If you’ve ever tried to find an apartment with your friends, you’ve probably had a moment where you thought that there has to be something better than sites like Craigslist. A new startup called SocialRent aims to be that something better.

The SocialRent team’s first product, a Facebook app, is only addressing one small part of the apartment search, but it seems like a solid start toward tackling a larger set of problems. Read article at SOCIALRENT.

After a Good Year in 2011, Apartment Industry Expects Another One in ‘12
Dec 30, 2011 
By Dees Stribling, Contributing Editor

New York-Like any other kind of real estate, the apartment market is a game of numbers, and throughout 2011, the numbers have been on the side of owners, developers and investors. After a turnaround year in 2010-everyone took a licking from the Great Recession, after all-apartments were suddenly in demand in 2011 both by renters and investors, and there's little doubt that the year will be remembered as one in which the apartment industry fully bounced back not only from the tough recession years, but also the hard times (for the industry) of the mid-2000s, when everyone who could (and many who couldn't) bought a house. READ ARTICLE

(Reuters) - Brian Keith is busier than ever as the architecture firm he works for rushes to wrap up work on a 300-unit apartment complex in Dallas.

The project is one of dozens the firm, JHP Architecture, has on its hands -- a surge of business driven by a rise in demand in the United States for rental properties.

The increased demand has forced JHP to expand, and it expects to keep hiring at least through the first quarter. READ ARTICLE

Military service members will see their basic allowance for housing go up by an overall average of 2 percent in 2012, the Defense Department said Thursday.

The average member with dependents will see his or her allowance to pay for rent, utilities and insurance rise by about $39 per month, the Pentagon said.

Why Should The Apartment Industry Use Pay Per Click Advertisement?

Pay Per Click (PPC) ads can produce quality leads, and therefore leases in a short period of time. You can track this advertising effectiveness to know your exact ROI.  One PPC analyst says, "PPC is most effective in industries where a customer is worth a lot of money over the long-term."  READ FULL ARTICLE

How to Handle Conflict in Your Work Environment

by Terry Jackson, Training/Marketing and Management Specialist

Tulsa, Okla.-Spherexx.com, developer of GotNoVacancy.com Apartment CRM, announced that they are renaming and rebranding their five-year-old prospect engagement and advertising analysis application to keep up with the software's expanded functionality. ARTICLE

Make sure you end up with an income-producing website when getting quotes from web development companies.  Terry Jackson shares a six-point approach to selecting the best candidate.  READ ARTICLE  Download PDF at TERRY JACKSON ARTICLE.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

11 AM PT, 12 PM MT, 1 PM CT, 2 PM ET

Join GRACE Hill for a complimentary webinar with Lisa Trosien to learn five ways to improve upon your leasing skills in this fast paced, 45 minute program.  You'll find out what rental prospects like - and don't like - about your leasing presentations.  And most importantly...how to get better!  REGISTER BY CLICKING THIS LINK

Budget Basics to Detox Your Budget Process

by Terry Jackson - Training/Marketing and Management Specialist

Brought to you by Spherexx.com, creator of multi-family Internet marketing tools that increase revenues, reduce expenditures and defeat competition.

Make the most of your budget process with these simple and highly effective organizational tips. Read the article plus DOWNLOAD free checklist at SIX TIPS.

Please plan to join us for another episode of our new MproTV show, Let's Talk Training, on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 from 2:00 - 2:30 PM EST.  To participate, all you need is a computer and an Internet connection.  We're bringing this show directly to your desk, complete with streaming video of your hosts.  Let's Talk Training is always free of charge, so it will fit nicely into your training budget! Click here to REGISTER

The United States needs to shift its housing policy to recognize the rising number of Americans opting for rental housing and reduce incentives that prioritize homeownership, according to the National Multi Housing Council.  READ ARTICLE

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded more than $8.3 million in grants to tribal communities in nine states to improve or create housing and economic development opportunities for low- to moderate-income families. Read ARTICLE.

Rising renter demand is filling apartment buildings around the U.S., in defiance of the economic malaise. From Investors.com.  Read ARTICLE

Credit scoring is an integral part of leasing apartments; how does a national trend in credit scores affect a wise qualifying policy?  Do you lower guidelines in order to approve more applicants and incur a greater risk?

Read the article from the San Francisco Business Times.

Preparing a Perfect Market Ready Apartment Essentials Course Now Live

There's nothing more important to residents than the quality of their homes. How you prepare and present your community's vacant apartment homes can lead to signed leases and lasting residents. In this course, you will learn how to satisfy your prospective residents and residents by preparing and showcasing high-quality market ready apartment homes.

Find out MORE.

