Multi-Housing News - September 2009 - (Page 18)

property management FIRST IMPRESSIONS Curb appeal excites prospective renters and makes it difficult for existing ones to depart By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Editor In the universe of multifamily properties, some apartment communities just stand out from the rest. These are often the properties with great curb appeal, the much soughtafter quality known to exert a powerful hold over renters. It is curb appeal that lures new residents, and at the same time makes it difficult for existing ones to depart. In building curb appeal, there’s an indispensable trick-of-the-trade, says Jamie Gorski, senior vice president of corporate marketing for The Bozzuto Group, a Greenbelt, Md. real estate firm with almost 100 apartment properties across the U.S. It involves snapping a color photo of a community and converting it to black and white. Once the vibrant, multi-hued image is reduced to stark blacks, whites and grays, the out-of-place garbage can, the dying tree, the misplaced sign and the barren spot in the lawn suddenly loom into clear focus. “It’s surprising,” Gorski says with a laugh. “It’s an easy exercise. You come to the property every day, and you lose your ability to see it objectively. So you see it through that photo. I’ve done it for years.” There’s every reason to study curb appeal very closely. It is not only a key to attracting new residents and retaining existing ones, but also to boosting the bottom line and net operating income, as well as marketing more effectively. And it’s one essential element property managers cannot let slide in an economic downturn. 18 September 2009 | Multi-Housing News

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Multi-Housing News - September 2009

Multi-Housing News - September 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Executive Insight: Jack Kern
Market Pulse
Conversation with Shaun Donovan
Property Management
Global Market Report
Development & Design: Low-Rise
Directory: Top Architects
Kitchen & Bath: Cabinets
Products: Leasing Tools
Technology: Lead Management
NMHC Notebook

Multi-Housing News - September 2009