Apartment Community Directors are the backbone of any meritorious leasing community. They function as employee managers, community representatives, resident relations liaisons, and countless other roles that keep a property running smoothly. In a nutshell, The Community Director is responsible for providing leadership and direction for the efficient day-to-day operations of an apartment community.
It’s easy to see why ensuring they are compensated correctly can be an important issue. The last thing a company wants is to have their “go-to” person feeling under-appreciated and under-paid. However, funds for higher salaries are not always available when you need to justify paying higher wages to a board of directors.
When considering what pay you will offer your Community Director, first consider the duties you want them to be responsible for. Below is a general list of Apartment Community Director functions:
*Inspects community daily to ensure aesthetic appeal.
*Reviews service requests daily to ensure timely completion and follow up.
*Directs and oversees all activities and responsibilities of community staff.
*Manages staff to include recruiting, training, counseling, motivation, evaluation, and termination.
*Prepares or supervises the timely and accurate preparation of all required reports and forms including weekly activity report, daily bank deposits, monthly collection reports and summary, delinquency reports, accounts payable, statement of deposit accounts, personnel forms, incident reports, monthly market surveys, and monthly owners packages.
*Prepares payroll reporting, verifies accuracy and approves all community associates’ timesheets.
*Review financial statements on a monthly basis with Regional Manager and makes general ledger corrections.
*Communicates effectively and on a regular basis with Regional Manager to update him/her on the community.
*Ensures clean records are maintained on the community by company policies.
*Must stay informed and comply with all policies and procedures as outlined in the Operations Manual.
*Conducts annual inspection of all apartments.
*Adheres to company guidelines for effectively purchasing supplies, maintaining expenses within budget and obtaining bids on appropriate community projects.
*Reviews, ensures accuracy and receipt of supplies and approves all invoices for payment.
*Ensures that the Safety Program is implemented by all staff members.
*Ensures that all community staff members adhere to company key policies.
*Maintains working knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations concerning apartment leasing and management, i.e. fair housing, collections, evictions, towing and pool enclosures.
*Coordinates and participates in resident functions.
*Prepares community newsletter and blog content.
Now, combine all of the above with the fact that they also must be available for evening, weekend, holiday, overnight work, AND be personable to residents and courteous to the staff. You are talking about a leasing property super-hero here!
Besides the expectations placed on the Community Director, there is also the training involved in getting the Director up-to-speed on what needs to be done. It is extensive to say the least. Another reason to make sure the salary you are offering will help keep the Director in their chosen role.
Many times with high-level hires, such as a Community Director, it is smart to use an experienced staffing company. The staffing consultant will fight for the salary of the position because they know what it takes to find a candidate that fits the unique and extensive skill set needed to be a successful Apartment Community Director.
When setting out to hire or maintain your Community Director, keep in mind the things you are expecting from them and make sure the salary reflects that. You will thank yourself in the long run.
