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Before and After Disaster Strikes: Developing the Emergency Procedures Manual, Fourth Edition is designed to be a guide and resource for real estate managers as they create the emergency procedures plan and develop the emergency procedures manual for the properties they manage.

Designed with an all-hazards approach in mind, this fourth edition walks real estate managers through the necessary considerations when preparing for and reacting to a disaster natural or manmade. The focused chapters provide an in-depth exploration of the hazards posed to residential, commercial, industrial, and medical office properties and how they may be addressed.

Covering more than just natural disasters, this edition provides an extensive look at how to address building emergencies from fires, power outages, or hazardous materials spills, to acts of crime and terrorism.

This new edition also includes a section dedicated to exploring and implementing business continuity practices into your emergency procedures plan, demonstrating the importance of business continuity principles, while also providing concrete considerations for how to implement these practices into your business.

Designed to accompany this book is a set of emergency planning forms, which were assembled by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®) and its industry partners. These forms, accessible online, are provided in an effort to help establish a baseline of preparedness for any property, and may be customized or adapted to fit each application.

Publication Date: 2012
e-Book, 305 pages
ISBN-10: 1-57203-172-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-57203-172-2

There is never a dull moment in the life of a residential manager. From hiring new employees and balancing the budget, to overseeing construction projects and keeping the apartments leased, every day brings a new challenge and a problem to solve. There is no doubt that residential management is a complex and rewarding field.

The Field Guide for Practical Apartment Management provides managers with the tools and expertise necessary to professionally manage the day-to-day aspects of residential properties. It is a comprehensive guide book that will serve as an ongoing reference tool, and provides many forms and checklists for immediate, on-the-job application.

The Field Guide is organized into four parts that cover all aspects of managing multifamily properties.

Part 1: Human Resources and Relationship Management—putting the team together and managing those responsible for the property’s success.

Part 2: Finance—introducing the accounting and budgeting skills needed to meet the owner’s goals and objectives and providing a foundation for making day-to-day operating decisions.

Part 3: Maintenance and Risk Management—reviewing maintenance and risk management plans, as well as the tools and techniques for conducting inspections to protect residents, guests, and the owner’s asset.

Part 4: Marketing and Leasing—identifying appropriate marketing and leasing strategies and practices to find and retain residents.

The Field Guide for Practical Apartment Management is a comprehensive guide to apartment management, drawing upon the knowledge and experience of over a dozen recognized experts in the field.  The Field Guide is a must-read for everyone who manages apartments, whether they are new to the industry or seasoned veterans.

Copyright: 2015
Softcover; 448 pages

ISBN-10: 1-57203-224-3 
ISBN13: 978-1-57203-224-8

If you like this white paper, you may be interested in the other papers on leadership. For additional white papers feel free to access our papers on leadership.

Every management company, regardless of size, needs an established crisis communication plan. You can’t predict when the next crisis will hit, or what it will be about.  But you can be pretty certain that there is a crisis just around the corner.  Whether it is Ebola, an active shooter, blizzard, measles outbreak, or an act of terrorism—something is coming.

A key component to any emergency preparedness plan is a crisis communication plan.  The communication plan identifies how, and what information you need to provide to tenants, the media, the public, and government officials. 

IREM’s new “Crisis Communication” White Paper covers what you need to consider in constructing a plan for use in any situation.  Every crisis comes with its own specific sets of characteristics that ultimately defy prediction, but there are best practices and protocols that lay a groundwork for response when you are communicating to the people who need information.  You can prepare for the unpredictable by adapting the guidelines provided in “Crisis Communication” to your style and your company’s crisis management philosophy.

Copyright: 2015
Format: PDF; 12 pages

There is a critical connection between maintenance and risk management. Maintaining a property in good condition is the first step towards managing risk associated with real estate management. In fact, a good maintenance program minimizes unexpected expenses and ensures the safety of tenants and staff, while attracting and retaining tenants.

Maintenance and Risk Management for the Real Estate Manager can help you develop a first-rate, proactive, and sustainable property maintenance and risk management program by learning the specifics of planning, implementing, and monitoring property maintenance operations. It is designed to be an ongoing reference tool, and provides many forms and checklists for on-the-job application.

