As a multi family property management leader ~ protecting and informing your residents/tenants of the dangers of ponds/lakes should be a top priority…for those who own apartments, commercial and other real estate buildings/assets with ponds and lakes. Are signs posted that warn your residents/tenants of the dangers? Do you send communication to residents/tenants reminding them of the dangers of ponds/lakes?

Below are two articles related to pond downings–and a reminder of the importance of checking your safety procedures with your team/residents regarding the ponds/lakes on your multi family properties. Please share these stories with those on your leadership, leasing and maintenance teams~

8-year-old girl drowns in retention pond
http://www.wthr.com/story/18747013/possbile-drowning-at-west-side-apartments

Man drowns in pond
http://laurel.patch.com/articles/laurel-drowning-victim-rushed-to-hospital

Within your multi family property management company—-how often do you check the signage for ponds at your communities/properties? Does your team & residents/tenants know the rules in place regarding the ponds/lakes?

Focusing on ponds and lakes…how does this tie into your real estate and apartment/commercial business insurance coverage? What is required from your insurance company…regarding signage at your multi family communities/properties? Does your policy have any liability exclusions regarding bodies of water?

Would you like our team to do a comprehensive review of your multi family real estate building insurance coverage—related to your coverage for ponds/lakes?

To learn more about this topic and to read the news, trends and ideas being shared by multi family PM leaders—join the discussion thread below~with 70+ posts.

Industry Knowledge, Real Estate Building Insurance
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=36805&type=member&item=76772122&qid=0dc2d3c2-c9cd-4dc8-b481-ed2e4f93d5cb&goback=%2Egna_36805

Crag Simmons
Power Insurance & Risk Management Group
http://www.PIRMG.com
877-602-6030

I’ve encountered several questionable tours before that gave me a gut feeling that something was not “right”. Being a southern raised female I was instructed to always believe the best in people no matter what you “think or feel”. I ignored those gut feelings and paid the price. I believe in listening to those gut feelings now!

In order to comply with company policies, fair housing and such, those in the field doing the actual tours can feel they are in a tight spot. But they aren’t! Having a plan in place for any circumstance is your best defense. In conjunction with the many suggestions previously made consider the following as well.

In circumstances where one is alone and NO ONE is on property to accompany them or pop by the show unit to check in on them, here are a few tips that may help detour unwanted behavior.

#1. ALWAYS have a plan in place and be prepared!

#2. Call someone and tell them that you will be showing the 1 bedroom model, or apartment 1204 or whatever unit you so choose. Tell that person that they are more than welcome to come on up to the office and that you will be back in less than 5 minutes. Even if no one answers, leave a message or even pretend to have that conversation. This will let a potential threat know that you have people waiting on you and know where you are and when you will be back.

#3. OR: Tell the prospect that the maintenance staff is on their way down to the show unit to do some repairs, but if they can excuse their presence you would be happy to show them.

#4. Some companies require the tour to include the agent opening doors, cabinets, etc. In those instances it become a serious question you need to be ready to answer: What are you willing to risk? Your safety? Your job? If you are willing to risk your job, immediately document your reasons in detail for not following company procedure. Inform your supervisor immediately following the incident. This should protect you and the company.

Priority number one is safety!

Listen to your gut and have a plan in place! It’s a winning combination!!

Having been in the industry over 20 years and being married to a police officer I have learned many tactics to help me succeed in protection and accomplish success in business. These are simply a few of the many plans I had in place and used over the years. Each company must discuss and have their own plan in place in advance as well as ensure proper training and policy implementation. The goal is to conduct business in a professional, safe and successful manner!!!!!!

Respectfully,

Posted by Robin Shifflett

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One thing I have always had as a personal practice in showing apartments is to always leave my keys in the door and to have the dead bolt turned out so the door itself CANNOT be closed and that leaves a way out.

As has been stated prior, let someone know exactly where you are going and when to expect you back.

Something that I have done as well is to, send my maintenance tech to do the tour and simply explain that I have something pressing and apologize.

If someone’s intent is bad, they will either beg off or simply go with them so as not to arouse suspicion.

Your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Patricia McLoughlin

====

Wanted to share several more great posts below…packed with sound-and-smart tips and strategies for safe leasing tours.

Plus, just read the news article below…as a reminder that when rental housing properties are not safe for the residents and/or the leasing and management teams—the owners of the properties can be held liable…like in this Jacksonville story.

One Million Paid By Property Owner In Jacksonville Woman’s Death
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-07-09/story/1-million-paid-property-owner-jacksonville-womans-death

As you read the posts/suggestions below…what else might you add to this list?

