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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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Click here to view the table of contents

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

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

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

* Course qualifies for early pricing.
Classroom offerings: Register 30 days or earlier prior to the start date of an eligible course to save $100. Online courses are excluded from early pricing.

Get ready to exceed your client’s expectations. Once you’ve finished this course, you’ll have what it takes to create and oversee quality, proactive maintenance operations that will minimize unexpected expenses and reduce risk. Register today and take your place among the industry’s high level practitioners known for delivering optimum property performance and maximizing value for the owner.

• Make a Plan. Learn to establish, execute and manage a preventive maintenance and risk management program, including budgetary considerations.
• What do you See? Realize the importance of proactive inspections that preserve the owner’s investment, and discover how to implement appropriate risk management strategies that reduce the potential for loss.
• Say What? Explore the ins and outs of major building equipment and systems. Speak knowledgably with maintenance personnel and contractors about how they work, what can go wrong, and guidelines and procedures to ensure proper maintenance and operation.
• The Lowdown on Maintenance Operations Management. Should you use contract workers? What factors should you consider? Learn how to select, manage and oversee the work of contractors. And learn to view your property’s operations from a 30,000-ft. level.

Take this course on its own or together with Budgeting, Cash Flow, and Reporting for Investment Real Estate (FIN402) with the Managing Maintenance & Budgeting Track.

Review the learning objectives of this course.

• Maintenance Forms and Checklists
• Before and After Disaster Strikes, 4th Edition
• Analyzing and Presenting Deep Retrofit Value course series
• IREM White Paper on Property Operations: Crisis Communications

Classroom: The classroom course is 2 days, 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.

Accelerators: Live Webinars

Accelerators: On-Demand

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

Cancellation Policy

7/16/2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT

Presenter: Glenn A. Stout, CISM, GSEC, PMP, PhD

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. Join Glen Stout, as he reviews various threats that target personal devices and shares tips and best practices to secure your devices and data. This session will cover information on topics such as social media, public Wi-Fi, media accounts, VPN, home networks, password vaults, and more!

After attending this session, participants 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

Dr. Glenn A. Stout assists clients in the areas of Risk Assessment, Incident Response Plan Creation & Training, Security Awareness Training, and Information Security Policy creation and provides Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Advisory Services. In addition to his information security experience, Glenn also has a background in software development lifecycles and quality assurance processes. Glenn is equipped with more than 12 years in security, 13 years in quality, and more than 26 years in IT services delivering customer-centric solutions, improving productivity, and redefining processes. Glenn has a Ph.D. in Information Systems with a focus on information security. The approach described in his security–based dissertation was adopted by a 3-billion-dollar company in 2006.

HALOCK is a U.S.-based information security consultancy that is privately owned and operated out of its headquarters in Schaumburg, IL. From mid-sized to the Fortune 100, HALOCK’s clients span a variety of industries including financial services, health care, legal, education, energy, SaaS/cloud, enterprise retail and many others. HALOCK strives to be your security partner, providing both strategic and technical security offerings. HALOCK combines strong leadership, diagnostic capabilities and deep technical expertise with a proven ability to get things done. HALOCK helps clients prioritize and optimize their security investments by applying just the right amount of security to protect critical business assets while satisfying compliance requirements and corporate goals.

As principal authors of CIS Risk Assessment Method (RAM) and board members of The Duty of Care Risk Analysis (DoCRA) Council, HALOCK offers the unique insight to help organizations define their acceptable level of risk and establish “duty of care” for cybersecurity. Through this risk assessment method, businesses can evaluate cyber risk that is clear to legal authorities, regulators, executives, lay people, and security practitioners.

5/29/2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT

Presenter: Eric D. Luskin, CPM®, Aimee B Roby, and Margaret J. Hanson

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 an ADA and Fair Housing animal regulation, 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 will share their experiences in the world of assistance animal requests and Fair Housing compliance.

This session 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 sufficient confirmation and who can provide that?
• Is it acceptable to deny requests for 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?

