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Triple Win Property Management Blog

Differentiating your Brand by Getting Hyper-Focused on your Target Client

Tony Cline has over 20 years of experience in property management. After purchasing a real estate and property management brokerage in Denver, Colorado, he spent more than two decades as managing broker. Today he's focused full time on his work as a Property Management Success Coach. Tony is a Second Nature Triple Win Mentor. At its most basic, your mission is who you serve and how. To put it another way, it’s your ideal client profile, the specific work you do, and the work you don’t do. There is no single thing that is more important in building your brand, because your mission informs everything about how you present yourself to the market and to your potential clients. When you clearly identify your mission and who you want to serve, you can better connect with them and build a unique brand around that target audience, and filter out those that aren’t going to be a good fit . Here are some of my best tips for building a brand from your mission statement, based on my decades of experience as a property manager, business owner, and advisor. Narrowing your mission When I first purchased a small property management company, we aimed to be “the downtown Denver loft and condo sales, leasing, and property management specialists.” We actually took a map of downtown Denver and picked specific cross streets to define our boundaries. Looking back, that was a great decision because it helped me: Target a very specific group of clients Speak their language Deliver the best possible service to them It set us off on the right foot by imposing limits on the properties we would manage, rather than letting us bite off more than we could chew. Building with intention I see a lot of property managers start building a company without direction. It's like reaching your hand into a bag and pulling out a block and saying, “Okay, well, this is what I’m going to build with next!” And they put it on the pile. And when you keep doing that, you don't intentionally build anything. You build a Jenga tower, where if you put one more piece on the top, it's going to collapse. Instead, what property management companies need to do is take a step back to evaluate things. Decide what you’re trying to build, make that your mission, and develop a business and brand that supports that. Why identifying your client base is key Your mission statement should very clearly outline who your target client profile is. That target client profile is going to directly impact how you present your company and the kind of content you’re putting out. One of the biggest challenges in property management is differentiating your business. The problem is, a huge portion of people think we're all the same. We're property managers. Without anything to separate us from our competition, the only thing they know to judge us on is price. But with a clear mission and target audience, you identify specific pain points and speak directly to the people you want to do business with. That way you cut through the noise, rather than using general language that doesn’t stand out. Home cook, or professional chef? In my experience, a lot of property management business owners act like home cooks. They pick their ingredients based on what’s in stock, what’s on sale, and what looks good in the moment. They’re managing whatever properties they can bring in and whatever owners they can sign a deal with. They start building this pantry of ingredients, and then they realize, if the ingredients are always changing, they need to keep cooking something different day after day. Constantly adjusting your menu makes it incredibly hard to really learn what you’re good at cooking and what your craft is. Instead, you want to become a professional chef. They're intentional about what goes in each dish, and one wrong ingredient can spoil the whole dish. They master a dish through repetition and care until it’s the best it can possibly be. Having the courage to say no If you want to master your craft, you have to make tough decisions and start saying no. Taking on new clients who don’t fit your mission will ultimately hurt your business more than help it. It’s tempting to take on anyone and everyone, especially if you’re less experienced or just launching your own business. Saying no to them takes courage. One of the most important steps is realizing that it’s okay to not be able to help everyone. So many business owners feel a sense of obligation to be able to help everyone who walks through the door, but that just isn’t realistic. An antique store isn’t going to be able to help you if you want a new 4k television, but that doesn’t make them a bad business. You just have different needs than they can