Sessions & Workshops
At this year's convention, we will be holding several workshops designed to help you improve your businesses and your busy property management lives. These are sessions you will not want to pass up attending!
Sessions
OPENING GENERAL SESSION: Dare to Soar
Wednesday, October 19th, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Speaker: Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen, CSP is an international keynote speaker and author, who is passionately committed to helping people upgrade their thinking, improve their communication and increase their bottom line. But more than that, she is willing to do whatever it takes to get her message across and make it stick. She’s been accurately described as “Lucille Ball meets Dr. Phil” – creative and funny with very useful information. Don’t miss it!
GENERAL SESSION: Economic Forecast
Thursday, October 20th, 9:00 - 10:00 am
Speaker: Dr. Mark Dotzour
This Economic Forecast by Dr. Mark Dotzour from Texas A&M University will bring you up-to-date on the current economic environment in our country and provide insight as to what impact this environment will have on your business.
GENERAL SESSION: Pressure Cooker Confidence
Friday, October 21st, 9:15 - 10:15 am
Speaker: Lt. Col. (Ret) Kevin Sweeney
How well do you handle pressure? Does pressure make you nervous? Is your team prepared to handle being in the “hot seat?” Kevin Sweeney has first hand knowledge and experience in pressure situations. He has flown combat missions in both Vietnam and Desert Storm. He has been awarded numerous decorations including the Air Achievement Medal, multiple Air Medals and the United States Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. Kevin is a retired Lt. Colonel in the Air National Guard. He has also held executive positions in sales and operations for a Fortune 50 company AND he has been featured in Reader’s Digest and on the A&E channel. He knows how to handle pressure and you will, too!
Workshops
1) MORE OF LINDA LARSEN'S DARE TO SOAR
Thursday, October 20th, 10:15 - 11:45 am
Presenter: Linda Larsen, CSP
Linda Larsen will be back with more of her special “Dare to Soar” session to show you how to be passionate and improve your communication skills to increase your bottom line.
2) TRACKING LEAD PERFORMANCE: IT IS WORTH YOUR TIME!
Thursday, October 20th, 10:15 - 11:45 am
Presenter: Jamie Clymer, HotPads.com
Property managers face a growing landscape of internet marketing options must find the best return on investments. You expect marketing efforts to drive qualified leads that convert to leases. This session will emphasize that marketing expenditures, if adequately measured and diversified, is a necessary investment that will generate results. First, Jamie will explore the value of 'free' syndication, explaining that although wider web distribution may boost property visibility, true value comes from engaging with a portfolio of premium listing services. He’ll draw on case studies and data to prove that free syndication is difficult to track and often receives negligible user engagement, meaning it generates lower quality ROI. He will then outline best practices for evaluating and enhancing lead conversion rates from marketing investments. More specifically, he will explain how to optimize relationships with property management software providers and internet listing services to better track lead performance and ensure conversions.
3) THE ART OF CUSTOMER SURVEYS
Thursday, October 2Oth 10:15 - 11:45 am
Presenters: Carol Griggs, Frontier Property Management
Did you ever want to do a customer survey but didn’t know how? Maybe you did the survey but didn’t understand the results or how to use them. What is customer satisfaction anyway? In this session you will find the answers to these questions and leave with a survey designed just for your business!
4) BUSINESSES TO SET UP AROUND YOUR MANAGEMENT COMPANY
Thursday, October 20th, 10:15 - 11:45 am
Presenters: Robert Locke, MPM®, RMP®, Crown Realty & Management, CRMC®
There is only so much income you can make out of a property management company. However, if you move just a little outside property management you can discover other businesses to run that feed off the management company. In this session you will learn about additional services your clients need like maintenance, virtual tours, eviction services, collection services, storage and many more. You can figure out what you are good at and then learn how to sell that talent to customers and colleagues. You can double your income if you get just a little outside your core business.
Workshop 4 Handout 25) THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Thursday, October 20th, 10:15 - 11:45 am
Presenters: Melissa Prandi, MPM®, RMP®, PRANDI Property Management, CRMC® and Ray Scarabosio, MPM®, RMP®, Jackson Group Property Management
Using real world examples and case study information this workshop will present “lessons learned” along with reminders of things to do and not do in property management. You are never too old to learn something new or to “remember” things that may seem obvious but may fall through the cracks as time goes on. Take advantage of the experience of two of NARPM®’s Past Presidents and brush up on the Do’s and Don’ts!
6) WEARING YOUR CUSTOMER'S SHOES -
STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING YOUR BRAND AND RETAINING YOUR CUSTOMERS
Thursday, October 2Oth 1:30 - 2:45 pm
Presenters: Melissa Prandi, MPM®, RMP®, PRANDI Property Management, CRMC®
We all know how it is – your renters want something, your owners want something else and never mind what your employees want. To navigate this mine field successfully you will need to not only be able to identify just who your customers are but also identify their mindset and understand them – putting yourself in their shoes. In this session you will learn just how to do that along with great ideas that you can use to keep cool, keep focused and keep your customers happy.
7) BUSINESS BUILDING - YES, YOU CAN!
Thursday, October 20th, 1:30 - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Glen Dorsey, myHomeSpot.com
In a little over an hour, you will hear the story of Glenn’s start-up company with zero to 225 units in less than 18 months as a one-man band. He will get personal telling you how the insanity of this business can destroy your marital relationship and cause your best employees to quit. You can learn how he now manages more than 4000+ units with a staff of 5 and is enjoying life again with room to grow. This is all done from one location, 830 sq ft building on the wrong side of town, in a relatively small town, with very happy employees. Some say he is a genius–but when you ask him, he will tell you he was just lazy and could not be as committed as his competitors. No matter what size office and portfolio (usually bigger companies have bigger problems). This seminar is for the lazy people who want to make more money and do less.
