WHY CURB APPEAL IS SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE READYS
With the amount of new apartment construction entering the marketing, it is important to have a complete and clean product available to compete with the new units.
Prospective residents will have likely have done some research on your community by the time they visit, and they have multiple reasons for their decision, such as location, schools, pricing, employment, etc. Therefore, they may have already chosen your community as a place they want to live by the time they visit in person. This is where you have the opportunity to shine. Make ready ' s are directly tied to the closing ratio of the leasing associates at the community.
Make ready ' s are not confied to the unit interior- that ' s where curb appeal ties in. The entry to the community and the buildings is the beginning of the make ready. No matter how nice the unit interior itself is, if the exterior entry, walkway, turf, landscape, etc. is not well kept, it affects their opinion on whether or not they will lease or continue to shop.
Here are the six most important tools that can lead to a successful make ready and move-inexperience.
1. Curb appeal sets the tone when a new customer sees the community first hand.
2. The pre-walk is when the first evaluation can be conducted and communication begins.
3. Move-out date: When changing locks, this gives you an extra evaluation that can reveal hidden items not found during hte pre-walk.
4. The Checklist: This tool is necessary for efficency and complete coverage of the unit interior items.
5. The move-in experience sets the tone for the relationship between the resident and the community.
6. Utilizing office personnel in conjunction with maintenance during the move-in can establish a customer service foundation that will not be forgotten.
-Chris Beno, ConAm Colorado
CURB APPEAL IN THE SUBURBS
Depending on the age of your community, most suburban areas in towns and cities have at least some natural landscaping in the neighborhood. Older communities can benefit from having natural, old growth landscaping to work around and with. With the possibility of additional landscaping and installation of flower, trees, and shrubs, the entire community can then offer a welcoming and beautiful exterior to compliment the interior homes. As we know, curb appeal in this industry is everything! A prospect will drive away from a community if the exterior does not match photos posted online! When dealing with curb appeal for suburban communities, it is important to remember:
• Take care of flower beds and planters in all areas, especially high-traffic common areas. Set a schedule that compliments your county’ s water regulations, and if possible, use timers for watering. Keep an eye on weather reports, and immediately tend to flowers and plants if they are damaged due to snow, rain, hail, wind, or other weather issues.
• Tend to parking lots and sidewalks often. As part of suburban communities, small issues with these areas might be overlooked, but are as important as any other part of the curb appeal for the community.
• Bring your vegetation indoors! Consider bringing low allergy plants inside the office and common areas. Modern, updated, and clean fake plants can also be used. If you use live plants, please set a schedule to water them regularly. These plants can add life to any office.
• As mentioned previously, pay particular attention to your turns and vacant units. A large portion of curb appeal is the entryway and office areas, but the prospect will notice a lack of attention immediately in a vacant or model unit. Take special care to extend your curb appeal to all areas of the community, and not just the tour paths.
Chris Abernathy is the Community Manager at 1600 Glenarm( RedPeak) and Amy Gillaspie is the Leasing Manager at The Vintage at Hyland Hills( Legacy Partners). They serve on the AAMD Communication Committee.
18 | TRENDS • MARCH 2017 www. aamdhq. org