serve. It’s not easy to tell a potential client, “hey, I don’t think this is a great fit, but I appreciate you reaching out.” But that’s an absolutely vital step to take if you want to grow your business sustainably. Example: two different kinds of clients Let’s take a look at two different audiences in the property management space: investors who see their properties as financial assets, and “accidental landlords,” who might have inherited a home and want to rent it out. These are two very different groups with different knowledge, different expectations, and different emotions, so you can’t treat them the same. Investors are concerned with the financials and how you’re protecting their investment, so your messaging should focus on things like: Proactive repairs and maintenance Return on their investment Total days it takes to turn over the property Average maintenance spend per property across your portfolio These are the kinds of topics that are going to break through the noise for that person, because those are the things they care most about. You have to extend that messaging through all your channels, including your website, your sales pitch, or your social media channels. Accidental landlords, who might just be starting to learn about real estate investing, often have deeper emotional ties to it. They raised little Sally in one of the bedrooms and they want to keep the pink walls they painted. For them, the messaging you have to put out is about turning their home into their product, and how to make this people's number one choice if they have ten options to choose from. Because they have different concerns, so your messaging—and therefore your brand—has to be carefully tailored. You can’t use the same messaging to appeal to both of them, or it will come across as generic and bland. You can’t build a strong brand without a strong mission. Sharing your mission vs living your mission Your mission and brand aren’t just about messaging; they’re things you have to live. You can’t just put your mission on a shelf somewhere and forget about it, and you can’t minimize your brand to just a logo and a slogan. Delivering the experience that sales promises One of the biggest areas where a lot of companies miss the mark is allowing a disconnect between sales and customer service. Business development will make a pitch that clearly aligns to the company’s mission, but the rest of the team doesn't then continue that forward through their operations. That's why a lot of companies will churn out doors in the first year. New clients hear big promises from sales, but they don't receive a service that meets the expectations that were set. Your whole team has to be aligned on the same mission and brand so that you’re speaking the same language and delivering the same message. Every time you develop a new policy, it needs to be built on your mission and aligned with your brand. Quite simply, if they don’t fit your mission, then they shouldn't be policies in the first place. You've already committed to a mission, so anything in the company that's not in alignment with that has to be modified in order for you to really have clarity. Only once your team is fully aligned can you start talking about your mission externally. How your brand filters in the right owners One of the most valuable things your brand can do for your business is to help the right clients self-select. If you develop a clear enough mission, and shape your brand around it, you’ll get to a point where your brand is so strong, you never have to say no to anyone. They just won’t reach out in the first place. When a property owner who doesn’t match your target client profile looks at your website, or your social media, or your email newsletter, they’ll realize that they’re not a good fit for your business, and they’ll move on. The flip side is that the right people will be reaching out in droves, because they connect with your company and see the value you provide that’s specific to their problems. That’s the power of a mission-driven brand. Practice makes perfect Building a mission-driven brand can feel overwhelming. The good news is, it will eventually start to come naturally to you. The more reps you do, the better you get, the more narrowly you're able to define what you're doing, the more time you can spend getting intentionally better at that one thing. You also have to get those reps in with your team. When you think you’ve over-communicated your mission and vision—when you think if you say it one more time, if you incorporate it into one more meeting, if you ask one more question about it, that your team's going to revolt because they're sick of hearing it—you’re probably about thirty percent of the way there. Ready to start building your brand with intention? Start with our webinar on writing your brand positioning statement.

