New York Real Estate Journal
by Jesse Holland, Sunrise Management & Consulting
When was the last time you shopped for an apartment? As a multifamily property owner or senior management, it is easy to get away from the front line experience. The skills and attitudes of your sales people determine your revenue performance and your bottom line success.

How good is your front line?
Pretend you are looking for an apartment and call your property. It can be an eye-opening experience.

At Sunrise Management & Consulting we research and publish a bi-annual Multifamily Rental Market Report. In the process we talk to literally thousands of front line rental agents. We request the same information, in the same format, from all the properties we survey. The quality of the front line performance easily falls within four common categories.

1. The “newbie”: This person just started as a rental agent. They have received no training and have very little information to share. The most common response is “I’ll have to check on that”. We even had one person who did not know what an “amenity” is. At best they can give you rental rates. They do not know the selling features of their property, and they cannot provide basic customer service. How they ever manage to rent an apartment is a mystery.
2. The “attitude”: This person can’t be bothered. Their attitude says you are taking up their valuable time and they try to get off the phone as quickly as possible. They won’t volunteer any information unless asked directly, and then answer questions rudely. These negative and unfriendly employees cost you money by chasing prospective renters away.
3. The “no response”: This person doesn’t seem to exist. Nobody answers the phone or returns messages that are left. The office never seems to be opened or staffed. You can almost hear the cry of lost opportunity, “is anybody out there?”

   It is interesting to note that the collateral paperwork for these properties seems to match the phone experience. Some properties have nothing, some provide copies of copies of copies, and some just can’t seem to get it together.

   The fourth category is the one you want to find when you call your property.

4. The “professional”: This person has the information they need and know how to use it. They have been well trained and their sales presentation is flawless. You feel welcome and all your questions are readily answered. The professional is a pleasure to talk to, and to work with. Most importantly, they ask for your business.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. In today’s fast paced environment that means the first impression of your property is usually by phone or on the internet. If the initial experience at your property is not up to par, you may never see that prospect.

Give your front line the training and tools they need to be the professional you need. You’ll see the results in your bottom line.

Jesse Holland is president of Sunrise Management & Consulting, in Latham, N.Y.