As we work further into 2022, we are putting in all our effort to hit our monthly goals, so that soon we can reach our yearly goals of 100% prelease. This month, we are happy to announce that another one of our sister sites has achieved Century Club status! Everyone, please help us congratulate The Nest team for their success. We were extremely eager and excited to take a moment and sit down with team members Josh Ragland, Property Manager, Madison Cline, Business Manager, and Ashleigh Scipio and Trent Webb, Leasing Consultants, who gave us their strategy when it comes to hitting 100% in their specific market.

While the Nest is brand new and shining bright in its market, the staff here credits their success to the relationships they have with their residents. They just had their first ever round of residents this year, and reported that they made extra efforts to form deeper relationships with their tenants by creating an “open door policy”. Josh said, “If our doors are open, residents know that they are welcome to come in, whether it’s just to chat, or handle any issues they may be facing.” There is absolutely a certain level of trust that goes both ways between resident and staff to allow for this open door policy. However, the Nest’s staff has been intentional with building this trust from the very beginning. They start conversations with their residents about the little things, like birthdays and any changes like hair cuts/colors or getting a pet. “It’s little things like birthdays and that,” said Madison, “which make a person feel valued. We really try to do that with our residents here.” This staff also only had maintenance one day per week until mid February, so they were helping with completing minor work orders themselves to ensure residents stayed satisfied with their units when maintenance wasn’t readily available. They replaced lightbulbs, plunged toilets, kept up with grounds, etc. This is one dedicated team, and their hard work and versatility have truly paid off. 

It is also important to note that while the property is brand new, lease-ups can present challenges of their own to face. New developments are shaky with guaranteed dates, and even once the property is delivered, there can be kinks that need to be handled in regards to unit functionality. Sometimes, the first year after a property is built can be the hardest one for this exact reason. However, The Nest staff took this opportunity to resolve issues quickly and efficiently, and encourage residents to stay with them for another year. Their retention rate is nearly 54% this year, even with a 2-year on-campus living requirement! “Rock Hill is not usually an early market” said Josh, “so we really pushed to create one ourselves.”

We asked what other efforts they made, and they emphasized that social media was a huge key to their traffic. Not only do they put extra effort into making sure the content they put out is organic and aesthetically pleasing, but they also consider the content itself to revolve around their resident lifestyle. They post pictures of their residents, and the events they attend to create The Nest lifestyle brand around it. “Having that connection with the residents to let them see a familiar face on their social media is super helpful,” said Josh. “Our social media sets us apart from our competitors, so having the content be consistent is so important to us.” They also were also diligent in their efforts. The team sent weekly email blasts to students, setting a hard renewal deadline, and exploring other options that would allow them to communicate availability with their prospects, new or current.So, what are they up to now? “It’s LTO season!” said Madison. “We are working on bringing those in.” This team has also kick-started prepping for turn, and have already started securing their vendors that they will need. The Nest staff has also started helping other Preiss communities however they can! Whether it comes to takeovers, leasing ideas, or an extra hand on the back end of things, they have been there to help out their Preiss team members. 

Once again, we would like to congratulate The Nest at Rock Hill and all the staff on their remarkable dedication and determination to reach their goals! We just know that this is only the beginning of breaking records for this team, and changing the way we view innovative leasing.

To the rest of us, let’s follow suit and hit those goals! It is only a matter of time before we will all join The Century Club! We can do it!