Page 6 - HomeMatters Q2 2020

CONQUERING COVID
ACTIVE BUILDING AND WELCOME HOME LAUNCH
Edgewood and Vantage
launched approximately
80 communities on Active
Building and Welcome Home
to better communicate with
our residents throughout
the pandemic. Communica-
tion, ease of rental payments
and online service requests,
while providing a social
community network for
residents is paramount,
especially during COVID-19.
FUN THINGS
Sharon Wick, Community Manager
and Natalie West-Makel, Service
Coordinator, of Renaissance Gardens
let their playful sides show. Dressed
in colorful costumes, they danced
and sang their way through the
community to brighten everyone’s day.
OPEN DIALOGUE CARRIES LEADERSHIP
FROM CRISIS TO RECOVERY
BETWEEN BLOG POSTS AND MEDIA MENTIONS, the Edgewood and Vantage leadership teams have been talking
their way through the unique challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout this critical period,
on-going communication has been key to determining best practices and sharing them with our communities.
NAVIGATING CORONAVIRUS ISSUES THROUGH COMMUNICATION APARTMENT FIRMS’ REACTIVATION
NEVER HAS COMMUNICATION BEEN MORE CRITICAL than during the current PLANS BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE
coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 news coverage is alarming and conflicting REOPENING OF MULTI-FAMILY
for residents. That has created an opportunity for property managers to build COMMUNITIES is not as easy as it
trust and establish themselves as reliable, transparent and consistent sources of seems given its unique characteristics.
information. Staying up to date on guidelines,
creating a flexible plan and then rolling
We understand that no one wants to be the bearer of bad news. But renters it all out requires a tremendous effort.
deserve the complete picture of how COVID-19 is affecting your community in
order to fully understand the measures in place and do what they believe is best https://rb.gy/mcrtbc
for them. That kind of transparency builds trust. And trust is what will improve
your relationship with your residents. Read more here: https://rb.gy/b9xwns
TECH TOOLS COULD SPUR QUICK
ECONOMIC RECOVERY FOR MULTIFAMILY
HOW COVID-19 IS AFFECTING APARTMENT TURNS’ TIMETABLES
AND PPE MAINTENANCE SUPPLY INVENTORIES OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO,
CINDY SANQUIST, shares in a recent
THE LINES WERE BLURRING for some apartment communities when it came Multifamily Executive article how
to defining “emergency” maintenance work orders based on Covid-19 safety we’ve been piloting “A resident
protocols. But with more and more states relaxing some of their rules, apartment referral program in which prospects
communities have expanded their own policies to address the safety needs of can speak with current residents via
team members and residents alike. Fortunately, the expert dedicated maintenance the website and ask questions about
teams of Edgewood and Vantage have longstanding relationships with our vendor what it’s like to live at one of our
partners, enabling us to provide turn services while adhering to CDC guidance communities.” We are proud to
and best practices. We’re also utilizing mobile tools that allow service requests for become an early adopter of Rentgrata
essential work to be sent directly to a mobile device, as well as other practices to within the DC metro region.
minimize person to person interactions. Read more here: https://rb.gy/tk5ipe https://rb.gy/fpuv6g
AS MUCH AS WE ARE ADAPTING TO THIS ‘NEW NORMAL’, IT IS OUR ABILITY
TO PREPARE FOR THE ‘NEXT NORMAL’ THAT WILL SET US APART.
—Jason Salamon, Senior Vice President of Human Resources
ONBOARDING DURING A PANDEMIC CINDY SANQUIST SPEAKS ON A PHASED APPROACH TO REOPENING
AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, Edgewood and Vantage have been ranked in the
GRIPPED THE NATION, many National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) top 50 largest apartment managers
companies laid off and furloughed for five consecutive years (2015-2019) averaging nearly 30,000 units. Although we
employees. Edgewood and Vantage just missed the cut in 2020 due to the downshift in units last year, we are aiming
weren’t among that group. Instead, to continue to rank and strategically partner with NMHC. This would include a
being an essential business with solid and active membership/partnership online and on the ground, continuous
thousands of residents needing us to networking with all levels of constituents, proactive business development activities,
take care of the property that they thought leadership and speaking opportunities, and taking advantage of a wide
call home, we were adding to our array of education and industry trend data sharing.
900-person workforce nationwide. Cindy Sanquist recently participated in an NMHC article that speaks to how
Onboarding, however, presents a various national apartment companies will begin to “open back up” in a phased
greater challenge in this era of closed approach. Read the full article here: https://rb.gy/mcrtbc
offices and social distancing. Read
more here: https://rb.gy/tlaaxk Her comments are directly related to the company-wide Active Building software
solution that launched in May to help elevate the use of many of the property
business practices online.