Compliance Attends NAHMA Affordable Housing Conference

Thank you for the contributions to last week's trivia! The question asked, what is the saying to remember DQWNAFS when speaking to prospects on the phone? Bonus: List the all of the words associated with DQWNAFS! The answer is Dairy Queen Who Needs A Frappe Soon. The words associated are: Description, Qualifying, Website, Needs, Appointment, Follow-up, and Source. 

Fern Mullen, Program Compliance Manager, recently traveled to Washington, D. C. to attend the NAHMA Top Issues in Affordable Housing Conference at the Fairmont Washington hotel. NAHMA stands for National Affordable Housing Management Association. According to the NAHMA website, it, "is the leading voice for affordable housing management, advocating on behalf of multifamily property managers and owners whose mission is to provide quality affordable housing." 

Fern learned about several crucial affordable housing topics throughout the three day conference. She heard about the Certification Review Board that oversees NAHMA programs and these speakers discussed the importance of professional ethics. Fern also heard from the Membership & Marketing Committee with speakers who recommended policies and procedures regarding NAHMA membership.

Fern's favorite session was Pearl Meyer's presentation on "Hiring, Training, and Maintaining Staff During these Challenging Times". She said that, "... the challenges we face in New England are not unique across the country. Challenges with staffing, the work load and getting in units to perform maintenance in a Covid world," are issues that everyone has struggled with.  

Fern also took advantage of the beautiful city of Washington D.C. Check out this amazing photo of her on a sunrise walk to the Lincoln Memorial!

Connoisseurs of Resident Engagement, Support, and Satisfaction

Thank you for the trivia submissions! The trivia question on the previous blog asked, how many gallons of water does replacing typical sink faucets with water sense model faucets save per year? The answer is 700 gallons! This fun fact was featured in the "Clean and Green Energy Efficiency" blog post. 

Connoisseurs of Resident Engagement, Support, and Satisfaction 

We are keeping the spirit of Employee Appreciation alive here at John M. Corcoran & Company! This week we are highlighting some of the most important players in the field- our Leasing Consultants and Resident Services Coordinators! Everyone knows that these employees have an extremely meaningful impact on the resident experience. Our staff is invested from the initial contact with prospects, to the move-in process, and beyond. Our leasing consultants and resident coordinators bring our properties to life with their friendly faces, high energy, and creative ideas for resident events. Here is what our staff had to say about these JMC Rockstar Employees:

"Gregg was hired in June with no experience in leasing. He was quick to catch on and has been a superstar at Union & West. He is eager to learn and always willing to help out. He has been training a new leasing consultant and taking on a larger role at the property. He is an asset to Union & West and JMC."  

Gregg Pullan, Leasing Consultant at Union & West

"Michelle has been amazing and super helpful since I started at MIO. Watching her in action and securing rental after rental is inspiring and amazing to witness each time. Always sweet and upbeat. Michelle rocks!"

Michelle Grier, Leasing Consultant at Mio Weymouth

"Sarah has only been at 50 West Broadway for a few months full time and the energy in the office has been amazing ever since- she engages with every resident who comes in, is constantly eager and willing to learn and take on new responsibilities, and have you seen our social media (all thanks to her)?! ROCKSTAR- she is constantly thinking of new ways to keep us trendy in the competitive city market- Sarah has been an incredible addition and we are so lucky and grateful to have her!"

Sarah Marinho, Leasing Consultant at The Residences on Broadway

Wendy Perez, Older Adults Program Coordinator at Pelham Lifelong Learning Center, "Always goes the extra mile at work with positive vibes!"

Wendy Perez, Adults Program Coordinator at Pelham Lifelong Learning Center

"Dominique is always willing to go above and beyond her expectations for the youth and adult members of the Pelham Apartments Community. She organizes daily activities for the youth and for the adults, including homework help, arts and crafts, ESL, Money Management workshops and so much more!"

Dominique Torres, Resident Services Coordinator at Pelham Apartments

"Samantha is always on the go helping occupants in time and need. Our staff at Amherst Park in Nashua, NH is proud to have her as part of our team."

Samantha Barritt, Resident Services Coordinator at Amherst Park

Leasing consultants and resident service and program coordinators are part of what makes each of our communities so unique and special. Our staff is devoted to their residents in order to make their communities feel like home. Thank you to all of our leasing consultants and resident coordinators for your extraordinary efforts! 

TRIVIA: Let's bring it back to leasing training 101! What is the saying to remember DQWNAFS when speaking to prospects on the phone? Bonus: List the all of the words associated with DQWNAFS!

Employee Appreciation for Maintenance!

Thank you for the contributions to the previous trivia question. The question asked readers to name at least 4 out of the 6 politicians who have attended ground breaking or grand opening ceremonies held at John M. Corcoran & Co. lease-up properties in the last 15 years. The politicians were: Former Selectman Jay Ash at Parkside Commons, Former Mayor Thomas Menino at 50 West Broadway, Governor Charlie Baker at The Commons at SouthField Highlands, Mayor Bob Hedlund at The Commons at SouthField Highlands, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito at The Heights Amesbury, and Former Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo at Station Row.

