‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: Using Pop Culture as a Guide for Staying Relevant in the Apartment Industry

I totally don’t know why Katniss would be torn about her feelings for Peeta. I mean, he was always in love with her. And he put his own life in danger to protect her in the arena. But, I guess Gale is pretty attractive in that, “I’m an anti-establishment brooding rebel” kind of way. If you’re into that sort of thing. Which I’m not. Well, OK, maybe I can see how Katniss was conflicted. What do you think?

What’s that? You don’t want to have a conversation about The Hunger Games with me right now because the book came out in 2008, the movie came out in 2012, and, OK, maybe you’ll see Mockingjay when in comes out because Jennifer Lawrence is a national treasure, but beyond that, that’s all old news? (And also because you are an adult who is probably busy at work right now, and you don’t sit around reading YA books from six years ago?) Even though I just finished the book and am super excited to talk about it?

That’s pretty par for the course these days. With social media and new and exciting things happening all the time, if you aren’t participating when it’s happening, you’re either going to have it spoiled for you or the topic will be irrelevant when you do get around to being interested.

And that’s not just the case with pop culture. The same goes for the apartment industry.

For example, when was the last time you updated your community? Maybe you had the same set of residents for awhile, but with changes in the market, you were able to raise rents, which led to some vacancies that you’re not trying to fill. If no one is renting, maybe it’s because you have dated interiors. Where’s the stainless steel and granite countertops? You’ll end up wasting time adding them while your potential renters flock to your competitors who already upgraded their units ages ago.

You probably don’t need to have archery as a resident amenity though. Or do you?

Or maybe, you are finally adding a new amenity that you heard about awhile ago, like maybe a screening room or something. But, afterwards, you realized renters aren’t that jazzed about those anymore and all the “cool” apartments now have food trucks or doggie spas or something as the “it” amenity. So now you can’t generate any buzz, and you always seem behind the curve.

And what about if you get people asking questions about the community on the apartment’s social media channels. If you “get to it when you get to it,” by then, the person will have moved on, probably unsatisfied. There goes your good word of mouth about the community.

If you want to stay marketable in the apartment industry, you have to act, and react, quickly. Make sure you are keeping up on the newest amenities by reading industry blogs and attending trade shows. More importantly, make sure you are keeping up with your residents—respond to them, interact and keep them in the loop.

And that’s how you’ll stay relevant.

It’s also why I’ll be watching the entire new season of Orange is the New Black when it comes out on Netflix this Friday. Because I am not going to get left behind in the discussion on that one.

-Jessica Fiur, Senior Editor