif 825 Town & Country Ln #1200 Houston, TX 77024 (832) 730-1905 Tomball Ranch Indio Management Kailey Youngs 6060 N Central Expy #770 Dallas, TX 75206 (702) 569-2708 Urban Palms International Urban Property Enterprises LLC Mohammed Saadat 1029 Hwy 6N #650-181 Houston, TX 77079 (713) 909-4342 International Urban Property Enterprises LLC - Properties Referred by Cindy Cannon Juniper Group Management Glenn Borland 318 State St #254 Petoskey, MI 49770 Landings at NorthPoint Mark and Jennifer Mainardi Mark Mainardi 1827 N Underwood St Arlington, VA 22205 (703) 926-1713 Mark and Jennifer Mainardi Properties Referred by Del Walmsley Providence Management Company LLC Ladda Ferguson 3201 Old Glenview Road #200 Wimette, IL 60091 (713) 789-2400 Crosley Tanglewood

www.haaonline.org

RAM Partners LLC Stephanie Jackson 1100 Circle 75 Pkwy #1200 Atlanta, GA 30339 (803) 468-1231 The Cove Apartments Tu Casa Builders Inc. Sachin Narula 505 N Sam Houston Pkwy E #682 Houston, TX 77060 (832) 545-2477 Tu Casa Builders Inc - Properties Yellowstone Asset Management LLC Omer Shahaf 320 S 2nd St Alvin, TX 77511 (713) 922-2400 Yellowstone Asset Management LLC Properties Referred by Bruce Goldfarb

SUPPLIERS Benefitnessnow LLC Benjamin Villalon 47 Quiet Vista Drive Sugar Land, TX 77498 (713) 248-7215 Physical Fitness, Exercise & Physical Fitness Black Tie Logistics Jesse Garcia 9418 S Fitzgerald Way Missouri City, TX 77459 (832) 969-5381 Trash Service - Valet, Concierge Services CoAdvantage Heidi Ochoa 17314 SH 249 #210 Houston, TX 77064 (832) 546-0585 Payroll Services, Human Resource Consultants Core 24/7 Restoration Services Douglas Jones PO Box 924108 Houston, TX 77292 (281) 356-6333 Cleaning Specialists - Trauma, Fire/Water Damage Restoration, Odor Control, Remodeling & RepairBuilding Contractors DHI Commercial Roofing Ken Meno 536 SE 291 Hwy Lees Summit, MO 64063 (281) 435-3994 General Contractors, Leak Detection Service, Roofing Contractors, Roofing Consultants, Siding Contractors

DS Painting Contractor Daniel Sanchez 16415 Lancastor Place Drive Houston, TX 77083 (832) 788-4490 Paint Referred by Diana Cruz

Resident Interface By Hunter Warfield Vicky Herron 4620 Woodland Corporate Blvd Tampa, FL 33614 (888) 494-9120 Eviction Service, Collection Agencies

Elevator Repair Service Michael Stafford 4250 N Sam Houston Pkwy E #100 Houston, TX 77032 (281) 987-8252 Elevator Maintenance & Repair, Elevators

Royal Eagle Waste & Recycling LLC Christopher Forte 55 Waugh Drive #150 Houston, TX 77007 (833) 769-2534 Garbage Collection, Recycling Services

Fairway Architectural Railings Solutions Spencer Sleight 19410 Dolan Springs Drive Tomball, TX 77377 (609) 358-2541 Awnings & Canopies, Railings, Balcony Repair Fire Reconstruction Inc. Jeff Thibodeaux 20220 Hempstead Road #33 Houston, TX 77065 (281) 859-3999 Fire/Water Damage Restoration, General Contractors, Mold Remediation, Roofing Contractors Houston Energy Systems LLC Raji Mugrabi 13550 S Gessner Road Missouri City, TX 77489 (281) 520-4786 Electric Vehicle-charging docks, Energy Conservation/Management Inner Loop Construction LLC Derek Hinesley 5331 Inker St Houston, TX 77007 (713) 408-7607 General Contractors, Painting Contractors Next Chapter Movers Chandler Hanson 1415 S Voss Road #110 PO 336 Houston, TX 77057 (346) 415-6683 Movers, Moving Supplies Referred by Eileen Subinsky Quatro Tax LLC Taylor Van Hook 16840 Barker Springs Road #301 Houston, TX 77084 (281) 600-2702 Tax Consultants-Ad Valorem, Taxes Consultants & Representatives