Calendar icon February 11, 2025

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How to Handle Bad Reviews: Tips for Property Managers

Mark Brower is the owner and designated broker of Mark Brower Properties. He has over 15 years of experience in property management and investing, and lives in Mesa, Arizona. Mark is a Second Nature Triple Win Mentor. You’re going to get bad reviews. That’s just a fact of running a business. It’s impossible to please 100% of people 100% of the time, and inevitably someone is going to turn to Google Reviews or social media to air their grievances. But if you know how to handle bad reviews, you can actually turn them into an opportunity. In fact, even the worst reviews from current or former residents can be chances for your business because they can help you grow, improve your level of service, and delight those unhappy residents. With more and more potential residents turning to online reviews for information, it’s business critical to manage them well and see negative reviews as an opportunity for growth. So let’s dive into how I handle negative reviews at my property management company, and how you can do the same. How do negative reviews impact a business? We all know that social proof has an enormous impact on businesses. Prospective customers are looking for evidence about your trustworthiness, reputation, and level of service. Over the last twenty years, people have continuously moved more towards doing their own due diligence before they decide to get on a call with a salesperson, and online reviews have been the key piece of that. People have more information than ever before, and they feel like they can trust it. What makes property management unique is that choosing a place to live is such a huge commitment. It’s one thing to weigh what kind of mattress or computer you’re going to buy. It’s another to decide what home you’re going to live in. And that means that the stakes for property managers are even higher. One of the biggest pieces in building trust is openness and honesty, and that means showing your prospective residents the truth—the good and the bad. In a recent survey of nearly 30,000 apartment renters, nearly 70% said that they look at online reviews to help make their renting decision. Crucially, 86.2% said they were more likely to consider a management company that had mostly positive reviews with a few negative reviews mixed in, rather than all positive reviews. Part of being a strong business leader is being upfront and honest, and that means taking the good with the bad, and taking responsibility for both. A negative review isn’t going to ruin your business, but how you respond to it could. What to do when you get a bad review Bad reviews can be scary. They’re never fun to see, and they can send property managers into a spiral if they’re not careful. Keep your cool One of the most important things to do in response to a negative review is to control your emotions. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have emotions. In fact, you should get emotional! But you need to channel that emotion into vulnerability, and take a critical look at your company to see what went wrong. Personally, my initial reaction to a one-star review is pain. I feel anxiety and pain in my gut as soon as I see it. And that’s because I have a very low tolerance for negative interactions with my company. I want everyone to be as happy as possible with us. So when that doesn’t happen, it hurts. Some people have told me that I should turn off notifications and have someone else on my team deal with reviews. I couldn’t disagree more. As the owner of the company, I need to lead by owning the outcome myself. But when I feel that pain, I always try to channel it inward, rather than outward. It’s not productive to get defensive or argumentative, especially when your response is public. Instead, I let that pain drive me to improve my business processes and look for where we went wrong. Always respond That said, it is important to respond to reviews. Personally, I don’t post a public response immediately. Instead, I call them directly to take ownership of the issue and let them know I want to fix things. Then, while I wait for a response, I look to learn as much as I possibly can about that person and our interactions with them. I’ll spend an hour or more looking through our email correspondences, phone logs, and past maintenance issues. My goal is to truly understand their point of view, see things from their perspective, and make sure I fully understand the situation before I reach out to them. Private vs. public responses I do respond publicly, because people want to see that you’re addressing concerns and taking action in response to complaints. When I call them. I want to see how I can resolve their problem directly. Most times they don't take my call, and then I text them. If I need to, I’ll call and text the next day, too, because I’m not giving up. If I still don’t get a response, that’s when I’ll leave a public comment, because you can't go too long without giving some kind of public reply. Here’s how I reply if I haven’t had the chance to talk directly with the resident first: Apologize: I’m so sorry to hear that this is going on. I never want someone to have a bad experience with my company. Make it clear who’s responding: This is Mark Brower. I wanted to make sure you heard from me directly. Thank them: Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. Ask for more information: I'm going to try to reach out to you because it's important to me that I understand your experience. Here's my cell number, and