Better Curb Appeal

Do You See What I See?
What is your prospect seeing when he drives down the street?
If it is all flags, then guess what? Do flowers -- lots of them! Paint your curbs white, plant all of that color and they will pull in! Draw the prospect's eye away from the norm! The eye will follow where you lead it. Lead it to your front door! It works amazingly well!

Color Check!
Look to see how many colors you are displaying out front. Your flowers, flags, amenity signs, and EVERYTHING need to match your main identity sign, which should match your building. When things are thrown together without a cohesive color scheme, it can KILL your curb appeal!

Facades
Facades are a cost-effective way to improve a really dated building. You can do a little or a lot. Try adding shutters to brick to warm it up. Imagine adding black awnings to a drab taupe building. The beauty is that you only need to do it on the street side. Small things like just painting the stairwells a different color can instantly update the look. If your building has a flat roof and you want a pitched roof look, add a facade! Add a small white picket fence around the office to create a cottage look! Add a couple of window boxes full of flowers and you have a whole new feel to the front of your property.

Signage
Some of you would be better off if the sign wasn't even there! It is SO dated and poorly maintained. I promise you - the first thought that goes through a prospect's mind after seeing your sign is how depressed they are that this is all they can afford. That ugly sign can cheapen your entire community. Don't even think about spending thousands of dollars on landscaping if you are going to display that horrible sign! I have taken down main ID signs before and the curb appeal instantly improved! Some of your signs are the curb appeal problem! Wake up! What is the one thing the prospect is going to look at? Yeah - The main ID sign, to see if they have arrived at the correct place to see their new home. What image is your sign projecting? That sign is a billboard for your property. It is the single most important item to consider after the building itself has been addressed. There are a lot of new faux materials on the market for signs enabling the designers to do amazing work. Check out www. innovativesigngroup.com for some cool ideas!

What about adding custom amenity signs that match your main ID signs? You can order them to look like boulders with sandblasted amenities on the rock! They are awesome! And - they make you look!

Have you seen the new Door numbers that also serve as a mail slot? I have seen properties transformed by just painting the front doors a different color and add a new updated door number! You just updated your property and improved the overall value of the property!

About The Author
Cathy Otterbine began her experience in the apartment industry over 25 years ago as a leasing consultant on-site for 810 units. She knew she had found her niche when she was awarded the top leasing award for 435 leases her first eleven months. She progressed through the ranks to become a marketing and training director, which eventually led to running a management company.

Her vast knowledge coupled with her electrifying delivery has made her an industry favorite. She currently features over 50 topics covering every position from porter to president. Her unique combination of sophistication and humor makes every seminar packed with knowledge and practical ideas while you laugh and relate to her real life experiences.

Her wide range of experience in both Marketing and Operations makes for a very savvy lady. Her ability to read the market and develop "exactly" what this industry needs "when" it needs it makes her one to always watch!
Cathy offers both consulting and private seminars for management companies nationwide. You don't want to miss this electrifying speaker. To schedule Cathy for your next event call her @ 949-677-6181 or visit her website at www.cathyotterbine.com.

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