Best of Apartment Living
Call to Entry

Best of Apartment Living
CALLING ALL APARTMENT COMMUNITIES!
Registration to open on March 29th, 2021.
Do you think you have what it takes to be the best?
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‘Call to Entry’!
The Best of Apartment Living is a friendly competition amongst apartment communities and management companies in a variety of categories.  The competition is based upon how many apartments your community has and the age of the property.  If your community has been completely rehabbed, you will enter the rehab date upon entry.  A third-party judging firm will judge your community.  All results will be tabulated, and winners are announced at the ‘Best of Apartment Living Awards Program’.  Each region of the state will have a competition and awards program.  In most categories, the property will be ‘mystery shopped’ which simply means you will not know who the judge will be or when they are coming.  The judge will be pretending they are seeking an apartment and judge the community according to the categories entered the contest.  All winners will be announced at the ’Best of Apartment Living’ Awards program.  This is the perfect opportunity to show off your community and prove that you are ‘THE BEST’!

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Community Awards Categories
Leasing, Marketing & Website Engagement Excellence:    $282 per entry
Your community will be judged specifically with how well the property leases apartments.  Judging includes reviewing the property’s website, response to leasing questions via the internet, telephone skills and in-person tour. The judge will review every aspect of the leasing process.  This is a ‘mystery shop’.  Evaluations for this category will take place between April 26th through August 14th. Top three highest scores based upon apartment units and age of property wins!
 
Service Technician Excellence:     $152/per entry
This category is specific to the apartment community’s overall level of care.  Judging includes a scheduled tour of the apartment community, a vacant-ready apartment, care of the amenities, common area, and maintenance programs.  Judges will call the community with a scheduled appointment to tour.  The tours will be scheduled from May 26th – June 30th. Top three highest scores based upon apartment units and age of property wins!
 
Community Overall Excellence:     $100/per entry
The community will be judged based upon the community’s overall appearance and amenities.  This is a ‘mystery shop’ with evaluations taking place between Memorial Day through August 14th.  Top three highest scores based upon the apartment units and age of the property wins!
Property Manager of the Year:      $60/per entry  -  NEW SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To enter in this category, the Property Manager’s community MUST be entered into the above three categories, Leasing, Service, and Overall categories.  The property manager must submit a video. The video submission requires the property manager to answer pre-determined questions set forth and submit an online form.  The form requires additional questions. The combined score from the video submission, online form, and the above three category scores will be added together.  The highest total score across the state wins Property Manager of the Year. 
 
Service Manager of the Year:    $60/per entry   
Entry to this category, the Service Manager’s community MUST be entered into both Service Technician Excellence and the Community Overall Excellence categories to be considered.  The Service Manager will be judged based upon the property’s overall service, production schedule, service request completions, expenses, and preventative maintenance programs. Additional requirements: service manager must submit a video answering pre-determined questions and fill out an online form.  The combination of the video score, online form score and scores of the property’s service technician excellence and overall excellence category will determine the winner.  Highest score across the state will win.
 
Rookie of the Year:     $55/per entry
This award is given to a NEW employee who works at the apartment community.  The employee must be working at the community for 3 – 9 months and is brand new to the industry!  The rookie should be nominated by their immediate supervisor (Property or Service Manager).  The property or service manager must fill out an online form nominating the NEW employee and state why they feel the individual should win Rookie of the Year.  One winner across the state will be awarded.
 
The Green Initiative Award:     $50/per entry
This category is based upon an apartment community’s green initiatives.  The Green Award is awarded to one community in a region and considers all forms of sustainability taking place at the apartment community.  This includes but is not limited to electrical, gas, & water, power for the community.  An online form must be completed to be considered.
 
Management Company of the Year:  $60/per entry
To be considered for Management Company of the Year, the management company must enter in this category to be considered. 
ONE entry per management company.  To be considered, the management company with communities entered in all three (Leasing, Service, Overall) Categories will be considered.  Only the properties entered in all three categories of the competition will be added and averaged. The Management Company who has the highest average score wins Management Company of the Year across the state. 
 
***All apartment communities who enter all three categories; Leasing/Marketing, Service Tech’s, and Overall will automatically be entered to compete for Top 10 Best of Living!  The 10 communities with the highest average scores will be announced.

All winners will be announced at the Best of Apartment Living Awards Program
SAVE THE DATE
Drexelbrook, Drexel Hill PA  - Thursday, September 23rd
AACA Museum, Inc.,  Hershey PA– The Antique Car Museum, Thursday, September 23rd
Location TBA,  Pittsburgh, September 23rd