here's my email address directly. And please watch for my call. I want to learn more about this. The reason that I like to reach out privately first is that not all reviewers are comfortable sharing details publicly. It helps me get more information on what’s going on and learn how things have gone so off-course. But responding publicly helps build that trust that you’re committed to solving problems. It shows that you take ownership and lead by leaning in. Thank the reviewer and take responsibility One of the most important steps I mentioned is thanking the reviewer. People want to feel heard, especially when they’re facing a challenge. When you thank them, rather than getting defensive, you’re showing them how much you appreciate their honesty, and building that sense of understanding and trust. And you should mean it when they thank you, because they’re doing you a favor. They’re bringing a serious problem to your attention so you can fix it. My biggest piece of advice is that you have to start with a premise that people that have a bad experience are reasonable and rational. There is always a reason that they’re unhappy, and treating them as if they’re being unreasonable won’t help anyone. Instead, take responsibility for the problem and assure them that you’re working to make it right. And never throw your team under the bus. Even if there was an error made by one of your employees, you should recognize that, ultimately, it rolls up to you. Blaming someone on your team only creates tension and resentment internally, and gives an unhappy resident a reason to lash out at that person. How to resolve resident complaints It’s one thing to connect with a resident to apologize, and to reply on Google Reviews. The hard part is actually figuring out how to resolve the underlying issue. Make things right Hearing people out and making a direct commitment to address the issue goes a long way. But fixing the problem is really what they’re after. That means taking a hard look in the mirror to find out what went wrong. Maybe the issue stems from a vendor you hired who didn’t reach an appropriate level of service. Time to reevaluate how you’re vetting vendors. Maybe you didn’t clearly communicate expectations or requirements. Time to take a look at how you can be clearer. Maybe your resident didn’t understand how your processes work, and that put them in a frustrating position. Take a look at your onboarding process to see where it can be improved to set them up for success. The key is to take ownership, recognize that it’s your problem to solve, and go solve it. Finally, there’s sometimes controversy around financial compensation. I will say clearly that I do sometimes reward unhappy residents financially, if it’s appropriate. In my view, if my team's behavior caused harm in your life, I'm going to make that right. What I never do is tell a resident, “Hey, I’ll give you $200 if you take down your review.” In my view, that’s inappropriate and unethical. It’s the polar opposite of taking responsibility, and it’s not the right way to do business. Communicate Communication is absolutely essential. Once someone has voiced that they have a problem, you want to over-communicate with them about every step you take. Even if you aren’t getting a response, keep providing them updates so that they know they’re being listened to and that a resolution is in progress. You should be clearly communicating when: You’ve seen the review You’ve uncovered the source of the issue A team member of vendor has been assigned to it Someone has been dispatched to the property, if necessary The issue has been handled Every time there’s a development, keep your resident informed. It helps prevent any further negative reviews, and shows them that you’re taking things seriously. Follow up After the issue has been resolved, make sure that you don’t leave it at that. Check up on them periodically about the problem and make sure that it hasn’t resurfaced. Ask them if there are other problems that you can help solve. Give them special treatment and smother them with customer love. This is where my competitive nature comes out. I make it a contest with myself to fix the relationship with the resident until they decide they want to update their review. I will never ask a resident to change what they posted. What I will do is make them feel so special and so appreciated that they’re driven to change it on their own. There’s no better feeling than someone who left you a bad review coming back and updating it to say, “Hey, I connected with Mark about this. He solved my problem and he’s been really fantastic about it. I really appreciate how responsive his team was.” That is one of the most satisfying things I’ve experienced as a business owner. Should you delete negative reviews? My general advice is not to delete negative reviews. Like I outlined earlier, prospective residents appreciate seeing both the good and the bad. They want honesty and integrity, and deleting reviews is counter to that. The only real way to have reviews deleted is by paying some company hundreds of dollars to do it on your behalf. I never engage with those kinds of companies, and I don’t think you should either. If you’re getting spammed with bad review after bad review, all from the same angry resident, that’s one thing. If they’re just repeating the same complaint, there is a process through Google Business to have duplicates removed. There is an avenue if you want to pursue that. But I think it’s unethical to remove reviews that are accurate and factual. Plus, it hurts your business anyway, so just don’t do it. I have seen