Eric Luskin is the Senior Vice President Emeritus at The Scion Group LLC. He has worked in the student housing field since 1975, including a combined 27 years managing housing on campus for colleges and universities. Then, after becoming a principal of The Scion Group in 2002, he went on to work as an advisor in more than 150 campus markets throughout the U.S., as well as in Canada, Mexico and the U.K.
Over his career he has been an author and frequent presenter at professional associations on a diverse range of topics, including customer service, new developments, strategic planning and the Fair Housing Act. Eric announced his “semi” retirement in 2016, but still assists Scion with select clients, continues to facilitate campus workshops on Fair Housing, and provides training at all 90 Scion communities on compliance with the FHA.

Mr. Luskin is the recipient of the Dick Daines Memorial Award and the S. Earl Thompson Award, both presented by the Association of College & University Housing Officers-International, and the Michigan Property Manager of the Year Award from the Institute of Real Estate Management. In addition to the Certified Property Manager Emeritus® distinction through IREM, Mr. Luskin is graduate of Wilmington College (Ohio) and of Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

Aimee B. Roby, Staff Attorney with The Scion Group, handles various operational and legal matters for Scion, including Fair Housing matters involving requests for accommodation, with an emphasis on assistance animals. She has completed Fair Housing training courses with IREM and Edge2Learn, and trains Scion community staff regarding Fair Housing best practices. Ms. Roby also handles a variety of legal matters including disputes with residents or vendors, analyzing compliance practices, negotiating pre-litigation matters, and coordinating litigation matters with outside counsel. Ms. Roby holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology from the University of Michigan, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois. She has extensive experience defending personal injury, premises liability and general negligence claims for primary and excess insurance carriers, including defending insurance companies and insured entities in both first and third-party actions in state and federal court.

Margaret J. Hanson, Senior Paralegal for The Scion Group since January 2013, has over 20 years of experience focused on real estate sectors and oversees Scion’s daily legal and operational needs including contract review, entity management, acquisitions and Fair Housing matters. Ms. Hanson has continued her Fair Housing education through a network of seminars as well as Edge 2Learn, IREM and Vendome Group workshops, including: When and How to Verify a Disability, Fair Housing Trends, Fair Housing Fears, Emotional Support Animals: One Dog, Two Dogs, Peacock?, Real Estate Accessibility, and Fair Housing and Beyond, and is an instructor for the Scion community staff regarding Fair Housing best practices. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Illinois State University and Certificate of Distinction in Paralegal Studies from The American Institute of Paralegal Studies.

6/27/2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT

Presenter: Toni Harris, CPM

This session reviews key components of profitable marketing and leasing activities including how to identify and comply with the legal issues involved in multifamily management. Speaker Toni Harris CPM will provide tips and best practices for how to protect the property and avoid the penalties and liability for noncompliance.

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Explain fair housing guidelines throughout the leasing process
• Describe the process of prospect qualification
• Describe the landlord's and tenant's corresponding obligations under landlord-tenant law
• Explain common lease clauses
• List the procedures to follow in the event of delinquent rent payments
• Explain the eviction process
• Identify the methods for collecting past-due payments

Toni Harris CPM ARM is the 2018-2019 Regional Vice President for the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) for Region 3 encompassing chapters in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Harris a Regional Vice President for Avanath Realty’s east-coast multi-family portfolio.

Toni is a 20+ year multi-family industry professional, who started her property management career working for National Housing Partnership (NHP) as a recertification specialist, after eight years of military service. Advancing through her career she has excelled in various positions such as Leasing Manager, Property Manager, Marketing Director and Regional Property Manager.

Toni has earned both her Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) certification and Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation. Locally, she has served in various leadership roles including President of IREM Maryland Chapter 16 and chairperson of the Property Management Association (PMA) education committee. She currently serves as an Executive Committee member of her local IREM Chapter and is on the Board of Directors for PMA of DC.

Passionate about her love of professional development, Harris was responsible for chartering two local Toastmasters Clubs where members improve their public speaking skills. She is currently an instructor for various continuing education courses through the National Apartment Association, and an IREM National Instructor. Toni has received numerous awards throughout her career including CPM of the Year by the IREM Maryland Chapter in 2014.