Here’s a sweet story you can find in Chapter 7 (Send Maintenance) of my book, I Have a Complex, But I’m Managing It! Submitted by a property manager in Fort Worth, this one will warm the heart of all animal lovers.

Having worked onsite for a few years, I had a collection of crazy tales, some of which I included in my book, I Have a Complex, But I’m Managing it! Here’s one of my all-time favorites about how me and my co-workers from the leasing office “punked” our lead maintenance man Jimmy one April Fool’s Day.

Years ago, I saw a hilarious commercial featuring a dad pushing a shopping cart at a well-known office supply store with his young son and daughter. They were obviously loading up on back-to-school supplies. The kids were sporting unhappy faces while their father was downright giddy looking. In the background I could hear Andy Williams belting out, It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year.

Here’s a wild story submitted by a property manager in Houston about an unexpected discovery they stumbled on during a routine inspection

May 2021 was one of the rainiest months on record for The Lone Star State. Now that we’ve reached June, many of us are looking to the skies, wishing a few showers might come our way and save our lawns from an extremely hot and dry weather pattern.

A resident called the leasing office one morning in a panic. “Help!” she cried. “There’s a possum outside my front door, and I can’t get out! I’m trapped in here and I’m already running late for work....

With technology improving nearly every aspect of our lives, it’s not surprising that laundry centers (or, should you prefer a more glamorous term, Clothes Care Centers) have come a long way over the past few years.

This story about a scruffy little stray is a wonderful testament to how dogs can enrich our personal and professional lives.

While I was collecting stories from property management professionals for my book, I Have A Complex, But I’m Managing It!, I met a manager in Austin who shared an interesting tale about some residents who got creative with their living space after their marriage fell apart.

Years ago, during one of my onsite marketing visits for The Vendor Guide, I met a community director who shared a story with me about a vendor who’d quoted her an unusually low price on some interior painting she needed to have completed in several apartments.

Having worked onsite for a number of years, I know firsthand how easy it is to to develop friendships with some of your favorite residents. This was the case at a community in Austin, Texas where a property manager and her staff became quite fond of a sweet little grandma named Bobbi. Here’s her story—

When it comes to curb appeal, meticulously maintained beds play a starring role. That being said, there’s one important element you should never scrimp on— and that’s mulch.Although there are several types of mulch, the organic variety tends to be the most popular among landscaping professionals.

Sometimes, when you’re in a panic, it’s hard to know where to turn for help. Here’s a story, submitted by a property manager in Fort Worth, about a mother and her kids who needed help in a hurry.

They say that charity begins at home. For those living in multi-family communities, apartments are home. Here’s a touching contribution I pulled from chapter 5 (The Bizarre and Unexplained) of my book, I Have A Complex, But I’m Managing It! The story, submitted by a property manager in Arlington, reminds me that there are always opportunities to bless others—we just have to look for them!

Property tours can present opportunities for surprises—some good, some . . . not so much! Take for instance this story submitted by a leasing consultant in Dallas.We had a married couple that split up and the husband moved out of their apartment. Not long after they separated, I was with a prospect on the golf cart, showing him an apartment not far from where the couple had once lived together.

Unexpected variations in the elevation of the surface along walkways and sidewalks are potential trip hazards and are usually taken seriously by property managers. Studies have shown that small inconsistencies can be most dangerous because of the low probability of a pedestrian detecting them. This is because the visual field of a walking person is always moving and dynamically changing. Pedestrians typically scan ahead in the direction of their travel—not directly down in front of their feet.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry—Just Do It Completely Differently This Thanksgiving . . . Or, Perhaps, Don’t Do It at All! Like a lot of people, I think the holiday season is truly the “most wonderful time of the year”. A huge part of that are, of course the traditions shared with family and friends. Unfortunately, thanks to Covid-19, there’ll be nothing traditional about how we celebrate in 2020! Who’d have thought way back in March that we’d be asked to radically alter our plans for the one day of the year when it’s socially acceptable to wear your stretchy pie-eating pants?

Some residents are quiet as church mice, others are well . . . not so much! Here’s a story submitted by an Austin property manager who had her hands full dealing with a very high-maintenance guy.I felt like I’d gotten to know one of our residents pretty well, yet I’d never met him in person. You see, he’d moved into his apartment long before I started working at the property. He never came to the office during working hours and we never saw him in our fitness center or checking his mail.

