Landlords. Residents. Retain. Retention. Prevention. What do all of these words have in common – at least as it relates to the multifamily space? They all involve people.
I’m sitting on a Saturday morning – catching up on reading posts from several of my favorite blogs and skimming my Apartment Maniac tweet stream on HootSuite. While doing so I happened across a tweet from Zillow that reads – Great tenants leave because_________. While I love the spirit and the aim of this tweet. Can’t fault one for promoting their content and their passion. Love that. What I do cringe about is the loose use of the words tenant, landord, residents, retention, prevention, etc..
When we finally get the “ideal” tenant to sign a lease, we want to keep them for as long as possible. In fact, we probably try to everything to do to retain them and prevent them from leaving. However, tenant turnover happens. It’s part of the rentals game.
Apartment Communities are not Prisons
I read the opening paragraph of the post and I felt as though it could double as a good into to a prison tale. Capture the prospect, keep them encapsulated and do everything you can to make sure they do not escape. Overlord them. Block them. Tackle them if you have to. Cut them off any chance you get.
In all fairness
I know the author of that post had no ill intent in mind. Nor were they writing the next great prison break novel. In the same respect, I would think that the social nature of business as it stands today would beg a more mindful use of nomenclature to describe human relationships.
Just one guys opinion,
M