With one of the most competitive rental markets in America, San Francisco can seem overwhelming to its many newcomers. But Claire Eberts, community manager and senior sales leader for AVA Nob Hill, a 185-unit, two-building apartment community owned by Avalon Bay, is trying to change that for her residents. With the help of her onsite team, Claire is committed to creating a sense of home at her eclectic community.

Claire calls her resident mix “true San Fran.” The apartment community is located in the Nob Hill neighborhood, in close proximity to art schools and the financial district, so students, young professionals and even a few families call AVA Nob Hill home. Nearly two-thirds of them are transplants. A number of those are international.

Between Claire and her two-person onsite team, practically everything at her community is customized, personalized or DIY’d – all with the goal of creating a genuine sense of home and empowering her residents to live like they want.

Making home personal

“Live Like You Want.” It’s more than a motto, it’s an “anthem,” infused into everything Claire and her team does, from personalized property tours based on the potential residents’ interests to the welcome packets curated for someone new to town.

“With the AVA brand, we really want people to ‘live like you want,’” she said. “We encourage people to paint walls, put up curtain rods, mount their TV if they want to.”

Claire’s team even lends tool kits from the leasing office so residents can mount shelves or hang artwork.

Claire is mindful that the majority of residents at AVA Nob Hill are new to town. Upon arrival, a new resident is introduced to the entire team, including the maintenance staff. They receive a move-in packet with the usual information about the property — plus a pack of chalk for their chalkboard wall, a feature of every apartment home. The kit also includes some items specific to the neighborhood and San Francisco.

“We give them information about Uber and Lyft, in case they haven’t used it before, and a $20 credit if they use our code,” she said. “We let them know where to get groceries, a bus pass, where to grab a quick bite to eat and a beer. We value their time and are focused on fully orientating them to the community.”

Claire and her team also make a point to know their residents by name. The buildings are designed with only one pedestrian entrance in and out, and it goes right through the leasing office — what the onsite team calls “the perch.”

“They have to see us, so we know our residents by name. We know their family members’ names, their dog’s name and their dog walker’s name.”

Creatively crafting a community

The perch is also home to the community’s giant chalk-art calendar, which is famous among the local art students. It takes one of the leasing agents about an hour to create and is updated monthly. It showcases resident events along with interesting happenings around the city.

“We make sure residents know about upcoming events,” Claire said. “The calendar connects the residents to the city and each other.”

With grills, a heating lamp and plenty of seating, the courtyard that connects the two AVA Nob Hill buildings is the backdrop for a number of creative, hip and fun events Claire and her team put on for residents.

Barbecues (such as “Meat Maintenance”), ice cream socials, happy hours (and “yappy hours” for the pet lovers out there), pumpkin carving, and wine and painting are among the many activities at AVA Nob Hill designed to nurture a sense of belonging. That, says Claire, helps with resident happiness and retention.

“So many of our residents are new to the area. Events give our residents a chance to meet each other, and they look forward to them each month.”

People who call their neighbors friends are more likely to renew their leases, which is evidenced by her outstanding 2014 performance results: a 6.1 percent renewal increase and 47.8 percent retention rate for 2014 in the insanely intense San Francisco market.

The AVA Nob Hill team also encourages their creative community on a larger scale by providing a workshop space where residents do everything from refinishing a dresser or building a bookshelf to working on arts and crafts projects.

“We want it to be a functional space and their space,” she added.

Empowering her team to “be great”

In addition to encouraging her residents to customize their living space and lifestyle, Claire is highly focused on empowering and growing her onsite team so they can take care of their residents and take charge of their careers. Claire understands both sets of needs. She’s a transplant herself.

A few years ago, Claire took an interview and went from managing a Starbucks in Columbus, Ohio, to managing AVA Nob Hill, a large apartment community in the heart of one of the fastest-growing cities in America.

Many of the skills were transferable, she said, like managing a profit and loss statement, budget control and high-touch customer service. Claire is transparent with her team and often has them sit in on pricing calls or shadow renewal conversations. They practice having difficult conversations and role play, and they recently took on the marketing plan and budget for the remainder of the year.

While Claire is ultimately responsible for the entire sales and marketing process, including the property’s social media channels (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), she wants her team to “be great and know they are empowered to take care of something if it arises.”

Recently, a resident had a medical emergency and was hospitalized. After he came home, Claire’s team member, no questions asked, ran across the street and bought him Gatorade and water and took it to his apartment.

“I make sure they know that they are empowered to take care of our residents – that’s the big thing,” said Claire. “If it’s the right thing to do, I’m not going to ask any questions.”