Colorado Rental Housing Journal - February 2015

Rental Housing Journal Colorado

February 2015 - Vol. 7 Issue 2

2. Staying Safe While Showing Property 3. The Coach – Your Voice Carries the Words of 10,000 Leases!

4. Attracting Families With Amenities Aimed at the Youngest Tenants 6. Secret Shopper

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Growing Denver Economy, Surging Rents Stir Investor Demand

S

trong job gains in the Denver metro will drive apartment demand this year, pushing up rents and increasing property incomes. Nearly every employment sector will add jobs, strengthening economic growth. Lockheed Martin recently announced plans to create roughly 500 high-paying aerospace jobs over the next eight years. Employment increases will keep developer optimism high; however, after a near record-setting pace in 2014, the construction pipeline will begin to ebb this year. Nearly half of all completions in 2015 will still be heavily concentrated near the urban core. Over the past several years, absorption has kept pace with increasing development; however, this year deliveries will outpace demand, elevating marketwide vacancy into the low-4 percent range. Yet, the rise in vacancy will be temporary as construction slows and new projects lease up. High demand for rentals will enable operators to lift rents at one of the fastest paces nationwide.

Over the last few years Denver has ranked among the top major metros for rent growth, posting annual gains well above 5 percent since 2010.

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Cut Property Management Costs & Improve Housing Quality

by Walter Young

W

ith Colorado rental property occupancy rates at the highest level they have been in years, you may not be as focused on ways to contain or reduce costs and invest in property improvements as you are during the high vacancy periods. However, this is the perfect time to take action to reduce unnecessary operating costs and at the same time, enhance the marketability of your residential property.

Damage to your property caused by tobacco smoke can easily double or triple unit turnover costs and discourage potential renters from moving into a smoke-damaged unit.

Smoke travels through ventilation systems, pipes, walls, windows, doors, electrical sockets and floors.

Ventilating and cleaning the air will not eliminate smoke damage or resident exposure to secondhand smoke.

These management problems can be

eliminated or reduced significantly by adopting, implementing and enforcing a no-smoking policy.

A 2011 survey of Colorado residents found that 54% of Colorado adults who live in multiunit housing smell tobacco smoke drifting into their home from a nearby apartment, common spaces or from outside, while only 32% of adults living in detached/single family homes smell SHS. For units with children in multiunit buildings, 60.5% report exposure the secondhand smoke.1

secondhand smoke.”

A 2014 survey of Jefferson County multiunit property owners and managers found that of the 374 property owners or managers who responded, a majority (56%) reported that they have a no-smoking policy for their property and 11% said they are considering adoption of a no-smoking policy.2 (See Figure 1).

Karen Wilson, M.D., Section Head, Pediatric Medicine at Colorado Children’s Hospital said, “I see too many kids hospitalized whose illnesses have been worsened by their exposure to

...continued on page 5

Vacation Rentals – Make It Simple for Your Guests

By Alan Langston, Executive Director AZREIA

F

riends of mine recently became a reluctant landlord. While they have another single family rental, a townhome purchased as a place for a family member to rent became a rental on the open market.

They decided to rent the unit as a short-term vacation rental. Having started my own real estate investment portfolio over 30 years ago with a vacation rental, they were picking my brain about that type of property.

There have been a lot changes in ...continued on page 7

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RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL COLORADO

Staying Safe While Showing Property

A

s people go about their every day lives, it is common to forget the potential dangers that surround us. Recent tragedies serve as a reminder to the real estate community that the career can also come with dangerous consequences, and on the showing, then you can use real estate professionals must remain avoid them all together. power in numbers.

Property Managers who are mindful of their safety at all times.

