Coordinators: Industry Basics
For many potential coordinators, it's the spiritual mission that first attracts them to Apartment Life. And it's important to understand that our mission is tightly integrated with our business strategy.
Take a moment a see how we are fully integrated as a business and a ministry - or as we like to say, "businestry."
What does it mean to be fully integrated?
Community
Our work to bring life and enhance community is sacred. God has sent us, like Christ, to "move into the neighborhood" (Jn 1:14 MSG) and to live among (1 Pet 2:9-12) our neighbors.
Excellence as unto Christ
Our work to bring life and enhance community is sacred. God has sent us, like Christ, to "move into the neighborhood" (Jn 1:14 MSG) and to live among (1 Pet 2:9-12) our neighbors.
Reach People
Our business model allows access to residents we would otherwise not be able to reach.
Bring Life
Our relationship with Jesus and subsequent worldview allow us to carry out our business in a way that integrates our faith, display the power of the gospel, and create thriving communities.
Do Good
Our business model provides tangible business results to the apartment industry. Without a flourishing business, our spiritual impact diminishes exponentially.
Transform Lives
Our work to meet the needs of our clients is sacred and completely integrated with our mission.
It can be complex to integrate the demands of the business with the desire to have a spiritual impact.
Which is more important: our spiritual mission or the business outcomes? The answer is neither. They are inescapably integrated. If we focus solely on the spiritual needs of the community but neglect the work we were hired to do, we misrepresent our organization and our faith.
If we focus solely on business needs but neglect our spiritual mission, we poorly steward the people God has given us and lose kingdom impact. Neither produces the kind of thriving community and spiritual fruit that God calls us to. Instead, we faithfully model Christ's incarnation by "moving into the neighborhood" and serving excellently with a mission.
Industry Key Players
Owners
The group who owns the property.
Management Company
The group who has been hired and is paid a fee by the owner to manage the property or group of properties (asset).
Property Manager
Works onsite at a property for the management company. Reports to a regional manager. May or may not have contact with the owner.
Regional Manager
Oversees the operations of a group of properties. Often the key decision maker in having Apartment Life services.
Asset Manager
Stewards the financials for the property. Another key decision maker based on budget, cost/benefit.
Marketing Director
Go-to person for social media, training and access to property-specific platforms, event idea approvals, marketing material approvals, etc.
Our clients have at least four goals.
There is a cost associated with resident turnover. For each unit that "turns," there is lost revenue, marketing costs to bring in a new resident, and cleaning costs to prepare the unit for a new resident.
Once a unit is occupied, the manager is focused on keeping it leased. Satisfied, connected residents stay in leases longer.
The multifamily industry has historically done well with amenities and high-end features, but they don't have an answer to the "human element" of apartment living. In short, they desire to touch people’s lives and to make it feel like “home” by offering a personal connection, but there aren't enough hours in the day for the staff to provide this for each resident.
What YOU can do for Your Community
Resident Life Cycle
We are thrilled to meet our clients' goals and needs through our service. There are key touchpoints during a resident's time in a community where we are able to serve them. At every part of the "resident lifecycle" we care for people in our community, connect them in relationships, and call others to join us. We bring value to our clients and life to the community!
Welcome
Coordinators personally welcome each resident and assess their satisfaction with the move-in experience. Retention alerts and monthly trend analyses allow the staff to maintain excellence, which helps enhance online reputation.
Connect
Coordinators help residents connect and cultivate friendships by planning social activities around resident interests and needs. Increasing friendships almost doubles the residents' likelihood to renew their leases.
Care
Intentionally adding a caring touch as an extension and reflection of the onsite staff increase resident satisfaction. Coordinators also build a network of community resources for residents in need.
Renew
Coordinators visit each resident prior to renewal to assess satisfaction, uncovering any issues that might put retention at risk. Our retention alerts and monthly trend analyses allow for quick intervention by onsite staff, saving leases.
Online Reputation
Most of our communities are highly engaged in improving their online presence and reputation (through reviews). We can help enhance their online reputation and encourage residents to share their great experiences.
As we build relationships with residents through the touch points of welcome, connect, care, and renew, we are in a perfect position to actively listen for raving fans in the community and encourage them to share their experiences online. This happens in a very organic, relational way.
Online reputation management is important to apartment communities, and we can partner with them to get the word out about the great things happening in our communities. You’ll hear more about this in future training sessions.
Your Next Steps
Please email your Talent Acquisition Specialist with your response to the following statement:
Briefly share one thing you learned about our clients and our service in this session.