With this book, you will learn:

• How to establish a maintenance and risk management program that aligns with the owner’s goals and objectives
• How to develop a property maintenance and risk management policy and procedure manual
• Strategies to minimize physical, security, and environmental risks
• How to speak knowledgeably with maintenance personnel and contractors to ensure proper, proactive maintenance and efficient, cost-effective operation
• How to maintain a sustainable and efficient property
• The importance of transferring risk through insurance, including various insurance coverage types
• How to plan and implement an emergency and disaster program that keeps the property investment viable before, during, and after a disaster

Copyright: 2015
Softcover; 244 pages
ISBN-10: 1-57203-222-7 
ISBN-13: 978-1-57203-222-4

Watch co-author Richard F. Muhlebach, CPM, discuss the book.

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Written by: Lawrence W. Baiamonte, CPM^®; John N. Gallagher, CPM^®; Kenneth Goodacre, CPM^®; Kathleen M. Harmon, CPM^®; ARM^®; Richard F. Muhlebach, CPM^®

Turning around a troubled property ranks among the greatest management challenges that a real estate manager will encounter in their career. While there is no one-size-fits-all template for managing troubled properties or working as a consultant, this Key Report provides solutions and a frame of reference for some of the most common challenges.

Regardless of skill level, real estate managers will find guidance in all key areas when working toward the end goal-turning around a troubled asset. When coming face-to-face with challenges, this report will also help build a comprehensive understanding to evaluate and resolve troubled assets for both residential and commercial property types.

This report also includes in-depth case examples that present scenarios, examine potential problems, and provide solutions for turning around troubled properties, along with the following:

• Economic downturns in relation to troubled properties
• Effective management operations
• Refinancing or restructuring the loan
• Use of vacant space for shopping centers
• Receivership and foreclosure
• Developing an exit strategy

Pub date: 2011
Softcover, 144 pages
ISBN-10 is:1-57203-168-9
ISBN-13 is: 978-157203-168-5

What do you do if you find yourself in an active shooter situation? Unfortunately, active aggressor and other workplace/domestic violence incidents are prevalent. This course will help real estate managers and their staff address risks associated with these incidents to increase tenant and resident safety, minimize business productivity loss, and curb financial impacts. Be prepared and know how to identify signs of potential violence, what to expect if it takes place, and what steps to take in the aftermath.

Topics include:

• History of workplace violence
• Types and definitions of workplace violence
• Impacts on lives, business productivity, and dollars
• Why this is important to real estate managers
• Response methods used by authorities
• Increased preparedness regulations
• Developing a preparedness plan
• Gaining buy-in from ownership and staff
• Obtaining funding for efforts

Learning Objectives:

• The financial impact of a death in the workplace
• OSHA code 5(a)(1) and how you’re legally obligated to prepare for these events
• Key elements to implement that will help your location become a hardened target.

Access to the online course ends when you complete the course or 6 months after registration, whichever comes first.

Cancellation Policy

Do you have safeguards in place on your smart phone, tablet, and laptop to secure your data? Is it safe to use your devices on public Wi-Fi networks? There are many ways attackers can access your private data, and it is important to be aware of known cyber-threats. This one-hour course reviews various threats that target personal devices and shares tips and best practices to secure your devices and data. This course will cover information on topics such as social media, public Wi-Fi, media accounts, VPN, home networks, password vaults, and more!

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Identify various threats that target user devices and data, whether on a home or public network
• Review approaches to minimize risks to your devices and data
• Devise a personal plan to secure devices against know threats

Access to the online course ends when you complete the course or 6 months after registration, whichever comes first.

Cancellation Policy

In this one-hour course, Attorney Kathi Williams and Doug Chasick, CPM from The Fair Housing Institute, Inc. explain the differences between service and support animals and FHA and ADA. They also share best practices about managing requests for specific species, breeds, and number of animals. Additional topics include tips for the workflow of processing and evaluating accommodation requests and what constitutes a “reliable source” for verification of requests. Don't miss this fast-moving course on one of today's hottest topics!