Many of us have spent more time at home these past few months than we ever could have imagined! I’ve spoken with friends in property management who’ve shared how challenging it’s been keeping their residents safe and happy. One told me that she’d always known what she did for a living was important, but the pandemic made her realize why property managers are truly considered essential workers.

The holiday season really sets the mood with warmth, happiness and kindness to others. If you’re struggling with getting into the holiday spirit, here are some festive things you can do for your residents.

This next story, submitted by a property manager in San Antonio, really touched my heart. It’s a great example of how onsite personnel often rely on their intuition to go the extra mile for their residents. Our leasing office had a wonderful chime on the front door that would let us know when we had a guest. I was in my office in the back when I heard the familiar chime accompanied by a booming, “Hello..."

By the time cooler temperatures arrive in Texas, most of us are ready to pull our sweaters and jackets out of their long summer hibernation. In addition to helping our bodies stay warm, there are some things we can do to help keep our dwelling places cozy while conserving energy. Here are some tips to share with your residents this winter.

Have you ever had a resident who was such a pain you couldn’t wait for their lease to expire so that you could give them notice to vacate? Here’s a wild tale submitted by a leasing pro in Houston that goes along with this “spooky” time of year. In it, you’ll see how one troublesome resident created so many headaches for the management team, they finally decided to let him out of his lease and allow the guy be someone else’s problem!

Most everyone has found the last few months to be exceptionally challenging in light of the ongoing pandemic. There’s no doubt we could all use some extra cheer right about now—something to help us smile and help ease the “Covid-fatigue” that has so many in a funk.

I entitled chapter three of my book, I Have A Complex, But I’m Managing It!, “Lost In Translation”, because it contains some off-the-wall stories from property managers who’ve experienced a communication breakdown with either prospects or residents. Suffice it to say that when this happens, the outcome can be pretty frustrating. Such was the case in this tale submitted by a manager in Dallas.

Other than landscaping, asphalt and concrete literally cover the majority of the surfaces of your community. You and your residents walk on it, drive on it, bike on it, and play on it every day. Yet, these surfaces are often overlooked until the day a resident rushes into the office to report an injury or a damaged vehicle, threatening to sue the property for negligence.

You may not know that recent studies show that over 90% of fires in commercial properties are extinguished early on by members of the public using a fire extinguisher.

Unfortunately, pest control is a never-ending battle when you work in the multi-family business. Here’s a fun story you can find in the Pesky Pests chapter of my book, I Have A Complex, But I’m Managing It!

Sometimes you learn the most interesting tidbits of information about your residents by accident. Here’s a story submitted by a Dallas property manager who investigated after hearing some surprising news from a prospect who stopped by the office one afternoon.

I was working at a property that was selling to a new owner and we had to do an occupied walk-through before closing. Most of the units boasted the typical “lived in” décor—clutter in the corners, dirty dishes on the counter-tops, wrinkled laundry on the floor, etc. Some apartments were worse than others, but nothing outside of the normal living conditions. However; after making our way through the majority of these apartment homes, I should have known better than to think our luck would hold out.

Here’s a crazy story submitted by a property manager in Fort Worth about one of her residents who decided to perform his own method of pest control.

I leased a spacious one-bedroom apartment to a seemingly sweet, soft-spoken woman named Madge. She was a retired schoolteacher who told us that she was planning on getting a part-time job nearby to supplement her retirement income. After teaching kids for more than 30 years, Madge was tired of being around what she referred to as “little brats.”

In Central and South Texas, pansies are indisputably the flower of choice for autumn landscaping projects. These showy superstars feature two main types: clear-faced and monkey-faced. The major trait that separates the two is the dark “blotch” in the middle of each monkey-faced bloom, whereas its “sister-flower”, the clear-faced pansy is “blotch-free.”

Most property managers are fortunate to have an experienced maintenance team on staff that is able to tackle routine plumbing challenges. The occasional overflowing commode, leaky faucet or garbage disposal are fairly typical in property management.

Some of my favorite stories contributed by property management professionals for my book, I Have A Complex, But I’m Managing It!, were those which revolve around pets. Here’s one from a manager in San Antonio that really tickled me “pink”!