In October of 2014, Beverly Carter, showing apartments or condomini- • When you arrive to the property, a 49-year-old wife and real estate ums can sometimes get a little peace open the front door and allow the agent was found murdered in a shal- of mind knowing there is an office people or person to walk-thru the low, makeshift grave near Little Rock filled with colleagues not too far property on their own. Maybe you Arkansas. Although Carter took away. A luxury most real estate mention some points of interest many standard safety measures agents showing a home do not get. for them to check out when they're including leaving her purse in the Having a “code” with colleagues is a inside, but other than that you will car to avoid being a victim of theft good way to ask for help when a be waiting on the porch if they and informing her husband of her dangerous situation is arising. Blume have any questions. location, she was still a target. Her and her colleagues use the “red fold• Know your surroundings. Make killer’s cold-blooded response to the er tactic.” If a manager ever feels sure that the exterior illumination murder, “She was just a woman who unsafe during a showing they can is up to par and keep trees and call the office and ask for the red worked alone -- a rich broker.” shrubs well trimmed. Be aware of Across the country in Portland, folder to be brought to the showing, any potential hiding spots. Most Oregon, a mother working at a local which singles that something doesn’t importantly, use your intuition. If apartment complex was a victim in seem right but there is no immediate something doesn't seem right then threat. If the manager asks for the APT. METRO, ARIZONA NEWS what still seems to be a random act VALLEY, it's probably not. of violence. The 29-year-old was Yellow folder the threat is higher and stabbed after dark and the killer has someone needs to join the showing Jenny Johnson, a realtor also in or call back frequently to check in. yet to be caught.

Portland, Oregon, agrees that using a While some safety precautions are While statistically women workbuddy system is a key factor in keeping in property management and specific to either a Realtor or a ing herself out of harms way, “I real estate report far more violent Property Manager, like the “red folder tactic”, are quite a few that always have a mortgage broker or crimes than men, neverJun, safe toAug, Feb,it isApr, Oct,there Dec another agent do open houses with assume that men are always safe. should be used by both. Katie Pooleme. If there's a case I find myself Heather Blume, a property manage- Hussa from Smart Property alone, I always have cell phone in ment trainer believes the same rule Management in Portland, Oregon, hand and stay close to the front door. applies to clients while touring broke down what she thought were It's important to verify all clients. homes and apartments. “Women can five very important safety rules to Make sure they are legitimate by attack you just as easily as men can. remember: White women just as easily as Hispanic or African American men. • Take photo ID's from all persons Just as we don't make assumptions looking at a vacant unit. If there is about whether or not to rent to peoan onsite leasing office, keep photo ple based on fair housing, you must ID's in the office as a method of not make assumptions of your safety tracking if need be. If you do not based on appearance.” have access to a leasing office for Publisher Although realtors and property safe-keeping, make sure that you Will Johnson • will@propubinc.com managers aren’t quite the same, both VALLEY, METRO, tell someone who, ARIZONA what, and APT. NEWS are responsible for touring their where you will be when.

Designer properties with strangers, which is Steve Olsen • steve@propubinc.com • Create a policy that no showings where the job gets dangerous. It goes will be done after dark. In the Advertising Sales without being said that it’s difficult Will Johnson • will@propubinc.com Summer, maybe that time is 8pm. to be fully prepared to face a potenTerry Hokenson • terry@propubinc.com In the Winter, no showing will be tially life threatening situation, but done after 5pm. there are steps you can take to be • Use a "buddy" system. If you have Jan, Mar, Sep, Nov, better educate yourself on May, how to Jul, else available to go along 1010or East 62nd Street,someone Los Angeles, CA 90001-1598 www.rentalhousingjournal.com exit those situations, hopefully

ON-SITE-NW SEATTLE Salsbury Industries

talking to their lender.”

Supplying pepper spray is an inexpensive way to ensure you and your employees can defend yourselves if an altercation were to occur.

Doorstops to prop open front doors should be brought to every showing.

It is also beneficial to know key selling points of the property to point out to clients so they can guide themselves through the showing allowing you to stay by the front door. This makes it easier to escape if there is ever a harmful situation.

Tracey Hawkins, a former real estate agent now teaches self-defense classes. Hawkins believes that while obtaining a real estate license and learning how to write contracts and ethic rules it should be a requirement to learn self-defense. The National Association of Relators President, Chris Polychron, believes it may take a bit of convincing to make 50 state’s licensing boards change their regulations to include mandatory safety and self defense classes, but believes it will be worth it, even to just save one life.

