August Blog 2022
BBQ and Babies at our HA Annual Summer Outing
Homestead America came together for the annual HA Summer Outing. The event was held at the Scioto Mile In Columbus, Ohio, and included Hoggy's BBQ, giveaways, and some competitive ladder golf competitions which ended up with TJ Manfrass from Development closing out a win and running to the hospital to welcome the newest addition to his family. Congrats on the baby, TJ, and we hope everyone enjoyed this year's HA Summer Outing. We look forward to next year and thank you for all of your hard work.
Tips For a Great Move-In
Why is a smooth move-in process important?
Moving ranks amongst the top most stressful life events. So, streamlining the tenant move-in process for your residents will ease their stress, in turn increasing their satisfaction. The days leading up to move-in day are your chance to make a great first impression on new residents.
After all, you’re the face of their new home!
Critical move-in day procedures you must follow:
Arrive early. This’ll ensure that you have time to prepare your welcome packets and go over your checklist before you greet your new residents.
Complete your move-in checklist. Don’t rush this step — it’s better to be over-prepared than to forget an essential item.
Review the welcome packet with your resident. Make sure they understand how to fill out their inspection form and where to submit it.
A smooth move-in process is the foundation of your relationship with new residents. So, practice efficient, informative engagement before and during move-in day. This allows you to begin the resident retention process before they’ve even arrived!
A great move-in process includes:
Completing necessary repairs to the unit and hiring a professional cleaning crew before your resident moves in.
Maintaining clear, open communication with your new resident.
Following a robust move-in process checklist to ensure you don’t forget any responsibilities.
Good Luck and Happy Move-In!
Rentgrata’s Best Practices
Rentgrata is a platform where prospects can message current residents to get a feel for what the resident experience is like at your community.
When the prospect moves in, both they and the current resident earn a reward.
How do we access the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard?
The Rentgrata Manager Dashboard is accessed via the following URL: manager.rentgrata.com.
You’ll need a login and if you don’t have one or can’t remember it, reach out to your Rentgrata Client Success Manager, Kim (kim@rentgrata.com) for assistance!
How often should we login to the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard?
We recommend logging into the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard at least once a month. If your property is active and you have more than 10 residents signed up and decent availability, we recommend upping that to twice monthly to help you stay on top of pending rewards.
Who is responsible for paying out Rentgrata Rewards?
The community pays out rewards. Your team will pay our rewards 30-90 days after the prospect moves in via either Rent Credit, Gift Card, or Check.
To see which specific method and payout period is in place at your community, hit “Change Amount” on the Property Info tab of the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard or reach out to your Rentgrata Client Success Manager, Kim (kim@rentgrata.com) to confirm!
What is the Rentgrata Link and how can we make use of it?
The Rentgrata Link is a URL unique to each property that leads prospects to a page with the Rentgrata Messenger already expanded to display your active residents. It’s a way to get prospects to engage in conversations quickly and works as a great follow-up tool!
The Rentgrata Link has a corresponding QR code? Where can we find it and is there collateral we can add it to?
The Rentgrata Link’s QR code for your property can be found at the top of your property’s profile in the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard. See screenshot below!
And yes, there is digital collateral where the QR code can be added! You can access Rentgrata’s Digital Collateral Library via this link:
In the Prospect Facing folder, click on the section titled Prospect Collateral with QR Code Space.
What other ways can we use the Rentgrata Link?
Your team can include this link in their follow-up emails - see the linked verbiage above!
Keep a printout of the QR code for your property at leasing desks for prospects who don't look-n-lease to snap!
Stand it up in your models/show units for prospects to grab during tours.
Add links to and a call to action on Linktrees in the community’s Instagram accounts
Have leasing teams strategically provide RG links to any tour who walks out the door without signing a lease. “Why don’t you ask a current resident about their experience”.
What are some ways we can get our residents to engage more with Rentgrata?
Send periodic to your residents that they can earn rewards by chatting via Rentgrata! If you need assistance crafting the communication, reach out to your Rentgrata Client Success Manager for assistance at kim@rentgrata.com!
Access the Resident Facing folder of the Digital Collateral Library for flyers that you can post to common areas. During busy package season, it can also be a good idea to print half-page flyers and slap them onto packages that residents can grab.
Throw a flyer in with renewal offers.