With a focus on safe leasing tours + preventative pre-tour steps/prep/training…keeping leasing agents safe—is critical to the success of our multi family property management industry.

To learn more about this topic and to read the news, trends and ideas being shared by PM leaders…join the discussion thread below~with 300+ posts.

Industry Knowledge, Crime Prevention & Security
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=36805&type=member&item=69668654&qid=1f421271-d6e1-4d60-be72-9f805404410d&goback=%2Egna_36805

Patricia

+++

[part one]

Ernest:

Thank you for posting this new article about protecting your property and residents from crime.

The article has great tips on the global items that we need to stay active doing everyday in our communities. We also need to remember that as Property Managers and Owners, it is our duty to show and use our leadership in the community and know what is going on. We are not just mere babysitters of a property. Many property owners and managers like having quiet residents “they moved in and I never heard from them again”. That scares me. This means that they don’t take the time to get to know the people and actively engage with them after they have moved in.

Some criminals pay their rent on time and are “good tenants” until something bad happens, so this is NOT a good indicator as to whether or not someone is a “bad egg” as the article mentioned. Furthermore the failure of any multi unit property owner who does not install the most simplest of video equipment in common areas is a passenger and unwilling to take responsibility for their property site. In this market, obtaining and installing video equipment is very very inexpensive. The article did not mention signage and the wording and symbols on the signs let people know what is happening at the property right away. This can be good or bad, so chose signage and placement wisely.

Finally, making annual inspections inside the units gives the owner and property manager control over entry to notice more than just Fire Life Safety issues. Many an indoor marijuana farm has been found on an annual FLS inspection. Be responsive to noise complaints. Do common area inspections daily. Be realistic- over 40 percent of our population in the U.S. is on some kind of substance ( whether it be drugs, alcohol or prescriptions) . Don’t make your residents think they live at Disney Land and that you as multi family property owners and managers can control everyone and everything. YOU CAN’T.

No matter how good your screening is and attention to detail there is always something going on. Explain to your residents that they are responsible to take precautions and that also means using our best communication skills to work with everyone at the property and in the community. Having intentional conversations and doing behaviors that reduce risk are essential to crime prevention success! ( if the owners and multi family property managers do not have a budget for FLS or short change safety measures, do you really want to work at that property?).

Posted by Adria Pulizzano

Your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Patricia McLoughlin

====

Always interesting to read about acquisition news…especially within the financial/capital sector of our multi-family industry.

Walker & Dunlop Acquires CWCapital
http://www.multifamilybiz.com/News/4065/Walker__Dunlop_Inks_Deal_to_Acquire_CWCapital

Your take on the news article above? Have you done any recent financing with Walter & Dunlop? What are you finding…as you are in need of capital/financing for your multifamily projects and/or acquisitions?

To learn more about this topic and to read the news, trends and ideas being shared by multi-family property management leaders…join the discussion thread below~with 80+ posts.

Industry Knowledge, Multifamily Capital Financing/Lending
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=36805&type=member&item=69871720&qid=09e7b1cb-ed2f-4ac8-102c6-34fa13a64bc8&goback=%2Egna_36805

Your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Patricia McLoughlin

====

For the list of the Best 102 multi-family Property Management Industry Knowledge discussions, surf here: http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html#ik

===>>>The fastest way to raise your success within our LinkedIn group is to make a post on one of the discussion threads on the url above—that will be seen by 14,600,000+ multi-family  property management leaders/readers/members over the next 365 days~

Based on group size…we’re #307 of 1,348,576 worldwide LinkedIn groups with 40,000+ members who are part of our 9 LinkedIn groups.
Posted by Patricia McLoughlin

Not often do I read in our industry about appliance innovation…especially with dishwashers.

Steam Dishwasher Eliminates Dreaded Pre-Wash
http://www.multihousingnews.com/product-gallery/steam-dishwasher-from-lg-eliminates-the-dreaded-pre-wash/1004055089.html

Your take on the news article above? Have you recently purchased/rented dishwashers for your multi-family rental units? Which vendors/suppliers are you most impressed with?

To learn more about this topic and to read the news, trends and ideas being shared by multi-family property management leaders…join the discussion threads below~with 40+ posts.

