When it comes to staffing your leasing office, many assume more hours of availability is better. While it's true that having an office that is accessible to both current and prospective tenants alike is important, it's often unnecessary to staff the office around the clock. Scott Safadi of Cal Bay Property Management recommends finding a balance between the 24 hour availability offered by some properties and the seemingly always closed offices run by others.
If you're rethinking your office hours, consider why that is. Have you had complaints about your hours? Have your employees voiced concerns about being overworked, or worse, having nothing to do? Perhaps you've heard from current tenants who struggle to get to the office to pick up packages or pay rent outside of traditional business hours. No matter what the complaint, factoring these voices into your decision-making process is key.
Consider what your ideal leasing office hours might look like. Ignore how much it might cost to staff the office for now; just look at the benefits and drawbacks of altering your current system. Perhaps you'd foster greater lines of communication between your tenants and staff. Maybe you would open yourself up to an entirely new market of apartment hunters. Or maybe you'd save yourself valuable time and money by closing a little earlier or opening a little later.
At the very least, consider the needs of your current and prospective tenants. While nobody wants to work on nights or weekends, these times are crucial for our industry. Offer employees the option to come in late and stay late rather than simply tacking on extra hours to an already long day. While many property managers see an early morning start time as a good way to set the tone for the day, it's often the evening hours that are needed most by tenants.
Whatever you decide, do so while being reflective about the needs of your staff, your tenants and the prospective tenants you hope to snag.
- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management
When it comes to staffing your leasing office, many assume more hours of availability is better. While it's true that having an office that is accessible to both current and prospective tenants alike is important, it's often unnecessary to staff the office around the clock. Scott Safadi of Cal Bay Property Management recommends finding a balance between the 24 hour availability offered by some properties and the seemingly always closed offices run by others.
If you're rethinking your office hours, consider why that is. Have you had complaints about your hours? Have your employees voiced concerns about being overworked, or worse, having nothing to do? Perhaps you've heard from current tenants who struggle to get to the office to pick up packages or pay rent outside of traditional business hours. No matter what the complaint, factoring these voices into your decision-making process is key.
Consider what your ideal leasing office hours might look like. Ignore how much it might cost to staff the office for now; just look at the benefits and drawbacks of altering your current system. Perhaps you'd foster greater lines of communication between your tenants and staff. Maybe you would open yourself up to an entirely new market of apartment hunters. Or maybe you'd save yourself valuable time and money by closing a little earlier or opening a little later.
At the very least, consider the needs of your current and prospective tenants. While nobody wants to work on nights or weekends, these times are crucial for our industry. Offer employees the option to come in late and stay late rather than simply tacking on extra hours to an already long day. While many property managers see an early morning start time as a good way to set the tone for the day, it's often the evening hours that are needed most by tenants.
Whatever you decide, do so while being reflective about the needs of your staff, your tenants and the prospective tenants you hope to snag.