Like many people, I’ve stepped up my activity on social media as a way to stay connected with the folks I’ve not been able to see for the past few months. That being said, I recently came across something that made me smile, posted by a friend on Facebook. It was too good not to share with you.

As a leasing professional, it’s your job to assist prospective residents when they’re shopping for a new apartment to call home. From time to time, you’ll make a follow up call, hoping to secure the lease. Your prospect tells you they’ve whittled their list down to the final two—one being your property and the other is a neighboring community.

So, you’ve leased a one-bedroom apartment to a seemingly “normal” young woman thinking she’ll be a great resident. It’s not long before you and your staff start to wonder if your new resident may have a multiple personality disorder!

There’s no doubt that face-to-face marketing and meetings are on the downturn these days. And, while a virtual outreach can provide some degree of success in staying relevant in your customer’s eyes, there’s another effective way to connect with your clients and prospects and that’s by using direct mail.

You never know who’s going to walk through the front door when you work in a leasing office. In this case, a couple looking for a new place to call home, had a slight difference of opinion on which floor plan they’d need for their growing family. I love how the leasing director helped take some of the tension out of what could have otherwise been a stressful situation.

Submitted by a vendor in Houston from his days in property management, this story is a good example of what happens when you push a property manager just a little too far! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do .

Now more than ever before it’s time to get serious about your marketing strategy! Those who don’t won’t have a fighting chance of succeeding in our ever-changing business environment. And, although we must consider new and innovative ways to promote our businesses, there are still some great ways to stay relevant in the eyes of your customers

I got a kick out of this funny story a property manager from Austin shared with me a few years back about a flirty resident trying to score points with the leasing staff.

Oh, the joys of property management! It’s funny how you can tell your residents the rules, have them sign documents to acknowledge they understand them, then later learn how quickly they’ve broken them. This story, sent in by a property manager in San Antonio is one such tale.

While it’s always great to secure a lease and keep occupancy rates high, sometimes the folks we move-in are more trouble than they’re worth! Here’s a story about a rather obnoxious resident who single-handedly rocked the peace and quiet at this small community.

I thought about this when a property manager in Austin sent in a story about a young woman who showed up to tour the community one day. The peculiar prospect was quick to share her ranidaphobia—or, in layman’s terms, fear of frogs, with the manager.

Every community has pet restrictions. While dogs and cats are usually accepted at most properties, occasionally onsite personnel will come across an “occupant” that catches them off-guard.

Ah, the community pool! Not only is this amenity the crown jewel of most apartment communities, it’s also where all the action is during the long, Texas summers. Here’s a fun story submitted by a frustrated property manager in Dallas about a resident who had a hard time following the pool rules.

Sometimes our favorite people are those with the most “colorful” personalities! Here, a property manager in Fort Worth shares some stories about one of her most memorable residents.

Recently, TVG Marketing Services was proud to participate in AAGD’s (Apartment Association of Greater Dallas) first ever “Salute To Property Management” parade.

Management professionals who work onsite certainly see more than their fair share of “interesting” individuals! When I received this story about a bold female resident who fancied showing off her “attributes” for a nearby neighbor, I had to laugh. Things heated up as a jealous spouse insisted it was time to close the blinds. Check out the predicament it placed this property manager in.

Working alone in a leasing office can get pretty lonely. Check out this story from a cat-loving manager who decided to bend the rules and allow a fat cat named Trixie inside.

You never know what to expect when you’re managing an apartment community. Sometimes even the most “normal-looking” people will surprise you. In this case, it was a resident who couldn’t keep himself out of our dumpsters.

I’ve always said that if you’ve worked in property management for even one day, you’ll have a story! The book, I Have A Complex, But I’m Managing It! is a collection of these wild and wacky tales, contributed by management professionals from across Texas.Here’s one of my favs about a little somethin’—somethin’ one unpopular resident left behind for the management team to find.Enjoy!Monica E. Simmons

While showing an apartment to prospects. this leasing agent's worst nightmare is realized. Needles to say, she didn't make the sale. We thought it would be fun to share this crazy story from the book, I Have A Complex, But I'm Managing It!

A true story from a property manager about a motor home, an unlawful resident, and a strange relationship.

A property manager learns the hard way that it's best to be very specific when it comes to defining your pet policy!