Dallas Business Journal - by Cromwell Schubarth, Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal
Date: Monday, July 11, 2011, 5:16pm CDT
 
About 35 percent of Americans own a smartphone, with the highest adoption among the financially well-off and well-educated, non-whites and those under the age of 45. ARTICLE

Lenders will soon be required to disclose credit scores to consumers in certain circumstances, under rules issued Wednesday by the Federal Reserve and the Federal Trade Commission.  ARTICLE

Google has revealed that it is working on a Google+ experience for businesses and is asking brands not to create Google+ profiles just yet.  VIDEO

By Joshua Pringle, Online News Editor

Dallas-Axiometrics Inc., a multifamily data and analysis providor, released a research report today that shows the national apartment market continuing to heat up in May, with effective rents (rents net of concessions) increasing 0.7 percent from April levels. ARTICLE

The EPMS Shopping Report Performance Comparison - A Multifamily Industry Benchmark 1st Quarter 2011 Spring  REPORT

Ellis, Partners in Mystery Shopping (Ellis) a leader in mystery shopping for the multi-family industry has launched its newest innovation in lead conversion and resident retention: the Customer Intelligence Application.  Marketed under the company's new name, Ellis, Partners in Management Solutions, the dramatically unique new product embodies the company's forward-thinking vision and commitment to the growing needs of its customers.   READ MORE

After rising 300 to 500 basis points in 2009, average transaction-based cap rates fell in 2010 through early 2011. Why have cap rates fallen so quickly when fundamentals have yet to show meaningful gains? Won't cap rates increase if inflation and interest rates begin to rise?  ARTICLE

At special request, we have done some research on how to handle a bad debt when your renter has disappeared.  Here are a few links to helpful information on how to proceed with collecting.

 REPORT DEBT  KEEP GOOD RECORDS  FCRA GUIDELINES

Access Grace Hill's super article on how to prepare for an emergency.  Thanks, Grace Hill, for sharing the wisdom!  www.GraceHill.com  Click for ARTICLE DOWNLOAD

Turn More Leads Into Leases - Complimentary Web Seminar
Are you doing all you can to turn leads into leases? Are you sure?

Join us for a complimentary webinar on Thursday May 19th at 11am PDT / 2pm EDT featuring the always fantastic Lisa Trosien, Apartment Expert.

Learn everything you need to know about improving your occupancy:

-- Why phone call leads are more likely to turn into leases than email leads.
-- How and why to examine the source and quality of your leads. All leads are not created equal!
-- Ideas on how to create more leads.
-- Tips on how to improve the conversion rate for each lead so you get more leases.

Lisa is a frequent presenter on the national level for such groups as the National Multihousing Council and the National Apartment Association, and state and local apartment associations across the country. She always draws a huge crowd so reserve your seat early for this great webinar. REGISTER

(Reuters) - Two of the largest U.S. apartment owners posted higher funds from operations on Wednesday that met Wall Street expectations, fueled by higher rents, as the sector continues to be one of the brightest spots in commercial real estate. ARTICLE

By: Emre Ergungor and Saaed Zaman, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
Published:  4/28/2011

Knowing whether buying a home is a better financial move for a family than renting requires a consideration of costs and options that people often neglect to factor in. One aspect of the calculation that is almost always overlooked is uncertainty-the fact that no matter how good one's estimates of the future are, the future can turn out differently than projected. Incorporating uncertainty into the rent-or-buy calculation gives potential homebuyers information that can improve their decisions. While incorporating uncertainty is complicated, it's made easier with the Cleveland Fed's online calculator. ARTICLE

Don't miss it!  Visit Episode 1 today at GRACEHILL.

Today's episode of Grace Hill OnAir finds Kara Rice interviewing Steve Lefkovits, who answers Kara's questions about how to make Google love you, social media's place in the multifamily marketing mix, and the upcoming Apartment Internet Marketing (AIM) Conference, which Steve produces.

Join Donna Olson on April 28 at 11 AM PST/ 2PM EST Compliments of Grace Hill

Keeping up with Fair Housing guidelines can be a challenge, so in honor of April Fair Housing Month, make your commitment today to get up to date!

Join us for a complimentary webinar on Thursday April 28th at 11am PDT / 2pm EDT featuring Trainer Donna from Olson Training.  Donna is an expert on communication, diversity, harassment and fair housing issues for the property management industry and will help you stay current with Fair Housing requirements.

TOPICS COVERED:
-- How and why we are still dealing with Fair Housing issues.

-- Discrimination and recognizing how it can be a "perception".  

-- Protected Classes - So what if you memorize them? What do you really need to know?

-- Reduce liability - Shoulda, woulda, coulda - where is your back up? Are you using technology to reduce your risk?

-- ADA vs Fair Housing - know the difference

-- And more!

OUR PRESENTER
Better known as Trainer Donna to thousands who have heard her speak, Donna Olson is recognized as an expert on communication, diversity, harassment and fair housing issues.  She has designed, implemented, and presented many training, sales/leasing, marketing and leadership programs and is known as a Dynamite Trainer and "Special Guest" Crowd Pleaser!  

