Secret to Success: Signature Hartwell Village Feature
As we work further into 2022, we are putting in all our effort to hit our monthly goals, so that soon we can reach our yearly goals of 100% prelease. This month, we are happy to announce that another one of our sister sites has achieved Century Club status! Everyone, please help us congratulate the Signature Hartwell Village team for their success. We were extremely eager and excited to take a moment and sit down with team members Wallace Johnson, Property Manager, Kenneth Rivera, Assistant Property Manager, and Annabelle Kornasiewicz and Tyson Young, Leasing Professionals, who gave us their strategy when it comes to hitting 100% in their specific market.
While this property has a lot to show for with its stunning amenities, features, and proximity to campus, Hartwell Village has some stiff competition in the area, with two of our own sister sites right there with them amongst others in a large market. This is also the site’s first year hitting 100%, and holding a retainment record of over 40%. So, what made them stand out in a sea of student housing? “Our efforts to retain!” said Kenneth. “We really encouraged the residents to renew, and with that came most of our word of mouth for new prospects.” In order to retain their residents, the Signature staff felt no need to create monetary incentives, push referral rewards, or craft giveaways. All they did was create a sense of community within their office and property. “Why not live with your friends down the hall,” quoted Kenneth, “because friends truly make the best neighbors!” This team is extremely hands-on with their residents, and finds a way to cater to each of their exact needs. Wallace explained that their tenants thrive on being social, so they allow them to tell us what sort of events they want to be involved in and other ways they can stay engaged with the community. “We make them feel like they can tell us what they think and want,” said Wallace. “They love to talk to us about everything, and that’s what makes our community desirable for them.”
Along with their ability to keep in close touch with their residents, the Signature team also claims that social media was a huge key to their success. “Our Instagram, linktrees, and jotforms create our hype,” said Kenneth. “We make our page as interactive as possible, allowing our followers to stay connected with us on all social media platforms.” The team also encourages residents to post pictures of their property and events, so that they can turn around and feature them on their own page. “Featuring residents on our page and tagging them has generated so much engagement, and has built a hype around living at Signature Hartwell Village,” said Wallace, “We use social media to build our hype and encourage people to anticipate our ball to drop in such an early market.”
With the site hitting Century Club, the team has plenty of time on their hands. What are they doing with it, you ask? “Prepping for turn!” said Wallace. Along with placement sheets, turn vendors, and move-in-packets, this site is also taking this time to give their future residents a preview of where they will be living. They are inviting their future residents and current residents to events they are hosting, and encouraging them to bring parents to tour the property before coming to move in. Giving them a taste of the Signature experience, and getting people excited about calling them “home”!
Along with these strategies, the staff here had amazing advice to give. “Make sure that as a teammate, you know your site,” said Tyson. “Don’t be afraid to put yourself up against your competitors to make yourself seem stronger!” He also advises that you come prepared to answer any questions about your site to SELL your site! He says, “Play on your strengths, and don’t worry about your weaknesses.” On the topic of community culture, Annabelle said, “We really care, and it goes into everything we do. We connect with our residents and help them ‘do life’ instead of just collecting rent.” Finally, Wallace ultimately agreed that their winning game was their willingness to work together as a team. “We knew what the goal was and kept it in mind,” he said. “We knew what we wanted from the jump, and we went after it.”
Once again, we would like to congratulate Signature Hartwell Village and all the staff on their remarkable dedication and determination to reach their goals! We just know that this is only the beginning of breaking records for this team, and changing the way we view innovative leasing.
To the rest of us, let’s follow suit and hit those goals! It is only a matter of time before we will all join The Century Club! We can do it!
