Wanted: Professional greeter for luxury apartment community. Appropriate candidates will have excellent people skills and a consistently positive, can-do attitude. Must be available to live on-site with property management staff and work days, nights, and weekends. Additional requirements include four legs, a furry coat, and an incessantly wagging tail.
Though the preceding ad was never actually placed, the recruitment of Metro, a West Highland terrier and Forest City Residential's first property mascot at Metro 417 in Los Angeles, was nonetheless 100 percent for real. While traveling in Colorado, Forest City vice president Cindy Wick met a similar canine greeter at a Monaco hotel and thought a live mascot would be an excellent way to prove to customers back in L.A. that Forest City doesn't just “check the box” when it comes to accepting pets—they accept them with open arms.
“We want people to know that we realize how important pets are—that they are part of our families,” Wick says. “If we have a customer that is looking at several of our competitors, what can we show them that is different? If we are going to be pet-friendly then let's have a dog in the building that is a greeter and permanent resident that warms the space up. We are going to be memorable.”
Metro is just one example of how multifamily firms are getting serious about embracing pets as part of a larger amenities, customer service, and sales strategy. And indeed they should: A March 2007 survey by Apartments.com found that 84.4 percent of apartment renters owned a pet. Of those renters, 35.2 percent reported that it was very difficult to find an apartment they liked that also allowed for their furry little loved ones.
PET WHISPERERS “Everyone in L.A. loves pets,” agrees Veronique Ledoux, a property manager at Lincoln Property Co.'s Mozaic Designer Apartments, just up the road from Metro 417. “Owning pets is obviously important to people, and we want everyone to be as happy as they can be.” At Mozaic, Ledoux conducts 20-minute “interviews” with pets and their owners applying to become residents. In addition to gauging the general disposition of the dog or cat, Mozaic managers take a photo of the animal and get a copy of updated vaccination records from a vet. “We obviously do the interviews to make sure that the animals are nice [and] that they are well-mannered, but we are also trying to see if the pet owner has control or if the pet is running the show.”
Pet interviews aren't strictly left coast, either. Both the American Kennel Club and the Humane Society of the United States include a pet interview as part of broader certification programs tailored to approving animals for multifamily living.
“You really just want to give the manager a chance to meet the pet, check its disposition, get a reference from the vet, and take a photo for your files,” says Greg Spezzano, director of marketing at Phoenix-based Alliance Residential Co. He discovered the Humane Society's program at a National Apartment Association conference while working for Lincoln Property Management and has since encouraged its use across Alliance's portfolio.
The kennel club operates 7,000 training centers across the country and is willing to host training sessions at multifamily properties. Key to the group's Canine Good Citizen program is the signing of a “Responsible Dog Owner's Pledge,” which states the owner will be responsible for the dog's health, safety, and quality of life and—property managers take note—will never let the dog infringe on the rights of others. “The pledge specifies what it means to be a responsible dog owner,” explains Canine Good Citizen director Mary Burch, who is also a certified applied animal behaviorist.
“Don't let your dog bark incessantly, clean up after your dog, [and] use a leash in public places,” she advises, noting that failure to do so “will result in dogs no longer being welcome in apartments, condos, and neighborhoods.” “When dogs are not welcome, we all lose,” she says.
RISK V. REWARDS Inviting pet specialists such as the kennel club, the Humane Society, and grooming providers, as well as offering doggy day care, are great ways to promote pet friendliness on-site while also building community and networking with local businesses.
At Metro 417, Forest City Residential hands out “555” maps to new residents showing what services—from dining and shopping to night spots, gyms, and car washes—are available within five blocks, five minutes, or five miles. An additional map for pet owners features pet supply stores, boarding and grooming centers, pet-friendly dining spots, dog parks, and animal behavioral specialists.
“People really are going pet crazy, and we want to know how we can capitalize on that,” Wick says. “So we've partnered with these local vendors. We'll have them at special pet events on site, and we'll do some cross-promotional branding.” One example: The local “Bark Avenue” doggie day care will do pickup and delivery every day for $25 and can even throw in a spa treatment for a stressed-out pooch.
Multifamily operators can also see some bottom-line action by instituting pet-friendly policies. Although the Apartments.com survey revealed that some residents doth protest extra pet deposits, a full 68 percent reported anteing up a modest fee for Fido to move in. At Mozaic, Ledoux and company have had nary a complaint charging a $500 pet deposit and $25 per month in pet rent.
Still, Spezzano suggests segregating pet-friendly buildings by floor to keep both the haves and have-nots satisfied. “Plus, we'll typically get a 15 [percent] to 20 percent premium per door on pet-friendly floors compared to non-pet units,” he says.
Like any property management policy, the success of pet-friendly programs will ultimately hinge on the dedication of on-site personnel. “Your manager has to take control and responsibility of the program and embrace it,” Spezanno says. “If you are lax about it, it can turn around and bite you.”
There certainly haven't been any bites at Metro 417, which Wick credits to mascot Metro's friendly and social disposition, a trait inherent in West Highland terriers and one that Forest City specifically sought during the adoption process.
“Metro has a lot of friends, people that come and give him treats every day,” says Wick, who adds that she is currently adopting dogs for Forest City properties in Oakland, Calif., and Dallas. “He has done everything that we hoped he would do, and while we have not statistically drilled down and asked our residents, ‘Would you have lived somewhere else if our pet policies were not available?,' I suspect they would have.”
Old Dogs, New Tricks
Avoid scratching fleas with this primer in pet-friendly policies:
- Consider pet-specific floors. These areas can help to segregate the animal wants from the want-nots and can also help to realize a premium on pet-friendly units.
- Conduct pet interviews. They can help a property manager determine if an animal and its owner have the skills and disposition to manage themselves and each other. Ask for vaccination records and take a photo for your files.
- Check out local American Kennel Club and Humane Society chapters. Both offer for pet certification, training, and informational sessions that can be held at your property's club house.
- Co-brand with local pet stores and groomers. This helps your residents find the services they need while promoting your policies and branding your community.