How to Have a Top-Rated Apt. Portfolio

Martin: “Looking to the future, we’re making life a little easier by transitioning to robust online and mobile platforms that allow potential customers to tour and lease units online, pay rent and submit service requests.”

ALISO VIEJO, CA—For the fourth consecutive year, every property in Shea Apartment Communities ‘ stabilized portfolio was given the “Top-Rated” Award by ApartmentRatings.com . GlobeSt.com spoke exclusively with SVP Yunmi Martin about what residents are seeking in rental apartments, how Shea is meeting those needs and what apartment communities should be striving for today. GlobeSt.com: What are today’s residents looking for from a rental apartment community? Martin: Today’s apartment residents are looking for more than just a place to live. They want to feel connected to their neighbors and part of a broader community. We realize that we’re living in an era of convenience, and for that reason, we look to build in premier locations close to shopping, dining, employment and transportation . In addition, we provide industry-leading onsite amenities, first-class customer service and competitive pricing. But when all is said and done, our goal is to make our residents’ lives a little better, a little easier and a lot more fun. GlobeSt.com: How is Shea meeting those needs with your customer service, amenities and more? Martin: We’ve designed our apartment communities to mesh with today’s active lifestyles. To that effect, we’ve extended our residents’ living spaces beyond the individual leased units by providing luxury amenities that create a true sense of community and convenience. For example, one of our newest apartment communities, Reata at Oakbrook Village , features a resident lounge with large-screen TVs, soft seating and a common-area kitchen that opens onto the resort-style pool and spa. The pool area includes cabanas, BBQ and picnic areas, fire pits and even an outdoor theater. There’s also a gaming area with billiards and shufflepuck tables and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Many of our newest properties also cater to our four-legged friends, and those who love them, with pet spas and bark parks. Looking to the future, we’re making life a little easier by transitioning to robust online and mobile platforms that allow potential customers to tour and lease units online, pay rent and submit service requests. We’re also beginning to include charging stations for our residents with electric vehicles at our new lease-ups . GlobeSt.com: What should apartment communities be striving to achieve today? Yunmi: Our main goal is to create a successful, enjoyable, rental-living experience for all of our residents. To do that, it’s important to have a strong, on-site management team. We hire individuals that are experts in customer service and take pride in everything they do. After all, this business revolves around our customers, and we do everything we can to make their experience at a Shea apartment community the best it can be—and I think we’re doing a pretty good job. For the fourth consecutive year, every property in our stabilized portfolio was given the “Top-Rated” Award by ApartmentRatings.com. GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about today’s apartment communities? Yunmi: Today’s apartment communities are better than they’ve ever been. Residents can take full advantage of a variety of on-site amenities that were not available in year’s past (except in the most exclusive rental communities). The floor plans are more open; the finishes are higher end and more durable; they are lighter and brighter and architecturally more evolved. We have found from our customer satisfaction surveys that our residents are enjoying the changes we’ve made, and we’ll continue to innovate in the future. With developers leveraging development and redevelopment opportunities across all property types, how can you capitalize on this activity? Join us  at RealShare Orange County on August 16^th for impactful information from the leaders in Orange County CRE. Learn more .