Sayan Renovations and Construction Ruben Ortiz 661 N Plano Road #319 Richardson, TX 75081 (972) 358-7575 Remodeling & Repair-Building Contractors Referred by Paula Daniels Texas Package Solutions Inc. Allison Carter PO Box 851172 Mesquite, TX 75185 (972) 972-8842 Package Management Total Cleaning and Renovation Services Michelle Lettieri 7929 Brookriver Drive #715 Dallas, TX 75247 (972) 247-9494 Trash Service - Valet, Painting Contractors Valet Central LLC Marco Franco 3139 W Holcombe Blvd #A176 Houston, TX 77025 (832) 598-1386 Concierge Services, Maid Services, Trash Service - Valet, Security Guard/Patrol Service Referred by Kristen Buckley

ALL SUPPLIER MEMBERS are listed online at www.haabuyersguide.com, searchable by product/service category or company name.

Renovating Resources LLC Jeremy Gustavus 8368 Park Place Blvd Houston, TX 77017 (713) 517-3596 General Contractors, Roofing Contractors Referred by Tammy Garcia

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On Site with ABODE

Featuring HAA Honors Property Award Winners

HARDY YARDS Tax Credit/Affordable Housing Property: Hardy Yards Owner/Management: Greystar Location: 1550 Leona Street in Houston Units: 350 Web: https://www.hardyyardsliving.com/ Photos supplied by Hardy Yards Hardy Yards Apartment Homes offers easy access to restaurants, shopping, entertainment and schools. The community is part of Houston’s 5th Ward and is helping to revitalize the area along with two additional communities next door. The property is 51% affordable and 49% market rate units. Hardy Yards offers 30 unique floor plans from which to choose. Standard features include allelectric kitchens with refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets and a personal balcony or patio for relaxation. Furry friends are welcome as they are family too. The community amenities include a new business center, clubhouse, Amazon lockers, bicycle storage, billiards, horseshoes and a fire-pit courtyard. Residents can take a dip in the shimmering swimming pool or just hang out at the aqua lounge. The staff is dedicated to providing quick and excellent service when needed with on-call maintenance. All of the appliances at Hardy Yards are energy efficient and the community has recyling on site for residents. The property and residents take part in charity work, including food and school supply drives and fundraisers for St. Jude’s and Camp Hope.

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Each month, On Site with ABODE takes a closer look at winning HAA Honors Awards properties. This month, we visit the final two propery winners for 2021. Next month, we introduce the 2022 honorees.

OVERTURE SUGAR LAND

Senior Living Property: Overture Sugar Land Owner/Management: Greystar Location: 850 Imperial Blvd. in Sugar Land Units: 200 Web: https://www.liveoverture.com/overturesugarland/ Photos supplied by Overture Sugar Land Overture Sugar Land is a 55+ senior apartment home community. The apartment homes, with resort-inspired amenities and services, focuses on the resident. It’s location is within easy access to Hwy 59, Hwy 90 and Sugar Land Regional Airport, and just minutes from Sugar Land Town Square. Maintenance-free living keeps residents focused on enjoying life. The community offers continental breakfast that encourages healthy eating, daily aerobic classes, game nights and Wednesday mix and mingle events. Overture Sugar Land offers a variety of custom-developed Soul services and programs that promote the 7 Dimensions of Wellness. Whether residents relax in the hot tub, take a fitness class or indulging in a gourmet cooking lesson, they will find something that nurtures body, mind and spirit. When a larger home no longer makes sense for seniors, the prospect of a maintenancefree apartment home is more appealing. Plus, generous community spaces are designed to be extensions of the apartment homes, for hosting family, entertaining guest or just living. Overture is the freedom of a home that's the perfect size for the best stage of life. The community participates in many volunteer activities and community outreach projects, including hosting an annual backpage drive for the Fort Bend Shcool District, Move for Hunger food drive and the St. Jude Walk/Run fundraiser. All residents are encouraged to recycle and reduce paper waste.

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The Go-Getters HAA’s MEMBERSHIP RECRUITERS

IGNITE YOUR MEMBERSHIP! Join the Go-Getter club and get fired up about recruiting for HAA!

