The Welcome Mat
The Connecticut Apartment Association would like to welcome our new members:
New Members
Apartment Management Members:
RE Asset Management, LLC
Contact: Meshellone Echerarria
P.O. Box 370647
West Hartford, CT 06117
Phone: (860) 956-5027
Fax: (860) 956-5028
reasset@gmail.com
RE Asset Management LLC’s 6 communities
85 Summer Street
57 Huntington Street
63 Huntington Street
197 Collins Street
199 Collins Street
79 Summer Street
PMC Property Group, Inc.
Contact: Mary Lou Scheffer
1411 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: (215) 241-0200 ext. 112
Fax: (215) 665-0600
marylous@pmcpropertygroup.com
www.pmcpropertygroup.com
PMC Property Group, Inc.’s 13 communities
78 Olive Street
900 Chapel Street
254 College Street
197 Wooster
209 Green
488 Chapel
1217 Whitney
55 Trumbull
266 Pearl
915 Main Street
41 Niles
Imlay Street
26 Russ
Associate Members:
Russo Lawn & Landscaping
Contact: Mile Russo
395A Ella Grasso Turnpike
Windsor Locks, CT 06096
Phone: (860) 623-4119
Fax: (860) 627-9587
mike@russolawn.com
www.russolawn.com
Terminix Commercial
Contact: Donald J. Dodd
425 A Hayden Station Road
Windsor, CT 06095
Phone: (860) 683-0012
Fax: (860) 878-9128
ddodd@terminix.com
United Cleaning & Restoration
Contact: Alex Gritzuk
70 Industrial Park Access Road
Middlefield, CT 06455
Phone: (860) 349-2448
Fax: (860) 349-2580
agritzuk@unitedcr.com
www.unitedcr.com
Welcome new members!!!
CTAA Biography – Andrew Lund
Interviewed by Lauren Harris - lharris@residentdata.com
Andrew Lund is the new Treasurer for the CTAA and is also a Property Manager for Winn Residential. Want to learn more about him? Read on!
How did you enter the multifamily industry?
Real estate and property management have always been one of my passions. After working as a Realtor in Portsmouth, NH, I moved to the greater Hartford area to be closer with family and join Winn Residential as an Assistant Property Manager. The position has afforded me multiple opportunities to strengthen my managing skills and grow professionally.
Who do you currently work for and what are your responsibilities?
I am employed by Winn Residential as a Property Manager in Hartford. I'm responsible for each site I manage on a physical and financial level. I enjoy working at this level and having a direct, positive impact on the lives of residents and connecting and helping others.
How long have you been in involved with the CTAA and what made you want to become more active in the association?
I was first introduced to the CTAA in 2008 by another Winn employee. I was encouraged to get involved and was lucky enough to attend the annual golf tournament. After meeting other members and people in the industry I realized that it would fun to get involved and try to help the association.
Do you have a vision of what you would like CTAA to become?
More involvement would be key. It opens up so many doors. By growing the membership base it will benefit the association and our industry. We can have a stronger legislative presence, more educational opportunities and connect our valuable sponsors with ease.
What is the one thing that you can do to help the CTAA grow their membership in the upcoming year and beyond?
One way I plan to help the CTAA grow this year is being on the 2009 Cart Racing Committee. I plan to rally others throughout the industry to attend and enjoy the event in hopes that they will plan to get involved just as I did last year. In doing so, we will be able to grow our membership base, hold larger events and have the capability to reach out to more vendor sponsors helping the CTAA grow each year.
What is your favorite CTAA event and why? What is your favorite aspect of this particular event?
My favorite CTAA event is the annual trade show and Maintenance Mania event. The aspect I enjoy most this past year was the first annual maintenance mania event. It was enjoyable watching the maintenance professionals competing at the different stations and becoming involved. It was especially exciting watching them race their cars in the derby car competition.
What do you like to do outside of work and in your spare time (i.e..hobbies)?
Outside of work I enjoy golfing, skiing, and motorsports.
The Property Perspective
By Amy Tedesco – ATedesco@santiniliving.com
Is your property feeling the strain of the economy? Are you looking to improve your occupancy rate? In a down economy people are offered more and more incentives to entice them to move into a new apartment community. While prospects are bouncing back and forth trying to find the best deal, is it truly necessary that we need to offer 6 months of rent for free just to have someone sign a lease? Absolutely not! Specials are always a great way to get someone in the door but you do not have to sell your property short by selling the special and not the unit.
Key Points for a Successful Rental in a Down Economy
•Pre-Qualifying your prospects during the phone call or their initial visit. Sit them down if they are a walk in before your showing to understand their needs; how many bedrooms, budget, if you do not allow pets, ask if they have any. This 5 minute conversation can go a long way.
