Property Management Tips for 2026

I want to take just a quick minute. I want to go through some stuff that is right out of the leasingununiversity.com portal. Okay? It's out of the course on handling objections and handling complaints. And I want to see if I can fix everybody on the session today. It's not that you need fixing, but I want to see if I can kind of reset your mindset. Um because the there's a problem that we get into in terms of handling objections and in terms of handling complaints in the leasing office that is so easily fixed. All right. So let let's spend a minute and let's let's talk about that. All right. So first I want I want to show you guys the leasing process. Okay. It doesn't get more simple than this which is on your screen right now. You get a prospect, you get a lease. Okay. There's only there's only three choices that somebody has. Does anyone want to take a guess at what their three choices are in terms of leasing? I'll give you the first one. They can lease from us. What else can they do? Um, let me know. Unmute yourself here. If you've got an idea of what can they do besides leasing from us, where could they go besides leasing from us? uh they can go with a competitor or be homeless. >> Heck yeah. Spot on. Exactly right. They can go to a competitor. They can be homeless. Okay. So, as we go through the leasing process, we've got to greet the prospect. We got to determine their wants and needs. We're going to select an apartment for them. We're going to build value in that. We're going to make a proposal. We're going to close. Their certainty makes that deal go fast. Their uncertainty slows it down. when they start to get uncertain, whether that's on the apartment, the amenities, the price, the security deposit, us, the community, whatever it is, that's where these objections tend to rear their ugly head. Okay? First thing I want to reset your mind on that you have to realize, 90% of the things that we think of are objections, guys, they're not objections at all. They're just complaints. Absolut heck yeah. You're picking it up. They're just complaints. Just because they're complaining about the rent or the square footage or that the appliances are dated doesn't necessarily mean that they're not either going to sign the lease or renew their lease. Okay. So I want to make first thing I want to just reset our mind is most of the time because people and leasing professionals in general are pessimistic by nature. We're pessimistic by nature. Here's why. In the leasing office, we're magnets for negativity, right? People come to us with complaints a lot. So we just tend to assume the worst. All right? So, we got to make sure that we're staying positive by nature. Most of the time when it's a complaint, they're still going to do the thing we want them to do. Lease the available apartment, renew their lease, whatever it is. Okay? So, I just want to walk through really, really quick from your leasinguniversity.com portal. I want to zip you through a few of these steps. We don't even have to go through all eight steps, but just a few of the steps to understand how to deal with these objections and complaints. The the first point that I want to make, and this is not even step one. It's just the power of agreement, guys. Always, always, always agree with your prospect. Okay? I'm not saying you have to say you're right. I'm not saying that you have to agree with them if they're like the security deposit. Oh, yeah. Security deposits. It's outrageous. It's outrageous. Right? I'm not saying agree in that way. I'm saying agree in terms of things like I hear you. I understand. Right? Those are great ones to use. I hear you. I understand. All right. Right? Like show them that you're that you've heard them. Show them that you understand them. Okay? A lot of times when you guys hear things like this, bedroom's too small, the rent's too high, security deposits too high, and you simply just go, I hear you. I understand. Right? And you keep moving forward. You keep staying positive. You assume that the deal is going to get done. Guess what? It does. Okay. Where we get ourselves into trouble, where we get ourselves into trouble is when we try to be perfect and we try to win every single battle, every single argument. The rent's too expensive. No, it's not. We're price competitive. This bedroom's too small. You're just looking at it because there's no furniture in it. Seems smaller without any furniture. Okay? I'm not saying you aren't priced competitively. You are. I'm not saying that once you put furniture in that bedroom, it's going to look better. It is. What I am saying is we got to get this notion out of our head that we have to win every single argument with everybody that we talk to. Most of the time, if we just agree, it doesn't even become an argument. It becomes what they say in the Navy Seals, a no factor. No factor. It's no factor, right? Oh my god, the hallways are dark and scary. I hear you. Let's go on and look at the apartment. Never comes up again, right? The hallways are dark and scary. Oh, it's just cuz we just stepped in from the outside and it's really bright out and your eyes just need some time to adjust. Like, we don't need to do any of that most of the time. Don't stop. Don't try and convince this other person that they're wrong because if you want to start a fight, I'm just gonna give you some news as a black belt in jiu-jitsu, okay? Spend a lot of time fighting. If you want to get in a fight with somebody, a good way to get in a fight with somebody is to say these two words, you're wrong. Okay? And even when somebody complains about the rent, the security deposit, the amenities, and you defend your position, they hear in their head, they hear you're wrong. And people like to fight when they say you're wrong. By the way, go get in a fight today. I'm going to give you guys for don't get in a fight. Don't get me sued by HR. You can have a friendly argument with your friends, your family, your co-workers, your regional. I'm going to show you how to get just tell your regional manager they're wrong. You guys are going to be in a heated discussion. Okay? You can later tell them, "It was a little trick Matt Eastston had me do to see this, right? I'm going to also give you the way to get out of that mess, that predicament, that entanglement, that tussle that you're in by telling somebody that they're wrong. I can get you out of it real quick. You're right. Right. You're right. Get you out." Now, don't say you're right in a sarcastic way. Let them know I understand. I hear you. Absolutely. Right. When you when people feel like you're on their side, they're less likely to argue with you. Okay. So, let's just talk real quick. All right. Then I'll open it up for questions for you guys. Just these first few out of your eight steps. I won't even go through all of them. But the the the first thing I need you guys to remember, treat everything as a complaint. What I mean by that, it just because they're saying they're upset because the rent went up $75, does not mean that they're not going to renew their lease. Even if they're saying, "I'm not going to renew my lease because your rent went up." Most of the time, they're