2022 Chairs: Join our Quarterly Meetings! Be the top recruiter for each quarter and win $500 cash! Plus, for each new member you recruit, you’ll earn a chance to win gift cards ranging from $25 to $250! Richard Wall Westdale Asset Management

Visit www.haaonline.org/gogetters to get all the information you need. Check the Go-Getters Corner for more information on the upcoming quarterly meeting dates: September 29 December 7 at Kirby Ice House Memorial City 1015 Gessner 4 p.m.

Ryan Weis Crestmark Construction Services

Visit www.haaonline.org/gogetters for more information.

THE GO-GETTERS ARE THE BACKBONE of the Houston Apartment Association. By recruiting new members, the Go-Getter Club helps both new management and supplier companies and the association grow for the future. To join the club and get going on recruitment, see online at www.haaonline.org or contact Amanda and Kaylon in the Membership Department at members@haaonline.org. 62

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Go-Getters Happy Hour Thursday, June 9 at Kirby Ice House Memorial City Sponsored by

ApartmentData.com and

Liberty Rent

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See Page 16 for details. 64

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NAA Update, continued from Page 26 always room for you to grow. Believe in your future at Olympus.” Piccotti says, “If I’m one of those 54 percent of managers or 40 percent of leasing professionals (according to Swift Bunny) who believe their current role is not my ideal long-term role, yet I’m not seeing opportunities within my company, this message would speak to me loud and clear.” Steal These Ideas Among other examples provided at the session: • Acknowledge when your company is recognized with an “Employee Choice” award or similar honor. • Help your new employees with posts that say “I Accepted” or “Just Hired By” your company to show their professional networks that candidates chose your company. • In spotlighting its diverse workforce, Bozzuto posted about its SOUL: Shades of Unified Leadership (SOUL) with images and perspectives from its team members. • Ave of Korman posted short “Day in the Life” videos where their managers, assistant managers and leasing professionals described their day and how it’s rewarding personally and to its residents. • An employee at Cottonwood Residential posted a list of the reasons why she loves to work there. • RedPeak offered posts about their employees and their lives outside of the community. Examples were those who donated their hair to make wigs for people in need and another who is a roller limbo star. Recruiting is ‘Our Secret Weapon’ Western Wealth Capital takes an “employeesfirst” attitude that is unrivaled, Piccotti said. Jennifer Staciokas was hired as its Executive Managing Director, Property Management, at right about the time COVID-19 began in 2020—when the company began its aggressive growth strategy. Her first hire was a Director of Recruiting who “has no fear” in reaching out to employees from any company or field in the hopes of bringing them on to Western Wealth’s operations. The women-led company of nearly 400 em-

ployees today has 53 properties (14,370 units) spread in three states and five metro areas. Eight more communities are in the pipeline. Its recruiting department has now grown to four people. Its mantra is “Recruiting is the New Marketing… and Our Secret Weapon” behind team leader and industry veteran, Thu-Van Cunningham, a relentless worker with an endless network and a mind-blowing engagement rate, Staciokas says. Cunningham has 17,000 followers and counting and is one of LinkedIn Recruiters’ top 5% talent acquisition professionals. She responds to every message, Staciokas says. “Join Western Wealth Communities and Fall in Love with Your Job” is one of Cunningham’s leading posts. Organic Employee Posts Most Authentic The team is working so quickly and effectively that it only has about 2% to 3% of positions opened, compared to others in the industry facing 15% to 20% of jobs available. Staciokas said her company is filling them in about four days. “You have to move quickly or those candidates can move onto their next opportunity.” Western Wealth has taken to social media with two slogans #BSU (blow “stuff” up) and #TMV (that’s my village). The employees thrive on it, organically posting things about their communities and colleagues that fit those feelings. “We don’t ask them to post,” Staciokas says. “They are just so proud to work for us.” One posted an image of the team celebrating early with tacos “because they finished all their work orders on time.” Its social media channels highlight community performance and events and show how the company works hard and plays hard; it regularly celebrates new hires and milestones, aiming to make every employee feel appreciated. “Culture is your company’s brand identity,” Piccotti says, asking, “What does yours say about you?” Paul Bergeron is a freelance contributor to units Magazine. Reprinted with permission of the National Apartment Association, from the May 2022 issue of units

Do you need to find a product or service for your property on the go? The Buyer’s Guide is online! Simply search for a member by name or category to find the most up-to-date HAA supplier member listings. You can contact the companies directly or use our “Request for Information” tool. It's quick and easy!

www.haabuyersguide.com www.haaonline.org

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The Ambassador ONE Society HAA’s WELCOMING COMMITTEE

SUMMER SCHOOL!

