Annually, the National Apartment Association (NAA) and NAA Education Institute (NAAEI) are excited to showcase and celebrate Residential Property Management (RPM) Careers Week by acknowledging the hard work and dedication of professionals in the rental housing industry.
As a vehicle to celebrate, NAAEI curates a week-long menu of themed days, exciting challenges and the chance to win prizes. The themes for RPM Careers Week 2024 include “Why I Love my RPM Career” celebrated on Monday, April 15. This theme allows industry professionals who are veterans in their roles or staff who are newer to their roles to highlight and showcase the beauty of working in residential property management. Our 2023 Challenge Winner for “Why I Love my RPM Career,” Tasha Payamps, said the excitement and surprise of what the day may hold was the reason she loves her RPM Career. The variety of people she meets every day varies and it always challenges her to continue to develop her communication and people skills.
April 16 highlights the invaluable and sometimes overlooked skills of maintenance and service professionals. They play a vital and critical role in the upkeep and safety of communities; they ensure properties are in good condition, are safe and secure and they are crucial to the satisfaction of residents. Often, they serve as first responders for residents in scenarios of floods, power outages and other potential safety hazards. Their expertise, knowledge, prompt response and preventative measures not only contribute to the overall well-
being of communities but also protect and enhance property values and make them more than worthy of being celebrated.
The inaugural Apartment Onsite Teams Day was celebrated in August 2020 during the pandemic to recognize professionals doing essential work. This year, we’ll celebrate these onsite teams on Wednesday, April 17. During the pandemic, these employees spent time at properties daily and had to reconceptualize their operations to cater to their residents who were now spending considerably more time than before sheltered in place. NAA has endorsed Apartment Onsite Teams Day as an important day in history for the multifamily community and designated it as one that will continue annually to “give our industry a boost for the grassroots onsite teams, and [help] with the frequent changes we are making in how we run our businesses,” said Rick Graf, 2021 NAA Board Chair.
This year, we are thrilled to introduce two new themed days to the week of celebration: Super Supplier Collaborator—to be celebrated on Thursday, April 18 and Leadership/Support Services—to be celebrated on Friday, April 19. Suppliers are a robust component of the industry, serving as some of the most integral assets for goods and services to support staff and residents.
Rounding out the week is recognition for the leadership and support services staff of member companies and apartment communities that may be referenced as unsung heroes and those that may not traditionally be thought of as contributors to the success of an apartment community. These staff occupy roles in departments such as human resources, information technology, marketing, training and professional development, legal services, finance and research. However, these roles are mutually important for the purposes of hiring and managing qualified employees and handling payroll; taking care of the company’s technology infrastructure – including computer systems, networks, software and data management; developing and implementing promotion strategies to continue to encourage occupancy and advertising about vacancies; and training and promoting professional development for employees to encourage continued awareness and growth.
Industry-wide celebrations for RPM Careers Week will be displayed on social media and in person across the nation, and we want you to help share the love! Throughout the week, be sure to share your photos and shout-outs on social media using the hashtags #RPMCareersWeek and
#APTeamsDay.
Terreline (Shellie) Sims, MS, is NAAEI’s Director, Workforce Development.