Apartment Managers R Us

02/28/2024

Making Your Mark - by Larry Berry

Leaders are asked where do you stand
What mark have you made on this great land
What influence you’ve had to measure success
On what others would label you as one of the best

Is it wealth that says your mark has been hit?
Or is it the laughter created and amount of your wit
Do positions matter in measuring your place?
Or the title you receive and the corner office space

Why is it we look at the mark as something material?
When true rewards from your mark are often intangible
Where pride and satisfaction come from the feeling within
And true happiness is something you cannot even spend

For making your mark must start from inside
And be led by emotion and feelings and pride
And no one can tell you what your mark should be
As it is built from the base like the roots of a tree

Success is not the miles traveled or places you see
But what you shared with others while adding humility
It’s not that you climbed a mountain because it was there
But why you did it and in the end what you shared

For in the end it is not from the place that you start
But where you have landed and what comes from the heart
So the next time someone asks you what mark have you made
Tell them it’s the hearts touched and the groundwork laid

For long after I am gone and the ashes are released
I want to be remembered for truly resting in peace
And not for what I was or for being courageous and bold
But for who I was and the values in life that I hold

10/09/2023

Working on my upcoming keynote in Nevada in a few weeks, it gave me time to reflect on what everyone can do to create magic in their workplace. Sometimes it's the little things that make an ordinary experience into something extraordinary. I always ask some personal questions of the site teams such as, what is your favorite candy bar, what is your favorite actor, what are your hobbies, and others. A team is doing really well and they find their favorite candy bar on their desk. Naturally as a magician I made sure it just appeared. Doing one-on-one's with the teams and walking with the grounds and service staff instead of the manager every other visit or if possible every visit. Hiding treasures in trash on the property and at the end of the day hopefully there were winners (cash, movie tickets). I didn't do this every time but would on occasion and usually had the cleanest properties in the market. If a team member has a birthday, make a big thing of it including a sign at the entrance that says, "It's Barry's Birthday. If you see him tell him HB." Have a double-sided sign that you can fill in the blank for whatever team member you are celebrating. Decorate a service members golf cart or desk area. Then there are what I call, "subliminal," magical moments in addition to training that can turn into magic. As an example, are we training and supporting the goals we are giving out with proof it is possible? Let's say you have what may be perceived as a lofty goal of 30 leases in the coming month with the most previous being 26. I have said before when asked the question, "How do you eat an elephant," the answer is one bite at a time. I ask if they can do only one more lease each week which makes it palatable and possible. Be open with them and inform them this is going to take some work, team effort, and believing they can do it, participate in the goal, and prove it is possible.

There are dozens of ways to make your team feel more what they do is an "experience," and not just a job. I can think of dozens of ways to make your residents have a magical experience for very little or no money. Use your imagination. Throw everything on the wall and see what sticks. Find ways to create the magic for your teams, your vendors, your residents, and be creative. One hint, you have resources to send out a birthday wish to every resident with taking a little time to set up a calendar.

Now, go create some magic.

06/22/2022

Check out my latest blog at www.multifamilysuccess.blogspot.com and my new web site at www.wizardryenterprises.com

Larry

You can find "Complex - A Guide To Apartment Management," and "Leadership - Finding the leader in you," and my novels available on Kindle at Amazon.com, or you can email at [email protected]. I have a passion for training, coaching, and education. Most of what I write can be related to any i...

05/19/2022

Great leaders don't lead by authority, but by example.

04/11/2022

I am back to speaking and training full time and so excited. Sharing information is a passion and look forward to helping others exceed and excel.

08/21/2020

Updating and Preparing for my presentation in Raleigh in October. The April workshop was cancelled due to that which shall not be named. Let's hope this one goes as planned. I'll be presenting Creating the Magic, with some updated information related to current events.

08/06/2020

Let's hope Covid does down. Scheduled to be in Raleigh in October to present Creating the Magic (was originally scheduled for April). Hope to see my TSA peeps again.

08/05/2020

I have just lowered the price of the Ebook, Complex - A Guide to Apartment Management on Amazon. This is a limited time offer and is one of the top three books sold on multi-family management. It's also free on Kindle Unlimited.

https://www.amazon.com/Complex-Management-Lawrence-Berry-CPM-ebook/dp/B003980D3E/ref=sr_1_1?
dchild=1&keywords=Complex+-+A+Guide+to+Apartment+Management&qid=1596652748&sr=8-1

10/18/2018

Core topics are set for 2019 and already filling dates. As a speaker I am not focused on motivation, rather inspiration through education. How many times have you attended a motivational ra-ra presentation to return to your job truly inspired with information that makes you an exceptional property manager? You can laugh and enjoy those presentations, and no offense to those types of speakers, but what are the true "take-aways" that lead to improving the bottom line? My goal is to educate with information that will make you and your properties excel and opperate more efficiently. Contact me for addional details and a list of topics that will take you and your team to the next level. You can also visit my blog which has over 30,000 viewers in 12 countries at www.multifamilysuccess.blogspot.com

08/06/2018

One of the frustrations I hear from managers is by the time a judgment is posted through the court system to the credit agencies, the non-paying resident has already found a new apartment. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act does not state you cannot turn over money owed to a collection company before you get a judgement, which can in turn report the amount owed to the credit reporting agencies. Make sure your documentation including lease allows this, as well as any state statutes are not preventing you from moving forward with legal action and allow for this type of action. Just be reminded, if you turn over to a collection agency you will owe them a fee if they collect. Don't be afraid to ask for the apartment back if they say they have no options and will not be able to pay. Give them the benefits, which do not negate your ability to seek the money through collection efforts. You may find several benefits here. (1) You mitigate the bad debt on your financial. (2) You can get the apartment back to turn and get ready for a "paying" resident. (3) You avoid legal and court costs which in many cases you cannot recapture.

07/20/2018

Just wrote a piece on selling a budget in Multifamily Sharespace on FB. Hope you enjoy.

07/06/2018

Hurricane season is here which is the perfect time to book my workshop called Expect the Unexpected - Emergency Preparedness. Don't be caught without a plan.