President’s Corner – Be present

By CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ, 2022 HAA President

I’VE BEEN REFLECTING A LOT ON WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

The multifamily industry has just shown up in force for the record-setting attendance of the Texas Apartment Association ONE Show and the Houston Apartment Association Education Conference and Expo.

Attendees have been away from these large scale events and are having “a-ha!” moments as we come back together. I have realized that the “a-ha” here is a sense of belonging. We have all been craving that sense of connection and the sense of community is really evident as we are getting back together in record numbers. I'm currently reading The Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown and in her book, Brown comments on diversity, equity, inclusivity and belonging. That sense of belonging is a big piece of connection that people don’t really realize or talk about much. When I say belonging, it's like family. When you're with your family you, hopefully, feel secure because you know you belong. You know you're accepted as you are, and you have a safe place to be yourself.

I believe that the association does that for our professional community. It gives us a place to be ourselves – our professional selves – in a safe way with our peers and really solidifies that sense of belonging for each of us.

So, my advice is to be present and not be distracted in these moments of connection. Put your cell phone away and be intentional about meeting new people. Commit to being present, for yourself and for your multifamily peers. You belong. A great opportunity to connect this month is the HAA Honors Awards. It offers industry professionals the opportunity to celebrate and connect with the best in our industry. The QR Code for HAA events is below right and see Page 28 for more details.

One other thing I want to mention this month has to do with market conditions. Interest rates are rising and as a result, transactions are slowing down. Hopefully, this means our onsite employees might be offered a bit of calm in terms of their day-to-day. There has been so much transactional activity that's happened in our industry that it has created an additional layer of stress, not just with the transactions themselves, but with the staffing changes that come with sales. The leadership changes have also impacted team members too, as organizations have morphed and reevaluated business plans during these dispositions and acquisitions. As the economy changes, we have to change with it but it's been a lot for our teams to handle, impacting people’s emotional well-being. With the transactions slowing down, let’s start thriving – not just being a survivor, but being a driver of change and acceptance.

There’s more to learn about market conditions. Check out the report from Bruce McClenny starting on Page 34. Though the market has been climbing, there are reasons to be unsure about the future. Just remember, as long as we're present and together, we will thrive.

If there's anything that this pandemic has taught us, along with all the insurmountable challenges that we have faced together through the years, is that we are stronger together and there's nothing we can't accomplish TOGETHER.