Mike’s Apartment Blog

Nitro Real Estate Services sent me a note earlier this week.  We have been thinking about making some minor improvements to a C-class building we have in downtown Kansas City.  We took this building over about 2 years ago and since then have been making slow but continuous improvements for the residents.  Every time something needs to be repaired or replaced, we redo it better to add curb appeal and value to the building.

<photos on their way>

This weekend, we added a retaining wall and a new front door.  What a difference it made!  It improved the building, added curb appeal, and created a sense of pride with the current residents.  Good people tend to want to be part of a positive movement.  The goal is to keep everyone moving forward

by Cristina Stefan on Flickr

Ahhh… the Trumpster.  Is it me or does he always seem angry?  Love him or hate him, he has become a household brand – which was always his angle.  Why else would he keep the same ugly-ass hairdo, if not to keep his brand image as everyone is used to?

Believe it or not, brand is what sets many companies and investment businesses apart.  Cabal Investments, for example, is focused branding on “Good People”.  We do everything possible to attract the best individuals out there: the best residents, the best employees, the best partners.  But you only get those people by treating them better than anyone else does.

• For residents, we offer safe, secure, and comfortable living arrangements.
• For employees, we offer competitive compensation plans and flexible work hours.
• For partners, we offer solid business plans and high returns.

On the flipside, we expect the best in return from them.  Zero tolerance on trouble makers, dishonesty, and slacking performance.  If you want to be the best, you need to surround yourself with the best.

And a brand does not come overnight.  It comes over years and years of repeated results, service and support. 

The point is, branding is one of the few things that sets companies apart.  The importance of building and then maintaining that brand cannot be understated.  When you have and support a strong brand, everyone wins.

I don’t know.  My guess is that all the decent programmers out there have their sights set on much more lofty projects than property management.  Maybe it’s that most PMs are fairly basic.  Who knows?  All I know is there is a drought of good solutions out there.

Now add the fact that everything is going mobile… now what?

One company I came across is trying to do something about it.  Softwareadvice.com has a bunch of software reviews, and has one brief article that sums up the solid mobile apps available to the tech savvy property manager.  My favorite is the wireless maintenance management.  It allows the absolute fastest turn around time possible, reducing damage from latent repairs and keeping residents happy.  You can find it here.

Glad to see someone finally pulling this stuff together.