HOSTED BY
This educational event is hosted by Grace Hill, the leading provider of education and networking opportunities for members of the multifamily industry and AppFolio, providers of web-based property management software designed for modern residential property managers.

Register at Fair Housing Webinar

"QR" codes are all the rage for some businesses - especially retailers. These codes have the ability to hold lots of information but in general have been used to direct people who scan them to a web page. For that reason, there are a ton of possibilities for you to incorporate using QR codes into your own business. Let me try to break it down for you.

What is a QR Code?  READ ARTICLE

When we first met social media, we all loved all over it.  Positive messages and love abound.  But it seems that the shine is beginning to tarnish a bit and consumers are becoming more brazen in their attacks on companies using social media. MORE

Date: Thursday, March 31, 2011
Time: 2pm ET, 1pm CT, 12pm MT, 11am PT

Your customers are now voting with their dollars and leaving those businesses who don't keep the promises made during the leasing process.  This means that focusing on resident retention is one of the most important things you can do to make your business even more successful.  Join us as Jackie Ramstedt, nationally renowned Keynote Speaker and Performance Consultant for the property management industry, uncovers five ways you can encourage your residents to keep making the choice to stay with you.

Register at GRACEHILL.

Renters beware: Double-digit rent hikes may be coming soon.

Already, rental vacancy rates have dipped below the 10% mark, where they had been lodged for most of the past three years.

"The demand for rental housing has already started to increase," said Peggy Alford, president of Rent.com. "Young people are starting to get rid of their roommates and move out of their parent's basements."

By 2012, she predicts the vacancy rate will hover at a mere 5%. And with fewer units on the market, prices will explode. ARTICLE

By Dees Stribling, Contributing Editor Multi-Housing News

The apartment market may be on the upswing, but can its growth continue into 2011? Two reports released this week, one from the National Multi Housing Council, another from investment specialist Marcus & Millichap, help quantify the upswing in 2010 and predict the course of the market this year, and it's mostly good news for owners and investors.

According to the NMHC's latest Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions, 60 percent of respondents say that markets were tighter during 4Q10 than three months earlier-that is, experiencing lower vacancies or higher rents or both than during the third quarter. At the beginning of 2011, the organization's Market Tightness Index recorded its second-highest January reading on record at 78. (A reading above 50 indicates improving market conditions.)  REST OF THE STORY

Promotion is the act of generating consumer interest in your product through advertising, personal selling, direct marketing, public relations, and salespeople. In this course, we will examine how creative marketing promotions can generate leases, renewals, and positive word-of-mouth.

Find out what is what is covered in this 1-hour title MORE.

In all human interactions there is a great deal going on below the surface.  This is psychology.  We all bring different understandings, intents and cultural references to relationship; however, there are some concepts that are relatively universal.  In order to be a better salesperson, it pays to understand the psychology of human interactions. MORE

Palm Springs, Calif. One of the themes that emerged from this year's National Multi Housing Council Apartment Strategies Conference and Annual Meeting is that there's nothing like a good recession for apartment owners and operators to step back and refocus. Another widely held view among attendees and speakers is that while Class A product will continue to gain ground year-over-year (at least until new housing product comes online), the lower-tier properties will not perform as well.

Read the FULL REPORT.

How To Make 2011 Fantastic By Improving What You Already Have: Featuring Lisa Trosien, Multifamily Expert

Thursday, February 10, 2011 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

Join us as Lisa Trosien (award winning multifamily speaker and educator) shares her ideas about how you can make what you already have even better in 2011!   Sponsored by Gracehill and Appfolio.  REGISTER

Multifamily Insiders has just launched a new resource for property managers called Resident Events. Find, share, and rate apartment party ideas with other industry professionals.

Visit ResidentEvents.com and see what a good time they are having with creative  party planning and resident activities.

EPMS' Quarterly Shopping Report Comparison (Benchmark) 4th Qtr 2010 reflects an overall average score of 91.4%, a slight drop form the same quarter of 2009 which broke the four-year trend of rising 4th quarter scores. Read further to see what industry peers have to say about their successes in the EPMS' Quarterly Shopping Report Comparison, the apartment industry's Benchmark for on-site leasing performance. http://www.epmsonline.com/benchmark/Benchmark4Q10.pdf

Jackie Ramstedt is a nationally renowned Motivational Keynote Speaker, National Trainer, Consultant, Performance Coach, Apartment Expert, Business Operations Educator and Apartment Speaker who has more than 27 years experience in the multi-housing industry and apartment industry.

