Blog
‘Editor’s Notebook’ with Diana Mosher: New Year, New Opportunities
MHN’s January 2013 issue delves into the multifamily investment landscape
How To Stay Safe In Your Apartment During Earthquakes (And Other Calamities)
Here are important tips to stay well-protected in your apartment before, during and after every possible calamity.
‘Editor’s Notebook’ with Diana Mosher: Let the Model Unit Tell Your Green Story
Eco-friendly building materials and green operations are key to winning over the renter demographic interested in healthier and more sustainable living environments (pretty soon that will be all of us). But are you really conveying your company’s commitment to green in a clear and meaningful way? Consider outfitting a model unit with environmentally friendly furniture and finishes, and provide an attractive marketing take-away that describes the green story behind each of the selections. You not only position your team as the eco-experts in the area, you also tap into a fantastic opportunity to partner with national suppliers and/or local businesses…
‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: What’s Your Apartment Resolution? 5 Suggestions for 2013
It’s that time of year: Time to start thinking up New Years resolutions. So why not add some multifamily resolutions for your buildings? It doesn’t have to be a big thing, like redesigning the exterior or retrofitting the building so it’s 100 percent sustainable or attracting George Clooney as a resident. And, unlike regular resolutions, such as losing 10 pounds, which people make in earnest but end up abandoning in a few months when it gets too cold to bother and the alluring siren song of chocolate Valentine’s Day candy sings its catchy tune that can’t ever get out of…
‘Editor’s Notebook’ with Diana Mosher: Tabletop Technology Designed to Boost Occupancy
In our increasingly mobile world, would you be willing to invest in tabletop technology that tethers its users to one spot? What if the tabletop happened to be an enormous and very powerful multi-user touch table? There’s no doubt apartment residents and prospects will be impressed every time they walk by this innovation which resembles a giant iPad. They would welcome its functional aspects and also admire the forward-thinking management team who decided this was a “must have” addition to their apartment lobby. World class museums and labs throughout the U.S. and Canada were early adopters of this tabletop technology…
Guest Post: Charting the Uncharted–What to Expect in 2013 and Beyond
By Patrick S. Simons, Principal, Strategic Property Economics With the recent announcement of an additional $45 billion per month in bond purchases by the Federal Reserve, the U.S. economy, and by extension the prospects for rental apartments, is entering uncharted waters.. Although we track enough economic data points to make one’s head spin, let’s take a look at three of the biggest in order to get a sense for what the future might hold for the apartment industry in the coming year and the years beyond. And, keeping with the cartographic theme, two of the three macroeconomic drivers are geopolitical….
‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: 6 Amenities You Really Should Have
I’ve previously written two blogs about amenities that might not be worth the investment ( But that’s not the case—I just listened to a lot of grunge music growing up. Plus there are plenty of amenities that are totally worth it—amenities that people either want going in, or didn’t know they wanted it until they had it and now they can’t imagine their lives without it (sort of like how I never had cable when I was little, but now wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I couldn’t watch Breaking Bad, Dexter or American Horror Story. Probably put…
‘Editor’s Notebook’ with Diana Mosher: Should You Enhance Your Lobby with Colorful Art Glass?
Many apartment properties are still playing it safe with plain vanilla design in order to attract the greatest number of residents. But others are recognizing that bolder design decisions allow the marketing team to target specific demographics, which can lead to greater long-term success. Occupancy will likely be boosted by taking a design stance rather than trying to be all things to all potential and existing residents. In the I interviewed Bethesda, MD-based Donatelli Development about their trend-setting use of color at Highland Park, a high-rise in Washington D.C.’s revitalized Columbia Heights neighborhood designed by Hickok Cole Architects and built…
‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: 4 (More) Amenities That Probably Aren’t Worth the Investment
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, amenities are like a box of chocolates. Some are awesome, and some, like cherry cordials, are nice in theory and are pretty to look at, but are ultimately left untouched, or sampled and then promptly discarded. Because they are gross. Are all your amenities chocolate caramels, or do you have some cherry cordials in your building? Several months ago I wrote a blog titled “5 Amenities That Probably Aren’t Worth the Investment.” Here are a few more amenities that might not be worth the money. 4 (More) Amenities That Probably Aren’t Worth the Investment Electric car charging…
‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: Going Green (Literally) with Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year
As the days are getting colder, people have already transitioned to their winter wardrobes. So that means shades of black, gray and occasionally some winter white (which I love for coats, and my dry cleaner loves for my coats as well). And, while black is tres chic for a Manhattan cocktail party or for slimming people after eating all that home-made fudge their coworkers bring to the office, when the outside world starts looking like the first 10 minutes of The Wizard of Oz, it can get a little dreary. Same with apartments. Apartments for rent don’t generally change color for…