Team Member Experience
Virginia Love | Collective Conversations
Release Date: 08.08.2023
In this episode, Mike Brewer sits down with Virginia Love – Industry Principle at Entrata. Virginia is a highly respected expert in the multifamily industry with a long history in multifamily leasing, marketing, and operations. She is a champion of the people in our industry and has a deep understanding of the ways that technology impacts the front-line teams and believes that it is our responsibility to elevate the role our team members play in the success of our industry.
Key Discussion Points:
- Lasting impact of the pandemic: The pandemic shed attention on the importance of the site teams and led to the current focus on them as the drivers of performance and doing what is right for the site teams, recognizing the need to reconsider appropriate wage levels. The pandemic accelerated the pace and adoption of technology and forced companies that were sitting on the sidelines to engage with virtual tours, self-guided tours, and more.
- Culture Matters: Entrata is a technology company that actively engages its customers in the Entrata culture – so much so that they become invested in the Entrata brand.
- Economic Inclusion: For decades, the only impact for residents who paid their rent on time was not incurring late fees and being sent to collections. Entrata offers a program that reports resident payment history to the major consumer credit reporting agencies. Giving renters the ability to build their credit by simply paying their rent is a significant economic empowerment tool.
- The Value of Yes – Advice if you desire to grow your multifamily career: Get involved. Make Yourself Indispensable. Do whatever other people don’t want to. Get active in your Apartment Association, IREM, or NMHC. Take every opportunity to learn and don’t wait for someone to teach you. There are countless ways to build your knowledge so take charge of your education and growth.
In between the non-stop camaraderie and laughter, Mike and Virginia share practical tips and advice based on their extensive knowledge and expertise in the multifamily industry.
Whether you’re a seasoned investor, property manager, vendor/supplier, or someone interested in learning more about the multifamily market, this series offers valuable insights that can help you navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities in this dynamic industry.
About Mike Brewer
Mike Brewer is enthusiastic about people, technology, and the world of multifamily. He serves as President of RADCO Residential and COO of The RADCO Companies. As the Founder of Multifamily Collective, Mike draws on his deep understanding of the multifamily space and is passionate about sharing insights and wisdom through a series of Collective Conversations with others in this industry. This podcast creates a platform for industry professionals to connect, learn, and grow together.
About Virginia Love
Virginia Love, Industry Principal at Entrata is directly involved with marketing, product and sales as a liaison from the multifamily industry to these departments. Before joining Entrata, she held prominent leadership roles for apartment owners and operators such as Trammell Crow and ING Clarion. Immediately prior to coming to Entrata, she was Vice President of Leasing and Marketing for Waterton Residential. With nearly three decades of industry experience, Virginia has served on numerous multifamily committees and boards for industry organizations including the Atlanta Apartment Association, Georgia Apartment Association, National Apartment Association, National Multifamily Housing Council and Zillow Multifamily Advisory Board. Love served as the 2018 Chairperson of the Georgia Apartment Association and the 2011 Chairperson of the Atlanta Apartment Association. Virginia is a National Apartment Association Lyceum graduate. In 2021, she was named a Multifamily Influencer by GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum and was honored by Connect CRE’s Women in Real Estate Awards for 2022. Virginia is also a part of the Apartment All Stars.
Additional Resources:
Some of the world’s largest owners and operators use Entrata’s vast suite of products to manage their entire portfolios using one operating system. Multifamily, Student, Affordable, Military, or Commercial – Entrata has the technology solutions to meet your needs. www.entrata.com
Sponsorship Info:
This episode is sponsored by: Updater
Updater is the app that gets residents move-in ready faster. Did you know that residents who are happy with their move-in experience are 59% more likely to renew their lease? Move-ins matter. Get them right with Updater. Visit go.updater.com/mike, and as a special gift to our listeners, Updater is offering a special gift when you book a demo.
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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MultifamilyCollective or any other organization mentioned during the episode. The podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional or your organizational leadership before making strategic, professional, financial, or investment decisions.
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The Five Key Pieces of an Onboarding Program
Team member onboarding sets the tone for the human experience in a company. It is when new people are most impressionable and motivated to learn about their new role and the organization. A well-designed onboarding program helps people feel welcomed, engaged, and equipped to perform their job duties effectively.
Let’s discuss the five keys to an enriching onboarding program:
- Clear Expectations
The first piece of an onboarding program is setting clear expectations for the new team member. This includes the company’s vision, mission, values, and culture. By communicating these expectations, new hires can better understand their role and how they can contribute to the organization’s success. In addition, setting clear expectations helps new employees to understand the company’s policies, procedures, and goals.