If you need to schedule a corporate wide education series she will tailor her performance coaching to your individual needs. She can help train your people with things like: asset management, customer relationship management solutions, employee motivation, leadership skills, management and leadership, programs to improve time management, behavioral interviewing, supervising office & maintenance staff and team building. She can also help them deal with problem tenants and student tenants.

Visit SEMINARS to see new topics for 2011.

"Learn Powerful Job Search Strategies for Today's Competitive Job Market"

The job market is becoming more and more competitive as the recession drags on. With more competition, you need to know how to stand out from the crowd and market yourself to hiring managers.

Our free Job Search Webinar will teach you the skills you need to compete in this tough market such as:

There's no doubt about it - social media has taken the Internet and popular culture by storm.  But what exactly is "social media" and what practical applications are there for the multifamily industry?  In this course, we will answer these questions and more to learn how social media can fit into any community's marketing mix.

Here is what is covered in this 1-hour title:

The most relevant types of social media.
How to use social media to engage current residents, reach prospective residents, and manage your reputation.
Best practices for using social media effectively and professionally.

Introduction to Social Media is included in Unlimited Training Subscribers' course catalogs at no additional charge.  Pay-per-view clients can access this new title for $79 per student, per course.  However, wouldn't this be a great time to move to an Unlimited Training Subscription and get this course for free? 

MORE INFORMATION

"The deal includes several tax items of interest to apartment firms.  In a key victory for our industry, the package will not be paid for with an increase in carried interest taxation.  It will continue to be taxed at 15 percent capital gains tax rates instead of higher income tax rates as some have proposed.  NAA/NMHC will remain vigilant on this issue as the threat of a potential tax increase will continue into the new Congress since there are few significant revenue raisers left to pay for Congressional spending proposals..."  Read MORE

"The National Association of Home Builders honors the year's best work in the multifamily industry through its annual Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Awards program. Recognized as the industry's most coveted awards, the Pillars Awards honor superior achievement in apartment and condo design, development, marketing, and management and are considered a showcase of future trends and innovation."

Check out the Winner's Circle for MARKETING or COMPLETE LIST of finalists. See videos at PRESENTATIONS.

As the leader in online multifamily education, we are always seeking to improve our offerings for the benefit of our clients. We know what a challenge it can be to track all of your employees' education and requirements and integrate this information with your human resources program.

Grace Hill now offers Vision, a Learning Management System (LMS) for our clients who desire an enhanced focus on their training efforts. Vision allows you to zoom in on all of your associates' training activity and gain clarity on the metrics that matter to your organization.

 Find out more at VISION

Visit IREM to see availalbe online course offerings for 2011.

Q4 Sentiment Index Remains Flat Amid Weak Job Growth, Ongoing Refinancing Difficulties, Uncertainty Over Government Policy

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Commercial real estate markets are in for a long, slow recovery amid persistently high unemployment, ongoing concern over government policy, uneven availability of capital for refinancing, and other factors dampening market activity, according to The Real Estate Roundtable's Q4 survey of over 110 senior commercial real estate executives.  READ

Characterizing real estate management as the rock of stability in these uncertain times, IREM® 2011 President Ron Goss, CPM®, and President-elect Jim Evans, CPM®, were guests yesterday morning on the internet radio program titled "Income Property Investment Talk," broadcast weekly on the VoiceAmerica Business Network (www.voiceamerica.com).  Among the broad range of topics they discussed:

-Why "back to basics" is the new norm across commercial real estate.
-Growing recognition in the industry that many financial players simply don't have the   knowledge and experience to proactively manage properties with their myriad needs.
-What owners and investors are looking for today when retaining real estate management services.
-Unrelenting pressure on real estate management professionals to increase NOI through cost controls and operating efficiencies...and how they are responding to this pressure.
-The challenges involved in finding the right people to fulfill important positions becoming available in real estate management.
-New business opportunities for real estate managers in the area of receivership management.
-And many more.

Click here to listen to this most-informative broadcast.

ELLIS BENCHMARK HIGHLIGHTS
Benchmark Focuses on:

3rd Qtr Vacancy Rates Decreased
Focus on Technology
Gables Residential #1 at 96.71%
With the current economic recovery remaining a gradual process, budgets and hiring for businesses are still tight. In addition to the unemployed, numbers of US workers are currently underemployed based on their education and skill sets. Many are fearful of layoffs or further reductions in pay, which is keeping consumer spending down. MORE

If there can be an upside to the housing crash, the apartment sector is where you'll find it.

Vacancies are down and rents are up, according to the latest data from Reis, Inc. Not only is the sector seeing improvements, it's seeing record improvements.

"It's the strongest performance in the third quarter we've ever recorded in ten years," says Victor Canalog of Reis  Read ARTICLE

Budgeting Tool Kit

Saul Ewing LLP has generously shared a comprehensive due diligence checklist at http://www.saul.com/publications/details.aspx?pubId=361

When looking for a place to live, it's often best to enlist a little help from a trusted friend. Or maybe 500 of them.

