In every industry, there are companies known for developing industry leaders. In packaged goods, it's Proctor and Gamble. In computers, it was once IBM. And in multifamily, Trammell Crow Residential is one of the best training grounds there is. Among its alums: Leonard Wood, who founded Wood...
Jeff Stack, managing director and principal for Sares-Regis Group, says he learned most of what he needed to know about supervising people as a platoon commander and company commander for the U.S. Army in Vietnam.
For many entrepreneurial companies, doing deals and making money takes precedence over employee satisfaction. A few years ago, that was certainly the case at Place Properties.
Lenders for The Mitchell Co. often pull president and CEO John Saint aside and lecture him. Why? Because he's too generous with his employees.
A lot of companies religiously survey their customers to see how they're performing. Legacy Partners does similar surveys with a different focus: their employees. In 2006, 2004, and 2001, the company questioned its employees about their job satisfaction. While the results have gotten better each...
In his role as a principal for Newport Beach, Calif.-based Green Street Advisors, a research and consulting firm that covers the REIT market, Craig Leupold has visited lots of apartments. But he always notes something a little different from the competition when he visits a Camden property and...
Women dominate the on-site side of the apartment business, from the leasing office to the property management office. At the property level, you usually see women managing properties and leasing units. But further up the corporate multifamily ladder, women aren't quite as prevalent.
Some companies aren't crazy about being known as a family firm. Top executives don't allow family members to work in the business, and they go extra steps to cultivate a slick, corporate feel in their office furnishings and corporate environment.
Working at AvalonBay isn't easy. It serves luxury renters with high standards. It builds award-winning high-rise properties in markets where land is tight. It takes on development deals that would be too difficult for many apartment firms.
In his role at Kenexa, the recruiting and retention firm, Bill Erickson works with a lot of businesses in many industries. When asked to name one of the better companies as far as employee engagement, he doesn't hesitate to cite a prominent public apartment REIT: Archstone-Smith Trust.
Employee satisfaction is a good thing. Employee engagement is better. What's the difference? Attitude. While satisfied employees are happy with their jobs, it's still just a job. An engaged worker is one with a feeling of ownership of the company.