8) PREVENTING LITIGATION IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Thursday, October 2oth, 1:30 - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Robert Locke, MPM®, RMP®, Crown Realty & Management, CRMC®
When tenants leave owing money most property managers throw up their hands and tell their owners, “I’m not into collections, I’m a property manager.” Robert did the same thing for 20 years. Then ten years ago he started learning the business. To date his company has collected over $900,000 in monies due after move out. He learned what letters to send, when to use an attorney, when to mark a tenant’s credit, when to file in court for money judgment, when to garnish wages or put a lien on their car and when to quit and write it off. In this session you will learn simple steps that will turn uncollected accounts into money for your owners and your business.
Workshop 8 Handout 49) HOW INFRARED CAMERAS CAN REVEAL HIDDEN PROBLEMS AND SAVE YOU MONEY
Thursday, October 20th, 1:30 - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Tom O’Toole, FLIR Systems, Inc.
Learn how infrared cameras can uncover hidden problems before they become costly ones Gain a thorough understanding of thermal imaging’s ability to find energy waste, destructive moisture, potential safety hazards, and other preventable building envelope issues. This is an excellent opportunity to learn how adding infrared cameras to your predictive maintenance toolbox can lead to healthier, more comfortable living for your tenants, stronger marketability and greater profitability.
10) ETHICS - CONSISTENCY & COMPLIANCE: STAYING OUT OF AN ARGUMENT OR CONFLICT
Thursday, October 2oth, 1:30 - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Mark Kreditor, MPM®, RMP®, Get There First Realty, CRMC® and Jim Smith, RMP®, The Property Management Company
We all know that being an honest and ethical property manager is critical to our business. NARPM® requires all members to take a course on this topic to maintain membership. But there is more to being ethical than taking a course; being consistent and ethically compliant without getting into conflicts is tough. Our speakers will share their best coping strategies with you and show you how to navigate the challenging road of ethical compliance.
11-15) ROUNDTABLES
Thursday, October 20th, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
16) TENANT SCREENING & SELECTION: COMPLIANCE, CONFIDENTIALITY & ORGANIZATION
Friday, October 21st, 10:30 am - Noon
Presenter: Mark Kreditor, MPM®, RMP®, Get There First Realty, CRMC® and Jim Smith, RMP®, The Property Management Company
We all know that being an honest and ethical property manager is critical to our business. NARPM® requires all members to take a course on this topic to maintain membership. But there is more to being ethical than taking a course; being consistent and ethically compliant without getting into conflicts is tough. Our speakers will share their best coping strategies with you and show you how to navigate the challenging road of ethical compliance.
17) THEN & NOW: STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING RENTER RISK AND OPPORTUNITY
Friday, October 21st, 10:30 am - Noon
Presenter: Mike Mauseth, TransUnion Smart Move
Get a before/after snapshot of managers’ and owners’ priorities when it comes to screening policies. Learn how decision-makers can be sure they aren’t loosening their rental standards just to prevent low vacancy levels during the recession, and “What do we know now that we didn’t before?” You’ll gain insight on how property managers can: ensure they are renting to reliable tenants; improve cash flow while still making up for losses from the recession; manage opportunity without adding risk; and cast a “safety net” for protection against future negative economic influences.
18) STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT: IDEAS TO EXPAND YOUR COMPANY & INCREASE INCOME
Friday, October 21st, 10:30 am - Noon
Presenter: Mike Nelson, MPM®, RMP®, Excalibur Home Management, LLC, CRMC®
This session will cover several ways in which you can expand your company and increase your income. We will review ideas to help you increase the number of units you are managing and ideas for horizontal expansion. Start with a vision of where you want to be, set some objectives that will help the vision become a reality, then establish measurable goals to help you reach those objectives. There will be an emphasis on SMART goal setting to help you make your vision a reality.
19) SOCIAL MEDIA IS A TIDAL WAVE, DON'T GET LEFT BEHIND
Friday, October 21st, 10:30 am - Noon
Presenter: Blane Russell, Social Eyes Marketing
This session will focus on the best practices of establishing and managing various popular social media accounts for rental property management companies. For Facebook users we will cover the creation of a proper business page, proper posting techniques and strategies, customization and microsites. For Twitter, we will look at the customization of a background and avatar, URL shorteners, timing your tweets, building your followers, trending topics, hashtags, mentions, and direct messages. We will also look at software such at Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to help manage Twitter, Facebook and Linked In accounts. And don’t forget you have to keep your fans and followers once you have them.
20) TOP TEN PROBLEMS TO AVOID WHEN MANAGING YOUR PROPERTIES
Friday, October 21st, 10:30 am - Noon
Presenter: Mike Levy, NorthernColoradoRentals.com, LLC
In this session you will learn about the following “Top 10” problems that property managers are faced with every day and how to deal with them.
#1 Avoid ineffective communications with your tenant
#2 Avoid renting to an unreliable tenant
#3 Avoid being ignorant of local and state laws related to property management
#4 Avoid allowing your tenants to pay their rent late
#5 Avoid using a non-comprehensive rental agreement
#6 Avoid ineffective or inefficient advertising
#7 Avoid delaying property repairs & maintenance
#8 Avoid not having written policies, procedures, and forms
#9 Avoid not properly preparing your property before the tenant moves in
#10 Avoid using an unreliable property management company