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A picture may be worth a thousand words, but in 2D, prospective renters will be challenged to get the full depth of what the property or unit has to offer. And, while videos are highly recommended for their “touring” ability, it’s the good old fashioned floorplan that gives prospects full scope of what they’re looking for.

To get the most from your floorplans, they should:

• Be realistic and to scale
• Contain all rooms and features
• Include square footage – demonstrating wall lengths, etc.
• Be constructed for each and every option

The best news is that you don’t have to hunt down a designer with CAD skills. These days, floorplans, like everything else, have been taken online. Now, with a simple Google search, you can find a number of apps and services that either provide floorplans at reasonable costs, or allow you to create your own. Here are some of our top recommendations:

1. Floorplanner – This is our personal favorite and the one we’ve used on a number of occasions. For a simple pricing structure, you can create your own full-color plans online, and then download for immediate use.
2. Room Sketcher – With this option, you can create your own or use their service to create one for you. Pricing is a bit more than Floorplanner and uses credits instead of per-plan.
3. Gliffy – This easy-to-use online platform has simplified and affordable pricing with the ability to tap into unlimited storage space and unlimited diagrams every month. Its primary limitation in comparison with aforementioned products/services is in its shape options, which are elementary and not custom to floorplans (kitchens, TV nooks, bookcases), but diagrams in general.

If the thought of creating one more marketing tool has you feeling woozy, leave the worry to us. Call Class A Management today at 817-295-5959, or send us an email to info@classamgmt.com .

You better believe every tenant who visits your website, calls your phones, or walks across the threshold of your leasing office is doing the same thing with at least a handful of other properties. They are using social media, searching the Internet, watching video tours on YouTube, and talking to everyone they trust about referrals. They know the ins and outs of your competition. The question is: Do you?

To know your competition is to understand how your own property is positioned in the market and how prospects are bound to view your offering. So, to say it’s a paramount effort is an understatement.

Need some assistance? Following are 4 tips to help you “keep tabs”:

• Keyword searching—At least on a weekly basis, it’s a good idea to do a keyword search for your company name, as well as general searches for “[neighborhood name] apartments” and “[city name] apartments.” This will tell you if other properties are coming up in searches for your property’s name, and how your property stacks up against the competition in general keyword searches.
• Website trolling—One of the best things about the Internet is how easy it makes it to get your hands on the type of information that once was quite hard to come by. Now, by only using a few minutes out of your schedule a month, you can stay updated on the announcements, prices, amenities, and more of your competitors.
• Google alerting—Did you know that you can set up an alert using Google Alerts that will notify you by email any time a keyword of your choosing is posted online? Simply enter your property’s name as well as the names of your biggest competitors, and you’ll stay updated on any of them receives a mention—good or bad.
• Secret shopping—Even with the ease of research provided by the Internet, it’s sometimes necessary to get out and actually pound the pavement by having secret shoppers visit the competition to experience the actual sales pitch.

The most important thing to remember is that your property does not operate in a silo. It’s affected directly by what the competition does and does not do, and you need to fully understand those factors on a continuous basis in order to compete effectively.

Need some additional help? The professionals at Class A Management would appreciate the opportunity to help ensure you’re always “in the know” and your property is positioned accordingly. Contact us at 817-295-5959 or by email to info@classamgmt.com.

A topic we and many other property management companies tend to cover with frequency pertains to deadbeat tenants – how to spot them and how to avoid them. What we don’t talk about as much, but needs just as much attention, is the topic of bad landlords or property managers.

We not only talk about this to help renters identify potential issues before they occur, we also do so for the benefit of these property managers and landlords – to provide them a reality check that will hopefully spur corrective action.

So, without further ado, here are some of what we deem to be the biggest warning signs of a bad landlord and what you can do to avoid them:

• A property with noticeable exterior issues, such as roofing, structure, or common area damage that goes without repair for days or longer
• A high rate of tenant turnover
• A response time to tenant complaints or repair requests longer than 24 hours
• A landlord who is never around until rent is due
• Obscure legal language in the lease, or language that is doesn’t clearly identify how deposits are allocated or if/when they are returned, etc.

How to Get the Info You Need

There are many online sites that allow current and former tenants a place to vent and rave about a property. While some of these really should be taken with a grain of salt (anyone can leave a review anonymously, and ex-employees as well as evicted tenants are likely to be among the naysayers), there is validity within. So, read through all the reviews you can about the property. If you see a trend, take it to heart.

While you can call the local police department as well as the Better Business Bureau to find out property-related information, you should always look to personal references as well. Talk to people who live or have lived there before, and ask probing questions with an open mind. Ask how long they’ve been there, any problems they’ve had, how long the response time is to issues, the cleanliness of the property, and other such questions designed to give you some insight into the potential experiences you may encounter.

Keeping an open mind is crucial. There is always a good and a bad to every business. Some really are bad, while others get a bad wrap from a squeaky (or broken) wheel or two. So, just bare this in mind. And, if you need some help, just give us a call at 817-295-5959 or send an email to info@classamanagement.com.

Security. It’s one of those amenities that tenants desperately seek, but no property is positioned to guarantee. Yet, with the right attention to detail and a bit of (worthwhile) investment, it’s possible to at least provide a modicum of comfort to tenants and prospects.

Doing so has its benefits. You’ll attract more renters, which decreases vacancy rates and generates more revenue. Additional security measures also allow properties to demand a higher rent rate. And, with added security, you may even experience a reduction in insurance rates. Some companies provide discounts for as much as 20% when monitored security systems are added.

Here are some suggestions any property can leverage in order to experience this benefits:

• Lights – A relatively easy place to start is ensuring the property is well lit. This includes parking lots, paths, unit porches and doors, and all common areas.
• Clearly marked paths – This may seem like a given, but safety and security can be increased by making sure all walking paths are marked so that any with damage or imposing dangers are clearly noted.
• Cleared debris and falling dangers – If a tree branch falls, have it removed immediately. If a pothole appears in the parking lot, make sure it is clearly marked and then call for repairs as soon as possible. If a hole or crack appears in a walking surface, the grass, or common areas, make sure it is also marked and addressed at the earliest possible time.
• Security systems in individual units – This is likely the most expensive option, but installing security systems in each individual unit could very well pay off in spades.
• On-property emergency phone centers – If the property is large, it’s a good idea to have emergency phone centers installed strategically in common areas. You see these at colleges, universities, and similar campuses. Simply picking up the phone immediately rings security or police, acting as a deterrent to unwanted attention and a welcome feature to residents.
• Gates – There’s no need to go to the added expense of posting a guard at the gates; simply having electronic gates at all entrances with a keypad entry is a major deterrent in and of itself.

If your property is in need of some safety and security improvements, and you’re not sure where to start or you just don’t want to ‘go it’ alone, give the professionals at Class A Management a call. See all that we are capable of accomplishing together. Call 817-295-5959 or send an email to info@classamanagement.com.