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“The biggest thing that people want from an apartment community, from a property, is really just communication.”
J Turner Research’s Marcus Armstrong hosts this episode of the Multifamily Leaders Podcast, and he sits down with rising star Ashley Jenkins. As a multi-site property manager, apartment association board member, and winner of NAA’s 20 in their Twenties Award, Ashley is making waves in the apartment industry. She shares her love of property management for the diversity of work from day to day, and she describes her own journey into association involvement to encourage others to get involved and see where they can make a difference.
Marcus and Ashley next discuss the impact of online reviews on apartment communities and the many ways leaders can respond. Ashley notes that from her experience, the most important thing to residents is communication from the team, so communication breakdowns can quickly lead to discord. A frequent gripe in online reviews is a lack of phone availability, and Marcus and Ashley debate the pros and cons of taking calls while already assisting a customer in person. However you decide to handle it, Ashley emphasizes the importance of always returning messages in order to create a sense of home and faith in the team.
Finally, Marcus and Ashley reflect on the role of technology in helping with communication needs. While AI and automated calls are tools that can help with menial tasks, they shouldn’t become a crutch. It is important to have that human touch and personalization in your interactions with residents in order to build relationships and establish trust. For online reviews, this means responding in a human way and taking them seriously. Always remember that prospects will be reading those reviews and taking them seriously as they consider your community for their next home, so they need to see that they can rely on the team when they have a need.