#1 Need for a Pet Park? Cleaning up #2!

As I'm working on my new property, Vargos on the Lake, I'm scouring the internet for things that will make the property stand out.  One of my projects on the site is the Vargos Pet Park.  This project is close to my heart because of my very own fur baby, Mrs. Harry Winston... In fact, pet parks are vital to apartment communities today, since they are among the top four amenities people check when doing a search for an apartment on an internet listing service such as apartmentguide.com.  It is important to have a great pet park - more than 63% of renters today have pets. 

I'll share more about the ways I'm making the Vargos Pet Park special in a later post, but I wanted to share some pet park amenities that I've found (many thanks to my Facebook friends!).

Warning: this post is picture heavy.  And funny enough, what started my search for fun pet park ideas was looking for a new and updated doggie bag/disposal station. So these will be pictures of places to put your puppy's... poo.  Except for this first one - here's a picture I love of me and my Winnie. 

So here's the standard disposal station - bag dispenser at the top, trash receptacle at the bottom.  This is easy and very practical, and something like this should be in place at your property's pet park. Since you won't be able to get your hands on any Vapoorizer, and poo power may not be heading to your city anytime soon, you'll still need these basics to handle the mess that comes with our furry friends. These are available at many property management sites, such as this one.

But if you'd like something a bit different, here's a fabulous one from MPS Direct (tell George Fletcher that Kate sent you!).  I love that this still has a bag dispenser, along with a couple other features, but it doesn't stand out as a standard disposal station.  It may blend better with the rest of your pet park features in that way.

Here's another one from MPS Direct.  I love that this matches a bench that could also be featured in your pet park.  It looks more like a standard trash can, so you would need a separate bag dispenser, but those are easy to find.

Yet another receptacle, this time from Dog-ON-It-Parks, depending on the look you're going for. 

Then there's the PowerLoo, which flushes away pet waste so your maintenance staff never has to worry about emptying the disposal stations...

Another option to give your maintenance staff a break from hauling away poo is DoodyCalls, a full-service residential and commercial pet-waste disposal company. With franchises across the nation, all you'd have to do is set up their service to keep your community clean!

We got the dirty bits out of the way, and my next pet park post will be much more fun - I promise!

Multi-Housing News: All Star Developer & Multifamily Marketer Kate Good Writes a New Chapter

Last week, I had the honor of being interviewed for MHN Online, and we discussed my newest project, Vargos on the Lake, my move from the leasing office to developing, and many other things. Here's an excerpt:

When I’m speaking, I like to impart good information to my audience. I always like to motivate them, too. I've been in this industry since I was 18 years old and I've made it my career. I've been doing this for 25 years. I am so proud to get up on the stage now, and I like to close with my story and really encourage people that if you have a professional goal, if you surround yourself with the right people and you focus on it, it can happen. I went from leasing consultant to developer. And that doesn't happen all the time. So I really encourage other people to just go for it. We’re in incredibly good times in our industry and there’s opportunity for everybody. I want people to know that even for that on-site person who wants to do something else in another department there are wonderful opportunities.

Follow this link for the full interview. 

Creating Video Fun with Vine

A couple weeks ago, I shared with you the first video I filmed for CORT in their Sofa Secrets series, a video-based educational program for apartment industry professionals. My second Sofa Secret is about using the Vine app for your apartment community...

Ace Your Next Interview

Knowing how to handle yourself during an interview won't get you your next job on its own, but it can definitely help.  What you say and how you present yourself are vital during the process... Here are some things to keep in mind as you interview to give yourself the best chance at landing the job.

Use The Company’s Own Words

You always need to research the company you're interviewing with, and before your interview, become familiar with the company’s website and literature. As you're researching, pay attention to words that keep popping up.  Those are the key words to hit upon during your interview - they're what are important to the organization.

Using the company's key words, like collaboration, teamwork, leadership, or growth, can send the message that you have what the company is looking for.

Instead of "I don't know," say “That’s a Good Question.”

If the interviewer asks a question that surprises you, saying, "That's a good question," can give you a few moments to come up with an answer.  In the meantime, it compliments the interviewer in a subtle way.

Avoid saying, “I don't know,” whenever possible (but of course, don't lie about your experience or training!).

Share why you want the job

Of course, interviewers want to know what you will bring to their company in the way of skills and experience, but they also want to know a job prospect’s motivations for applying for their open position.

Share your career goals and how you see this position fits into your future plans, how it fits with your values, and what you would like to learn from it. Talk about what you believe you can bring to the position, and how you see yourself in relation to the company.  This helps show who you are as a person, and gives the hiring manager an idea about how you might fit in the company.

Be flexible

While you certainly don't want to be a pushover (especially when it comes to your salary negotiation), being flexible allows the interviewer to avoid complications in coordinating a second interview or even your start date.  It signals that you are willing to work with others and are ready to step into possibly changing job duties.  

Bottom line: being flexible makes you easy to get along with. 

Ask Thoughtful Questions

When you ask good questions, it shows you are interested in understanding the company. There is typically a time to ask questions near the end of an interview, so be ready with thoughtful questions that show you're engaged in the process and interested in the job.

Some good questions to ask:

• What are the biggest short- and long-term issues I would need to focus on in this position?
• What would I need to focus on differently than the previous person in this position?
• What organizational issues should I be aware of?

What Type of Person Are You?

I recently had a chance to sit down with CORT to share in their Sofa Secrets series, a video-based educational program for apartment industry professionals. CORT asked industry leaders share inside tips to help you grow revenue... check out my first Sofa Secret on "Success."

Getting to know you...

Seen at the Hotel Derek in Houston… a creative (and easy!) way to connect and spark conversations with guests! Each member of the front desk staff at the hotel has their own card in a frame that they place on the counter in front of them when they begin their shift.  As guests approach the front desk, they are able to read the fun (location specific) “questionnaire” that the staff member filled out, personalizing the hotel experience for the guests who now know a bit more about the staff at the hotel that are there to take care of them.

Consider doing the same type of thing at your property  - either having leasing consultants display these on their desks, including this in newsletters to your residents (especially for non-leasing agent employees), or, even easier, placing this on the apartment community website to introduce the staff who will be caring for new residents' apartment homes.  You may also be able to use this idea as a resident spotlight/getting to know your neighbor feature (being sure that you keep residents’ privacy in mind).

Home. It's our business.