Access to the online course ends when you complete the course or 6 months after registration, whichever comes first.

Cancellation Policy

“Fair Housing and Beyond” is offered jointly by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI).

This exciting course:

• Uses video-delivered scenarios to demonstrate how real-life situations require critical thinking and prudent decision making
• Vividly shows the serious consequences of incorrect responses and provides coaching on how to avoid costly mistakes
• Delivers relevant knowledge of fair housing essentials – practical explanations of how federal, state, and local protected classes and barred discriminatory acts impact property operations

What you will learn:

• The federal protected classes and discrimination
• Statutes that govern protections from discrimination against disability at the federal level
• Fair housing as it relates to property operations

“Fair Housing and Beyond” is appropriate for IREM Members, NAA Members, and others in the housing management industry. Management company executives, property managers, site managers, leasing professionals, maintenance technicians, office administration staff, and vendors all must comply with fair housing law, and would benefit from attending this seminar.

Classroom: The classroom course is 1/2 day, including lunch and breaks. Typical course timeframe is 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Select a specific offering of the course from the dropdown menu above for exact dates and times. The course exam is taken online within 7 days after completing the course; instructions to access the exam are provided during the course.

Access to the online course ends when you complete the course or 6 months after registration, whichever comes first.

Cancellation Policy

Should the answer always be “yes” when an applicant asks for an assistance/emotional support animal? What are employees/agents allowed to ask? What additional information is permissible? What about if you think the animal may be a danger to the community? Participants will learn based on firsthand experience what a reasonable request looks-like and how to evaluate these requests, the difference between ADA and Fair Housing animal regulations, current trends in accommodation requests, as well as some general tips on how to best handle requests submitted with letters from online therapists. These experts help process more than 1,000 applicant/resident requests annually and provide training to dozens of properties and campuses each year. They will share their experiences in the world of assistance animal requests and Fair Housing compliance.

This one-hour course will allow participants to answer the following questions:

• What is a reasonable request and why conforming to guidelines is so important?
• When confirmation is needed and how to ask?
• What is adequate confirmation and who can provide that?
• When is it acceptable to deny accommodation requests for residents who claim to need assistance animals?
• How to best handle requests for potentially dangerous animals?
• What’s the role of forms for documenting requests and how can they be best utilized?

Access to the online course ends when you complete the course or 6 months after registration, whichever comes first.

Cancellation Policy

What would you do if your building caught fire?  Would you be prepared?  How do you know what to expect?  What do you need in place to be ready for this type of event?  During this informative one-hour course, learners will learn firsthand of what a property manager will experience after a fire on their property.  From arriving onsite, to clean up, to communications and dealing with insurance.  Mindy Gronbeck will walk you through her experience with a fire in her corporate mixed-use building.  Property Managers will learn from a fellow CPM, what went right, what went wrong, and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives:

1. How you can be prepared for such an event.
2. Process from the time the fire starts until the building is restored.
3. Best practices in dealing with insurance companies. 

Access to the online course ends when you complete the course or 6 months after registration, whichever comes first.

Cancellation Policy

Maintenance professionals will learn best practices and action steps for running a comprehensive maintenance and risk management program that reduces potential loss and preserves the owner’s investment.

Earning this certificate requires taking an online course and passing a 100-question online exam.

Registration includes:

• Online Maintenance and Risk Management Certificate Course
• Online Course Exam

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Implement a proactive maintenance and risk management plan that reduces risk and meets the owner’s goals
• Prioritize maintenance activities and budgets to accomplish maintenance goals, resolve maintenance issues, and minimize risk
• Ensure proper maintenance and operation of major building mechanicals and systems
• Oversee maintenance activities to determine appropriate staffing, create detailed job specifications, execute proper contracts, and manage contractors’ work
• Identify best practices for transferring risk through insurance and managing the incident response process
• Develop and implement emergency and disaster plans, business continuity plans, and reasonable standards of care

Course Length
The online Maintenance and Risk Management Certificate course takes approximately 4-6 hours to complete, followed by the 100-question online exam.

Access to the online course ends when you complete the course or 6 months after registration, whichever comes first.

Cancellation Policy