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RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL COLORADO

Your Voice Carries the Words of 10,000 Leases!

©

By Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach {Article #225…since 1995}

F

rom the moment you spoke your first word as a small child, your voice and the words you select are often taken for granted—a gift you use throughout your life. As leasing professionals, you know the importance of using the telephone, because this is how a majority of your future residents contact your apartment communities. In this article, we are going to ask you to capture your voice and listen closely to how you are handling each call—a powerful exercise for becoming a leasing SuperStar.

Capturing your voice and words: Let’s start by agreeing that capturing your voice and hearing the words you are using to lease apartments is an important first step. As a leasing professional, how much would your leasing skills and closing ratios improve if you listened to 50 or even 100 of the most recent calls you received from future residents?

Capturing your voice and listening to the words you are using to paint verbal pictures about your apart-

Rental Housing Journal Colorado • February 2015

ment community will have a positive impact on your leasing performance and your career in the multihousing industry. As a resident manager or property supervisor, imagine the powerful coaching you could do with/for your leasing teams, if you could hear the five best presentations this week, given to future residents?

Tip From The Coach: Using the simplest of tools, place a digital recorder next to your telephone and start the record every time a future resident calls your apartment community. This will give you the opportunity to hear your voice and listen to the words you are using to lease your apartment lifestyle. For a more powerful system, select a vendor who can help you automatically capture, save, and index every future resident telephone call. An important note for resident managers and property supervisors: you must receive written permission from your leasing teams to capture their voices and we recommend a system

be used just for in-bound calls from future residents, as these are the calls that increase your occupancy and define property management success.

Learning from your voice-mirror: Once you have selected a system for capturing your leasing voice, it’s now time to learn from your powerful voice-mirror. Begin by play the recording of your calls from today and ask yourself these important questions as you listen to your voicemirror: Can I hear the smile in my voice? Was my voice too soft or too loud? Was the speed of my voice too fast or too slow? Am I proud of the way I handled the questions asked by this future resident? If I could re-do this call with the same future resident, what single improvement would I make? Now, continue this process of capturing your calls and listening to your voice-mirror for the next four weeks. Then, call us in 30 days at 435-615-8486 and tells us how your leasing skills and closing ratios improved. We want to hear

your success stories!

Tip From The Coach: As a resident manager or property supervisor, imagine how powerful it would be to have a recording collection of the best-of-the-best in telephone presentations to share with a newly hired leasing professional. These powerful telephone presentations could also be shared during weekly leasing meetings so your entire team could continue to polish their skills and refine the verbal pictures they are using to invite future residents to your apartment communities. In addition, try comparing these telephone calls to the shopping reports used by your company—and watch to see how the scores of your leasing teams improve.

Linking your voice with your leasing success: As an added bonus, companies like Who’s Calling® or Lead Tracking Solutions® will help you and your leasing teams automatically capture every in-bound telephone call from future residents ...continued on page 6

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RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL COLORADO

Attracting Families With Amenities Aimed at the Youngest Tenants

By Sarah Matheson, Epoch Times

some of its new developments.

NEW YORK—Children’s playrooms have become an increasingly popular amenity with developers over the last decade. Hundreds of new buildings have them, and for some families it factors into where they choose to live.

Manhattan is the borough that boasts the most children’s playrooms, followed by Brooklyn.

Playrooms act as a complement in upscale buildings with larger units, especially in areas with good schools.

Compared with other amenities, like pools or gyms, playrooms have lower operating costs. They can give developers a competitive edge over buildings at similar price points, but that lack the amenity.

"Developers are going after young families, not just singles. They are trying to keep them for longer than they used to be able to keep them in the past."

— Ryan Severino, senior economist, Reis In recent years, some of the city’s most experienced developers have added playrooms to older buildings.

