He probably wasn’t thinking about the 2024 multifamily industry when he said it, but Greek philosopher Heraclitus seemed to hit the nail on the head—“the only constant in life is change.”
Whether it’s ever-evolving tech tools, updated regulatory measures, or modified on-site processes, change is a perpetual part of the landscape for industry professionals. As such, apartment operators must have measures in place to prevent hardworking associates from becoming overburdened, according to a panel at the 2024 Entrata Summit session “From Burnout to Breakthrough: A Blueprint for Navigating Technological and Industry Changes.”
“Whether you’ve been in property management for five minutes or more than five years, you’ve had one of those days when everything is a challenge,” said Nikki Chambers, director of systems and training for Hanover. “Sometimes 90% of your day can be spent looking for a solution to some problem that has popped up.”
While change can wreak havoc in multiple ways, the four primary forms of changes discussed by the panel included:
- System requirements: When existing property management systems are updated or new tech tools are introduced to the organization;
- Industry changes: When new regulations are introduced, such as the Federal Trade Commission’s recently unveiled rules regarding online reviews or updated Department of Housing and Urban and Development guidelines for pets for low-income residents;
- Process improvement: When properties augment longstanding processes that might have become dated, such as opting for automation to help respond to leads or modifying antiquated tour processes; and
- Evolution of roles: When existing on-site duties are modified, often through the implementation of tech. This could include moving an assistant manager or accounting professional from a single property to a centralized role overseeing several properties, made possible by newfound free time derived from artificial intelligence and automation.
Although many change initiatives are ultimately aimed at reducing burnout, challenges are inevitable at the outset. Supporting associates through these demanding times is crucial in the pursuit to keep them with the organization long term.
“AMLI migrated to [a new property management] system during COVID, so imagine that,” said Karsyn Watson, director of property systems and implementation for AMLI Residential. “Imagine how the teams felt and what their impressions of things were, because we couldn’t have in-person training. We had to quickly decide what we could do to change everybody’s impression.”
AMLI created a team of “change makers” to help the organization through any transitional stages. It is composed of on-site personnel, trainers, system professionals, area vice presidents, and property managers. The team was “designed to help people embrace new things” and includes many discussions about effective processes, Watson said.
According to the panelists, only about one-third of change initiatives succeed, and that’s partly because organizations take a “just deal with it” approach with their employees. They advised creating a FAQ list to accompany any change efforts and to embed change agents within teams to help foster a culture of continuous adaptation.
“We try to find champions, and that doesn’t mean someone who’s always going to be your cheerleader,” Chambers said. “Sometimes you have to have a naysayer to put the challenges in perspective. You still need that cheerleader because that creates an infectious vibe. You need someone who may be a little quieter but has a good idea of what’s happening, and you need someone who’s really systematic.”
Using a varied cast of associates to form a pilot group ensures many perspectives are considered, Chambers said. She also said she believes operators should thoroughly explain the “why” behind any change-driven process and that soliciting feedback is crucial.
“I beg for feedback because I can’t adjust accordingly and right the ship without it,” she said. “You’re never going to get it right the first time.”
