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Portfolio-Wide Program Will Identify Invaluable Prospect and Resident Feedback
HOUSTON, May 11, 2009 – J Turner Research, a leading marketing research firm exclusively serving the multifamily industry, today announces a new engagement with Berkshire Property Advisors, a national owner and property management firm, to conduct ongoing prospective and current resident satisfaction surveys at the company’s 96 community portfolio. J Turner edged out two competing research firms to win the Berkshire business after successfully demonstrating its capabilities in an individual test market survey program.
J Turner was retained in January 2009 based on four critical components of its survey program: ongoing and rolling feedback, flexibility to make adjustments to meet Berkshire’s objectives, format of reporting indexes and availability of real-time data. The implementation process for the survey program will be initiated on June 1, 2009
“We’re thrilled to be named Berkshire’s third party research partner and are confident our survey data will help the company surpass its customer satisfaction goals,” said Joseph Batdorf, president of J Turner Research. “Our specialization in the multifamily industry allows us to implement customized programs and reporting tools capable of meeting our client’s individual needs quickly and accurately.”
As part of the test market survey required by Berkshire, J Turner gathered feedback from prospective and current residents during a six month period at 14 properties in the company’s portfolio. J Turner surveys were implemented at five communities in Texas, two in the Mid-Atlantic region, one in Florida and six in the southeast. Competing firms surveyed similar Berkshire communities in various regions across the portfolio. After the test period, Berkshire assessed the results to determine which research firm could help meet its objectives of maintaining a high focus on quality service and resident satisfaction. The test market program was so successful Berkshire expanded the agreement from the original 14 communities to its entire 96 community portfolio.
“As a company we place high importance on providing quality customer service to ensure high levels of resident satisfaction,” said Tom Shuler, COO of Berkshire Property Advisors. “This tool is an effective way for us to foster an atmosphere based on customer service. By receiving positive and negative feedback through the survey program, we can make operational adjustments to improve our business.”
Once program implementation is complete, J Turner will survey prospect perceptions regarding traffic sources, competing properties and the community’s marketability. Current residents will answer questions regarding satisfaction of customer service, willingness to refer family or friends and plans to renew. Utilizing an ongoing Web-enabled survey program, prospects are surveyed after their initial visit to the property while current residents are queried at random twice annually.
Throughout each year Berkshire purchases a number of existing assets and renovates external and internal aspects of the properties. To ensure the company is meeting the demands of its residents, J Turner is developing a survey to identify the interests of the residents at these properties and the value they associate with specific amenities.
If you would like to schedule an interview with J Turner Research please contact Don Canfield at (303) 682-3942 or don@linnelltaylor.com. To learn more about the company’s prospect and resident survey programs visit www.jturnerresearch.com.
About J Turner Research:
Based in Houston, J Turner Research specializes in developing and executing innovative and affordable research services for the multifamily industry. The company utilizes e-mail based surveys to accurately measure perceptions of prospective residents, current residents and employees to help owners understand how to optimize operational and marketing efficiencies. For more information, please call (713)954-4840 or visit www.jturnerresearch.com.
About Berkshire Property Advisors:
Berkshire Property Advisors is one of the nation’s most experienced investors and managers of multifamily real estate assets. Berkshire built a reputation as a trusted sponsor by implementing innovative, value-added strategies that significantly outperform benchmark risk-adjusted returns. The organization is guided by research and operates with a highly skilled team of over 750 professionals focused on delivering an excellent experience to our residents. Throughout our more than 40 years of experience, our guiding principle has remained a commitment to providing exceptional service to our resident’s and a challenging and rewarding work environment for our team members.
Since the company’s inception in 1969, it has sponsored over 30 multifamily investment portfolios including two discretionary, institutional multifamily value funds, two publicly traded REITs, and multiple joint venture relationships with some of the most prominent real estate investors in the world. Berkshire delivers a complete range of integrated investment and management services, including acquisition, redevelopment, property management, asset management, finance and portfolio management services.