The Rookie Rulebook: Advice for New Leasing Agents
What do you wish you could tell yourself when you were just starting out in your multifamily career?
If you could go back and give yourself advice as you were starting in a new role, what would you say?
There’s a lot I wish I could tell young Jessica.
When I was in college, I worked the concession stand at a movie theater. One day it was slow, and, always a curious person, I wondered how much it would cost if someone were to come in and order one of everything. So I clicked all the images on the register screen—small popcorn, nachos, M&Ms, ICEEs … everything. (I know you’re wondering, too. The answer is: It costs a lot. Like, a lot a lot.) Then I deleted it all. No harm, no foul. Until the next staff meeting, when the managers yelled at all of us for having way too many—like a ridiculous amount of—cleared sales. Oops! Young Jessica, don’t mess around on the register at work.
My first editing job was at a small business out of someone’s house. Three of us working together in a cramped basement. And I was the youngest by decades. So of course I thought I was the smartest in the room. I rolled my eyes whenever they asked for help with the publishing software. Then I froze the program and had to be on the phone with the support team for hours. Young Jessica, learn some humility! You’re going to work with a wide variety of people, and not everyone knows everything—you certainly don’t.
Every job has a learning curve. And while we unfortunately can’t go back in time to advise our younger selves, luckily, if you’re new to the leasing or property management field, we have the next best thing!
For Associate Editor Matthew Kaufman’s article “Leasing Roundtable: Tips for Up-and-Coming Agents,” he spoke with seven experienced leasing agents and community managers to get their best career advice for those starting off in the industry. After all, everyone has to start somewhere.
“I wish someone had told me on my first day that it’s OK not to know everything right away,” Deanna Coomer Pope of Bozzuto told Kaufman. “If you don’t know an answer, it’s better to say you’ll find out and then follow through quickly. That reliability not only builds credibility but it also shows prospects you genuinely care about their needs.”
Wish I had Coomer Pope in my corner when I was starting out!
Looking for more tips about starting out in the industry? Check out Kaufman’s article. And if you have any tips, I’d love to hear them. You can email me at Jessica.Fiur@yardi.com.