An April report by consumer research firm Nielsen found that 70 percent of people would trust consumer opinions posted online. Apartment communities have taken that to heart and are using next-generation social technologies as a marketing tool as well...

READ FULL ARTICLE

 Yesterday a well-known group of economy-watchers announced that the worst U.S. recession since the great depression, ended over 18 months ago...

READ ARTICLE

Many people make the mistake of thinking that Fair Housing only pertains to leasing and management personnel. 

FIND OUT MORE

"In the American Dream, people live in houses.

Today, another story is being offered to the public. In this vision, home ownership is not so common. The story is gaining credibility and believers, due to short memories and media-moment attention spans. At the end of this story, however, future American's don't own their homes.

They rent."

READ MORE on American's current tilt toward renting.

Preventative Maintenance - Spanish Version is the latest Essentials title in our course catalog.  Meet John, our virtual maintenance guru, and join him for an interactive video tour of an apartment community to see how preventative maintenance helps protect the life and value of your assets.  Most importantly, a Preventative Maintenance Program will ensure a satisfactory living experience for your residents.

Learn more and enroll at Otro Curso de Espanol!

You started off the year with a bang, now your sizzle has turned into a bit of a fizzle!   Find yourself In need of a Mojo adjustment? This Webinar is for you!  We all need our Mojo to keep us motivated and growing in both our professional and personal lives!

REGISTER

Atlanta-It appears the worst is over, according to the Apartment Realty Advisors' (ARA) second quarter 2010 U.S. Apartment Market Update.

Numbers don't lie. From the first to the second quarter, occupancy levels rose in 73 percent of the 30 major metropolitan markets that ARA surveys. MORE

"Everyone you know is on Facebook, and most people have added their resume information. But you can't search by companies and even searching within your friends for company names is virtually impossible. So if you want to research which of your friends work at a specific company, or which friends of friends do, you head on over to LinkedIn.

Well, not anymore." MORE

"Summer days are longer, but they pale in comparison to the length of the ongoing economic recession. Unemployment rates are still fluctuating, with some regional outlooks better than others - which means job seekers who are willing to relocate may have new hope." MORE

Satisfacts provides a very valuable survey service to the apartment industry.

"The ability to promote being an award winning property or portfolio sure has concrete competitive advantages. Prospective residents want to live at a community where a culture of responsiveness and commitment to superior service delivery is more than just a tagline - and what better way to prove it than showing how your residents rate your performance in your resident survey and feedback programs!  And potential clients and investors certainly see the value in working with an owner and/or management company that has proven its superior performance." See criteria and list of winners at Everyone Loves a Winner.

Lincoln Property Co.'s new project, The Goodwynn at Town: Brookhaven opened last year in the Atlanta metro area with the aim to give residents a resort-like feeling. The community holds several resident events such as the weekly continental breakfast.

"In addition, once a month, we have a chef come in and create a special breakfast for the staff," Mary CookDetweiler, property manager at the Goodwynn, tells MHN. "Residents are lined up every Saturday to get their breakfast! Our chef also does a cooking class for the residents once a month. Each class has a certain theme." READ ARTICLE

AMBER apartment alerts is updating daily and adding many missing children in multiple states where they may be located.

Please feel free to bookmark your state(s) from http://amberapartmentalerts.web.officelive.com/default.aspx for updates.

Associations and companies may also bookmark these sites on your internal websites.
There are currently 2032 Missing Children in the United States since June 1, 1997.

O'Conner & Associates provides a free monthly market survey for Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Antonio and Austin. "In business since 1974, we have the resources and unparalleled market expertise to provide you with all of your real estate valuation and consulting needs." TEXAS MARKET SURVEYS

Occupancy rates fell for senior housing nationwide in the first quarter of 2010, while rent growth continued, but at a slower pace than in the previous two years...ARTICLE

After announcing the creation of a new search index last August, Google finally released its more comprehensive, faster, real time search index, Google Caffeine, this month.

Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-06-21/blog/sponsored-blogs/search-marketing/google-caffeine-and-seo#ixzz0rcGaD18L

Family Gateway's staff concentrates on assessing the needs of each individual family and creating a goal-oriented plan with the family to meet those needs.

Eligible families who enter Family Gateway's programs receive assessment and training in the following areas:

- Individual and family counseling

- Life-skills training

- Pre-employment skills

- Job search and placement assistance

Eligibility Requirements

The comprehensive EPMS Secret Shopping Report results are available quarterly at Ellis Partners in Mystery Shopping.