business owners—not necessarily property managers—actually threaten people who leave bad reviews. They claim it’s defamatory and threaten legal action if reviews aren’t removed. I think that is a terrible practice, and using legal threats to preserve appearances is the absolute wrong thing to do. Instead, take my approach of trying to delight someone so much that they feel a sense of responsibility to delete their review on their own. Make them so happy that they realize, “hey, this isn’t a fair portrayal of my experience,” and they remove it or update it. But leave that choice to them, don’t make it for them. How to prevent bad reviews You can never fully prevent bad reviews, but there are steps you can take to make them less likely. As a business leader, if you claim to own your outcomes, you should be setting up your business to eliminate 99% of pain points. And in property management, that’s not easy, but it is possible. Understand the most common reasons for complaints Start by understanding where your complaints are coming from. Negative feedback doesn’t just happen out of nowhere. I see the one one-star review as a really powerful signal that something is not only a little bit wrong, but several degrees wrong. If someone writing a one-star review online about us is the escalation path in our business, we've got a big problem. One of the most important steps is to see where your residents are having problems further up the funnel, before they become public complaints. Take a look at your maintenance request history and see if there are common items that need to be addressed more regularly. For example, if a water heater is more than ten years old, you should be taking measures to prevent it from flooding the property. When you turn a property, you should be doing a one-time pest treatment to make sure there won’t be future issues. Get ahead of common complaints before they become bigger issues. Ultimately, your company should have a system in place to prioritize and identify what the biggest issues are that you’re facing, and to address them before they reach that breaking point. Create a great first impression It’s absolutely vital to create a good first impression with your residents. That’s why you need a rock-solid onboarding process. You should include things like a utilities concierge to make move-in smoother and set people off on the right foot. But you should also make sure your overall process is setting up clear expectations for both you and the resident, that you’re giving them the tools they need to have a successful time in the home, and communicating clearly. Think about what your residents and owners need A huge part of being a successful property manager comes down to empathy. You need to be able to put yourself in the shoes of your residents and owners and anticipate their needs. Keep in mind that their needs are going to change based on the specifics of the property, their age and ability, and more. Make sure you’re meeting them where they are so that you can keep them happy and give them a good experience. Regularly gather feedback Your company should have multiple layers of feedback and response for your tenants. You should have an escalation path built into your processes. If a tenant has to write a one-star review in order to get their issue escalated, that’s a business process failure. Your feedback process should be clear and intentional. Resident surveys and digital comment boxes can give you insight into where you’re doing well and where you’re not. And then you need to use that information to take action. You need to have the discipline and willingness to chase down those threads and really get to the core of the issues in your business. That not only unlocks really powerful learning, but also validates residents' experiences. Learn and grow Michael Podolsky wrote in Forbes recently, “Any business with a continuous growth mindset should welcome negative feedback.” Use that feedback to make change and take action. That’s what a true growth mindset and extreme ownership approach are about. Want to learn more about managing your business’s reputation? Join our upcoming webinar.

Calendar icon February 4, 2025

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Make Your Personal Story Part of Your Property Management Brand Identity

Property management is an inherently personal industry. You’re literally taking care of someone’s home, and it doesn’t get much more personal than that. So why do so many property managers shy away from sharing their personal stories? By embracing your personal story of how you go into property management, what you love about it, and why, you can develop a stronger brand identity. That means a stronger connection with your investors and residents, and a unique way to separate yourself from the competition. What’s your (brand) story? One of the unique things about property management is that everyone has such varied backgrounds. Almost no one goes to school to become a property manager, or grows up thinking that’s what they’ll do. And that means that everyone has their own story to tell about how they ended up where they are. Maybe you were an accidental landlord who inherited a property and had to learn to manage on the fly. You can lean into the hard work it took to learn the business, and how you empathize with property owners in a similar predicament. Or maybe you were a forward-thinking investor who managed your own properties, but then you discovered you had a knack for it and decided to expand your management business. Your story might be one of business acumen and knowing the importance of