1. Creating Exceptional Housing Communities
Carson L. Hayes
Hayes-Gibson International

2. What does exceptional mean?
“Unusually excellent; Unexpected”
What Does Your Housing Community Do That Is Excellent?
What Do You Think Applicants Expect?
What Has Been The Trend For Your Property Over The Past Three Years?
How Has New Competition Affected Your Ability To Be Exceptional?
What Incentive Have You Given Your Staff To Be Exceptional?
What About Your Competition Is Exceptional?
What Are Your Biggest Challenges To Being Exceptional?
The Tough Question….Has Your Property EVER Been Exceptional?

3. What Is An Exceptional Housing Community?
Curb Appeal
Amenities
Price Point
Staff
Size Of Unit
Location
Age
Safety
Neighbors

4. Safety NO Community Can Be Exceptional If It Is Not Safe
Neighborhood Watch
Police As Residents
Police Substations
Cameras
Reporting Of All Suspected Criminal Activity
Enforcement Of Lease And House Rules
Confidentiality

5. Amenities What Do Other Properties Have That You Don’t?
Is What You Do Have Clean In Good Repair And Inviting?
Survey Among Residents
Items Vendors Can Provide (Game Room, Laundry, Computer Room)
Use Of A Capital Plan
Ways To Offset Lack Of Amenities (Location, Price, Unit Size, Staff)

6. Curb Appeal Do You Go With Staff Each Day To Walk The Property?
Do You Pass Up Trash?
What Does Your Competition Have In Terms Of Curb Appeal That You Don’t?
Contests With Residents
Use Of Residents
Contests
Use Of Schools
Feedback From Visitors

7. Price Point How Does Your Rent Compare With Your Competition?
Where Is Your Rent In Comparison With Like Properties?
Price Does NO GOOD To Attract And RETAIN Quality Residents?
How Do You Determine When To Raise The Rent And How Much?
Annual Increases VS Periodic Increases
Do Your Rent Increases Always Translate Into Improvements In other Areas?
How Does Your Price Point Mirror Your Tenant Selection Plan (TSP)

8. Staff Staff Is The KEY To Making Any Community Exceptional.
How Do You Recruit And Retain Exceptional Staff?
How Do You Determine If You Even Have Exceptional Staff?
How Do You Evaluate Exceptional Staff?
Ways To Reward Other Than With Money.
Multifamily Housing Nation Wide Has Large Turnovers Of Staff-Retention!
Training
How Do You Keep The Staff You Pay Training For?

9. Size Of your unit and exceptional communities
You Can’t Change The Size Of Your Unit
Size Can Be Overcome With Amenities
Size Can Be Overcome With Features (Accent Walls/Washer Dryers/Internet)
Size Can Be Overcome With Location
Size Can Be Overcome With Staff
Size Can Be Overcome With Allowances (Pets, Parking)
Size Can Be Overcome With Incentives (Referrals)
Rent The Model

10. Location
People Begin Looking At Your Unit Because Its In A Place They Want To Live
Do You Have Connections To Local Business As Part Of Your Marketing?
If Your Location Is Not Desirable How Can You Lessen The Impact (I.E. Van)?
What Makes Your Location Better Than The One They Want To Live In? (Lower Traffic, Crime, Public Transportation)
What Are The Best Drawing Factors To Your Community? (Schools, Shopping, Medical, Transportation, Services, Employment)
What Is The Trend Of The Area You Are Located? Development/Improvements Planned?

11. Age Can An Older Community Still Be Exceptional? YES!!! Historic Value
Construction
View
New Improvements On An Old Building (Energy Star, Flooring, Lighting, High Speed Internet, Community Space)
Planned Renovations
Rental Pricing VS A New Building?

12. Neighbors
Statistics Say That One Of The First Things A Prospective Renter Looks At Is Who They Will Be Living Next To
What Is The Curb Appeal Next To The Unit You Are Trying To Rent?
If You Have Good Crime Stats PASS THEM OUT!
What Do Neighbors Say After Hours When Traffic Is On The Property?

13. Exceptional Communities is influenced by who you hire
Personality Types And How They Work Together
Use Of In House Versus Out Of House Maintenance
Proof Of Insurance
How Do You Continually Motivate Your Employees?
What Type Of Leader Are You?
Staff Meetings
Reward For Ideas

14. Case Study One
Mary Manager Was Hired By Exceptional Properties Inc. For Their Section 42 Housing Community. The Company Was Knocked Out By Her Energy And Love For The Housing Industry. Mary Has More Ideas Before Lunch Than Many Managers Have In A Month But Word On The Street Is That She Never Follows Through With Anything. What Type Of Support Staff Should Mary Hire?

15. Case study two
Your Property Has Always Been Full With An Extensive Waitlist. However During The Past Two Years Two New Communities Have Been Built With A Clubhouse And Pool. Your Community Is Nice And Clean But Older With No Clubhouse Or Pool. What Can You Do To Keep Your Community Exceptional?

16. Creating Exceptional Housing Communities
Carson L. Hayes
Hayes-Gibson International