Industry Knowledge, Appliance Buying
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=81326862&gid=36805&goback=%2Egmp_36805

Industry Knowledge, Appliance Rentals
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=36805&type=member&item=81327412&qid=a70227b4-f8c4-4166-a001-ebf64d25f76d&goback=%2Egmp_36805

Your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Patricia McLoughlin

====

For the list of the Best 102 multi-family Property Management Industry Knowledge discussions, surf here: http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html#ik

===>>>The fastest way to raise your success within our LinkedIn group is to make a post on one of the discussion threads on the url above—that will be seen by 14,600,000+ multi-family property management leaders/readers/members over the next 365 days~

Based on group size…we’re #307 of 1,348,576 worldwide LinkedIn groups with 40,000+ members who are part of our 9 LinkedIn groups.
Posted by Patricia McLoughlin

This week I enjoyed…the two news stories below about small-sized apartments—and the trends about apartment square footage that is shrinking.

How To Live In 300-Square Foot Apartment
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/live-300-square-foot-apartment-16751302

Tiniest Apartment In New York City?
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/tiniest-apartment-new-york-city-13398285

In the webcast below…you can hear Manny Gonzalez talk about new and fast-moving building trends for rental housing plus his insight regarding the building of smaller apartments.

Technology Driven Design For The Next Generation Renter
http://www.multifamilybiz.com/WebcastArchive/38/Technology_Driven_Design_For_The_Next_Generation_Renter

Manny Gonzalez, AIA, LEED AP is the Senior Partner in KTGY Group’s Santa Monica office and is also President of KTGY Group, Colorado. He is responsible for the design, land planning and production of residential developments and affordable multi-family communities nationwide over the last 25+ years.

Your take on the news stories above? What kind of new apartment building trends are you seeing? What kind of shifts in square footage are you finding in the new construction happening in your city/area?

To learn more about this topic and to read the news, trends and ideas being shared by multi family property management leaders…join the discussion thread below~with 60+ posts.

Industry Knowledge, Architectural Building Trends
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=36805&type=member&item=73535721&qid=f00aef62-6801-4fdb-8736-7931213d414c&goback=%2Egna_36805

Your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Patricia McLoughlin

====

For the list of the Best 102 multi family Property Management Industry Knowledge discussions, surf here: http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html#ik

===>>>The fastest way to raise your success within our LinkedIn group is to make a post on one of the discussion threads on the url above—that will be seen by 14,600,000+ multi family property management leaders/readers/members over the next 365 days~

Based on group size…we’re #307 of 1,348,576 worldwide LinkedIn groups with 40,000+ members who are part of our 9 LinkedIn groups.
Posted by Patricia McLoughlin

Loved the article below…as an ongoing reminder of ways to shave/save money on water use/utilities.

Money [And Water] Down the Drain
http://www.naahq.org/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=9d9bf7fe%2D13ea%2D4bf2%2Db7d6%2Ddd27c8ac4533&ID=385

Your take on the news article above? What are you and your multifamily PM team doing…to reduce the usage and cost of your water utilities? Is it working?

When was the last time you had your utilities audited? What kind of savings did you find/enjoy?

How are water usage trends…impacting your selection of applicances and/or laundry equipment to buy/rent?

To learn more about this topic and to read the news, trends and ideas being shared by multifamily property management leaders…join the discussion threads below~with 50+ posts.

Industry Knowledge, Utility Bill Audits
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=36805&type=member&item=71289684&qid=bb6dcfee-5b03-4f68-9f67-08bb9fef6dd2&goback=%2Egna_36805

Industry Knowledge, Laundry Equipment & Services
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=36805&type=member&item=68683385&qid=23a98628-bf74-4491-8fe1-4add3075e1e3&goback=%2Egna_36805

Your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Patricia McLoughlin

=====

For the list of the Best 102 multifamily Property Management Industry Knowledge discussions, surf here: http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html#ik

===>>>The fastest way to raise your success within our LinkedIn group is to make a post on one of the discussion threads on the url above—that will be seen by 14,600,000+ multifamily property management leaders/readers/members over the next 365 days~

Based on group size…we’re #307 of 1,348,576 worldwide LinkedIn groups with 40,000+ members who are part of our 9 LinkedIn groups.
Posted by Patricia McLoughlin

Is your advertising on Craigslist—bringing the rental/leasing results you are wanting?

How are your rental/occupancy trends…shifting the advertising you are doing on Craigslist?

When you are advertising on Craigslist…what are you doing to be within Fair Housing guidelines?

How are you combining your advertising on Craigslist with your social marketing efforts? Is it working as planned?

Have you been ripped off when using Craigslist? What are you and your multifamily PM team doing…to take the necessary precautions needed?

Focused on Craigslist advertising…what post, question and/or observation might you add to this discussion thread?

Industry Knowledge, Advertising On Craigslist

===>>>Please click on the url below and make your post there***

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=76836408&gid=36805&goback=%2Egde_36805

===

To the members of our 9 LinkedIn groups…we are the Wikipedia for the multifamily property management sector—and we are only as strong as the depth of our 40,000+ property management industry leaders who are sharing their ideas, insight and wisdom on these Industry Knowledge discussion threads.

