After 97 move-ins this summer, senior manager Jenein Sous proudly looked back at the last four months. The team at Wheaton 121 successfully positioned our last Chicago property for sale after a whirlwind summer where they collectively refused to fail.
The stat sheets show the evidence in black and white. Our Wheaton team did not miss a goal over the last four months. They were flawless in delivering traffic, approved rental and renewal goals. They also didn’t miss a beat on turns, completing 91.
“We all worked so well together. It’s simple, we’re committed and bought in,” Jenein said. “Back in May, our occupancy dropped to 87%, and we needed to get that back. We stayed focused daily.”
With their sights set on delivering sales goals, Jenein knew she needed to prioritize customer service. Leading from the front, Jenein scheduled customer service time twice per day. The result was a 3.94 customer survey this summer, the second highest in the company.
“That score told me that everybody was doing the right things. My team knows all of our residents by name. It’s a good feeling when you are walking the property and can say hello to a resident and acknowledge them by name,” Jenein said. “It’s important to us.”
In June alone, the team completed 42 move-ins, something Jenein said wouldn’t have been possible without sales lead Alli Smith and manager in training Bianca Cantagallo. Their buy-in to our systems and processes kept the experience at an 8.5. Francisco Martinez took ownership of turns, making final touch-ups at 5 a.m. some mornings to deliver quality white glove product.
That same month, the team faced three major obstacles – a balcony repair project, a leaking boiler and a pool closure. And while those items could have knocked them off track, they overcame each problem, focusing on solutions.
“Everyone there, whether it’s Jenein, Alli, Bianca, Francisco, Freddy Martinez, George Martinez, or Moises Crespo, they all take such pride and personal responsibility in the property as a whole,” said partner and senior vice president Brad Dykes. “When you have that much pride and personal investment, it’s hard to fail. Jenein has done a great job creating that culture in Chicago.”
With the support of the Central Office, Jenein kept her plan to deliver the property’s revenue target on track. By the end of August, they achieved 95% economic occupancy. Now, she’s excited to learn if potential buyers will meet our asking price this fall.
“Selling Wheaton is bittersweet,” Jenein said. “Chicago’s been my home my entire life. I’m nervous but also excited about what’s next. I just started my personal development plan, and I know my future at The Connor Group is very bright.”
There are no guarantees Wheaton will sell this year. As the market is volatile, we will remain disciplined and only sell for the right price.
“We’re not going to take a discount. We’ll be disciplined. The good news is we only buy deals we’re happy to own long-term,” said partner and director of analytics Tyler Oberly. “It’s one of the key things we focus on the acquisition front.”
We will know more about Wheaton’s 121’s future in October.