BOARD PERSPECTIVE
BY BOB DONAHUE , NETWORKING COUNCIL CHAIR
The ABCs for Slow Leasing Season : Always Be Cleaning
It ' s the new year - ready or not ! The snow is falling , the holiday lights are coming down and if you work in our business ... the slower leasing season has arrived ( which can feel like our stockings got filled with coal ). BAH HUMBUG ! Generally , in these cold months of December and January , we feel our traffic numbers decrease and slowly see our occupancy start trending downward a little more than we are comfortable with .
We all have our ways of psyching ourselves up to close some deals , to get inspired , and get us out of our leasing funk . Maybe it is busting out the classic movie , Glengarry Glen Ross and watching Blake from Mitch and Murray give his “ motivational ” speech about ‘ Always Be Closing ’ and reminding his lower performers that ‘ coffee is for closers only ’. Perhaps it is watching Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street give his peptalk about ‘ Picking up the phone and start dialing ’ and to ‘ solve your problems by becoming rich ’. Or one of my favorites , Boiler Room , where Jim Young reminds the new stockbroker trainees that ‘ A sale is made on every call you make . Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can ’ t . Either way a sale is made , the only question is : Who is going to close ?’.
Though hard sales and strong closing tactics can be effective to sign some leases ( and you should be asking EVERY tour for the lease ), I have discovered in twenty years in the apartment business a new-and-improved ABC acronym , Always Be Cleaning . In my opinion , there is no magical phrase of persuasion that has closed a lease more than having a spotless apartment community , detailed grounds and curb lines , properly staged amenities , and near-perfect apartments homes that you show prospects . Cleaning sells more than selling sells . It ’ s not just my opinion either . The Disney Institute , which is over 30 years old and helps
advise and train organizations world-wide based on the insights and best practices of Disney parks and resorts , states that every single employee is considered a “ custodial employee ” first and foremost , from the CEO to the actual custodians . Cleaning is a team effort , and your entire team ( not just maintenance ) should play a major role is executing and maintaining the standard . Through proper planning and communication , this can be done and makes a HUGE difference for the success of our leasing efforts .
Here are 10 tips to get you started :
• Every office should have a sparkle bucket or cart for the leasing team . When you walk vacant units ( which should be done weekly ), bring it with you and ensure the apartments look and smell great .
• Execute full team grounds cleaning once a week . Remember to audit balconies and garages too .
• Throughout the day , ensure all amenities are staged and everything is operational .
• Write up every work order you see . Broken items are just as bad as dirty items .
• Check and clean resident everyday touchpoint areas such as mailrooms , stairwells , laundry rooms , bike storage closets , and any other spaces that are not a main amenity .
• Assign office employees a floor or two that they are responsible to fully inspect and detail once a week .
• Ensure the leasing lobby and amenity doors / windows are completely smudgefree throughout the day .
• Schedule monthly in-house carpet cleaning and painting touch-ups in common-area hallways . Involve the entire team and make it fun .
• Ensure all desks and offices are clear of clutter .
• Have weekly team meetings to discuss , review , and reinforce the cleaning standards and to ensure that everyone knows their part of the plan .
Remember that cleaning and organizing is a continual practice , not just a one-time project . Through proper scheduling , entire team involvement , and a great attitude cleaning can be fun and help you rent more apartments . Start now and always remember to ABC .... ALWAYS BE CLEANING – Which turns into CLOSING !
Bob Donahue is a multi-site Community Manager for AMLI Residential .
6 | TRENDS JANUARY 2024 www . aamdhq . org