The Ambassadors keep networking and collect school supplies for Spring Branch ISD. Mark your calendars and join us! Ambassador ONE Society meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month: July 6, August 3, September 7, October 5, November 2 The location for most meetings is Kirby Ice House, 1015 Gessner Road, Houston, Texas 77055. Photo at right: “ONE of the Month” Giovanna Gone, Century A/C Supply, with 270 points. Tammy Broadway, American Fire Systems, was second with 141 points and Crystal Varela, Century A/C Supply, was third with 75 points

Ambassador ONE Society members with at least 10 points, ranked by points earned, year to date: Giovanna Gone Crystal Varela Xochitl Flores Susan Alvarado Mallory Hess Tammy Broadway Amanda Kelly Marcy Holmes Samantha Hernandez Kimberly Scott Diamela Bravo Tracey Leach-Moore Brian Alvarado Shaun Callaway Kyle Turney William Plows Stacy Proctor Sucy Zepeda Jason Tillman Debra Knight Daviana Cearley Marcus Wheatfall Gilbert Escobedo Angel Lopez Teresa Schroit *Brenna Parker Austin Lawley Malik Hemani Brent Lindsey Ted Morgan Nilo Quiroz Brooke Evans Grace Medley Yvonda Lewis Kevin Thomas

Century A/C Supply Century A/C Supply Zumper Century A/C Supply Century A/C Supply American Fire Systems, Inc. Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services Designs by Holmes Interior Design Houston Waste Services That Kimberly a Division of Marketing Doer Green City Security Flooring Warehouse Done Deal Consign Earthworks, Inc Camp Construction Services Earthworks, Inc BG Multifamily Arbor Contract Carpet Inc City Wide Building Services Comm-Fit Earthworks, Inc Triple Seal Insulation Behr Paint Company Metropolitan Staffing Solutions Advanced Exercise BG Multifamily Furniture Refinishing Services Graphic Stylus Promotional Products Impact Property Solutions Paul Davis Greater Houston PuroClean RentPath Restoration 1 of Central Houston Steward Trash Valet Service Waste Consolidators, Inc

742 571 512 235 180 164 127 105 65 43 33 30 27 16 15 15 13 12 12 12 12 12 11 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

Ambassadors earn points by sharing leads, making introductions and visiting communities to promote HAA events and news.

THE AMBASSADOR ONE SOCIETY is an organized network exchange that helps supplier partners build their business contacts within HAA. It’s the perfect way for new suppliers to get started with the association. Group members share leads, make introductions and support HAA and its members. For details on how to join and for meeting dates, visit www.haaonline.org/ambassadors or contact Amanda in the Membership Department at 713-595-0316, or email asherbondy@haaonline.org. 66

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Team photos at left, from top: First place – You Already Know with 544 points Second place – Bee HAAppy with 220 points Third place – Super Suppliers with 70 points

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Do you really know your applicant?

Comprehensive applicant screening tools available today can uncover financial and criminal background information. Proper screening can also reveal identity fraud issues, including stolen and fabricated identities, which may result in costly problems. Comprehensive screening using Rental Credit Reporting can also tell you who hasn’t paid rent, who has broken leases and who has received their deposit refund. RCR provides Houston’s apartment industry with the most effective rental credit reporting tool available. RCR was established in 1977 to solve screening problems HAA founders felt plagued the local apartment industry. RCR has unsurpassed data on resident rental histories in the Houston region and gives your leasing staff immediate access to information about which prospects have fulfilled their leases and who have been residents in good standing. The Houston Apartment Association’s Rental Credit Reporting and SafeRent Solutions have partnered to offer numerous searches in one bundled report with immediate and unlimited inquiry access.

a service of

in partnership with

To subscribe or to learn more, call RCR at 713-595-0300, email rcr@haaonline.org or visit www.haaonline.org.

