Earlier this year, winter storm “Jonas” dumped over two feet of snow on parts of Maryland. It was the worst storm in the state’s history, and certainly the worst one A&G Management Company President Shellye Attman Gilden, VP Wende Attman Levitas and their onsite teams had ever worked through.

A&G owns and manages 13 apartment and townhouse communities with over 3,000 units, all located in the affected areas. They needed to disperse maintenance crews, inspect and repair properties, coordinate services and — above all — make sure their residents and employees were safe.

“It was a difficult and stressful time,” Wende said. “We personally went to check on every community to make sure everyone was OK and to see what needed to be done and repaired.”

A&G has made it a point to engage with residents and prospective renters through every avenue from snail mail to social media. In fact, the company responds to each comment, good or bad, on all channels, which includes their blog and Facebook. That, as it turned out, would be essential during the snowstorm.

“We updated the residents on our progress, and listened and responded to their comments and concerns,” Shellye said.

The storm-related posts on Facebook and the company’s blog had over 50 comments and an equal number of responses — everything from residents alerting the team about parking issues to praise for the maintenance staff.

“Overall, the residents were happy and felt taken care of,” Shellye added. “Trust is incredibly important in our business, and so is building and keeping that trust. It is an important part of our company's culture that we promote each and every day.”

Treat your residents like family         

That level of personalized customer service is just one of the many reasons residents stay in A&G properties. But the management team at A&G comes by it naturally. Shellye and Wende are sisters. The company was founded by their father, Leonard J. Attman, nearly 50 years ago. It’s been in the family ever since.

There are a number of other family members at the company, and Leonard remains active as CEO and chairman of the board.

“I feel so fortunate,' Shellye said about her working environment. “My father comes to work every day. I try and make him proud.”

Maintaining a family-owned company of this size for three generations is relatively rare in today’s multifamily industry. Many small to mid-size players are bought by larger owners or investors.

“A&G has stayed true to our mission and never sold,” Shellye said. “We’ve kept it close while treating our residents like family.”

That family culture is infused into every part of the organization, from leasing to management, and from marketing to maintenance. Many of those not in the family feel like family and have served long tenures at the firm. It’s the sort of place where the management team walks the properties regularly, not just in a crisis.

The focus is on keeping residents safe, listened to, responded to, respected, happy and comfortable in their apartment homes. This has typically translated into residents staying at A&G communities long-term.

For the past five years, A&G has had a 78-80 percent retention rate, well above the national average. Some residents have lived in an A&G apartment or townhome for over 30 years.

Residents who feel a community connection typically stay longer. Wende noted that A&G has programming at each property to encourage this, and she believes it contributes significantly to their high retention rate.

Another reason for the long stays is the quality of A&G's maintenance crews, which are highly regarded. Additionally, leasing and management offices are located on each property, so there is always a person on-site.

“There is a face attached to every name and someone will always get back to you,” she added. “It's very personal.”

“Not your grandma’s apartments”

A&G understands there is a deep need for quality housing at affordable prices. The company goes to great lengths to research their markets and the needs of their consumers. “Our apartments are in suburban areas,” Shellye said. “We understand our markets and what our consumers want. We are proud to say we are the best at doing what we do.'

But, Shellye is quick to emphasize, “They’re not your grandma’s apartments.”

That’s one of the benefits of being an owner/manager at that scale. Apartment homes are kept current with the latest features and standards. Community amenities get the same treatment.

“We don’t need to ask 'headquarters' in some far away city or state, because our headquarters is right here,” Shellye said. “We make renovations as needed. We can move quickly and update our products with the times.”

Nurturing the next generation

The focus on caring for residents is a value that has been passed down through the Attman generations. Shellye remembers being on-site as early as age 5. Her father built the apartments and the company. But it’s her responsibility to take that legacy into the future by embracing technology and research while preserving A&G’s family values and commitment to customer service.

“Today, there are more renters than ever,” she said. “When I grew up, everyone wanted a house. Apartment living is thought of differently today. More people are renting our apartments for longer periods of time. The millennials follow their work, and the baby boomers move back to be closer to their grandchildren. It is our goal to be sure everyone can get what they want out of our apartment products and their communities.”

Currently, A&G uses an outside company to help with their digital marketing needs. They use a mix of social media (mostly Facebook), SEM, SEO, digital advertising and other more traditional methods like newsletters and referral programs. They are working on a new website due to launch before Thanksgiving.

“It’s not just one thing with marketing,” Shellye said. “It’s the cumulative effect of everything working in sync that makes it successful.'

That’s an evolution in A&G’s approach. In the past, Shellye would try something and then evaluate it on its own — not as part of an integrated mix.

“If it didn’t work, we were on to the next thing,” she said.

But, that wasn’t giving her the results she and her team desired.

Now, she says, “We keep building on what we have learned and try new things along with it. We’re growing. We have eyes toward the future.'