protecting an investment. Plenty of property management companies are family businesses, passed down through generations, so maybe that’s how you came into it. In that case you have lifelong experience and a deep knowledge of your neighborhoods and communities. Or maybe you had a real estate background and decided to transition from sales to management. Your area of expertise might be the legal and logistical aspects of the business. Whatever your story, you can make it a part of your brand and emphasize why it sets you apart from other property managers. Don’t be afraid to be personal and vulnerable; let your investors and residents know why you do what you do and why you love it. Why you should get personal When you embrace and share your personal story, you form better connections with others. It builds a sense of trust and camaraderie that makes people want to work with you, and to give you the benefit of the doubt. Beyond that, you become more memorable, and your story can lend credibility to your professional chops. Plus, when you lead with your story, you develop both a property management brand identity and a personal brand, which can open up more opportunities. Embracing your humanity to build trust and relatability According to an Inc. article written by Harvard instructor Carmine Gallo, storytelling is the secret to building business relationships. Gallo says that storytellers, “deliberately choose personal experiences that instill trust, build rapport, and motivate others.” Andrew Dunbar of Forbes agrees: Brands seeking to build loyalty and trust with their target audiences need to bake consistent storytelling into all aspects of their digital experiences. That means that investors who hear your story and recognize your vulnerability are more likely to want to work with you. When your story is consistent and they feel like they’re truly getting to know you, they feel compelled to continue building that relationship. It’s also important for your residents, who may only reach out to you in times of high stress, like when they have an urgent maintenance issue. In fact, research has shown that people with a high level of empathy are less reactive to stressful situations than those with a low level of empathy. In other words, a resident who empathizes with your personal story and feels a connection to you is less likely to send an angry email or yell at you on the phone. Instead, they’ll take a calmer demeanor, even when the situation is difficult. Differentiation Your story probably includes just how long you’ve been at it in the property management world. In fact, if you were asked to write a professional bio, it might be the first thing you include. Details like how long you’ve been licensed, how many doors you manage, and how long you’ve managed in your particular geographic area can all lend extra credibility to your business. Investors want to know that you have a proven track record before they start working with you, and residents want to know that you know what you're doing and won’t drop the ball if an issue arises. A personal story can also make you more memorable to your audience. In fact, cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner found that facts wrapped in a story are 22 times more memorable than facts alone. So if you want potential investors to remember you, tell them your story. Finally, your story can help you stand out from the crowd. In a service-based industry like property management where many competitors can be seen as equals, that’s more important than ever. You don’t want to be competing on services that are seen as commoditized, or just trying to offer the lowest price. Instead, you need to find new ways to differentiate. You can often find those differences in your experiences, areas of expertise, and your personal commitment to property management. Stand out because of who you are and where you’ve been. Personal branding According to Forbes, personal branding is more important than ever. By celebrating your personal story, you’re developing a personal brand that your audience can connect with and remember. It also makes you a better candidate for opportunities like podcast appearances, conference speaking engagements, and panel discussions. Those are basically free marketing opportunities, which give you exposure to hundreds or thousands of potential new clients. While it can initially feel uncomfortable to make yourself vulnerable, it can have tremendous benefits for your business and career. How to ingrain your story in your brand Your brand is in everything you do. That doesn’t mean you need to tell your whole life story every time you receive a call from a resident or prospective investor. There is such a thing as oversharing. But there if you look for opportunities, you’ll find that there are good times to tell your story and allow it to support your value proposition and the work that you do. Your website Your website is one of the most powerful tools that you have. Your company has full control over how it presents itself, what users see, and you tell them your story. Most property managers are tempted to keep themselves and their background to the About Us page, or maybe the Our Team page. While that can seem like it makes sense, you should expand beyond that. Your home page is a perfect place to introduce yourself and what your company believes in. It’s where you make a first impression, and your personal background should be a part of that. Share what you believe and why. You can also integrate your story into your Services page, emphasizing why each service that you offer is important or