Remember MySpace? Sheri Killingsworth, vice president of marketing and communications at Lincoln Property Company, sure does. She set up a community’s MySpace page when she was a regional marketing director for Lincoln, and at the time, “that was cutting edge,” she said.

Now, it’s a Facebook page for every community. Profiles on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest are table stakes. Every one of the 400+ communities in Lincoln’s management portfolio has its own set of social channels that match each property’s unique brand (yes, over 400). It’s what the company’s residents and prospects expect.

“Now there is an expectation that you can reach any target audience whenever they are having one of those micro moments — when they want to know how to do something, go somewhere or buy something. We try to put ourselves into view whenever renters are having any of those moments. That’s the goal.”

Of course, resident expectations go far beyond social media; keeping up with — and then going above and well beyond expectations of all sorts — is what makes Sheri and Lincoln Property Company #RenterProud™.

“When our residents live at a Lincoln community, we want it to feel different,” Sheri said. “That’s everything from our resident services program to online rent payment. If they’re having any issue, no matter if it’s trying to get a key to their mother-in-law or having a medication delivered after the office is closed and they are out of town, we go above and beyond to help make their lives easier and more enjoyable. We want to give them a real sense of community and create a lifestyle that is welcoming so they feel connected to the space and to other residents.”

Sheri began her career at Lincoln right out of college as a leasing associate. Now, 16 years later, she’s in charge of all national marketing initiatives for the country’s second largest apartment manager. It’s as if she “has grown up with Lincoln,” she said. She spent nine years as a regional marketing manager, and it was during those years that she learned the most and fell in love with the industry — and her company.

“It’s kind of an industry joke that you can try and get out, but you’ll always come back,” she shared of her tenure. “It’s the people. It feels like a family. You’re caring for residents, and you’re caring for employees. It’s something bigger than yourself.”

She continued, “Our company culture follows our tagline: ‘A company for people, a company about people.’ And, it really is. Lincoln promotes from within. We focus a lot on our employees. If we have happy employees, we’ll have happy residents. Being a leasing associate is an emotional position. You’re dealing with people’s lives and homes, and they are very passionate about that. You have to have compassion, but still make smart business decisions. We have employees who treat everyone with respect and kindness. We draw from the knowledge of being onsite. It’s just our culture — we’re all about people.”

Sheri’s dedication to creating a welcoming, people-focused environment for residents and employees hasn’t changed over the course of her career — but renters and their preferences have changed significantly. Technology has been a big driver of that.

“If the renter isn’t happy, they’ll leave. And they now have a platform, a megaphone, with Yelp and ApartmentRatings, where they can spread their opinion, especially if it’s not a great one. That’s such an influencer when determining where to live. If your residents aren’t happy, then your business is going to suffer.”

To Sheri, going above and beyond and being #RenterProud go hand in hand. It all comes down to making residents happy.

“We are in a time when people are apartment renters by choice,” she said. “They want that experience. They want the services. They want the events, the location. They choose to rent in these beautiful buildings from our amazing people. They are proud to have that apartment and to have that lifestyle. That level of happiness in your home makes a difference.”