"In March more than 162,000 jobs were added to the US market, anticipated only to be short term. As the stock market holds steady, business growth and hiring essentially remain stagnant. The 2010 industry outlook only glimmers with hope of increased occupancy due to workers regaining employment and a gap in new construction. As we strive for success in continued hard times, our best asset is to have well-trained, superior, service-oriented leasing professionals staffing our sites. We must ensure we are serving not only the customers' needs but the customers' wants as well. With so many choices, and concessions to be found at every turn, we have to keep resident turnover at a minimum while we continue to bring in new clients.

In this quarter's letter we examine Customer Service - how we define customers, why they choose to do business with us, and how the economy is affecting how we serve our clients daily. We also discuss the importance of obtaining, directing, and growing long term buy-in and loyalty from your leasing professionals, as they are key in shaping customers' experiences with your organization."

Congratulations to California based Western National Property Management for ranking first place.  Read MORE.

Advantages Cited Include Flexibility to Move to a Different Location with New Job Opportunities 

Arlington, Va., May 24, 2010 - A new online survey commissioned by the National Apartment Association conducted in May finds 76 percent of consumers deem renting to be the more favorable option to owning a home in the current real estate market, a 5 percent increase from 2008.

The survey also found that both renters and homeowners are not eager to make any changes in their housing status within the next year, demonstrating low consumer confidence and continued uncertainty in the housing market.

SEE STEVEN MACY'S BLOG at http://stevenmacy.wordpress.com/

With unprecedented levels of government spending and huge levels of Federal debt as far as the eye can see material inflation is just a matter of time. How are we likely to be affected as multifamily owners? When inflation accelerated in the late 70s multifamily rent levels increased materially in many markets throughout the U.S. A number of factors contributed to this event.

Check out this great volume of industry topic commentaries on Equal Housing, Advertising, Internet Sales Savvy, and Training Trivia from Gracehill at  Multifamily Insiders Newsletter.

Do review Web sites give business owners enough say?

Presented by Aptly Spoken at http://www.naahq.org/blog/lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=164

The subject popped up again on my radar screen when I saw a story about a California veterinary center suing review site Yelp "for allegedly promising to bury bad reviews in exchange for purchasing $3,600 worth of advertising on the site."

Sometimes I discover a new technique or have the opportunity to see an expert in action.

This week, I learned there is a big disparity between intent and reality.

Visit 1 - Leasing professional shows me a lovely property, but keeps telling me to "Go visit the website" for the daily prices. This is said repeatedly, even though I have indicated that I am looking for my mother, she has just put her home on the market, and isn't even convinced she wants an apartment.

Does anyone have an idea they can share??  Please send them to info@leasingcafe.com and we'll post it on this blog!

Changes to the LEED criteria in 2009 may mean a previously certified building will lose its certification and with that comes a whole host of issues for the building owner, manager and tenants. READ ARTICLE

What happened with the Internet in 2009?

From www.netcraft.com

How many websites were added? How many emails were sent? How many Internet users were there? This post will answer all of those questions and many more. Prepare for information overload, but in a good way.

We have used a wide variety of sources from around the Web. A full list of source references is available at the bottom of the post for those interested. We here at Pingdom also did some additional calculations to get even more numbers to show you.

Whether it's the pressure others put on us or the pressure we put on ourselves, our industry is rife with stressed out people.  Go to a property management convention sometime, and I swear you will see a sea of smokers who NEED their nicotine fix standing outside of it.  Vendors, try calling your regionals and property managers just to chat on Monday morning at the beginning or end of the month.  It will be funny.  I promise. (I'm kidding! NEVER do this!)  And we all know that the reason the door to the managers office closes is so that they can go in there and cry when they need to without anyone seeing it.

CONTINUED

Enjoy Lisa's lively insights on closing.

http://www.multifamilyinsiders.com/home/multifamily-blogs/Dont-Ever-Be-Afraid-to-Ask-for-the-Sale.html

Now Live in the Grace Hill Learning Center...

1) Workplace Diversity Courses Now Available
2) Bed Bug Awareness Course Now Available

 For more details visit http://demos.gracehill.com/

Preparing Your 2010 Apartment Marketing Plan

Lisa Trosien, award winning multifamily speaker and educator, will share marketing trends, tips and ideas from around the country that will help you create a great 2010 marketing plan and make the most of your marketing investments.

Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/847649729.

Helpful facts for long range planning are now available at:

http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/publications/markets/son2009/son2009.pdf

See Section 5 page 21 for Rental Housing statistics.

Enjoy this interesting article on Neuromarketing by Samuel D. Bradley, PhD:

MarketingProfs: Neuromarketing Is the Future

"8 Tips to Embrace Change" by Kellie D'Andrea offers great  insight into positively dealing with changing times.

READ HERE

When it comes down to it, social media is simply a way to bring people together online to have a conversation. Because the social media landscape is vast, it's often difficult to decipher what things mean and which sites are best suited to our needs. To help cut through the clutter, Apartments.com has provided a go-to social media glossary for the most popular terms and Web sites. READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT

The Social Media Glossary

Aimee Miller, VP Marketing at AppFolio offers some insight into dealing with a highly competitive marketplace.

