Blog Posts

“My RPM Story” – Alyssa Martin

1315299 — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 22:33:02 +0000

I joined the RPM industry in May 2012 after having a wonderful resident experience in my student-housing community at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. I was double majoring in international business and marketing and working in a family counseling center, where I managed office staff and billing. I didn’t know exactly where I wanted my career path to go at the time, but I knew I wanted to work with people.

Great Advocacy Means Carrying the Message

001F000001N73x8IAB — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 19:59:49 +0000

Apartment Industry Advocates,

Mark your calendars and make your travel arrangements for the 2017 NAA Capitol Conference and Lobby Day which will take place March 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C. The Capitol Conference will start after lunch on March 7 with an issues orientation and advocacy training session. We will train you to be an effective advocate for the apartment industry through this high-impact programming, including a presentation by presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin, our keynote speaker.

“My RPM Story” – Caity Russell

0012A00001uVGVoQAO — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:27:13 +0000

I started my college career in the business administration program at the University of Wisconsin – Stout, but I soon switched to property management on the advice of a mentor. I hoped to work in the business world and learn more about accounting while pursuing my passions for marketing and working with people. Residential property management (RPM) has endless possibilities, encompassing all my interests in one industry.

Unpacking the Meaning of a Trump Administration for Apartment Housing

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:28:05 +0000

Uncertainty dominated the commentary written by key real estate analysts trying to forecast how the apartment industry and economy overall will be affected by the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. President.

Most industry groups, admittedly, said they were caught off guard by the result, and they, no doubt, will continue to analyze the situation between now and Inauguration Day.

“My RPM Story” – Carrie Riley

001F000001N6iWNIAZ — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 19:04:55 +0000

Military spouses move. And move. And move again. Sometimes you get lucky and stay somewhere for a few years — but usually you don’t. (We sometimes moved before even a year had gone by.) But one comfort of each move was knowing that I would be able to find a job in the RPM industry at the next duty station, because there are apartments everywhere — no matter where you end up. And when you work in or near a military installation, you’ll find that those communities have turnover more frequently because of the transient military population.

Post-Election Outlook Remains Mixed for the Apartment Industry

001F000001N73x8IAB — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 23:32:29 +0000

Apartment Industry Advocates,

Add my name to the long list of individuals who did not take the candidacy of Donald Trump seriously and publically doubted whether could win a Presidential general election. My sin is even greater since I am inside the beltway and in “the business” of politics and policy. This is my job! How could I have not seen this coming?

Construction Costs Are Killing Us

001F000001kdeGcIAI — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 23:10:10 +0000

It’s conference season! And I did my part by attending three of them within a span of 10 days. At each one, I heard this same sentiment from apartment industry developers, owners and operators, large and small, hailing from the Northeast to Southern California.

The "Self-Cleaning" Kitchen?

001F000001N7DHhIAN — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 16:54:00 +0000

My favorite season is here: Holiday Cooking Season!

Many residents will begin to ponder recipes that go along with their various family gatherings and functions. This is a fantastic time of year to suggest to residents they use the self-clean function in the oven to be ready for holiday baking.

Apartment Market Pulse: Rents, Values and Occupanices - All Up

001F000001kdeGcIAI — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 17:37:49 +0000

Rent growth occurred across most markets during the third quarter, averaging 4.7 percent on a year-over-year basis, according to Yardi Matrix. Growth continues to slow, as evidenced by a lone city experiencing double-digit rent growth, Sacramento, compared to four last year at this time. San Francisco, Houston, Denver and New York comprise the handful of markets with rent growth lower than the long-term national average of 2.2 percent, and even negative in the higher-end segment.

A Kit Culture

001F000001N7DHhIAN — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:26:18 +0000

If we were to compare the amount of work that a maintenance technician today is required to do at an apartment community, and compare that to 5 years ago; what would the comparison look like?

The most common question I’m asked by community managers is “How long should it take my technician to do <insert task here>.” My scripted answer is not to give an answer. My answer instead is to ask the question: Why?