MIAMI—This month, Lloyd Jones Multifamily Management, the property management division within Lloyd Jones LLC, launched its newest corporate giving program, Lloyd Jones Living.

Through Lloyd Jones Living, the firm’s property management teams nationwide will plan and host quarterly themed acts of community service or giving. Events include volunteering at a food bank during Thanksgiving, hosting a back-to-school backpack drive for their young residents, or a spring beach cleanup day to benefit local marine life. On-site teams receive marketing and PR support from Lloyd Jones’ corporate marketing team.

“Our on-site teams have long been passionate about serving their local communities,” said Mandy Doucet, EVP for Lloyd Jones Multifamily Management. “Lloyd Jones Living provides structure and support to help their philanthropic efforts reach further.”
Lloyd Jones Living was created with the company’s mission in mind: providing quality housing that makes lives better. “As we improve the lives of our residents and our local communities at large, we create environments where people truly want to live. That’s also a benefit for our investors and owners,” explained Doucet.

With the holiday season approaching, the theme of the program’s premiere quarter is appropriately titled, “Making Spirits Bright”. On-site teams are currently planning their Thanksgiving or holiday themed events and activities to bring cheer to their local communities.

To learn more about the Lloyd Jones Living program, visit https://www.ljasl.wpengine.com/divisions/lloydjonesliving/.

About Lloyd Jones LLC
Lloyd Jones, LLC is a real estate investment and development firm with 40 years in the industry under the continuous direction of Chairman/CEO, Christopher Finlay. Based in Miami, the firm has divisions in multifamily investment, development, management, and senior living. Its investment partners include institutions, private investors, and its own principals.
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Waters Edge at Harbison in Columbia, SC is a 204-unit garden-style apartment community acquired by Lloyd Jones in 2016.

The Columbia multifamily market as a whole suffered a challenging period in summer 2017, when one of the area’s largest employers, V.C. Summer, suddenly shut down production of its nuclear power facility. More than 5,000 local jobs were lost virtually overnight.

Nearly three years later, Waters Edge has come back stronger than ever—and even six months into the pandemic is currently pre-leased at 99.02%. Forward-thinking approaches, exceptional customer service and innovative technology have all contributed to the community’s success.

Waters Edge offers flexible deposit options: the standard security deposit, to be refunded at the end of the lease; $125 non-refundable deposit; and for those renters who don’t qualify due to a low credit score or inadequate rental history, Liberty Rent—a provider of rental guarantee contracts—which acts as a guarantor for their first year of rent. “Helping all applicants become paying residents, especially those who need a second chance, has definitely contributed to our high occupancy, despite the financial impact of COVID-19,” said Joei Lemacks, business manager at Waters Edge. “And because we know that building a credit score is one of the most important tools to personal financial health, we also offer RentPlus, a service that reports their rent to credit agencies. We even had one resident who increased her credit score enough to become a homebuyer.”

Other factors that helped Waters Edge gain a competitive edge this year were shifting to self-guided tours almost immediately, and purchasing electrostatic sprayers, which allows for quicker, more complete sanitizing of public areas and amenities. “Implementing these procedures helped give us more time to focus on leasing,” said Joei. “We also added the Knock CRM, a leasing tool that enables our team to respond and follow up on inquiries from prospective residents more quickly.”

Personally connecting with residents, whether at lease renewal time or working through challenging times, is another area where Waters Edge excels. Earlier this year, in anticipation of residents who may be faced with financial struggles due to job loss or furloughs, the staff recorded personal video messages for the residents, asking them to reach out to the office if they expected difficulty in paying their rent. “It was a sincere touch that I think went a long way to let our residents know we genuinely care about them, versus simply sending an email reminder about rent being due,” said Joei.

Waters Edge prides itself on exceptional customer service, which contributes to a high renewal rate among residents. “We have an outstanding team in place at Waters Edge,” said Mandy Doucet, executive vice president of property management for Lloyd Jones, LLC.

“Everything we do reflects the Lloyd Jones core values of Passion, Compassion and Optimism, and it shows in our work, our attitudes, and how we interact with our residents. And it’s putting these principles in action that ultimately benefits our investors.”

On August 12, 2020, Lloyd Jones Multifamily Management communities across the country celebrated Apartment Onsite Teams Day. The holiday, created by the National Apartment Association (NAA), was designed to honor the dedication and sacrifice that property management teams have made to keep our communities running smoothly and our residents safe during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

“The apartment industry does not stop in a crisis,” said Mandy Doucet, EVP/COO of Lloyd Jones Multifamily Management. “Lloyd Jones’ onsite team members have worked tirelessly since the onset of the pandemic to maintain occupancy through virtual leasing efforts, collect rent by working one-on-one with residents struggling with financial difficulties due to COVID-19, and uphold a positive attitude despite these new challenges, all the while keeping residents safe and informed.”