Extell Development, the developer behind One Riverside Park, has added playrooms to several buildings it renovated in Manhattan, and

Amenities Woo Families If good schools entice parents to certain neighborhoods, familyfriendly amenities act as a magnet, pulling families toward a certain property.

That was the case for Stacey Stetson and her husband. After their baby Penelope was born last year, they decided to move from a 1-bedroom in West Village to a 2-bedroom in Battery Park City (they wanted something within the zoning for Public School 276).

By her recollection, they must have looked at every building in the area before deciding on Gateway Battery Park City, a waterfront rental complex near the World Trade Center.

The child-friendly amenities really appealed to them, especially the pool, the playroom, the laundry, and the concierge. She takes her daughter to the playroom frequently.

Though she only moved there in September, she has set up a weekly music class in the playroom. The moms who bring their children to participate split the payment for the music teachers.

On top of the convenience of the complex itself, the neighborhood has many different classes for children, like ballet, gymnastics, music lessons, and even Chinese lessons.

“Everything you need for your children all within a five-block radius,” Stetson said.

Stetson said the beautiful views of the Hudson, and the safety of the complex (complete with its security guard), made her feel like she’d moved to “the suburbs of Manhattan.”

Community Maya Autret, marketing director from LeFrak, which runs Gateway Battery Park City, said she has found that residents who frequent the communal areas and interact with each other tend to stay longer than those who live an anonymous lifestyle.

(Courtesy of LeFrak)

Commercial & Residential

“There’s certainly a story to be told about how more people are choosing to stay in the city after they have families,” said Melissa Pianko, the vice president for development at Gotham West. Pianko lives on the Upper West Side with her husband and three children. Her building has a playroom, as does Gotham West.

(Adrian Gaut) Rose Associates manages 26,000 apartments throughout New York City, with slightly more than half being rentals. Mitch Gelberg, the firm’s senior managing director, said the appeal of playrooms in properties has increased as more families elect to remain in the city and rent.

Bluerock Real Estate, a national ...continued on back cover

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RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL COLORADO

Cut Cost, Improve Quality ..continued from front page Of the Jefferson County properties with no-smoking policies, 89% of the policies covered all residential units, 82% covered all indoor areas, 30% covered outdoor balconies or porches and 18% covered all outdoor areas in addition to indoor areas.

Among the property owners or managers who were considering a policy prohibiting smoking, twothirds (67%) are considering including all indoor areas, 70% all residential units and 30% are considering covering outdoor balconies or porches.

While each multi-unit property is unique, it is generally understood that secondhand smoke is one of the single greatest reasons for resident complaints. Nearly three-fourths (74%) of those who responded to the survey accurately believe that tobacco smoke can transfer from one unit to the next3,4 68% also recognize correctly that tobacco smoke residue can remain on surfaces5,6 (See Figure 2); 71% believe that smoke from outdoors can come inside a multiunit building and 68% that exposure to tobacco smoke is a health threat.7

There were surprising differences between the opinions of owners/ managers based on their smoking status. For instance, 92% of the owners / managers who do not smoke recognize that smoke can transfer between apartments, while among those who do smoke, only 81% know that it can transfer. Similarly, 82% of the nonsmokers believe that smoke from outdoors can enter multi-unit housing, but only 74% of smokers believe this can happen.

The Jefferson County survey also revealed that 66% of owners and managers would welcome information on the legality of no-smoking policies. The short answer to the

Check us out online

legality question is " Landlords and condominium associations may prohibit smoking or refuse to allow smoking for new, and in many cases existing, occupants. There is no judicially recognized “right to smoke” in a multi-unit dwelling, whether the dwelling is privately owned or public housing."9 A growing number of public housing authorities and other housing providers throughout Colorado, are adopting no-smoking policies.

Damage to properties caused by tobacco smoke can double or triple unit turnover costs and smoking in their buildings increases the risk of fires. These excessive costs can be eliminated by adopting and implementing a no-smoking policy.

Preliminary data from another Colorado study conducted by the American Lung Association of Colorado (ALAC), found that in one public housing authority the costs of refurbishing a tobacco smoke-damaged unit was $5,548 vs. $2,172 in a unit where a non-smoker resided.10 The damage caused by tobacco smoke in the smoke-damaged unit required the replacement of blinds, light bulbs, outlet and switch cover plates, carpet and a refrigerator (smoke-stained seals). Multiple coats of a sealing paint were needed to cover the nicotine/tar stained walls before the finished coat.

HVAC systems can also be damaged by SHS. Prohibiting smoking in U.S. subsidized housing can yield cost savings of approximately $521 million per year, including $341 million in SHS-related health care expenditures, $108 in renovation expenses and $72 million in smoking-attributable fire losses.12 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Fire Administration reported that on average 7,600 smoking-related fires occur in residential buildings each year in the U.S. and are a leading cause of civilian fire deaths, accounting for 14 percent of fire deaths in residential buildings.

Furthermore, While smoking-related fires accounted for only 2 percent of all residential building fires, they cause on average approximately 365 deaths, 925 injuries, and $326 million

www.rentalhousingjournal.com Rental Housing Journal Colorado • February 2015

in property loss each year.13 Some owners and managers believe that implementing a no-smoking policy will increase vacancy rates due to decreased market demand. On the contrary, another part of the ALAC study, a survey of heads of household living in smoke-free housing for an average of 3.8 years, found that 93.5% of the non-smokers and 84.6% of the smokers supported the smoke-free policy and overall 87.8% replied that if they were moving to a new building, it was either very or somewhat important to move to a non-smoking building. Housing managers who were interviewed as part of the ALAC study confirmed that their no-smoking policies did not result in an increase in vacancies.8 These findings suggest that there is sufficient market demand, even among people who smoke, to sustain occupancy rates in residential housing when no-smoking policies are in place.

Other advantages to no-smoking policies include reduced insurance

costs, improved health and safety of staff and residents, and reduced resident complaints about exposure to SHS. Please join the growing number of Colorado housing providers by adopting a no-smoking policy for your property(ies). For further information about smoke-free policies contact: Ms. Donna Viverette, Jefferson County Department of Public Health at 303-275-7555 or dviveret@co.jefferson.co.us.

For online assistance, free no-smoking signs, to get a copy of Colorado Guide: Establishing No-Smoking Policies in Multiunit Housing, or to register your smoke-free property go to the GASP of Colorado website at ...continued on back cover

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RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL COLORADO

Northwest

I

n strong rental markets, many leasing employees are faced with the wonderful challenge of being 100% leased. Some apartments are being rented “sight unseen,” and perhaps there are only a few days in any given month where vacant apartments are available to look at before the new residents move in.

For communities that have rented and done away with their model apartments, many leasing consultants are now in situations where they have nothing to show, even if

he

T Ask

Secret Shopper

they have unrented notices. The following question expresses this dilemma and the leasing consultant’s frustration: Q: Our property consistently stays full and we typically rent our notices almost as soon as they come in. When people call to inquire about an apartment and I don’t have anything available to show, I will usually refer them to our website or recommend that they call back at a later date. I don’t want to waste their time

if I don’t have anything available.

However, lately some callers have been pretty insistent about wanting to come by even when I don’t have an apartment they can see. Should I really be trying to set appointments when all I can do is hand out a floor plan and give a property tour?

A: This is a challenge, and yet a unique and incredible opportunity for you to highlight and sell many other aspects of your community that you might not normally focus

on during an apartment tour. EVERY caller should be extended an invitation to visit your community, whether you have an apartment to show or not. While a website is just one of many “sales tools” at your disposal, it is not the only tool you have. What about your property and the many community benefits you have to offer? Even if you work at a smaller community, you still have numerous benefits to sell. Perhaps it’s the location of your building and the many ...continued on page 7

Words of 10,000 Leases ..continued from page 3 and will provide you with a special index number that is spoken out by the system at the end of each call. As a leasing professional, this becomes a wonderful audio guest card which you can go back and replay right after you finish speaking with each future resident. By replaying this message right after each call, you can add any additional notes you might have missed during the original telephone call. In addition, if you place this special index number on your guest card or traffic log, you can replay this saved call minutes before your appointment with each future resident! Wow! Can you imagine

6

the response you are going to receive from future residents when you can remember the exact details of your telephone conversation from a week ago? More importantly, how will this personalized approach increase your leasing success?

Tip From The Coach: As a resident manager or property supervisor, this special index number can serve a dual purpose. For example, your leasing professional, Mary, speaks by telephone to Rick Brown on Monday and schedules an appointment for a Friday morning leasing tour. Mary calls in sick on Friday so you can now ask Bill to cover for Mary and have him use

this special index number to hear Mary’s original telephone call with Rick Brown. What a concept! Bill is right in step with Rick Brown, a future resident, and Bill has a better opportunity to lease a new apartment to Rick because he has the information he needs to close this sale.

Want to hear more about this important topic or ask some additional questions about how to capture your voice-mirror or how to link your voice with your leasing success? Send an E-mail to ernest@powerhour.com and The Coach will E-mail you a free PowerHour invitation.

Author’s note: Ernest F. Oriente, a business coach/trainer since 1995 [33,300 hours], serving property management industry professional since 1988--the author of SmartMatch Alliances™, the founder of PowerHour® [ www.powerhour.com ], the founder of PowerHour SEO [ www. powerhourseo.com ], the live weekly PowerHour Leadership Academy [ www.powerhourleadershipacademy. com/pm ] and Power Insurance & Risk Management Group [ www.pirmg.com ], has a passion for coaching his clients on executive leadership, hiring and motivating property management SuperStars, traditional and Internet SEO/SEM marketing, competitive sales strategies, and high leverage alliances for property management teams and their leaders. He provides private and group coaching for property management companies around North America, executive recruiting, investment banking, national utility bill auditing, national real estate and apartment building insurance, SEO/SEM web strategies, national WiFi solutions [ www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/nationalwifi.html ], powerful tools for hiring property management SuperStars and building dynamic teams, employee policy manuals [ www. powerhour.com/propertymanagement/ employeepolicymanuals.html ] and social media strategic solutions [ http:// www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/socialmedialeadership.html ].

Ernest worked for Motorola, Primedia and is certified in the Xerox sales methodologies. Recent interviews and articles have appeared more than 8000+ times in business and trade publications and in a wide variety of leading magazines and newspapers, including Smart Money, Inc., Business 2.0, The New York Times, Fast Company, The LA Times, Fortune, Business Week, Self Employed America and The Financial Times. Since 1995, Ernest has written 225+ articles for the property management industry and created 400+ property management forms, business and marketing checklists, sales letters and presentation tools. To subscribe to his free property management newsletter go to: www.powerhour.com. PowerHour® is based in Olympic-town…Park City, Utah, at 435-615-8486, by E-mail ernest@powerhour.com or visit their website: www.powerhour.com

Rental Housing Journal Colorado • February 2015

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL COLORADO

Vacation Rentals

..continued from front cover

the vacation rental business over the last few years. The advent of Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) and other similar services has made it much easier to market the property. I am a routine user of VRBO, having used the service to rent properties all over the world. I like renting a house with nice furnishings, in a nice area for much less than a hotel room. I really like dealing directly with the owners when finalizing a transaction to rent their property. I mentioned to my friends that the best experiences we had with VRBO included when the property had information packets and even small signs displayed around the property that helped us know how to find things, use the property easily and to its fullest.

If you are renting short-term vacation property think about implementing a few things to make your vacationer’s stay easier and nicer, as well as to better protect your property.

1. Provide complete and easy to understand access instructions. If you are using lock boxes or electronic entry be sure to explain how the codes should be protected so they are not compromised.

2. Label the contents in kitchen cabinets and drawers. This makes it

Secret Shopper

easy for your guests to find the items they need. It is amazing how much easier it is for your guest to put things back where they got them from. It also sends a subtle message about how seriously you inventory the contents of the unit.

