And the World Series Champions are....

...the Phillies!

Each member of the Grand Prize winning team and properties may choose one of the following prizes below ($100 value). The Grand Prize will also include lunch at the Property hosted by the property’s Regional Property Manager for the individual property winners.

 

• One day “Paid Time Off”
• Spa services
• Round of golf
• Sporting event tickets
• Gift certificate to restaurant of your choice
• VISA gift card
• iTunes gift card
• Amazon gift card

Tier winners, who also receive the Grand Prize are: Fieldstone Farm, One North of Boston and Verde at Howard Square.

The winning teams this week, including the Phillies were the Mariners, Cubs and Braves.  They each receive 2 hours "paid time off".

Taking a Fresh Look at Your Curb Appeal

With the busy summer leasing season upon us, in a very competitive rental market, we all know that having meticulous lawns and beautifully landscaped areas is key to your leasing success.  At all of our communities, that first thorough property walk after the snow melts and the sun is finally shining is crucial to getting a jump start on attaining beautiful curb appeal.

We've compiled a list of key components in maintaining your community's top-notch curb appeal:

Colorful, eye-catching landscape displays-
Keeping with the basics of clearing out plant beds, street and sidewalk sweeping and weekly lawn maintenance is always important.  Additionally, planting bright and colorful seasonal flowers throughout the season is a great way to catch the eye of drive-by traffic.  To get "pops" of color in your plant beds, opt for bright tones of purple, pink, red or yellow.  Also, sticking with one color, or one bright color plus white, and planting them close together so that they come up lush and full will give even more of an impact.

If your budget allows, install large planters at your community entrance to enhance your curb appeal.  We suggest planting ornamental grasses of different textures and varying heights, some tall, some hanging, along with colorful seasonal flowers to create a dynamic display right at your entrance.

Exterior lighting-
We often think of curb appeal during the sunny daytime hours when we're out touring our properties.  However, nighttime curb appeal is something we're beginning to focus on more and more.  Not only does effective lighting create a sense of safety for residents and visitors walking around the community, exterior lighting can draw attention to the community 24 hours a day.  Recently, we selected beautiful decorative lights to install in our patio barbeque area.  Not only does this enhance the amenity and allow residents to sit and enjoy the outdoor patio into the evening hours, now those walking around the community visiting friends in the evening are more inclined to notice this amenity.

Signage-
Not only is it important to have great looking flowers and shrubs, but the signs they go around must be in tip-top shape as well!  It is important that the signs be clean, correct, clear of debris and informative.  We all know that as part of your monthly inspection you should be giving the sign a detailed inspection however, it should be something you are at least glancing at on your way in and out of the property every day.  It's not only essential to check the large property entrance sign, but all the stop signs, directional and parking signs throughout the community as well.  Many prospects take a drive through the property before coming to the leasing office so you want all your signs to be matching, correct, clear of debris and easy to read. 
Helpful hint!-- If your property has multiple entrances you want to use a different entrance every couple of days so all signs are being looked at on a regular basis.

What new ideas or helpful hints do you have to share?

-The Athletics

Week 8 Results!

This week's winners determined who will go head to head in the World Series, they are the Phillies and the Athletics!

Teams receiving movie tickets for winning this week are the Phillies, Athletics, Cubs and Angels.

Fun Fact Friday!

Fact: The Minnesota Twins turned two triple plays in the same game.
On July 17th 1990, the Twins entered the history books when they turned the ultimate rally killer twice!

Playing the Red Sox, the first triple-dip occurred in the bottom of the fourth inning, and they did it again in the bottom of the eighth.

Incredibly, they both occurred in the same fashion of 3B-2B-1B; even more incredibly, the Twins actually managed to lose the game! 

The next day, the Twins and Red Sox set even more history: they combined for the most double plays ever, a game the Twins also managed to lose.

Week 7 Results are in!

The Mets and Phillies won this week from the National League and the Mariners and Athletics took it home for the American League. Their prize this week is a $15 Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts gift card!

Major League Strike Out

Fun Fact Friday!

Don Baylor played in three straight World Series....for three different teams!

Don Baylor was a world-class manager and a very good player for a number of teams, winning the MVP in 1979 and three silver slugger awards. Baylor is regarded as one of the most underrated players of all-time.  

Baylor made the World Series three times in his career, and they just happened to be consecutively, in 1986 (Red Sox), 1987 (Twins), and 1988 (Athletics).

Overcoming Objections

It would be great to think that every prospect we tour would walk in and love everything about our community, especially our apartments, but we all know it’s never quite that easy. Objections can be a major road block on a tour but learning how to overcome them can be a huge asset in helping you close the deal.

First, put yourself in their shoes: What objections do most of your tours have and why? If you stay one step ahead and already know what they will call attention to, you are better prepared to have a response that may help them see the objection in a different light. Using this feature/benefit selling is one of the easiest ways to overcome objections. At Ashton Green, none of their buildings have elevators, and it always seems like they have the most top floor apartments to rent at once. By advertising them as “heart healthy” apartments, they can make a small joke that may at least break some of the tension when the prospect expresses their concerns. Even though carrying groceries up four flights of stairs is not always ideal, Ashton Green’s leasing staff points out that being on the top floor actually has its own set of benefits – no one above you! While this may not work on closing every deal, it certainly has helped their leasing staff fill those top floor vacancies.

One of the toughest objections some of our properties face is newer construction within our market studies. It seems like everyone wants the shiny, new product down the street with stainless steel, granite counter tops, and a sleek, modern design. This is something that The Groves at Piney Orchard has struggled with and Kensington at Chelmsford is just starting to experience. The Groves like to point out that they are in the top rated school zone, which for families, is a huge benefit. If your community still includes utilities in the rent, chances are that the new competition does not, and while they may be offering a great move in special, the rent will probably drastically increase upon renewal. These are both helpful things to remind prospects when they tell you they are also exploring those newer communities. There’s also something to be said for older, stable properties. New construction can be a nightmare for the Property Management staff as well as the residents, especially if construction will still be underway when they move in. It never hurts to remind them of this, too. If your community has a mix of renovated and non-renovated apartment, try marketing the older ones as “classic” instead of focusing on the premium charge you have on the upgraded ones. Sometimes showing this cost savings will help you lease up some vacants you would otherwise have a tough time renting.

Another important way we can address objections is actually just listening. So often we may be too quick to respond or give prospects an overly rehearsed response, which can come across as insincere. Listen to what they’re objecting and why. Try to get a better understanding if their objections are deal breakers, too. They may present a laundry list of things they don’t like, but we want to find out if those are items they can overlook or if they would actually prevent them from renting at your community. Take the time to clarify and repeat back to them what they have said. When you follow up with them after the tour, be sure to repeat back any objections you may have heard and again point out any features or benefits that may alter their thoughts. This is another way to show your prospect that you listened, but you still believe that your community is the best place for them to rent.

           What are some common objections you have at your property, and how do you overcome them?

~The Tigers

Week 6 Results!

The Angels, Athletics, Tigers and Phillies won this week and receive 2 hours "paid time off". Next week starts the playoffs!

Fun Fact Friday!

Fourteen players have hit four home runs in one game: Bobby Lowe, Ed Delahanty, Lou Gehrig, Chuck Klein, Pat Seerey, Gil Hodges, Joe Adcock, Rocky Colavito, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Bob Horner, Mark Whiten, Mike Cameron and Shawn Green.