When we interview people for a position at Real Estate Solutions, part of our process involves asking the interviewee to define some key words:
-Integrity
-Elite
-Professionalism
-Competent
The interviewees definitions of these key words speaks volumes about who they are. Their definitions to those words are a way for us to pull back the curtain and see who they really are and what they think about.
We know people can be nervous in interviews, and that’s generally a good thing. We certainly want people who want a career at RES. But for people who value those words: integrity, elite, professionalism, competent – something interesting happens during the interview when you ask them to define those words. They relax.
We think it’s because despite the nerves associated with interviewing and despite wanting a career at our company, when we mention those words to the right people, they suddenly realize we are speaking the same language. When you have someone across the table from you who internalizes and values these 4 words as much as we do at RES, well, the interview is pretty much over at that point. They’re getting the job.
Here’s how we – at RES – define these words in the context of our mission:
Integrity: Doing what is right, when no one is looking. This basically sums up [good] property management. It’s the primary value at this company. We will do what’s right for our client 100% of the time, whether or not the client ever knows. This includes activity ranging from arguing with vendors over invoices we do not deem reasonable, or going above and beyond for a last minute – or even after-hours showing in the hopes that we can rent our client’s property, to ensuring that our move-in and move-out documentation is unparalleled and that our client is not paying for damage caused by tenants. Integrity in our world is a lot of the behind-the-scenes work we do, to ensure our clients have the most profitable rental property possible.
Elite: We hold ourselves to the highest standard in the industry. We strive to be better than any other management company out there, in every measurable way. 
When we post an open position at our company, we typically get 300-500 applications for that position. Of those applications, we have usually 20 or so email conversations and maybe 10 phone interviews. Usually 3-5 in-person interviews and then 1 person is hired. That one person already stands out from the crowd, but they also then get months of intensive training at Real Estate Solutions. They learn everything from our proprietary business model to our advanced systems, to our company culture an
d client-service mindset. We do not settle for less than Elite at Real Estate Solutions.
Professionalism: We see this as being poised, articulate and an excellent communicator. One who maintains a level-head, even in the most stressful of situations. The consummate professional at Real Estate Solutions is always looking forward, always pushing themselves to be better and to make the Team better.
Competent: Simply put, competence is “knowing your stuff.” In our world, the definition of “stuff” includes an enormous amount of data and and incredible skill-set. To be competent at RES, you must know: all our contracts, inside and out – the rental application, the lease, the property management agreement. You’ve gotta know everything about our process, procedure and checklists – renewal/move out checklists, leasing checklists, new listing checklist and countless others. You’ve gotta be a master with all of our technology and SaS (Software as a Service) that we use to run our company: Propertyware, Drive, Gmail, Slack, DocScanner, Google maps (with multiple via points and tight schedules), Adobe Reader, remote signature services and on and on. You’ve gotta be nearly an IT pro to work in our 
offices – you have to be able to master having 20 unique internet tabs up at once – and know what’s on them and where they are – while answering phones and responding to emails and scheduling field appointments. In the field you’ve gotta be an excellent driver, keeping track of where you’re going, what you’re doing there, how long you have, what data to acquire, where to post additional data, lockbox and key codes and communicating everything in real-time to the office. So competence in our world requires people who can think fast, act fast and of course, with a high level of attention to detail and precision.
So there you go – that’s all it takes to be an Elite Team Member at RES!
