vision
The Dyson Paradigm and Industry Disruption: A Multifamily Perspective
When I recorded Episode 1,553 of The Multifamily Collective podcast, I was inspired by a compelling narrative around innovation and disruption using the story of Dyson vacuum cleaners. Dyson challenged the status quo in an industry that operated on the same “buy cartridges, dispose of cartridges” premise that razor companies employ. The overarching message was about breaking molds and embracing change—a universal tenet not exclusive to the vacuum cleaner industry but exceptionally pertinent to property management.
Changing Consumer Behavior: The Headwinds
Dyson had to fight against consumer behavior and existing industry norms. In the multifamily industry, there are similar circumstances. We often find ourselves stuck in methods and strategies simply because that’s how they have always been. The inertia of the past can be a significant obstacle to transformational change. The biggest hurdle often isn’t the introduction of new technologies but rather the necessity of retraining a consumer base conditioned to traditional practices.
The Multifamily Industry: Poised for Change
In light of the rapid pace of change and technological advances in artificial intelligence, internet accessibility, and social media, I contend that the multifamily industry is at a pivotal juncture. In my head, there will be massive shifts in the next 18 to 36 months. One example is the potential phasing out of computers from desks. BOLD, I know! But these changes aren’t mere adjustments but foundational changes that will redefine the industry’s operations.
Voice Command and User Experience
I speculate that voice-activated AI interfaces, like Google Voice, Siri or Alexa facilitated through your iPhone or other handheld device, will become increasingly pivotal. Physical screens might become obsolete as we transition to voice-command systems that allow us to execute operations. Imagine querying the status of a specific apartment’s availability through voice commands, eliminating the need for multiple software interfaces. The interface and the experience (UI and UX) will become increasingly invisible, more nuanced, and extraordinarily efficient.
The Dyson Takeaway
The Dyson paradigm is an allegory for the multifamily industry. We’re on the precipice of colossal changes impacting everything from managing portfolios to engaging with technology. The question isn’t if these changes are coming but how swiftly we can adapt and innovate.
The Need for Proactive Measures
For those multifamily industry veterans, considering contrarian technologies and embracing revolutionary ideas should be the way forward. From blockchain for transparent transactions to augmented reality for virtual property viewing to touchless e-commerce apartment leasing transactions—these are not pie-in-the-sky ideas but the near future. Those who act decisively now will be the ones shaping the future landscape.
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Quick Anatomy of a Strategic Plan
Mission – Why we exist
Values – What is important to us
Vision – What we aspire to be
Goals – What are our measures of success
Key Strategies – How we intend to kick ass
Tactical Actions – Who is doing what? When?
KPIs – Scorecard
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#apartmentmarketing – 2012 Short List Prediction Post
Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with your marketing. – Mike Volpe, Chief Marketing Office – Hubspot
Not another social prediction post! No, there are many really good ones already out there such as the one Mark Juleen posted with the help of Mike Whaling and Duncan Alney. Another fav is the one Brian Solis penned on the subject of social and how it relates to business in 2012.
I’m not heading for the broad angles or general predictions that seem to affront us all this time of the year. No, I would like to get a little more intimate and little more bold. To me 2012 will be the true year of pain for many of the tried and true resources that many of us have leaned on over the years to market our apartments and communities. The simple premise being that the proliferation of DIY platforms and DIY tools along with a growing level of comfort in using them have made it easier to compete.
The barriers to entry have crumbled and it’s time to ROCK!
My prediction comes in the way of a question –
Who will be your biggest apartment marketing competitor in 2012?
Print and Internet Listing Services
If you are anything like me you pay attention to everything the traditional ILS’s and print media outlets are doing in the social space and otherwise. In 2011 some of them made shrewd moves like employing our very own leasing consultant and management forces across the country to build Google Juice on their behalf. Brilliant but very un-partner like in my opinion. And, still others have stumbled; for example absolutely refusing to unbundle print from internet offerings until it was just frankly to late. Certainly soured my opinion of that specific group.
You just can’t see them as partners anymore [remember – they have to pay the light bill too] and to the extent that you can embrace that, use them where you need to [print and ILS are not broken and are still effective] and build a plan that brands you and your company first you will be better off. It’s frankly as important as sending out renewal letters and collecting the rent at this point.
Just know, anymore it’s not the building next door or across the street from you that is your biggest competitor. It’s more and more so the print media and ILS providers.
The Re-imagination of Locators in Secondary, Tertiary and Hyper Local Apartment Markets
Back in late 2004 or 2005 I met a guy named Eddie Passadore. Brilliant guy and passionate about the multifamily space. He came to work for Equity Residential and quickly went about producing some off the wall results. How? Craigslist. And, Rentwitheddie.com. That’s right he built out his own website, put his personal cell number on it, made himself available 24/7 and syndicated it via the emerging social platforms of the time. Namely Craigslist and MySpace. Result? He now runs his own property management firm in Portland, Oregon.
I recall spending countless hours brainstorming with Eddie about marketing oneself in lieu of physical buildings. It’s what inspired my personal blog [at the time called mike brewer on stuff and things] and the Portland Rocks Newsletter blog we ran back then that promoted Equity Residential’s Portland employees and properties. We talked about everything from using print to advertise our agents in lieu of our communities to building out personal websites for every single one of our agents. An idea I still think has some crazy potential [time and date stamped for future development]. And, he went and did it.
All that to suggest that the locator will have a major play in our space and many of our current day leasing consultants will be the people doing it.
Me. Us.
If we are to contend with the fire hose of data and change that will come our way in 2012, we have to invest in ourselves. I think this is the year that those who have sat on the sidelines as observers and passive participants are going to come alive. They will finally get that if they don’t they will be cooked and standing in the unemployment lines across this great nation. This is the year that organizations raise the bar for talent. No longer will mediocrity be tolerated. And, no longer will it be just okay to muddle along.
You are your biggest competitor in 2012. You are your own benchmark. The you that you look at in the mirror today should be a distant memory by the time you make it out of bed tomorrow. And, in a more beautiful way!
Here is to us in 2012!
Go – and make it relentlessly compelling!
M
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#apartmentmarketing: Vision
You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new. – Steve Jobs
For the span of my professional life; I have believed in the act of getting your companies vision down on paper. It’s a must in the way of creating a proactive culture as opposed to a culture of reaction. It’s also a way of making sure that you are out ahead of your constituents.
Random thoughts on creating vision
Penned in no particular order and in no exhaustive manner…
– It creates the ‘bigger than self’ that motivates people to get juiced about the work they do. In other words; people in the multifamily space, like people in other industries, want to know they are working on something bigger than anything they could accomplish as an individual. And, they want to know their time is spent in a meaningful way. And, if you are lucky enough, they think it’s cool too
– You spur a proactive approach to all aspects of your business. In the absence of vision people just make it up as they go along. Zig Ziglar sums it up like this; “you can not hit a target you do not have.”
– It sets the stage for future-casting. In other words, you give your team the ability to look out into the future and anticipate, with a good deal of accuracy, what your constituents really want
– You build meaning stuff
– You build tough stuff in an simple and efficient fashion
– It is the way in which you imbue an owner’s mentality on the minds of the masses
– It is the way you evaluate talent
– It is the beacon of light when times get tough. And, times will get tough
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below
And, thank you for taking the time to read…it means a great deal to us.