3. Provide convenience items. Extra batteries for anything in the unit that is battery operated like TV remotes and flashlights. Light bulbs for all fixtures including kitchen, baths, halls, garage, patios, etc. Label the drawer where they are located and be sure to mention in your welcome packet.

4. Special cleaning products. Okay, so your short-term guest probably won’t clean anything, but many people rent for a month or two and they will. If anyone decides to clean anything from a spill, stain on the carpet, etc. you want them to use cleaners you know won’t damage the flooring, countertops, cabinets, paint, etc. Be sure you label where the supplies are kept and, put instructions on their use and where they are stored in your welcome packet, as well.

5. Staples. Please don’t skimp on paper towels, toilet paper, soap, etc. Even coffee and filters for a

couple of days is a good thing. No, I’m not saying to eat into your margin. Just let your guests get through a day or two before having to run out for normal things.

Operating instruction for all 6. appliances that may be unusual.

Example: Many people have never heard of an evaporative cooler much less how to operate one. If your unit has both an evap and an A/C, be sure to explain when to use each.

7. Entertainment equipment. If you have anything other than normal TV, be sure to explain how to use the TV, satellite, surround sound, DVD, CD, IPod, etc. All of the remotes can be very confusing and if not explained clearly, your phone is going to ring.

8. Fireplaces. Guests need to know if they can burn real wood or just the fake logs, how to use a gas fireplace and/or gas lighter. Providing the number to call to see if it is a “no burn day” could prevent an unpleasant experience with authorities. Consider putting all this on a small sign close to the fireplace.

9. Label the light switches. I know it sounds silly, but if the switches

aren’t intuitive, it is a nice touch.

I intentionally didn’t go into everything you need in a welcome packet, check-in/check-out procedures or providing a list of restaurants and things of interest in the area or the necessity of your guest being able to reach you quickly. This list is just intended to give you things to think about, so your phone won’t ring as much and your guest will want to return many times in the future.

Smarter investing, Alan Langston Executive Director Arizona Real Estate Investors Association – AZREIA American Rental Property Owners & Landlords Association - ARPOLA 480-990-7092 www.AZREIA.org www.ARPOLA.org AZREIA serves its 1700+ members through chapters in Phoenix, Tucson and Prescott providing extensive market information, education, networking events and support. ARPOLA serves members in all 50 states providing assistance with ownership and operational aspects of rental property.

..continued from page 6

area conveniences, which no one will truly appreciate unless they make a visit and drive through the neighborhood. Maybe you have an outstanding maintenance staff that is highly visible that a prospective resident would observe hard at work when visiting your community. What about your friendly residents who are out and about? The ones who smile and cheerfully say “Hello” to everyone they meet. Have you ever considered your existing residents as a “sales tool?” Then, last, but certainly not least, there is YOU!! No website or other form of “inanimate” advertising can take the place of a warm, friendly and VERY enthusiastic person who is excited about their product and what they are doing.

Of course it’s much “easier” to just refer someone to a website or encourage them to check back with you when you have no apartments to show. After all, it does “appear” that you are trying to be “helpful.”

What if you extended an invitation to visit instead? You would definitely have to expend some extra time and energy and get creative to sell your product in a new and exciting way without a “visual.” Perhaps your enthusiastic personality could

describe and demonstrate with such animation that you could create your own “visual?”

Of course you want to be honest about your apartment availability and not get your prospects so “worked up” that you sell them on renting an apartment that is not available for their time frame. On the other hand, maybe there is some flexibility with their move date.

Remember: Part of your job as a sales person is to convince the customer that what you have to offer is worth waiting for.

If you are interested in leasing training or have a question or concern that you would like to see addressed, please reach out to me via e-mail.

ASK THE SECRET SHOPPER Provided by: Joyce (Kirby) Bica former owner of Shoptalk Service Evaluations Phone: 425-424-8870 E-mail: shptalk2@gmail.com Copyright Joyce (Kirby) Bica

Advertise in the Rental Housing Journal Colorado Official Publication of the Colorado's Leading Advocate for the Rental Housing Industry Call 503-221-1260 for more info.