bluffing. Okay? You just don't want to get in an argument with that. I understand. I get it. Right? Agree with them and move forward. Okay? Does it make sense to renew the lease? No. I'm telling you, it's too much. Go to step three. Ask them for solutions. I'm going to repeat this guys. This will help you in your personal life. I'm not Dr. Phil or Dr. Whatever or whoever your cool guru is. The cool guru of the day. Mine back in my day was the Tony Robbins. He's great. Still is. I'm not proclaiming to be Tony Robbins. I am telling you this is somebody that understands sales. People tend to solve their own problems. Some of the most unsuccessful salespeople in the world are the ones that try and solve everybody's problems for them. Okay, that's the squirty bottle doortodoor people that are like, "It cleans the windows, it cleans your shoes, it can clean your credit score." Nobody likes that person. They're funny on videos. Nobody wants to do business with somebody like that's that's has all the answers. Okay? There's one person that should have the answer, and it's your prospect. It's your customer. Okay, that person, if they've got the answer, we're doing it because it's their answer. All right, so I just want to cover these first three steps and then we can pause it there and go to questions. But number one, just treat everything as a complaint. Okay, in your head, treat it as a complaint. This doesn't mean you're not going to get the deal. Maybe they need a Snickers bar. Maybe they're just hangry. you know, maybe they are upset because the price has gone up or the rent, whatever it is. Just treat it as a complaint. Number two, agree with the complaint and move forward. Don't agree with it passively, aggressively, like I hear you, right? Just I hear you. I get it. Hey, does it make sense to sign the lease renewal? I hear you. I get it. Does it make sense to go sign the lease? Whatever your situation is there, just agree and move forward. If they say no, which you guys are going to be shocked at how often they don't say no that they go, "Yeah, fine. I'm not happy about it, but let's do it." They don't have to be happy about it. You don't have to get them 100% happy. They're never going to be 100% happy. It's very few times when you just agree and move forward that they don't actually move forward with you. But when they say no, stop, pause, remember me, your boy, and go, "What are some of your thoughts?" Ask them for solutions. What are some of your I wanted to be on a higher floor. I didn't want to be on the ground floor. I get it. I'm with you. Does it make sense to go sign the lease? No. I don't want to be on the ground floor. What are some of your thoughts? Is there any way you can get me on a third floor? No. We don't have any of those units available right now. What if I did this? What if I signed the lease on the first floor? Is there a waiting list after my lease where I could maybe upgrade to a higher floor at that point? Absolutely. That's a great idea. Okay, let's do that. I'm going to move into this one. Um, and then I'll move into the higher floor later when my lease is up. You hold that for me. It was their idea. But if they go, I don't want to be on a lower floor. And I say, let's just get you in the lower floor and you can upgrade later. They're going to go, I don't want to do that because it was my idea. I learned a long time ago, I can be right or I can be rich. That's a good line. You can be right or you can be rich. You can be right or you can be successful. And I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying let the other person be right. When in doubt, let it be their idea. When in doubt, foster it being their idea. When in doubt, encourage it to be their idea. When in doubt, ask them what's their idea. Worst case scenario, they're going to go, "I don't have any." And then you're going to I said I wouldn't talk about step four, okay? Or step five. I'll throw them in. Then you're going to show I totally get it. It's not my first rodeo. I'm sure we'll figure this out. The minute you say something like that, it takes them off their guard. It disarms them. They're going to be less argument. I mean, it's I don't mean to be a jerk on the floor. I just was really hoping for a higher floor. Right now, you can suggest something. You know what? Based on my recommendation, been through this a few times. It's funny because I've had about four or five residents in this exact situation. Now, they come to it. Uh, this idea has come out. Only one of them is actually moving. They actually love where they're at right now. But this is the idea. We can get you in. we can get you living here at the community, enjoying the pool, enjoying the location, enjoying be close to your work and and and all the space that you need. And then later on, at least renewal time, I can put you on a wait list for one of the higher renewals and then choice is yours at that point if you just want to move your stuff up a couple floors. That's actually a pretty good idea. I know. Makes sense. Go sign the lease, right? Be cool, be calm, be collected. That's We're not even going to go through step eight. Okay, that's all I wanted to talk about with you guys today. Have the right mindset. Slow down in the beginning. Revisit this course on leasinguniversity.com. Go through all eight steps and you will be unstoppable. Who's got questions on this or anything else? I got answers cuz I love leasing. >> This is the best investment I've ever made. I've been in the property management industry [music] for I'm on my third year and I have never got a lease signed that fast. My name is Matt Eastston and I'm the founder of Leasing University. [music] I've worked with thousands of leasing consultants and property managers just like yourself to help them get better, to help them get more leases. I love the way that Matt pushed the leasing professionals to think about how people think. >> I've developed Leasing University just for you. You and I are going to work together virtually from your phone, from your tablet, from your PC. I'm going to be here to coach you every step of the way, 24/7, 365. You and I are going to work to get you better, to help you get those leases. The way [music] people rent apartments is totally different today than it was yesterday. Renters have more access to [music] information than they've ever had before. And they've got more choices than they've ever had before. >> I just got my first deal as a leasing consultant. And I haven't even been in the leasing game in a week. I started on Monday and today is Sunday and I got my first two deals. It really taught me how to go the extra mile and really gave me the why behind the important things that it that you have to do when you are leasing and meeting with people and connecting with them and you know helping them choose their home. >> My name is Kayla and the one thing I like about Leasing University is it teaches you how to do property management and leasing and make the best out of all of it. Everything that you need to know to get better, to hit your occupancy goals, to [music] make more money, to advance your career as a leasing consultant, it's all [music] right here for you at Leasing University.