When a resident comes in to compliment your team, ask them if they’re signed up for Rentgrata!
What should we be looking at in the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard when we login?
When you log into the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard, the primary section you’ll want to look at is the Rewards tab.
If there is a red number notification on it, congrats! That means your residents have been influencing prospects through conversations and you now have rewards to process!
The next most important tab is the Leads tab. This tab also has a number notification, but it’s just counting the number of Open Leads (prospects who’ve engaged with the messenger) you currently have.
Since your community has a PMS integration with Rentgrata, you don’t need to do anything with this tab other than give it a once over to ensure that there are no Active Leads (applicants) that haven’t automatically moved over to the Moved In column via the integration.
If they haven’t moved, just click and drag them from Active to Moved In and enter the move-in date. This will get their rewards to populate in the Rewards Tab.
The last tab you’ll definitely want to check when you login is the Residents tab. Peek at this tab to scroll through your residents to see if there’s anyone in the messenger that you might want to remove because they’ve moved out or you feel that they might not be the best community ambassador.
To Report a resident, simply click on their name and hit Report User in the upper right corner.
Have questions and don’t see the answers here? Reach out to your Rentgrata Client Success Manager, Kim Jones Walton, at kim@rentgrata.com!
HU July Champ Chain Winner: Will Clark
Please join us in congratulating our July "Pride" Champ: Will Clark, 2818 and Parkway Leasing and Marketing Manager, in College Station, Texas! GIG EM'
"Will has been the heart-and-soul of 2818 since our acquisition. Will has made the leasing team everything that we are and is adored by all of our residents. He has dedicated everything to his leasing team and the 2818 community. He has made 2818's renovations run better and faster than ever. Without Will, 2818 wouldn't be anywhere near where we are today. Speaking on behalf of the 2818 team, we love Will unconditionally and appreciate everything he has ever done for us. He has trained all of us to be the best that we could ever be, made the best out of the worst situations 24/7, and treated the 2818 community as a family. Will is our diamond-in-the-rough and the saving grace of our renovation process. He is the whole embodiment of every single Homestead Value and has instilled that in his team every day. We couldn't imagine 2818 without Will -- he wholeheartedly earned a place on the podium for everything he has done for us since Day 1. " - Nominated by Kasen Hobson
Will moved across Texas from Lubbock to College Station when the previous property he worked at with Homestead sold, to stay with the company. Talk about commitment, dedication, heart, and PRIDE. We are so incredibly thankful to have Will as part of our College Station team and he deserves a HUGE shout out from the rooftops!
HA Q2 Medal of Excellence: Jeremy Gray
Please join us in congratulating our 2nd Quarter Medal of Excellence Winner, Jeremy Gray, from Worthington Commons! He proved this quarter that he can "SUPPORT IT", one of our most important Homestead Core Values! We are so lucky to have you on the Homestead Team, Jeremy.
Jeremy's teammates gave multiple nominations! Read below to see what they had to say:
"Jeremy has gone above and beyond to make Worthington Commons a better and nicer community. His work ethic is phenomenal. He will take the time to train and explain how things are supposed to be done the correct way, and let's management know how his work is progressing to be able to stay on track with move-in dates. He has stopped to take care of urgent work orders many times and then will let management know so everyone is on the same page. He is not only a great asset to Worthington Commons, but to Homestead America!"
"I can't sing the praises of Jeremy and our "Support It" core value enough! He always goes out of his way to make sure that everyone he works with feels and is supported. He has helped train me and become the maintenance supervisor that I am and I don't think I've ever heard him say no to a request for help. He has always been available to answer a question on property during the workday or when I have been on call."
Thanks for all your hard work!
Will Clark, 2818 College Station, 3 Years
Jordyn Kitko, The Valley, 2 Years
Garry Kimber, Home Office, 2 Years
Tom Reitz, The View, 2 Years
Rafael Rodriguez, Harlow, 1 Year
Gregg Penczak, N 4th St, 1 Year
Andre Norrils, River Park, 1 Year
Chris Beardman, Home Office, 1 Year
John Lamb, Blacklick-HSL, 1 Year
Jeremy Gray, Worthington Commons, 1 Year
Andy Bowers, Farber House, 1 Year
Sam Wilson, UV, 1 Year
Mariah Paolucci-Dougherty, The Valley, 1 Year
Christopher Walter, River Park/River Gate, 4 Years