Is it Time to Revisit your Pet Policy?

Renters Take Preventative Measures to Safeguard Their Apartments and Are Willing to Pay More Rent for Additional Security Amenities

Join the fun in voting for the 2009 Room for Color Contest at www.ApartmentTherapy.com.

Cast Your Vote for the winner.

Apartments.com offers some great Helpful Hints on Social Media Marketing.

Multifamily Minutes:  Helpful Hints

For a limited time only, Property Management Jeopardy is available to all Grace Hill members for free on our website.  Normally, the Learning Games will only be available to our Unlimited Training Subscribers.  Use this opportunity to sample the game, then contact your Grace Hill representative to switch to our Unlimited Training Subscription plan so you may experience all the Learning Games!

According to real estate site Zillow.com's second-quarter home value index, there are more than 30 metro areas across the country where values have risen from the first quarter of the year to the second quarter...Business Week Article.

Here are some great tips on successful online marketing.

 5 Great Apartment Marketing and Management Ideas by Sergio Navarrete

Jonathan Saar shares some great insight and fun on making good decisions a professional habit.

 You Must Choose, But Choose Wisely

Heather Blume of "Behind the Leasing Desk" has started a helpful and interesting series on seven practices to avoid at the office.

Seven Deadly Sins Series

It's time to accept that home ownership is not a realistic goal for many people and to curtail the enormous government programs fueling this ambition. By Thomas J. Sugrue

Read the whole article at: Wall Street Journal

President Tom Toomey was pleased to annouce positive results for UDR's 2nd quarter:

"In addition, he said, "Our Web-based tools speak directly to our main renter age cohort of 25 to 35 years old, who take the Internet for granted and who also use the Internet for their primary method for conducting personal business."

READ THE ARTICLE at NAA's Aptly Spoken Blog.

ForRent.com has published some helpful information on the do's and don'ts of social marketing.

Read the full article at:

http://blog.forrent.com/property-managers-owners/seven-deadly-sins-of-social-media

It would be "tweet" to win free rent for a year from Apartment Guide and Penske Truck Rental.

ENTRY DETAILS

Pick up some great tips on how to create the best impression with mini-models.  

 Behind the Leasing Desk: Cute Summer Mini-Model Ideas by Heather Blume

Be advised that there is an apartment critique website located at www.HowsYourHousing.com.  Many of you have had experience with www.ApartmentRatings.com.  We can expect similar kinds of feedback at this student housing focused website.

Quote:  "Hows your Housing allows you access to post and read about EVERY house previously rented and EVERY Dorm at many campuses and lets you compare the prices, parking information, neighborhood information, neighborly relations, crime, and rental histories in the new place you are about to choose to live in."

 Helpful article by Karen Aho of MSN Real Estate discusses the PROs of leasing vs. owning.

Read the article HERE.

Brian Owen shares insight into how to deal with apartment ratings Web sites.

Read complete Article HERE.

Perry Reid Properties will donate rent to individuals who qualify as having lost employment due to the economic down-turn.

Details are posted at Operation "House America".

Former CEO of Trammell Crow Residential, Ronald Terwilliger, donates the largest contribution in the history of Habitat for Humanity International. 

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090514/ap_on_re_us/us_habitat_gift

Mark-Taylor Residential and Save the Family team up to provide rent-free apartments to homeless families in Phoenix, AZ.

See the whole story aired by MSNBC.  Wait through the commercial and the clip will load automatically.

The NMHC has released its 2nd Quarter 2009 Report.

Access the report at :

NMHC Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions April 2009

'How Personality Can Predict Media Usage"

A Case for Investing in U.S. Apartments

This paper illustrates the benefits of investing in U.S. apartments today by highlighting the key factors that influence their superior risk-adjusted performance and positive contribution to diversified real estate portfolio returns.

Read Research Report HERE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a multifamily version of its ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.  The online energy performance tracking tool allows building owners and operators to measure and manage their buildings' energy consumption.  

READ MORE HERE

Read how one Management Company is dealing with the economic crisis.

 The Cut-and-Run lease:  The Ultimate Tenant Incentive

Looking for ways to differentiate your apartment community from the competition or building a new community that needs prospect driven amenities? 

Informative article by Lindsay Edmonds Wickman on Generational Marketing.

by Matt DiChiara, My New Place.com

Read Article

It's time to take up "tweeting" by Bernice Ross-Inman News

Gartner Research projects that 301 Billion mobile messages were sent in 2008 in the Us.