Round of Applause for Maintenance!

March 4th marked Employee Appreciation Day and John M. Corcoran & Company is celebrating company-wide. The Corcoran Connections Committee put together a variety of gift options for employees to choose from as a token of gratitude for our staff. Employees got to choose from a portable speaker, a backpack, a tumbler, or a water bottle which are all customized with the new company logo. We are all very excited to put in our orders and show off our new swag!

Corcoran Connections has also collected a list of nominations for 'JMC Rockstars' to keep the spirit of employee appreciation alive beyond March 4th. The committee opened the floor to the company to submit nominations to shine the spotlight on our unsung heroes. We would like to introduce members of our maintenance teams nominated as JMC Rockstars!

Andrew Fisher, a member of the maintenance crew at Redbrook Apartments, is all about attention to detail. "Andrew goes above and beyond for our property. Overtime is never an issue when it comes to Andrew's work ethic. When a work order is put in, within the hour Andrew is calling to follow up and make sure it is complete. When we started our 10 C's inspections, the next day Andrew had a paint brush in hand banging out all the corrective action work orders. Andrew has been with the company a little shy of a year and his dedication to our property, residents and team will take him far within JMC. If there's anyone more deserving, it's Andrew Fisher!"

Andrew Fisher, Redbrook Apartments

Kenneth Rodriguez, a member of the maintenance team at Canterbury Towers is a JMC Rockstar for, "Going above and beyond the expectations in his job." Keep up the great work, Kenneth!

Kenneth Rodriguez, Canterbury Towers

Michael Cullinan, maintenance assistant at Village Green is, "Super friendly and pleasant to be around, great with maintenance issues and always does his best! A great member of our team, for sure!" Be sure to say hello next time you see him around!

Michael Cullinan, Village Green

"Manny Costa is one of the maintenance guys at Mass Mills in Lowell, MA. Manny has been coming to my site at Skyline Commons in Dracut, MA for the past few months to help out with my maintenance department as I have been short staffed. Manny has been a huge help with Skyline Commons and never complains about what you give him. He is by far one of the best maintenance guys I have worked with. He is very knowledgeable and very hard working. Thank you, Manny, for your help and all of Mass Mills management for letting me have him." Teamwork truly makes the dreamwork! 

Manny Costa, Mass Mills & Skyline Commons

Maintenance plays an integral role in the daily operations of all our communities and it does not go unnoticed. Thank you for your dedication in taking care of our residents and our properties everyday, we could not do it without you!

TRIVIA: How many gallons of water does replacing typical sink faucets with water sense model faucets save per year? *Hint: You can find the answer in a previous blog post!

Union 346 Coming Soon to Somverville!

 Thank you to everyone who participated with guesses for the trivia question on the last post as it is the newest feature of the blog! The first trivia question asked, What was the make of the vehicle used as a marketing tool during lease-up at Parkside Commons? The answer was a Toyota Prius!

Union 346 Coming Soon to Somerville!

John M. Corcoran and Company is developing the first phase of Union 346 located on Somerville Avenue in Union Square. This brand-new community will feature 94 studio and one-bedroom apartment homes with retail space on the ground floor, all coming available in late 2022. The retail space is a great opportunity for a local business to thrive in and be supported by our residents. Union 346 will have luxury amenity spaces including a fitness center, outdoor green space, resident lounges, bike storage, a rooftop lounge, and a dog washing station. However, the greatest amenity of all at Union 346 is the location.   

Framing Progress on Phase I of Union 346

Union 346 is in the midst of the USQ Redevelopment project that aims to revitalize Somerville and provide greater accessibility to downtown Boston and Cambridge through smart growth. According to an article recently written in the Boston Globe, the new green line extension to Union Square will officially open on March 21, 2022. This will allow Somerville to play a more significant role in the expansion of Boston's flourishing innovation hub. This brand-new MBTA stop will be less than a mile away from Union 346 making daily commutes quick and convenient for our residents.   

View from the Roof of Union 346 Overlooking the Beginnings of Phase II 

Phase II of the project will feature 59 more apartment homes including studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms, and three bedrooms. This building will feature co-working space that is perfect for residents working remotely. This gives residents the option to keep work and home separate without having to leave the comfort of their building! Phase II is slated to become available in 2023.

All apartments will feature stainless steel appliances and chic modern finishes. Union 346 has been designed with unique urban flare as one of the newest apartment buildings in Somerville and we cannot wait to showcase the final product! 

Stunning City Views from the Union 346 Roof Deck

Trivia: Name at least 4 out of the 6 politicians who have attended ground breaking or grand opening ceremonies held at John M. Corcoran & Co. lease-up properties in the last 15 years. These could be governors, lieutenant governors, selectmen, and/or mayors.

                                                Comment below to submit your guess!