Employee Appreciation

AFI Manager Spotlight! – July 2021

AFI, LLC is a nationwide operator of multifamily apartment communities. Our Vision is to PROSPER ALL STAKEHOLDERS. Who/What is a “Stakeholder?”

We believe a stakeholder to be anyone that has an apparent, or subliminal investment in the property. Residents, employees, owners, neighbors, police and fire departments are just a few examples of a local stakeholder.

AFI Manager, Brisa, has been working at a managed-asset on the East Coast for over six months. In the short time Brisa has managed the property, we have seen a steady increase in occupancy and total income all while managing onsite improvement projects as well!

Read on to learn more about Brisa’s experience with AFI and some of the challenges she had to overcome when taking over a new asset:

  1. How do you balance a personal connection with your tenants while still laying down the law to maintain a disciplined property?

​I try to have a very relaxed and down to earth interaction with prospects and residents. I try to make them feel heard and strive to earn their trust while always having a personal AND professional vested interest and obligation to make them happy and comfortable living here. This includes always being available for questions, queries, and concerns and being prompt at addressing those with them. 

2. What has been your favorite improvement at the asset?

There are still a lot of asset improvements that are underway but at this point in time, the marketing and rentability of our units is probably the major improvement here thus far.  

3. In your opinion, what is the hardest part about being a property manager, and how do you manage that?

I would say that being a property manager in this environment and at this type of property is extremely demanding. The hardest thing is having to uncover problems that need extensive solutions which require a quick mind and execution. Although days can be long, it is rewarding to have this type of opportunity and challenge. 

4. What are some tips for other property managers to make your tenants feel most at home on your property?

​A spotless clean apartment to move into as well as a prompt, professional, and kind property manager is a recipe for success. 

5. What has been your favorite part of working with AFI, and what has been your least favorite? 

My favorite part of working with the AFI Team has been overcoming obstacles and challenges. I believe that I have turned my property around quite a bit in the six months I have been here and I am entering a new phase that will present new challenges but I look forward to the end result. My least favorite thing is sometimes having longer than usual hours which can make balancing work/home life challenging. That will soon improve though since I am putting a lot of work now to reap bigger rewards later. 

Brisa’s effectiveness on property may not be better demonstrated than through the work she has done improving the property Google rating from a 1.0 at takeover, to currently 4.6! We are confident Brisa has her sights set on being a BLUE Property!

Colin CosbyAFI Manager Spotlight! – July 2021
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How to Get an Internship: The AFI Difference!

Fetching coffee, prepping documents, compiling generic spreadsheets, etc. are all examples of the pictures painted by movies and television of what items are associated with a student internship. Unfortunately, in some cases, this may not be too far from reality!

“I have been asked to do small tasks like cleaning a shelf or compiling information that takes me less than an hour to complete. I have been asking people who I know are busy to please let me know if they need any help, because I’m desperate” (Green, 2020).

Internships are usually sought by college students that are seeking preliminary professional experience in a formalized organizational setting. Should an individual be motivated enough to seek these opportunities, prove he/she is able to manage the job/school workload along with personal interests and obligations, and have the aptitude to pass all of company’s hiring criteria, is it not reasonable to reward this individual with the type of experience they are seeking?

While any role (whether it be Full/Part-Time or an Internship) can have some “horror stories,” Indeed.com cites several examples of how internship opportunities can really benefit interested applicants (Indeed, 2021):

  1. What Am I Interested In?
    1. Internships are a great, low-risk opportunity to see what tasks or careers one may or may not be interested.
  2. Networking.
    1. Whether an Intern is thrilled about the internship or not, it will still provide an otherwise unavailable environment by which professional connections can be made.
  3. Learning in a Safe Environment.
    1. Again, most internships can be considered “safe” or “low-risk” where mistakes are expected, corrected, and learned from.
  4. Unspoken Rules.
    1. Internships in an office environment are a great way to observe general “office politics” that may not be otherwise identified in a job advertisement such as office gossip, order of authority, addressing upper management, etc.