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Portfolio Changes The following owner/management companies have added the listed properties to their portfolios: • 5CM Development LLC: 5CM Development LLC - Properties, 16 units at various locations. • Adara Communities: Prestige at Barker Cypress, 318 units at 12515 Barker Cypress Road in Cypress; Waterstone Apartments, 276 units at 2111 Old Holzwarth Road in Spring; and The Viv, 380 units at 2210 W Dallas St. • ArtComm Residential: The Court at Oak Forest, 68 units at 4102 Mangum Road. • Ascension Commercial Real Estate LP: San Felipe Square Townhomes, 59 units at 1435-1557 Bering Drive. • Asset Living: Vargos on The Lake, 276 units at 2411 Fondren Road; DLP Proper, 235 units at 4971 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; Cambridge Apartments, 128 units at 301 Cannan Drive in Angleton; Sugar Pine, 96 units at 16844 Sugar Pine Drive; Copper Cove, 270 units at 12903 Brant Rock Drive; Ashford Pointe, 224 units at 3950 Ashburnham Drive; The Life at Spring Estates, 372 units at 16112 North Fwy.; The Redford, 856 units at 1221 Redford St.; Carriage Place, 276 units at 505 Wells Fargo Drive; Huntington at Richmond, 141 units at 2221 Richmond Pkwy. in Richmond; Timber Ridge, 704 units at 12200 Fleming Drive; and Village at Westchase, 462 units at 2750 Wallingford Road. • Barvin: Revl at Med Center, 281 units at 7892 Knight Road. • Capstone Real Estate Services Inc.: Pine Lake Village, 96 units at 1325 Greens Pkwy; Green Tree Place, 196 units at 700 Dunson Glen Drive; and Ridge Point Apartments, 168 units at 2700 Westridge St. • Cardinal Group Management: The Hollows, 192 units at 2212 Dell Dale St. • Centra Partners LLC: Del Lago, 162 units at 9800 Hollock St. and Tammie Jay Apartments, 55 units at 222 E Fairmont Pkwy in La Porte.

• Devonshire Real Estate & Asset Management: Verandas at Bear Creek, 160 units at 5455 Timber Creek Place Drive. • DWR Development Group LLC: Somerset Lofts Apartments, 120 units at • 8506 Hempstead Road. • Embrey Management Services: Lenox Clear Lake, 380 units at 15500 Middlebrook Drive. • Grade A Realty LLC: Tomball Ranch, 48 units at 327 W Hufsmith Road in Tomball. • Greystar: Ivy Point Klein, 132 units at 19310 TC Jester Blvd. in Spring; The Travis, 328 units at 3300 Main St.; and Ascend at Brittmoore, 361 units at 10930 Day Road. • International Urban Property Enterprises LLC: International Urban Property Enterprises LLC - Properties, 13 units at various locations. • Lincoln Property Company: Marymont, 128 units at 1515 Rudel Road in Tomball. • Mosaic Residential Inc.: Pineview Terrace, 120 units at 5240 Tallow Pine Terrace in Katy. • Oak Leaf Management Co.: Treasure Bay, 200 units at 415 Garland Drive in Lake Jackson; Oyster Creek Apartments, 201 units at 105 Any Way St. in Lake Jackson; Delta Court Apartments, 34 units at 3101 S Broadway St. in La Porte; Delta Garden Apartments, 44 units at 3003 S Broadway St. in La Porte; Delta Shore Apartments, 22 units at 234 Bayshore Drive in La Porte; Delta Heights Apartments, 48 units at 3141 S Broadway St. in La Porte; Delta Fountain, 18 units at 3007 S Broadway St. in La Porte; and Delta Residence, 56 units at 3030 S Broadway St. in La Porte. • Radiance Living LLC: Broadstone Briar Forest, 342 units at 2215 Avenida La Quinta St.

Property management supervisors and executives: Don’t miss this free networking opportunity that supports our industry. Suppliers: Don’t miss access to property management leaders from owner executives to maintenance supervisors. Registration opens July 1.

Thursday, September 1 See more at www.haaonline.org/businessexchange or contact Susan Hinkley at shinkley@haaonline.org or 713-595-0313 for more information.