personal to you. And if you don’t have a Team or About Us page, you absolutely should, and you should use it as an opportunity to put your story out into the world. Chambers Theory, led by Tommy Chambers, is particularly good at highlighting their deep experience across their site. On the About Us page, the team breaks down their history, their mission, and their approach, including a note that Tommy is a third generation real estate professional with over 20 years of property management experience. The company also clearly lays out its core values, helping readers connect with them and setting them apart from the crowd. On the Team page, Tommy’s bio also lays out his upbringing as the child of U.S. Intelligence and State Department veterans, which connects to his company’s dedication to providing services to those serving their country. All of this connects back to the company’s work in the Washington, DC metro area. Social media Social media is another powerful arrow in your quiver, because it’s also an “owned” channel. You have full control over what you post and how you frame it. We’ve already seen the rise of the “LinkedInfluencer,” professionals who use LinkedIn as a platform to build their personal brand. Social media platforms can be great places to connect with your peers, customers, and potential customers. One of the best ways to do this is by sharing your story. On social, that usually means short anecdotes, telling your story in bits and pieces. That can include tales from your past, or examples of how you do business today. Mark Brower of Mark Brower Properties does a superb job of this on LinkedIn. He frequently posts on his personal page about relationships—with tenants, employees, and even his father—and how they connect to his business. He tells stories about everything from staff meetings to one-star reviews and the mindset that he brings to his work every day. Business cards, speaking opportunities, and more You might think that most places where you display your company, like signage and business cards, might be too small to represent your story. But when you think outside the box, you can find opportunity anywhere. Consider a one-line slogan that gives a sense of your background, experience, or values that you can include on business cards, in your email signature, and on ads, flyers, or stationery. This can help build a familiarity with you as an individual and add to the trust factor. Speaking engagements are also a fantastic way to help people connect with your story. Industry shows and smaller local property management networking events are great opportunities to join a panel discussion or give a breakout session presentation. Podcasts and webinars can give similar benefits without the hassle of travel or scheduling. Basically, anywhere that you’re using your logo, see if there’s a way to weave in your experience and your story. Obviously it won’t be a perfect fit everywhere, but you should at least ask the question. Building your property management brand If you’re interested in learning more about how your brand can truly set you apart, join our upcoming RBP workshop!

Calendar icon January 21, 2025

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Brand vs. Branding: Focus on the Experience You Deliver, Not Just Your Logo

Having a strong, well-defined brand is important for any business. But in property management, where business owners are constantly busy putting out fires (sometimes literally), it can be difficult to prioritize building a brand. Most property managers just don’t put enough time into it. Most property management companies commission a logo from a designer, build a website, and call it a brand. In reality, though, a brand goes a lot farther. Focusing on your brand beyond just branding can have an outsized impact on your business, and lead to happier residents and investors. What is branding? A lot of people confuse having “branding” for their company with having “a brand.” To simplify things and make sure we’re all using the same language, your branding is the visual and stylistic representation of your brand. It includes elements like: Logo, colors, and font Slogan Website Imagery, photography, and icons Branding is when you make sure the color of the ink on your business card matches the colors on your website, or when you put your logo on the side of a maintenance truck. It’s making sure your lease template uses the latest logo and colors, and that your welcome guide uses the same iconography as your resident portal. But your visual branding is only a subset of your overall brand. It doesn’t get at the heart of what makes your company unique, and it doesn’t account for how your audience sees you. That’s what a true brand is. What is a brand? Your brand is how your employees, customers, and potential customers see you. It’s how your company makes them feel, the reputation you carry, and the experience you bring to the market. Let’s look at a few different elements that make up your brand, and how they come to life for a property management company. Memorable experiences Every time you interact with someone, whether it’s on your website, via a phone call, or by fixing a maintenance issue, you’re building experiences they’re going to remember. Part of building a strong brand is giving consistent, positive experiences at every opportunity. It’s the steps you take, the words you use, and how you respond to issues. For example, Dollar Shave Club has created memorable experiences through their creative advertising and viral marketing. They back it up with a simple, quality product. Emotional connection A brand is