AFI has been able to grow its business over the past 30 years through the creation of systematic processes and repeatable systems by which the same standard of excellence is continually ensured. The responsibility of executing these systems is then placed into the jurisdictions of the applicable individual. This standard is replicated throughout the entire company, including our Interns.

Recently, Paige and Dominic, two students at the University of Missouri-Columbia completed their respective Marketing and Accounting Internships with AFI! Both students were given a robust list of jurisdictions that they were responsible for on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis in addition to any schoolwork or extracurricular items they were involved in. AFI asked a great deal of both these bright individuals and the feedback that was continually offered was, “I cannot believe the amount of responsibility I have or how much my work actually influences the business.”

In addition to an hourly wage, AFI was DELIGHTED to award both Paige and Dominic with a $10,000 bonus following graduation and completion of their internship requirements. These students have worked diligently to add true value to AFI and we wish them nothing but tremendous success in the future. The bar is certainly set quite high for the next group of Interns!

References:

Green, A. (2020, January 14). I have nothing to do at my internship. In www.askamanager.org. Retrieved from https://www.askamanager.org/2020/01/i-have-nothing-to-do-at-my-internship.html

Indeed Editorial Team. (2021, February 22). Why Is an Internship Important?. In www.Indeed.com. Retrieved from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/why-is-an-internship-important

Colin CosbyHow to Get an Internship: The AFI Difference!
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Employee Celebration – July

AFI Property Manager, Katina, recently celebrated her one-year work anniversary in style as she finished last month at FULL OCCUPANCY with several units PRE-LEASED!

Originally from Texas with an extensive background in both sales and leasing, Katina was eager to get back down South as quickly as possible. When an opportunity arose for Katina to takeover an asset just South of Dallas, we knew she was the obvious choice!

Katina has been a wonderful addition to our team and we look forward to many more years of success to come!

Colin CosbyEmployee Celebration – July
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Good Luck, Joe!

Last week, AFI wished a fond farewell to former Accounting Specialist, Joe.

Joe had been with AFI for over three years beginning with the company as an Accounting Intern during his time in Columbia at the University of Missouri. Since first joining AFI, Joe graduated from Mizzou with both his Bachelor’s, and Master of Accountancy degrees.

Joe will be relocating outside of Missouri to now begin a new chapter in his professional career. Joe has proven his value time and time again during his tenure with AFI and we are confident that he will replicate his success in any future endeavor.

Colin CosbyGood Luck, Joe!
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Employee Celebration – June

Please join us in saying, “THANK YOU,” to AFI Property Manager, Ethan Denum! Ethan recently celebrated his one-year work anniversary with AFI and has proven to be an excellent onsite leader.

Ethan has made Kansas his home for the past year with his wife and two children. Over the course of Ethan’s tenure as Property Manager, he has maintained a high occupancy rate year-round and CRUSHED global income records.

We look forward to Ethan’s continued success in his current role and are excited to reward him with new opportunities in the future!

Colin CosbyEmployee Celebration – June
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Employee Celebration – May

AFI would like to congratulate Manager, Brandon Bailey, for his recent excellence on property! Brandon joined the AFI team over a year ago and has managed a Georgia-based asset since March of 2018.

May has been a calendar month for Brandon as he continues to maintain 100% occupancy at the asset and recently achieved his monthly renewal goal with time to spare.

Additionally, Brandon oversaw the completion of all Property Improvement Projects in less than 14 months while being almost $20,000 UNDER budget!

Brandon has proven to be a valuable member of our team and we are looking forward to his continued success in the future!

Colin CosbyEmployee Celebration – May
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AFI Employee Appreciation – May

AFI would like to introduce, Brian Kelly, our Business Development and Operations Specialist! Brian is a proud University of Georgia Bulldog that has been with AFI for over two years.

Brian started with AFI operating an asset in Georgia before taking on additional responsibilities at the corporate level. Now, Brian assists with and oversees several different facets of our business including Manager mentoring, due diligence inspections, and completion of capital improvement projects.

Thanks for all of your hard work and commitment to our team, Brian!

Colin CosbyAFI Employee Appreciation – May
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