What Renters Want with Jessica Fiur: Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and More TV Inspiration for Property Management

A lot of the popular shows that are out now or streaming can provide you with some great property management tips.

jfiur thumbnailBy Jessica Fiur, Senior Editor

You can get a lot of practical inspiration from television that could positively affect your day-to-day business responsibilities … is what I tell myself when I spend another night in front of the TV on my couch with a bottle of wine and the Halloween candy that I probably shouldn’t have bought so far in advance. Yup, it’s totally all for work. I should be making overtime or something.

Anyway, yes, you actually can get inspired by TV shows, either by the title or premise, and a lot of the popular shows that are out now or streaming can provide you with some great property management tips.

Here are some current and recently finished shows that might give you some ideas for your apartment community.

Game of Thrones—Attention all Mothers of Dragons, you should basically treat this entire show as a “don’t.” Instead of dealing with different factions of the property staff differently (for example, giving the leasing team fancy bonuses while pretty much ignoring maintenance), know that you’re all working towards the same goal—a successful and thriving community. Oh, and speaking of thrones, obviously make sure all the toilets are running properly.

Scandal—Olivia Pope makes sure every problem is “handled.” As should you. Make sure any issues are dealt with in a timely manner. Monitor your social media accounts and any apartment review sites and when you see complaints, fix the problem, or at least reach out to the resident so they know you care.breaking bad

Mad Men—Think of creative ways to market your apartments. Maybe you have unique amenities you can highlight. Maybe there’s a novel way to reach potential renters. Keep innovating! Also, like Don Draper, it doesn’t hurt to be ridiculously good looking.

Modern Family—Today’s renters are diverse, including a lot of “renters by choice.” Renters run the gamut, from students all the way up to Baby Boomers. So you should provide amenities that today’s families are looking for, such as playgrounds, Wi-Fi and pet amenities.

Real Housewives of Whatever—People don’t just want a place live, they want luxury. Don’t let your units or amenities get outdated. Also, do your best to intervene before any fights between residents break out.

American Horror Story: Hotel—Um, you definitely don’t want metaphorical “ghosts” or “vampires” or “serial killers” (actually, strike the quotation marks on that last one. You literally don’t want serial killers) or “Lady Gagas” in your apartment community. Do your due diligence before you approve any leases—do background and credit checks, and make sure you get a security deposit so you’re protected if the resident damages the unit.

The Simpsons—Just keep going, doing a good job. Sure, some might say the community was the best in the first eight years. Whatever, they’re just haters.

Breaking Bad—Make sure your units aren’t being used as meth labs, b**ch. (I mean, that one pretty much goes without saying, right?)

What other apartment inspiration can you get from television shows?