Pub. 4 2019 Issue 4

6 www.ctaahq.org Continued from page 5 AI technologies already exist that have the potential to revolutionize critical areas of service delivery. Leasing is an obvious example, with companies already testing AI-driven agents that can handle an ever-increasing proportion of leasing activity. e bene ts of having technology handling inquiries, answering questions and booking tours are obvious in a world where prospects increasingly demand instant responses and don’t always want to speak to an operator. When coupled with the possibility of a self-guided tour of the property, leasing starts to look more like the self-serve experiences that we have come to expect and enjoy elsewhere. ink about the process of buying an airline ticket. Not so long ago, you would have needed to talk to an agent to book the ticket and line up to check-in and receive your paper boarding pass. In a few years, booking and check-in have become self-serve, putting the traveler in control while relying less on people to deliver the highly repetitive elements of the process. It’s been a win-win for airlines and their customers. Defining the Property Associate of the Future Forward-thinking apartment operators are already considering the impact that these technologies will have on operations. “ ere are two fundamental questions we have to ask ourselves,” Brewer says. “What’s the optimum sta ng for more technology-enabled properties, and what are the skills that we’re going to need in an era when most people will only reach out to property sta when the technology can’t solve their problem? e need for improved soft skills will go up as the need for administrative skills falls.” is changing technology landscape is one driver that is causing operators to rethink their approaches to developing their onsite teams. Another is the challenging climate for recruitment and retention, another issue highlighted in the 20 for ’20 study. Competition for high-caliber apartment talent has become especially competitive in hot markets such as Washington, D.C., South Florida and Atlanta, where new development continues to rise. Executives at e Bainbridge Companies quickly recognized that to recruit and, more importantly, grow their top-tier talent, they needed to take a radically di erent approach to training and development. Re-focusing Training on Technology “Technology is obviously a key component of onsite job functions along with the daily customer service aspect of leasing and resident relations,” Bainbridge Senior Vice President Dana Caudell says. “And while our training focused heavily on customer service —bringing the new leasing agent or maintenance team member onto the site a day or two after hiring—we saw a tremendous opportunity to optimize our training around technology.” As technology penetrates deeper into functions and service elements that we traditionally associate with service professionals, apartment operators will have to think more creatively about how to staff their properties and how to continually develop that staff.