- Structured Training
The second piece provides structured training that helps new team members acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to create the outcomes for their respective roles. This can include technical training, soft skills training, and job shadowing with experienced team members. Structured training provides a foundation for new people to build upon as they continue to learn and grow in their roles.
- Support and Resources
The third piece is providing new team members with the necessary support and resources to help them succeed. New people may face various challenges adjusting to their new roles and environment. By providing access to mentors, coaches, or other support, as well as the tools and resources they need to perform their job duties, people will feel supported and confident in their ability to perform their roles.
- Regular Feedback and Check-Ins
The fourth piece is regular feedback and check-ins. Onboarding is not a one-time event, and it’s important to provide ongoing feedback and check-ins with new people to monitor their progress, answer their questions, and address any issues. This helps people feel supported and motivated as they integrate into the team.
- Continuous Improvement
The final piece is continuous improvement. The onboarding program should be reviewed and evaluated regularly to identify areas for improvement.
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Multifamily Property Management is a Team Sport
Photo by Jannes Glas on Unsplash
Multifamily property management is a team sport. It requires the cooperation and coordination of many players to ensure that a multifamily property is well-maintained, safe, and profitable.
At the heart of every successful multifamily management team is a commitment to excellence. Each team member must be willing to go above and beyond to ensure that the property is running smoothly and that the needs of residents are being met. This sometimes means doing things outside your traditional scope of work to deliver exceptional service.
But it’s not just about hard work. It’s also about communication and collaboration. Every team member must be able to effectively communicate with one another, sharing information and ideas to come up with solutions to challenges that may arise. And it’s not just about the property management team – it’s also about building strong relationships with residents, vendors, and other stakeholders to create a sense of community and ensure everyone is working towards the same goals.
So if you’re part of a multifamily property management team, remember that you are not alone. You are part of a group of dedicated professionals, each with unique skills and expertise, working together to achieve a common goal. Whether you’re a property manager, a maintenance technician, or a leasing agent, you play a vital role in the property’s success.
So don’t be afraid to step up and take on new challenges. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. And most importantly, get dedicated to working as a (capital T) Team. By coming together and supporting one another, you can create a property that is not just a place to live but a proper and proud home for your residents.
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LISTEN
This true story below shared by Sharon Cauthen.
“A single mother recently fell ill and went to Urgent Care with a sore throat, headache, and a fever of 101.5 degrees. The busy doctor ran covid & flu tests (both negative), looked at her throat, and said, “Your throat looks fine so that’s not bothering you, right?” The patient replied, “Yes. It is very painful, so much so that swallowing is difficult. It’s why I came in.” The doctor sent her home with instructions to take Tylenol for the fever.
After a very pain-filled night, she felt much worse. So much so that driving felt almost impossible, so she tried her tele-med option. That doctor said, “I’m sorry but I can’t see your throat well enough to make a diagnosis. Call back if you need anything else.” and the call ended. Again, she crawled into bed feeling defeated – in tears and in pain – not sure what to do next.
Later that day, she went back to the same Urgent Care. She could barely sit up and curled into the fetal position on the exam table. A different and very kind doctor took one look at her, listened to her story, and said, “I can see that you are very sick and in obvious pain and we are going to figure it out and help you get better.” Tears streamed down her fever-reddened face. A positive strep test, a steroid shot, and a strong antibiotic later — She started the road to recovery. But before the shot and antibiotics ever entered her body, she could feel the relief of having been heard – at last.”
It is not my goal that this conversation devolves into a healthcare system argument. Because this isn’t about politics, insurance, access to healthcare, or over-capacity medical staff. Those are important topics for another day. At its core, this story represents a simple failure to listen.
Over the last several years (and in all its iterations), the Multifamily Collective has been ringing the bell on the topic of human-centricity. The need to see, hear and understand the people who work with us. Team members are people first with all the multifaceted needs that come with the species. If you live and breathe a human-centric culture, you will inevitably experience a team member exhibiting the hallmarks of distress.
The thing that people in pain, be it emotional or physical, need more than anything is for someone to listen and validate that what they are experiencing is real and acknowledge that it is hard. Being an empathetic listener is key to helping someone feel heard.
The ability to listen is a superpower that each of us can improve with dedicated practice.
I encourage you to do the work and to develop your skills in how you engage in empathetic listening – not just hearing but truly seeking to understand. I am guilty, too, of being distracted by a full calendar and other pressing issues but how I engage with a person in distress in front of me is one of the most important measures of my humanity and my leadership.
Do you have tips that help you remember to listen intently with compassion before offering a response? Please share them with us!
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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash