" AAMD is a team of like-minded owners, investors, management companies and supplier partners who form the 6th largest apartment association in the nation! And we ' re rapidly growing!"
FROM THE PRESIDENT
DEREK AVERY | LEGACY PARTNERS
Stay Occupied, My Friends
At June Awards last month, we ran a series of spoof beer commercials that hilariously portrayed me as " the most interesting man in Colorado." At the end of each video, instead of asking the viewers to " stay thirsty my friends " as the Dos Equis pitchman famously said, I said, " stay occupied my friends."
" AAMD is a team of like-minded owners, investors, management companies and supplier partners who form the 6th largest apartment association in the nation! And we ' re rapidly growing!"
This has caught on, as members who were at June Awards continue to repeat the catchphrase in social media and other communication. My goals for this year are to“ stay occupied” in several different forms.
In Our Communities
We certainly want our apartment communities to maximize profitability by maintaining a consistent level of occupancy. That means retaining our residents and filling the homes of those who move out.
What does this look like for your team? Does it mean elevating the level of service the resident has come to expect? Does it mean tweaking your facility standards? Does it mean overhauling a certain amenity or community event? AAMD is the place to learn about industry best practices.
Within Our Teams
It ' s no secret that people in the industry tend to jump ship from time to time. It can be for several reasons. Perhaps they ' re recruited( and I don ' t have to tell you how much AAMD discourages recruiting at our events), or perhaps they go looking for a new company culture, a bump in compensation, or simply a change of scenery.
Staying occupied as it relates to our team members doesn ' t necessary mean keeping them occupied with tasks. It means giving them the right motivations to keep them engaged so they don ' t feel the need to go looking for another opportunity with a competitor or even outside the industry.
Some questions to consider: What strengths do your team members have that you currently don ' t fully leverage? Do they understand how their contributions effect the bottom line and the lives of our residents? Do they know when they are exceeding your expectations? Are they being compensated fairly? Is their personal growth being supported through continuing education? Do they know you care about them and their future?
I understand that running a community or business means hiring people to do what needs to be done, but I challenge you to simply put yourselves in their shoes and ask yourself if your work environment is fulfilling.
In the Association
Similarly, the Apartment Association strives to retain its members the same way we strive to retain our residents and team members. AAMD offers benefits far beyond a subscription to this magazine and a few forms along the way.
AAMD is a team of like-minded owner / investors, management companies and supplier partners who form the 6th largest apartment association in the nation! And we ' re rapidly growing! Supporting AAMD will help you keep your communities occupied and your team members retained through our education opportunities( next month ' s issue will have a full listing of fall’ s offerings) and legislative efforts.
I may not be the most interesting man in Colorado, but I ' m certainly proud to be leading the most interesting industry during this year of growth as we strive to " stay occupied my friends."
Cheers, Derek Avery 2016 / 17 AAMD President
6 | TRENDS • AUGUST 2016 www. aamdhq. org