Meet Kia Crooms, area vice president at Morgan Properties, which owns and operates over 95,000 units across more than 350 apartment communities in 19 states. Crooms, who manages nearly 7,000 units in the Midwest, has two decades of experience in all areas of property management. She shares her tips for spring leasing, renter retention, and making a good first impression on prospective residents.
MFE: How is Morgan Properties gearing up for spring leasing?
Crooms: We are excited for the spring leasing season. In the Midwest, we are already seeing a sizable uptick in new leases. People have more access to cash amid tax season and are ready for a fresh start this spring. We are prepping our teams across all areas from leasing to maintenance with a reenergized focus on the resident experience.
MFE: Any innovative marketing initiatives in place this year to attract residents?
Crooms: Over the past two years, Morgan Properties has grown to be one of the largest multifamily property owners in the country, and our marketing team felt it was time to elevate our digital website presence to represent ‘best-in-class’ status with an emphasis on innovation. In an effort to strengthen our search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, maximize search visibility, and improve lead quality, over 300 property websites were rebranded, redesigned, and optimized with smart SEO, search engine marketing, and cross-device responsiveness. To reduce legal exposure and increase compliance, these redesigned websites include accessibility compliance level AA, call scoring, pricing/availability/lead push integrations, online tour scheduling, and BetterBot chatbots. Seven unique website designs were created to better target by property class and user demographics.
In addition to our website relaunch in 2022, this year we’ll continue adding interactive, user-friendly Engrain maps, which were launched by the end of March. Resident frequently asked questions are coming soon on the websites, and digital brochures will replace the majority of our printed materials.
MFE: Is Morgan Properties anticipating more normalized seasonal patterns this year?
Crooms: Yes, the post-pandemic era, or as someone coined the phrase, the ‘new normal.’ We are cautiously optimistic after experiencing a successful 2022. Our teams are focused on the core fundamentals of our business: curb appeal; frequent, high touch points to improve the resident experience; the reduction in time to turn apartment homes; and the assessment of our capital liabilities.
MFE: What’s the best curb appeal tip for making a good first impression?
Crooms: To achieve optimal results, we suggest having teams collaborate and cross-train, providing a fresh pair of eyes to walk and drive their properties. At Morgan Properties, we encourage property managers and service managers to utilize their peers at a sister community to help provide that fresh perspective. Clean mow lines, mechanically edged beds for a well-defined appearance, and debris-free grounds are all important elements for a positive first impression. Pruning tree lines can help prevent encroaching on parking spaces and buildings, while a granular preemergent weed control material application is equally important for protecting those spring annual blooms. We know prospective residents are looking for reasons to say ‘yes to the
address,’ and we want to deliver several reasons for them to call our communities home.
MFE: What’s a top strategy for retaining current residents?
Crooms: Employee and resident retention will be the keys to win 2023, and in that order. Employee engagement is top of mind with all leaders from the site level to department heads to executive leadership. With the help of a new corporate champion focused on employee engagement and insights from our recent annual employee survey, our leadership team is hyperfocused on engaging employees across the organization and strengthening our company culture. In 2022, we rewrote our company’s mission, vision, and values to better relate to the next-generation approach of leadership and build a stronger connection to the needs of employees. We continue to find innovative marketing and messaging strategies to include our employees and audiences by sharing our #MorganPride. With happier and engaged team members, who feel genuinely appreciated, we believe those synergies will translate well in retaining our community resident base as well.
MFE: As the weather turns nice, what are some of the innovative ways you’re engaging residents?
Crooms: Our property teams offer outdoor social activities, including food truck events, fundraising events, and a dedicated resident appreciation day. Every August, Morgan Properties teams up with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to help fund change in the lives of children with cancer through our Caring. Sharing. Giving. platform, where every donation matters. This annual event is an opportunity to donate to impactful research, raise awareness, support families, and empower all in the fight to cure childhood cancer. We’re honored to take part in this annual partnership and raised over $43,000 last year by hosting lemonade stands at all our communities companywide.
MFE: What are your biggest concerns heading into the spring?
Crooms: My biggest concern heading into spring is the ‘uncertainty’ as it relates to the economy. Like others in our industry, we are focused on controlling our expenses; attracting, protecting, and retaining our talent; and remaining committed to meeting the evolving needs of current and prospective residents.
MFE: Your favorite spring activity?
Crooms: Flying kites in the park with my 9-year-old son tops my personal list. You should see me trying to run to catch the wind. Best belly chuckle ever!
MFE: Yes or no on spring cleaning?
Crooms: Yes. There’s something to be said about decluttering your space and, in turn, decluttering your mind.