•Know your demographics and use your budget towards your marketing sources that are getting you qualified leads. Budgets may be cut in this economy so use your resources wisely to get the most qualified leads.
•Create a sense of urgency with prospects, give them a deadline to sign a lease and make them aware that other people are interested in their unit if that is the case. The longer they wait to sign the less likely they may sign on the dotted line.
•Use your residents!! Word of mouth is by far the best advertising anyone can give you. Think about increasing your reward for tenants or another incentive to make them want to give you business.
•Customer Service is by far the most important tool you have, and it’s free!! Go beyond what you would normally do for someone and make prospects feel good about where they are moving. Consider leaving an extra something in their unit at move in or doing a welcome social for everyone moving that month and invite the community to welcome their new neighbors.
Featured Property
This month’s Featured Property is our CTAA Nutmeg Award Winner for Community of The Year: Deer Valley Townhomes. To have your property featured email valerie@ctcapitolgroup.com subject line featured property, to have your property entered into the CTAA featured property drawing. Remember to include all contact info for your property.
At the annual Connecticut Apartment Association Tradeshow back in November, Deer Valley Townhomes was named “Community of the Year” and “Community 1988 and Newer” for 2008. The receipt of these prestigious awards can be attributed to Deer Valley’s superior customer service, distinct and well-appointed floor plans, attractive amenities, scenic location, and professional on-site management.
Where is your property located?
Deer Valley Townhomes is nestled on 90 acres in Ellington with spectacular views of rolling hills and valleys. We are just a short drive to Manchester, Hartford, Springfield, and Bradley International Airport making our premier community a great location for all.
What management company manages your property and when was it built?
Deer Valley Townhomes is managed by Santini Villa Apartments, LLC and opened their first building back in 2003 and have been continuing their construction ever since.
How many units are on your property?
With 201 units completed and 450 as their projected end count, they are well on their way to becoming a town of their own.
What amenities does the property have to offer?
The amenities include a 24 hour fitness center, billiard room, outdoor pool, walking trails, and a state of the art clubhouse.
What three words best describe your property?
The three words that best describe our property are distinctive, elegant, and picturesque.
Do you have any other communities in Connecticut?
Yes, we have another property in Vernon, The Santini Villa Apartments. The Villa Apartments are located at 1125 Hartford Turnpike and were built in a variety of sizes and styles with quality craftsmanship that make them stand out from typical rental offerings. . In addition to our rental properties we also build custom homes in both Ellington and Tolland.
What type of floor plans does your property offer, one, two, or three bedroom units?
With 16 different floor plans you are sure to find the townhome that best fits your needs. Whether it is a first floor master bedroom, additional room for a home office, or a place for visitors to stay for a night or two; Deer Valley can find the unit for you. Each townhome offers an attached 1 or 2 car garage, private front and back entryways, full basement; great for storage, gas fireplace, walk in closets, and a full size washer and dryer. Each resident also has the option for a security system, and each townhome is wired for high speed internet, phone, cable, and satellite.
What makes your property unique?
Deer Valley Townhomes prides itself on its individuality. Deer Valley offers the comfort of your own home without the hassles of ownership. They offer a place to enjoy life without having to worry about changing your light bulbs or fixing a broken dishwasher, all of those hassles of home ownership are taken care of by their exceptional maintenance staff. Our community is committed to carrying the dream of developing a distinctive and inspiring community that offers its residents a truly rewarding living experience.
News You Can Use
2009 Annual Meeting
The CTAA Annual Meeting was held on March 24th at the Hawthorne Inn. CTAA members gathered for a wonderful breakfast which included networking with industry professionals, updates on association accomplishments from the 2008 year and upcoming goals for 2009. The Annual meeting is also where the CTAA Officers and Directors are installed. CTAA thanks the outgoing Board of Directors for their continued service and congratulates the incoming Board members.
A list of our 2009 Board of Directors follows:
Executive Committee
President Ann Emerson, Equity Residential
Vice President Ela Lagasse, AvalonBay Communities
Vice President of Associate Affairs Rachel Vincent, CORT
Treasurer Andrew Lund, Winn Residential
Secretary Heather Winn, Northland Investment Corp.
President-Elect Vacant
Directors
Director from Northern CT Odis Colman, Winn Residential
Director from Southern CT Joanne Heckman, Konover Residential
Director at Large Brian Lemire, Winn Residential
Associate Director Robert Chesson, Esq., The Landlord Law Firm
Associate Director Heidi Casertano, ForRent Media Solutions
Past Presidents
2002 - 2004 Diane Yensen, Northland Investment Corp.
2005 - 2006 Ann Emerson, Equity Residential
2006 – 2007 Jeff Ferony, Tarragon Management, Inc.
2007 – 2008 Kate Moriarty, Northland Investment Corp.
2008 – 2009 Jeff Ferony Tarragon Management, Inc.