For the list of the Best 102 multifamily Property Management Industry Knowledge discussions, surf here:

http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html#ik

===>>>The fastest way to raise your success within our LinkedIn group is to make a post on one of the discussion threads on the url above—that will be seen by 14,600,000+ multifamily property management leaders/readers/members over the next 365 days~

Find a discussion that interests you and make a post, ask a question, jump in and make a contribution. Come join 7500+ multifamily property management leaders already posting to our Industry Knowledge discussion threads.

The more you give in your ideas, knowledge and smart-thinking…the more you will get/receive from other multifamily property management leaders in exchange.

To see the master list of all Industry Knowledge discussions within this LinkedIn group and all 9 of our multifamily property management LinkedIn groups for you to join, you will find them on the url below:

http://powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html

Based on group size…we’re #307 of 1,348,576 worldwide LinkedIn groups with 40,000+ members who are part of our 9 LinkedIn groups.

Surf the url below for our CEO Series of free multifamily property management educational webcasts related to industry products, services and emerging trends & technology,

http://powerhour.com/propertymanagement/thoughtleadership.html

The Coach…and your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Ernest Oriente

==========

PowerHour, serving the multifamily property management industry since 1988, http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement
Posted by Ernest Oriente

What have you seen/learned from your interaction with multi family apartment rating/review websites?

What is the profile of those who post to multi family apartment rating/review websites? Are more of the comments/posts…positive or negative?

If you find a negative post about your apartment community and/or your multi family property management company—what are the steps for responding to it?

Related to apartment rating/review websites…what post, question and/or observation might you add to the discussion thread below—as a multi family property management leader?

Industry Knowledge, Apartment Rating/Review Websites

===>>>Please click on the url below and make your post there***

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=76827800&gid=36805&goback=%2Egmp_36805

===

To the members of our 9 LinkedIn groups…we are the Wikipedia for the property management sector—and we are only as strong as the depth of our 40,000+ multi family property management industry leaders who are sharing their ideas, insight and wisdom on these Industry Knowledge discussion threads.

For the list of the Best 102 Property Management Industry Knowledge discussions, surf here:

http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html#ik

===>>>The fastest way to raise your success within our LinkedIn group is to make a post on one of the discussion threads on the url above—that will be seen by 14,600,000+ multi family property management leaders/readers/members over the next 365 days~

Find a discussion that interests you and make a post, ask a question, jump in and make a contribution. Come join 7500+ multi family PM leaders already posting to our Industry Knowledge discussion threads.

The more you give in your ideas, knowledge and smart-thinking…the more you will get/receive from othermulti family multi family property management leaders in exchange.

To see the master list of all Industry Knowledge discussions within this LinkedIn group and all 9 of our property management LinkedIn groups for you to join, you will find them on the url below:

http://powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html

Based on group size…we’re #307 of 1,348,576 worldwide LinkedIn groups with 40,000+ members who are part of our 9 LinkedIn groups.

Surf the url below for our CEO Series of free multi family property management educational webcasts related to industry products, services and emerging trends & technology,

http://powerhour.com/propertymanagement/thoughtleadership.html

The Coach…and your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Ernest Oriente

PowerHour, serving the property management industry since 1988, http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement
Posted by Ernest Oriente

In the spirit of a greener planet…plus knowing the benefits of recycling—I enjoyed reading the article below~

Maryland’s Multifamily Recycling Law
http://www.multifamilybiz.com/m/blog.aspx?id=189#/blog

Your take on the news article above? How are you and your multi family  PM team handling trash and recycling efforts at your rental properties? Are you getting the support you need from your rental residents?

To learn more about this topic and to read the news, trends and ideas being shared by multi family property management leaders…join the discussion threads below~with 40+ posts.

Industry Knowledge, Trash & Recycling Services
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=36805&type=member&item=68502156&qid=fa5dc78b-18d3-44ba-8cdb-25da91ab9cea&goback=%2Egna_36805

Your LinkedIn group owner/moderator
Patricia McLoughlin.

======

For the list of the Best 102 multi family Property Management Industry Knowledge discussions, surf here: http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/linkedingroups.html#ik

===>>>The fastest way to raise your success within our LinkedIn group is to make a post on one of the discussion threads on the url above—that will be seen by 14,600,000+ multi family property management leaders/readers/members over the next 365 days~

Based on group size…we’re #307 of 1,348,576 worldwide LinkedIn groups with 40,000+ members who are part of our 9 LinkedIn groups.
Posted by Patricia McLoughlin