about fostering an emotional connection with your audience. Maybe your brand is about making your audience feel heard and supported, or about making them feel like they can trust you. Maybe it’s making them feel like you’re a friend, or a professional, or an expert. It’s your job to decide what emotions you want people to associate with your company, and then to live that out every day. One company that absolutely nails emotional connection is Starbucks. By writing your name on your cup, presenting their shops as places of communal gathering, and leaning into special occasions with their holiday cups, they make a simple transaction feel deeply personal. Reputation Your brand is how people see you. It’s whether they like you, have positive experiences, and appreciate you. It’s what they say in Google reviews. And that goes for both your residents and your investors. Rolex is basically synonymous with high quality watches. They’ve built a brand almost entirely on a reputation for quality (and the price tag that comes with it). Your story Your brand is who you are, how you got here, why you care about the work you do, and your vision of where you go from here. Maybe you have an extensive background in real estate, or maybe you became an accidental landlord. Maybe you get satisfaction from helping residents keep a comfortable home, and maybe you love helping investors maximize returns. That all relates to your story and your values. Nike does a great job of embracing their history. They hold strong ties to Oregon—their home state—and advertise as an American company. Their history is so meaningful that one of their shoes has its own movie. Differentiation Your brand tells people how you’re different from every other property management company on the block. All of the elements we’ve already outlined add up to create a unique brand. That’s how residents and owners will see you, and how you’ll stand out from the competition. If you want a great example of differentiation, look to Whole Foods. They captured the mainstream market for high quality, natural and organic food nationwide. While natural and organic stores existed before, they weren’t seen as mainstream grocery stores. Whole Foods created a brand based on their differentiation from traditional stores and challenged the big players. Values and workplace culture The principles you hold, even when no one else is watching, are key to who you are as a company. They should help shape your brand and your culture. That brand is reflected in the team that works with you, and the environment they work in. Apple is a great example of a company that builds a great culture to uphold their values. For example, they were among the first companies in the United States to offer in vitro fertilization benefits for employees. Their mission is to use innovative technology to empower people and enhance their lives. What better example is there than IVF? This list isn’t exhaustive. There are plenty of other elements that contribute to your brand, like your mission, your communication cadence, when and how you ask for feedback,and your written style guide. All of those things are equally important. The important thing to remember is that your brand is all of these things put together, which creates an overall perception in the market. Brand vs. branding: why does it matter? As we outlined, your branding is just one piece of your brand. But why is a brand so important, anyway? First of all, a strong brand is a business advantage. Quite simply, it helps you stand out in the market and win more business. When you’re memorable and give potential customers a positive experience, it makes them want to work with you. Second, it helps build a connection and sense of trust. Residents and investors alike want to work with a property manager that they feel has their best interests at heart, and who they can truly trust to do the right thing. When that’s part of your brand and lived out in each daily interaction, it encourages a genuine connection. Finally, a strong brand gives your team members the principles and values that they need to represent you well. When your brand principles are instilled in your employees, they’re more likely to carry it out in their day-to-day work. They’re also more likely to feel connected to your company, do better work, and stay with the team longer. Brand expert Drea Buer, owner and founder of Respect The Brand, agrees that a brand is essential for any company owner. “A personal brand isn’t just a buzzword. It is the face and reputation that you put out into the world,” she says. “It’s how people connect with you.” As far as the benefits, Buer says, “When people trust you, they’re more likely to buy from you, refer others to you, and advocate for your business.” In her full video, Drea dives into why a personal brand can have an even larger impact than just a company brand. Building a Triple Win experience Ultimately, your brand should create benefits for you, your residents, and your investors. When you create a Triple Win, you bring a new level of success to property management. Remember, your brand isn’t just how you intend to present your business to the world. It’s also how your business is received. You need residents, investors, and team members to receive your brand positively if you want to be truly successful. If you’re looking to learn more about how you can create Triple Wins with your business, register for our upcoming RBP Workshop, where you’ll learn how a Resident Benefit Package can elevate your brand.

Calendar icon January 8, 2025

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