She fixed Glenmuir in 2020. She took on Stonebridge from 2021 through 2022 and fixed it too. Along the way, this manager earned the title of partner and senior director.
But Michelle Murphy says City Walk at Woodbury is her biggest challenge thus far in her Connor Group career. She arrived at the property on January 2nd, 2023. The occupancy sat at a dismal 50%, and our residents were less than impressed with our customer service.
After 12 months, Michelle led the City Walk team to an impressive 4.08 customer service score and will end the year at 80% physical occupancy. While the journey isn’t over yet, Loop sat down with Michelle to talk through her biggest challenges and wins of 2023 and what it takes to overcome a seemingly “impossible” goal.
Looking back at 2023, what were your top two challenges?
So, number one is the foundation of our house – people. When I arrived at City Walk, my two managers were less than 30 days in, and I didn’t have a stabilized sales or maintenance team. We needed to identify who would be the right fit for the property and establish a team that would get us across the finish line and meet our objectives. We also needed to provide stabilization for our residents. When I walked in, residents would say, “You won’t be around long.” I had confidence in myself and knew I would prove them wrong. But I also knew getting our team stable was key.
My second biggest challenge was white glove and physical facility. I needed quality white glove products. I needed to provide people with a great move-in experience, one that would impact my customer service in the long term. I knew it was going to impact my renewals as well. When I walked in, there was zero white glove product. When you’re 50% occupied and haven’t maintained a team, that’s an entire property. That’s 226 vacant units. Making sure I didn’t rush through the process and did it right was important to me.
What mindset did you need to overcome these challenges?
I was defeated when I arrived because every piece of the house was broken. In good senior director mindset, I think I can fix everything overnight. I needed to believe. I needed the mindset that this was possible, and there’s nothing that can’t be fixed. I also had to get our culture instilled at the property. Our associate’s buy-in and belief would get us across the finish line. Some would say I’m emotional; I often say I’m passionate. However, this year, I needed to separate the two and maintain my emotions on the property to ensure the team stayed bought in and in the mindset that we could do this.
What processes and systems were broken that you needed to fix?
Sales systems were broken. Part of that was just because we had a brand new team. We had to slow down and do it right from the beginning. I made sure we were listening to phone calls and tag-teaming tours and doing it right from the beginning. It was one win at a time. And we needed to celebrate each win just one at a time for the team.
Consistency was key. I missed goals there for my first six months. But what felt great in the end was that we haven’t missed goals for six months now. We didn’t go off the path because I wanted to see a quicker, faster result, which I absolutely could have done. As property managers, we can find a quick way to achieve results, but it doesn’t create long-term success.
What knowledgeable and believable resources helped you along the way?
It’s not a shock for people to hear (partner) Brad Dykes is my number one fan and supporter. I look at things very big picture and I see the end result. All I saw for City Walk was how we would get to 93% occupancy. Brad does a great job of giving me milestones along the way. And his ability to apply situational leadership is fantastic. When I’m standing too close to the tree, he backs me up and gives me the runway to get there.
The other person is partner Courtney Dies. She knew me from Chicago and observed me through Tapestry and Stonebridge. I could pick up the phone and cry, scream and vent all I wanted, and she could redirect me. It allowed me to protect the energy in the office. And it’s important to have those people. When you’re highly competitive, those emotions can take over. Everyone needs to have someone.
What are your two biggest wins of 2023?
Our people. We established a core sales, maintenance, and leadership team. Now, we can stand on our own and support ourselves. I told my team earlier this week that my biggest win was that the people sitting in that room were the same people I sat with in January. I’m extremely proud of the market, and I’m proud to say I am from Minnesota, and we are ending the year at 80% physical occupancy because of it.
Number two would be customer service. The score just came out, and we’ve had our fourth increase of the year, ending at a 4.08. At one point, City Walk was at the bottom of the company. Now, we get to stand tall. That score says a lot.
Advice for others facing adversity now or in 2024?
Find those milestones and benchmarks for your team and celebrate the wins. Also, stay the path and stay consistent. Don’t deviate. It doesn’t work in the long run. And lastly, find your knowledgeable and believable resources, whether they’re within your market or searching for my name on the Loop or anyone else. Find those people you can talk with and talk through any items you need to get back on track.