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• REEP Management: Avenue M, 75 units at 1720 Crestdale Drive. • RPM Living: Villas at West Road, 240 units at 9500 West Road; Royal Spring, 351 units at 4910 Spring Cypress Road in Spring; and Royal Sienna, 330units at 5222 Avalon Point in Missouri City. • Russ and Company Real Estate Investment LLC: Russ and Company Real Estate Investment LLC Properties, 12 units at various locations, and 203 N Milby, 15 units at 203 N Milby St. • Sentinel Real Estate Corp.: Retreat at Cinco Ranch, 268 units at 3306 S Fry Road in Katy. • Silverstone Management: Celtic Apartments, 82 units at 9225 Long Point Road. • Summit Property Management (SPCP): The Madison on the Lake, 392 units at 9988 Windmill Lakes Blvd.; The Gentry, 146 units at 8550 Easton Commons Drive; The Gates, 270 units at 8630 Easton Commons Drive; The Gibson, 196 units at 8255 Sunbury Lane; and The Grove, 464 units at 8440 Easton Commons Drive. • Tarantino Properties Inc.: Majestic, 45 units at 5701 Schumacher Lane. • Tu Casa Builders Inc.: Tu Casa Builders Inc. Properties, 60 units at various locations. • Urban Southwest LLC: Cedar Bluff Apartments, 105 units at 5930 Red Bluff Road in Pasadena. • Waterton Residential: TrailPoint At The Woodlands, 271 units at 2301 S Millbend Drive in The Woodlands, and Aston at Cinco Ranch, 228 units at 22400 Westheimer Pkwy in Katy. • Willowick Residential: The Residences at La Colombe d'Or, 265 units at 3411 Yoakum Blvd. • Wood Residential Services: Arlo Buffalo Heights, 318 at 225 S Heights Blvd. • Yellowstone Asset Management LLC: Yellowstone Asset Management LLC - Properties, 25 units at various locations • Your Way Management Team: Boardwalk Lofts, 319 units at 122 Lakeview Way in Katy.

In the News Windsor Communities ranked among the top three multifamily managers in the nation in the 2022 Division I ORA® ower Ranking – Top 10 of the NMHC Top 50 Largest Apartment Managers by J Turner Research. Other HAA member companies in the top 10 include Hawthorne, Bell Partners, AvalonBay, Camden Property Trust, Pegasus Residential, MAA and RangeWater Real Estate.

Have something to report from your company or for yourself? Email us your news at comm@haaonline.org.

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On the Road with HAA

Outlying Redbook in Baytown and the Lake Jackson Region Meeting Thursday, April 21 and Thursday, May 12 Sponsored by 1 EPICHTX, 2 The Liberty Group and 3 Fidus Construction HAA members hit the road for two informative events. Baytown area onsite staff took part in the last installment of our outlying REDBOOK seminars and the Lake Jackson Region Meeting featured Lake Jackson Apartment Inspector Robert McDougal. He provided updated information about the apartment inspection program for the city. Thanks to the Reserve at Lake Jackson for hosting the Region Meeting.

HAA IS REACHING OUT to better serve our members by bringing targeted networking and educational events to different parts of our 12-county service area. Contact Assistant Vice PresidentOutreach Lauren Turner at lturner@haaonline.org to sign up for FREE, management-only events where you can learn about issues affecting your area and network with your fellow managers. Want to host an event? We are looking for member properties to host a Region Meeting. Contact lturner@haaonline.org. 72

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July 2022

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July 2022

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Index of Advertisers By CATEGORY

A/C Supplies

Landscape Contractors

Century A/C Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 281-530-2859 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.centuryac.com

Outdoor Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 713-955-0990 . . . . . .www.outdoorelementstx.com Texscape Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 281-846-3779 . . . . . . . . . .www.texscapeservices.com

Carpet Installation Dixie Carpet Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 281-261-6334 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dixiecarpet.com

Laundry Equipment & Supplies

Texas Southwest Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 800-719-4321 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.texasswfloors.com

Scott Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 713-686-7268 . . . . . . . . .www.scott-equipment.com

Collection Agencies

Locks & Locksmiths

Alexander-Rose Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 713-644-4441 . . . . . . . . . . .www.alexanderrose-inc.com

CKI Wholesale Lock Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 713-462-0704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ckilock.com Maintenance Supplies

Electric Contractors Affordable Quality Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 713-695-5992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.acuityelectric.com

HD Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 800-431-3000 . . . . . . .www.hdsupplysolutions.com

Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services . . . . .2 281-693-3383 . . . . . . . . . . .www.brandtelectrical.com

Personnel Agency

Foundation Repair

ASAP Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 972-432-6667 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.asapdo.com

Church Foundation Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 713-468-8400 . . .www.churchfoundationrepair.com