Mobile IM to surpass SMS? by Tem Beberecht

All Content Belongs to Facebook.com Through its New Terms of Use

URGENT: Be aware that the new change in Facebook.com's Terms of Use agreement can have catastrophic repercussions. The new Terms of Use allows Facebook ownership and sublicensing rights to any content a member publishes on the Facebook.com website. 

It is now become very urgent that any photography you may publish on your property Facebook.com pages is royalty free and available for republication--that would include logos and other artwork.  Otherwise, your company could be liable, not only for violating old-fashioned copyright law, but also for a double jeopardy for surrendering that copyright to Facebook.com's arbitrary redistribution.

Even family, property  and resident photography can be lifted by Facebook.com and used for whatever purpose they might decide according to their new terms.  Terms of Use

Article from Consumerist.com

Want to better understand and relate to your Gen Y customers and employees? 

This blog by Laura Schildkraut shares great perspective on how to motivate the Gen Y Generation psyche.

Onboarding Gen Y

Interesting Article on Reuters

Welcome to Sales Velocity's blog website. We invite everyone to take any ideas off of our website for your own use and also to give us some of your feedback and ideas. The purpose of our blog is for everyone to exchange sales industry concepts which will result in strengthening and growth in our companies.

Apartment All Star Lisa Trosein shares insight on how to maximize online advertising results.

 Multifamily Insiders-Lisa Trosein

Check out this helpful resource on making your facebook.com page work for you.

Retechy.com on Facebook.com Listings

Author Hollis Thomases has written a great article on the great advantages of online advertising.

Ten Reasons to Be Optimistic About Online in 2009

Consumer Electronics Show 2009

The results of the suit establishes a precedent according to Media Post since it is the first time a Yelp user has been sued for a negative review.  It is a breakthrough ruling that could affect websites like ApartmentRatings.com in the future.

 To Read the complete article, visit:

Parties Settle

Tripit will translate your travel confirmation emails into a master itinerary that you can share, print and send to your favorite mobile device.   You may also upload a script into your blog that will show your current location, upcoming trip and travel stats. Enjoy!

http://www.tripit.com

Check out Jeffrey Gitomer's eZine article and read your report card!

http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3O5q2UzChb3BA%3D%3D

Lorrie Browne of http://www.mydesignsecrets.com/ is very sought after for her practical design and decorating ideas.  She generously shares decorating concepts on her Blog and also references many of her suppliers throughout her site. This website is a great resource and inspiration.  Read more about Lorrie at http://www.orlandosentinel.com/technology/orl-ssdesignweb2908jun29,0,7644945.story

E-signatures are now available for the National Apartment Association and Texas Apartment Association leases through Blue Moon software and RealPage Inc.  Read the details by clicking the following link.

http://www.multihousingnews.com/multihousing/content_display/industry-news/e3i5d0ba91ef6cd18f2a32ac6c6db0dd580

RateMyApartments.com is a website just for students.  Similar to www.ApartmentRatings.com, this website allows students to rate apartments based on quality, price, location, social life, landlord, parking and overall satisfaction.

A recent survey conducted by Apartments.com indicates a trend toward residents' preference for a smoke-free environment  Read the whole Multi-housing News article at http://www.multihousingnews.com/multihousing/content_display/industry-news/e3i5a3f46d9d85bdabb4a0c715fe4149ef6

Many apartment associations charge fees to post job listings for their members.  

I rec'd an email from a LeasingCafe.com fan that asked the following:

 Title: just an idea
Author: Ryan Dick
Email: ryan@gotcha-media.com
Phone: 407-599-6800
Content: Hi Becca, looks like this blog is shaping up nicely. Keep up the great work. How about a post on lead sources? Which ones are the most effective? Which source give the best average cost-per-lead? Any idea on where to grab data that breaks this down? (33% from drive-by, 10% from referral, 9% from apartment finder, etc.) also would love to see a post about Human Directionals ;) www.gotchadirectionals.com -thanks in advance

You know that blasted phone just rings off the hook sometimes and it's hard to get anything done for the phone ringing. You can take messages, but who has time to them follow-up with a stack of messages?

So the age-old dilemma.....how to manage constant interruptions from prospect walk-ins, resident pop-ins, emails, faxes and phone calls?

How can you control your day better and still provide coverage of the phone during business hours?

Here are some ideas.

My name is Becca Wilson and I'm the President/CEO of Spherexx.com which owns and operates LeasingCafe.com.  I worked in the property management industry for 11+ years before starting Spherexx.com in 2000.  So at this point I have 18 years in the property management business and I will use this blog as a forum to share ideas and thoughts about the industry I love.  If you are reading this blog, then you and I have the same interests, so I would really value your ideas for a blog topic - just use the button on this page to suggest a topic.  I'll provide my two cents and also pull together other industry experts to help expound on the topic.

Today's recommendation:  Bookmark leasingcafe.com in your favorites so you can easily return and learn everything you can about this fantastic industry!