A letter from IREM President Libby Ekre, CPM®

As property managers, we are facing many challenges right now, but we are a group that is used to moving past obstacles and getting things done. Making better choices is often the result of getting the right information at the right time.

In this issue, we have gathered insights from several sources about how you can adjust your marketing to generate the results you want, whether that’s around vacancies or staff recruitment.

In “Marketing magic,” experts share how taking a slightly different approach to your marketing can bring in new talent or attract prospective tenants. Changes could include optimizing your social media messaging to appeal to a younger demographic or balancing in-house and outsourced content creation to respond to shifting requirements. Look for tips that will make your message stand out in a crowded media field.

Finding the time to boost your marketing might become easier if you’re able to take some low-level tasks off your desk. One way to do that will increasingly be by using AI. In “Tool of the trade,” we look at the ways that AI and large-language models can be used to help property managers do everything from collect rent and manage maintenance calls to run security and predict system service needs. Once those tasks are under control, an AI assistant can supplement your tenant communications and streamline lead generation. As more AI-backed tools become available, savvy property managers will educate themselves on the most useful ways to deploy them.

Speaking of education, this issue also highlights recent activities by the IREM chapters in Chicago and North Carolina supporting up-and-coming property managers in the IREM Foundation column. Both chapters have granted scholarships to deserving individuals, giving them the backing they need to pursue CPM^®, ARM^®, and ACoM^® certifications and laying the groundwork for successful careers. The chapters are also actively reaching out to students and young professionals to bring them into the networks that can support them throughout their time as property management professionals. Seeing how chapters develop and carry through on these homegrown initiatives reinforces our strengths as a community.

In our Government Affairs column, Gwen Volk, CPM^®, takes a close look at the slow rollout of regulations and guidance related to the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) and the impact on all stakeholders involved with affordable housing.

And, finally, we honor the memory of Malcolm “Mac” Bates, CPM^®, who passed away this spring. Bates served as the 1995 IREM President and held several other vital positions in IREM leadership. He was very committed to the organization and to enhancing the role of property managers in their careers and in their communities. Here, in the space devoted to the President’s letter, he spoke to the membership about causes big and small. His vision—and joy—for IREM was evident in the work he did for the IREM Foundation and in his 20 years as Past President.