Lloyd Jones was pleased to participate in NAA’s Apartment Onsite Teams Day alongside property management firms across the U.S. The company encouraged property management staff to share photos of their teams on their communities’ social media pages using the campaign’s hashtag, #APTeamsDay.

The Lloyd Jones’ property management teams’ core values are Passion, Compassion, and Optimism. Careers in property management require a servant’s heart, as our role is to provide quality housing to all our residents.

Volunteering is just one way our staff shows their compassion for others, and we love hearing stories of our onsite teams taking the initiative to give back to their community.

Ventura Pointe Apartments in Pembroke Pines, FL recently spent the morning volunteering at Feeding South Florida, the leading nonprofit food bank in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Ventura Pointe’s front office and maintenance teams helped pack boxes for local food deliveries as part of their community service efforts.

“I truly feel like giving is actually receiving,” said Erin Balta, Business Manager of Ventura Pointe. Erin added that she hopes to pair up with another nearby Lloyd Jones property, Shamrock of Sunrise, for their next volunteer outing.

MIAMI, FL – Lloyd Jones, a multifamily investment firm based in Miami, has purchased the luxury Pembroke Pines property, Ventura Pointe.

The 206-unit apartment community, built in 2018, has a state-of-the-art gym, clubhouse, pool, pet park, and outdoor recreation area. Furthermore, it is adjacent to the 301-bed Memorial Hospital Pembroke and has excellent access to nearby retail and entertainment.

Christopher Finlay, CEO/Chairman of Lloyd Jones, says he is thrilled to expand the firm’s footprint in South Florida, a region that has seen explosive job and population growth in the past few years.

“I am excited to grow our South Florida portfolio. We have seen tremendous growth in the area, and we are happy to be able to offer a new, Class A property to support the growing population,” says Finlay.
Lloyd Jones is a real estate investment and development firm with 40 years in the industry under the continuous direction of Chairman/CEO, Christopher Finlay. Based in Miami, the firm has divisions in multifamily investment, development, management, and senior living. Its investment partners include institutions, private investors, and its own principals.

Link: https://www.multifamilybiz.com/news/9005/multifamily_investment_firm_acquires_ventura_point…

By executing a value-add strategy, many investors have been able to increase returns on their multifamily investments. Value-add investments generally target assets that have existing cash flow, but also offer the upside potential of increasing that cash flow through repositioning and implementing improvements to the property. As a result, the property can command higher rents, attract quality tenants, increase tenant satisfaction/retention as well as increase operating efficiencies.

According to the Yardi Matrix report, U.S. multifamily rents grew 3.2% year-over-year from May 2018 to May 2019. Multifamily operators typically increase rents, but in addition they can achieve an even higher rent premium in assets that have room for improvements.

In multifamily real estate, there are many ways an operator can reposition the property and create value. These includes adding value in the form of interior renovations, exterior improvements to the property, and amenities to achieve higher marketability and resident comfort. Strategic improvements can turn an under-performing asset into a high-performing asset. Such enhancements include interior unit renovations with upgraded appliances, cabinets, flooring, lighting and plumbing fixtures, depending upon the market and level of upgrades warranted. Upgraded community amenities often include an expanded fitness center, outdoor entertainment areas , and clubhouse modernization. Once the operator has successfully executed the value-add program, the property should yield a rent premium in addition to the standard rent growth in the market. Successful value-add opportunities offer cash flow throughout the hold period and capital appreciation at sale.

Lloyd Jones’ top three recommendations can be grouped into: interior renovations, curb appeal, and upgraded amenities
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1. Interior renovations: Upgrading the units themselves typically involves new cabinetry or appliances and perhaps better flooring. This adds value while aiding in keeping turnover low because these changes directly enhance the quality of life of each resident. At the same time, these energy efficient, maintenance-reducing improvements often decrease the operating expenses of the property.

2. Curb appeal: Not only could improving the landscape of the building please the tenants, but it is likely to catch the attention of potential new residents as well.

3. Upgraded amenities: This can result from enhancing existing amenities such as pools or gyms, or creating new amenities like a dog park or Amazon package locker system. Such changes will offer residents benefits that are typically difficult to access in other types of housing.

Renters often oppose rent hikes. They have many choices in multifamily housing so it is crucial for operators to implement strategies that provide unique or in-demand amenities for which residents are willing to pay premium rents. Without resident satisfaction, there are no fruitful yields for the investment.