A sincere thank you to all of our friends along with wishes for a peaceful, happy, and healthy holiday season!  Scott, Lisa, Monica, Nathan & Korah

We shared a fantastic action-packed day with Trends Trade Show attendees in Washington this week. In celebration of the “holidays” TenantTech asked booth visitors to try their fancy at creating a snowflake for the chance of winning one of two $50 VISA gift cards and a $20 Fred Meyer gift card. And, the giving didn’t stop there! Since we reached our goal of 100 snowflakes (116 to be exact) TenantTech is proud to donate $100 to the White Shield Center providing residential treatment, counseling, parenting education and youth development services for teenage girls.

We learned that many of our property management friends are extremely artistic, outside of just creating beautiful snowflakes for a great cause! Leota, one of our $50 VISA winners, created a stilleto high heel out of a dollar bill; see the picture in our album for proof! We had necklaces made out of a TenantTech business card, an origami heart ornament, just to name a few of the unique creations.

We heard from several attendees our snowflakes gave inspiration in their personal and professional lives. Some were excited to initiate snowflake making contests at their communities, and others were excited about making their own creations with their kids and grandchildren in celebration of Winter and the holidays.

Congratulations to Leota, Mary and Angela for winning our special giveaways! And, thanks again to all who participated and made Trends happen! See you next year…

Elvis joined TenantTech at MMHA’s Spectrum Trade Show last week to enjoy the “Hollywood” theme. While Elvis was singing “Heartbreak Hotel” we heard from several attendees they were enjoying “stable” properties citing low rental vacancy rate/high occupancy percentages.

I had the good fortune of teaching two classes this year, Leasing 101 and Advanced Leasing. In both classes, I produced a brief snapshot of our current market; in Oregon, unemployment is currently (July 2011) at 9.5% and weighed in at 4.1% in the first quarter of 2011 with the lowest rental vacancy rates in the USA. Overwhelmingly, class attendees agreed that despite pessimistic unemployment rates and foreclosures, people are still renting apartments/homes!

Thanks for visiting us at Spectrum! If you missed, or even if you attended and are interested in hearing a more detailed synopsis of the property management market, I’d encourage you to attend MMHA’s Apartment Report Survey Breakfast next month, on October 19th, 7:30am, at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Check out the distinguished panel of speakers; it’s sure to be informative!

Have a great day!

My dog is a huge part of our family. He goes to my kids’ baseball games, he jogs with me every day, he lays next to me when I’m working and when I’m sick. We aren’t the only family who lives by the “Man’s best friend” adage!

Here’s a couple of tips to get the most out of your pet policy for your prospects and current residents:

1. Always be empathetic in delivering your pet policy. “Unfortunately, we do not accept dogs over 25 pounds.” The key word is “unfortunately”! Again, most people’s pets are part of their family and ultimately if you don’t accept their pet for whatever reason, say Brutus is a pitbull or 10 pounds over your doggy-weight limit, the end result is usually an apartment deal-breaker.

2. Write down the pet’s name on your Guest Card. Upon tour or visit, be sure to ask about Brutus, and if you haven’t already, what kind of a dog he is, his habits, stories about his doggy-birth, etc. Believe me, instant rapport builder.

3. Share 411 on the pet accommodations at your property. Are there walking trails, fields, a dog park and dog-stations for convenient clean-ups near by?

4. Have a contest that incorporates your residents’ pets. Ask them to submit a picture along with a story that is voted on by your community.

5. Start a weekly, monthly, or annual Dog-Fest or Walk. Another avenue for residents to meet not only neighbors’ pets, but neighbors!

6. Some Managers are brave enough to incorporate dog-sitting into their concierge style of management. Now that takes “wearing different hats in property management” to a whole new level.

7. If a share of your target market is directed specifically toward pets, ensure your advertising displays this information. Use pictures of pets and advertising channels, like www.peoplewithpets.com/.

8. Review your pet policy to ensure you are competitive with the market; this includes your acceptance of pets, deposits and pet rent.