& Ann Emerson, Equity Residential
Getting “in” with the Internet – Social Networking and You
By Amy Belmonte – abelmonte@apartmentguide.com
Advertising and marketing are a necessity for success in almost any business. While the methods have changed and taken on new forms, from word of mouth, to billboards, to internet discussion forums, the need to broadcast your message and your product is still out there and people are ready to listen! Within the last 10-15 years, the way communities have been able to market to prospective residents has changed dramatically. There are more options available, both free and fee-based, than probably ever before. One of the newest and fastest growing trends in the multi-family industry is the utilization of “Social Networking” websites.
What is Social Networking?
Social Networking websites provide an open forum for people to connect or “network” with colleagues, co-workers, friends, relatives, and others who may share the same interests or common goals. The point of social networking is to engage people in conversation. Even if it’s just one sentence or a full-out novel’s worth of thoughts, people can communicate their thoughts, concepts, and ideas to others. While these networking sites can be great for connecting on a 1:1 basis with others, more and more businesses have been jumping on the social networking bandwagon, taking their business to the “virtual streets”. However, when it comes to marketing or advertising your community through social networking, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Engaging in Social Networking
Towards the end of this article, you’ll find a short list of social networking websites to check out. If you’ve made the decision to take your community or your business online to a social networking site, the only requirement from you will be engagement. Keep your pages updated. If you think your current residents or prospective residents won’t be checking out your site, you’re wrong. Letting your residents and prospects know what is going on at your community will keep them engaged and interested in their lives at home in your community. This type of networking helps you get to know your current residents, builds rapport, and helps to establish an interactive and positive reputation which can also help in spreading the word about your community.
If you have a regular community website, make sure to tell visitors to your site that you’re on facebook, or Myspace, or Twitter. Post a web link to that site, and try to recruit them to link up with you. Social Networking isn’t just a way to chat with your residents and customers; it’s a way to market to them and to your prospects. If you cannot commit to maintaining your social networking pages, you may want to consider not joining them at all and sticking to a basic community website. Lack of updates shows prospective internet-savvy customers lack of interest and lack of activity from the community managers and can only harm you in the end.
So why set up a Social Networking page?
Establishing a social networking page on any of the sites already mentioned will help you grow your marketing base exponentially. For example, suppose you set up a page on facebook, and you add a current resident (we’ll call her Jane for this example) as a “friend”. Now, Jane’s friends will also be able to see you have linked with her. Those friends then may go to your facebook page and see photos, rental rates, hours and location and amenities. Guess what? You’ve just expanded your virtual network. Now you are marketing to your friend’s friends, and as you gather more friends, the more your exposure will grow. Again, engagement into your social networking page is important to keep that growing base possible. The more contacts you add, the more opportunities to expand your network. Need we mention that the number of seniors and college students using the internet for tasks like finding a home is growing?
If you are currently advertising with other publications or websites, your social networking page is just a small added bonus. While most, if not all social networking sites are free, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get qualified traffic, nor will you be guaranteed leases, but it will help you to spread word of your community at no cost to you.
Social Networking Etiquette
Once your social networking page is set up, you need to keep in mind that the page is for professional purposes only. While your leasing agent may want to use your community’s page to take a quiz or fill out a survey on their favorite first dates or their top 5 hottest celebrities, this may not be the best forum for that to take place, nor is it something that you’d want to broadcast to the world, no matter how handsome George Clooney may be! One suggestion to your community is to join a website like LibraryThing.com, where your community can set up a profile and list favorite books they’ve read or books they want to read. They can post reviews and find friends to link with. In essence, you can use this site as a virtual book club for your residents. It’s another free way to get your residents participating in your community’s activities, and another way to build rapport.
Everyone’s a critic
Just when you thought critics were limited to those on TV and on the radio, the internet has become a public forum for people to vent or express their opinions and beliefs. Now your “average Joe” can become your “average Joe Critic” (I know, not exactly witty, but I couldn’t come up with any other good names). Social Networking websites can basically become open forums for good and bad reviews on almost anything, and these reviews are usually extremely good or extremely bad.
When setting up your community or your company on any social networking site, you must be aware that if there is an opportunity for customers or residents to voice their opinion, most likely, they will. But if you take care of your residents and customers, there’s a good chance they’ll also take care of you. If your residents are unhappy, however, they will most likely voice their thoughts on that site instead of taking it directly to your leasing or management office. Consider ratings on websites such as on apartmentratings.com as virtual “word of mouth” testimonials. As long as you enter social networking with an open mind, ready for anything and everything that may be projected your way, you should be able to succeed. For more information on social networking, do not hesitate to contact Amy Belmonte at abelmonte@apartmentguide.com.
Here are some websites to consider:
Facebook: www.facebook.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com
Librarything: www.librarything.com
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