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RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL COLORADO

Youngest Tenants ...continued from page 4

Cut Cost, Improve Quality ..continued from page 5

development firm, recently completed Manhattan’s first entirely fullfloor and multifloor luxury condominium tower. The Charles on the Upper East Side features a communal games room for children of all ages, at ground level. The developers predicted that families would want to live in the building’s spacious four bedroom residences.

Residents of all ages want communal recreational gathering spaces, like rooftops, courtyards, lounges, pools, outdoor grills, billiards tables, fire pits. “We also do find demand for communities that accommodate live/work/play,” spokeswoman Dale Pozzi said.

www.mysmokefreehousing.org.

Retaining Families Real estate mogul Sheldon Solow’s recently completed One and Two Sutton Place North—two black towers bordering the East River. But now his firm is planning a playroom for a portion of the huge lobby that connects the two glass towers.

Though still in the design phase, the children’s room is about enhancing the lifestyle of the buildings’ families, according to Jodi Stasse, managing director new developments at Citi Habitats.

The playroom at The Larstrand on West 77th Street. (Evan Joseph) Data from the two most recent censuses shows that families are actually in decline in New York at the expense of single people, according to Ryan Severino, senior economist and associate director of research at Reis.

But regardless, “Developers are going after young families, not just singles. They are trying to keep them for longer than they used to be able to keep them in the past. So by offering these amenities, it gives them a chance to do so,” Severino said.

In Manhattan, 301 buildings have a children’s playroom, compared with 36 in Brooklyn, 13 in Queens, 8 in the Bronx, and 2 on Staten Island, according to data compiled by StreetEasy. from PropertyManager.com a Service of AppFolio

References 1 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Health Statistics Section. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. January 2013.

2 Jefferson County Department of Public Health. Survey of County Multiunit Property Owners and Managers. 2014.

3 King BA, Travers MJ, Cummings KM, Mahoney MC, Hyland AJ. Secondhand smoke transfer in multiunit housing. Nic Tob Res 2010;12(11):1133-41.

4 Levy DE, Rigotti NA, Winickoff JP. Tobacco exposure in a sample of Boston public housing residents.. Am J Prev Med 2013;44(1):63-6.

5 Becquemin MH, Bertholon JF, Bentayeb M, et al. Thirdhand smoking: indoor measurements of concentration and sizes of cigarette smoke particles after resuspension. Tob Control.

2010;19:347–348.

6 Kraev TA, Adamkiewicz G, Hammond SK, Spengler JD. Indoor concentrations of nicotine in lowincome, multi-unit housing: associations with smoking behaviours and housing characteristics. Tob Control.2009;18:438–444.

7 U.S. Dep’t of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Health Consequences of Involuntary. Exposure

to Tobacco Smoke: Report of the Surgeon General 11 (2006), available at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/ secondhandsmoke/report/fullreport.pdf.

8 Photo courtesy of Scott Alderman, President, Landura Companies, NC. 9 Tobacco Control Legal Consortium. Infiltration of Secondhand Smoke into Condominiums, Apartments and Other Multi-Unit Dwellings: 2009. Found at http://www. publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/ files/resources/tclc-syn-condos-2009_0. pdf 10 Young WF, Karp S, Bialick P, et. al. Health and economic impacts of secondhand smoke in Colorado public housing. (unpublished).

11 Photo courtesy of Scott Alderman, President, Landura Companies, Kendrick Square Apartments, Mt. Holly, NC. 12 King BA, Peck RM, Babb SD. Cost-Savings Associate with Prohibiting Smoking in U.S. Subsidized Housing. Am J Prev Med, 2013.

13 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Fire Administration.

Smoking-Related Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010), Vol. 13, Issue 6, 2012. Found on January 23, 2014 at http://www.usfa. fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/ v13i6.pdf

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Rental Housing Journal Colorado • February 2015