Customer Support
2020 has been a year unlike any other, but our commitment to support the people and industries we serve remained our top priority. This year, we worked hard to provide you with the tools, resources and insights needed to keep properties operating, develop your teams and best navigate the changing environments in multifamily and commercial real estate.
Here are the top ways we pivoted to meet industry needs this year:
Acquired Kingsley Associates in January
With the acquisition of Kingsley Associates at the start of the year, we brought together the real estate industry’s leading customer insights and benchmark solutions with the industry’s leading talent performance solution. This combination of best-in-class offerings enabled real estate teams to turn customer insights into clear-cut actions that attract and retain residents, retain and grow top talent, elevate property performance and reduce operating risk. In fact, customers who use KingsleySurveys see a 4% increase in resident renewal intention.
“We are rather obsessed with KingsleySurveys and use it to drive focus and change in almost everything we do. If it’s not measured in Kingsley, it must not be that important.” –Brian Ericson, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Wood Partners.
Developed COVID-19 Related Resources
At the onset of the pandemic, we quickly responded by focusing our efforts towards helping you safely navigate and effectively operate your business. As COVID-19 started affecting residents, we delivered timely and relevant data through a set of groundbreaking Resident Sentiment Surveys, conducted in partnership with apartments.com, that helped lower the negative impact on property performance.
We produced 30 COVID-related webinars, created 29 new COVID-related policies and 84 new COVID-related training courses, with over 190k completions to date. We developed and provided valuable tools, actionable insights and guidance in an effort to best support you and your teams.
Introduced Virtual Mystery Shops to Validate
As properties across the nation adapted to new laws, closures and safety procedures, virtual and self-guided property tours became crucial to attracting new residents. We prioritized finding ways to help our customers keep their team’s performance on track and ensure best practices throughout it all.
With the introduction of virtual mystery shops to our Validate product, we supplied the visibility property managers and owners needed to continue improving resident satisfaction and community reputation.
Learn More About Validate Mystery Shopping
Added Easy-Payment Options to Visto
We believe that having easy and affordable career training, growth and advancement opportunities is important, even in times like this. That is why we made sure to find ways to help our customers overcome the economic impact of COVID-19, by adding a number of easy payment options to the Visto storefront, including the option to pay over time with Affirm.
With Visto’s industry-leading online credential and training programs, companies are able to invest in their employees’ career path, develop them into high-performing property management professionals and ultimately, build high-performing properties.
Learn More About Visto Online Training
Sponsored 15 Scholarships in Back to Work Series
Essential multifamily workers have continued their work to keep property operations running, despite the changing environments we have experienced this year. We were honored to be able to recognize their contributions, celebrate them and support their career growth within our industry.
We partnered with SightPlan to deliver a web-based video series titled, Back to Work, with SightPlan CEO Terry Danner. Throughout this journey we met with 15 property management companies across the nation and handed out 15 scholarships to show our true appreciation for all that they do.
“On-site teams are the everyday heroes that keep our industry moving.” –SightPlan
Watch the Back to Work Series Now
Enhanced and Expanded Vision
We developed an entirely new interface and courseware builder for our flagship learning management system. This provided an easier to use, more engaging and rewarding experience for both learners and administrators. And to celebrate these significant improvements, we added a timely moniker to the brand name: Vision2020.
In order to ensure property management professionals were kept up to date on relevant, timely and important information this year, we expanded our Vision Library. New courses include those that help you navigate racial bias, address human trafficking, keep on top of maintenance and stay in compliance with current state and federal laws.
At Grace Hill, we know that people performance drives property performance. As we go into 2021, we will continue improving on ways to best support the industry, our customers and the most important asset of all—your people!