Plumbing Contractors

General Contractors

AAA Plumbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 713-462-4753 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aaaplumbers.com

Camp Construction Services . . . . . . . .Back Cover 713-413-2267 . . . . . . . .www.campconstruction.com

Resident Screening Service

Contractors Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 832-900-2366 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.contractorsinc.com

SafeRent Solutions . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover 888-297-8821 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.corelogic.com

Cotton Commercial USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 877-511-2962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cottongds.com FSI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 713-690-5330 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fsiconstruction.com Gemstar Construction & Development . . . . . . . .1 281-821-1195 . . . . . .www.gemstarconstruction.com Guardian Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 832-672-4196 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.guardianconst.com MultiFamily Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 713-266-9100 RENCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover 713-666-3636 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rencon.com

Glass – Plate, Window, Etc.

Screens

TARGET QUALIFIED LEADS With HAA’s job board, you’ll discover a professional community that’s committed to helping you find the right candidate or your next job opportunity in the greater Houston and surrounding areas.

www.haaonline.org jobs@haaonline.org 713-595-0300

Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com

Swimming Pool Service Poolsure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 800-858-POOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.poolsure.com

HAA Products & Services Rental Credit Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 713-595-0300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.haaonline.org/rcr

www.haaonline.org

Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com

Insurance Harco Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-681-2500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.harco-ins.com

HAA reserves the right to reject any advertising if its content is inappropriate or inconsistent with HAA’s standards for publication or HAA’s business interests, in HAA’s sole opinion.

Internet Provider Dish Fiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 https://info.dishbusiness.com/texas

Want to see current and previous issues of ABODE online? Go to http://issuu.com/haa_abode. Or view this issue on your computer, tablet or smartphone at http://issuu.com/haa_abode/docs/abode_july2022.

ABODE

July 2022

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MarketLine By BRUCE MCCLENNY, President, ApartmentData.com

• •

HOUSTON

•

Snapshot 91.4% $1,233/mo. $1.39/sq.ft./mo. 889 sq.ft.

Recently Opened (12 months): 83 communities 22,340 units

• • • • • • • • • •

– 91.0

1025 –

– 90.0

1000 – – 89.0 975 – – 88.0

Under Construction: 55 communities 14,498 units

Occupancy (%)

Operating Supply: 3,012 communities 712,654 units

Rental Rate (¢/sq.ft./mo.)

Past 12 Months: 10.5% rental rate growth 26,153 units absorbed

1050 –

•

Occupancy: Price: Rental Rate: Size:

•

• • • • • • • • •

May 22

Apr 22

Feb 22

Mar 22

Jan 22

Dec 21

Nov 21

Oct 21

Sep 21

Aug 21

Jul 21

Jun 21

May 21

Apr 21

Mar 21

Feb 21

Jan 21

Dec 20

Nov 20

Oct 20

Sep 20

Aug 20

Proposed Construction: 114 communities 33,996 units

Jul 20

Jun 20

– 87.0

History of Effective Rental Rate & Occupancy for All Units

Hottest Submarkets Over the Past Three Months

Concessions

Annualized % of Market Rank Submarket Absorbed 1 Friendswood/Pearland East 24.5% 2 Tomball/Spring 15.4% 3 Conroe North/Montgomery 11.9% 4 I-10 East/Woodforest/Channelview 17.1% 5 Highland Village/Upper Kirby/West U 13.6%

Rental Rate Growth % 1.8% 1.6% 3.0% 0.8% 1.1%

Total Units Class w/Concessions All 159,542 A 61,170 B 46,086 C 44,178 D 8,108

% of Total Units 22% 32% 19% 23% 10%

Average Special -1.3% -2.0% -0.7% -1.2% -0.7%

Citywide Effect -5.2% -5.8% -4.0% -5.0% -5.9%

One Month Free = -8.33%

THE FIRST TABLE ABOVE GIVES A SNAPSHOT of the current market conditions. The graph displays the overall occupancy and effective rental rates over the past 24 months. These statistics are derived from a continuous survey of all apartment communities in the Houston region. The effective rental rates are the calculated net of concessions and utility adjustments. The second table lists the five hottest submarkets in the Greater Houston area. There are a total of 42 submarkets, and the ranking is based on the best combination of rental rate growth and absorption over the past three months. The third table distributes and analyzes concessions (specials) by classification. Concessions generally are represented by three types of specials: move-in, months free or floor plans. The effect of these specials is captured and prorated over a lease term to arrive at a percentage reduction in market or street rents.

TEXAS

Dallas/Ft. Worth

San Antonio

Austin

Occupancy: Price: Rental Rate: Size:

93.2% $1,475/mo. $1.68/sq.ft./mo. 880 sq.ft.

92.7% $1,193/mo. $1.39/sq.ft./mo. 857 sq.ft.

91.8% $1,648/mo. $1.88¢/sq.ft./mo. 876 sq.ft.

Past 12 Months: 16.0% rental rate growth 32,853 units absorbed

Past 12 Months: 13.0% rental rate growth 7,377 units absorbed

Past 12 Months: 15.7% rental rate growth 17,083 units absorbed

Operating Supply: 3,369 communities 809,924 units

Operating Supply: 981 communities 211,756 units

Operating Supply: 1,143 communities 272,487 units

www.haaonline.org

ApartmentData.com has been providing apartment data and marketing products since 1986. ApartmentData.com provides real-time access for property specific information, market surveys and historic submarket data for more than 3.5 million apartment units in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina and Tennessee. For more information, contact Bruce McClenny at 800-595-8730. © 2022 ApartmentData.com July 2022

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Back Page

with News from around the COMMUNITY

Helping Spring ISD Students HAA School Supply Drive deadline is July 23 The HAA Community Relations Committee is holding a School Supply Drive for the Spring Independent School District beginning on June 1. The Spring Independent School District serves over 35,000 prekindergarten through 12thgrade students in a diverse district located 20 miles north of central Houston. The district currently has 38 campuses that include 26 prekindergarten through 5th-grade elementary schools, seven 6ththrough 8th-grade middle schools and five 9th- through 12th-grade high schools. A list of needed supplies is at right. Supplies can be dropped off at the HAA Office, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, 77041. For more information, contact Susan at shinkley@haaonline.org.

ABODE

July 2022

24 count Crayola crayons 10 count Crayola classic washable markers 8 count washable watercolor set Blunt 5” Fiskar scissors Sharp 5” Fiskar scissors Large Elmer’s glue sticks, washable Kleenex tissues (110 count) Package of baby wipes (for art class) 1 Bottle of hand sanitizer 12 x 18 assorted construction paper (50 count) 12 x 18 manila construction paper (50 count) Pink beveled erasers Pack of black Expo dry erase markers (minimum 4 count) Package of baby wipes (1 for art class) 1 Bottle of hand sanitizer 6 Plastic pocket folders with brads (2 red, 2 blue, 1 green, 1 yellow) 12 x 18 assorted construction paper (50 count) 12 x 18 manila construction paper (50 count) 12 x 18 assorted colored construction paper (50 count) Composition books Copy paper (ream of 500 sheets) Washable water bottle (recommended)

Sharpened Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils Handheld pencil sharpener Plastic pocket folder with brads Hard cover 3-ring binder (1 inch size) Wide ruled spiral notebooks (1 each – red, blue, green, yellow, 70 count) Wide ruled filler paper (150 sheets) 1 Pair of earbuds or headphones (inexpensive) 1 Washable water bottle (recommended) 10.5 x 5.5 canvas pencil bag or plastic school box Pack of Expo dry erase markers (minimum 4 count; black or colored) 1 Ziploc bags (Gallon sized, 40 count) - girls 1 Ziploc bags (Sandwich sized, 40 count) – boys 1 Ziploc bags (Gallon sized, 30 count) 1 Ziploc bags (Sandwich or quart sized, 25 count) 1 Ziploc Slider freezer bags (Gallon sized, 25 count) 1 Ziploc Slider bags (Sandwich sized, 50 count)

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Return Service Requested

RPM TOPICS • EDUCATION CONFERENCE & EXPO PHOTOS

Houston Apartment Association 4810 Westway Park Blvd. Houston, Texas 77041

ABODE All In! THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE

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Celebrate RPM Week with timely information on hiring green, diversity, building relationships and more.

July 2022

ABODE • JULY 2022 • VOLUME 45, ISSUE 7 www.haaonline.org

ABODE July 2022

Articles inside

Find and Keep Them

Relationships – Building them feeding them and scaling them.

Hire Green, Then Help Them

It’s The Law – Tips for vendor contracts.

Legislative Update – An update

President’s Corner – Be a part of our family.