March marked the unofficial four-year anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United States. It was on March 11, 2020, that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, closing schools, churches, workplaces, and pretty much everything beyond whatever was defined as essential. Since that time, we’ve seen how the pandemic reshaped the way we live. Not only is the death toll from COVID-19 approaching 30 million people worldwide, but the isolation many experienced during this crisis caused a surge in mental illness, alcoholism, drug use, and crime. Remote work becam ..read more

Libby Ekre, CPM® Spring is upon us, and with it comes lots of tending to get our properties ready for warmer weather when the first flowers emerge and outdoor amenities start getting more use. It’s also a good time to evaluate existing amenities to make sure you’re giving your customers exactly what they want. Can unused office space be converted to meeting pods or open co-working spaces? Can a housing development’s tennis court be repainted to a pickleball court? With those tasks in mind, the theme of this issue is amenities, those features that make a particular property attractive to exis ..read more

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives in real estate management have gained pace as a growing number of owners seek to mitigate the effects of climate change on their investments and more properties are in jurisdictions with climate-related regulations, among other factors. In response to this growing demand, IREM and the ESG Advisory Council seek to provide IREM members and the real estate management industry with the knowledge and tools to act on their ESG priorities. IREM’s ESG Advisory Council Interested in getting your properties certified through the IREM Certified Sust ..read more

Personal wellness has been a hot topic for years. Now, wellness is an area of opportunity for property managers looking to enhance the offerings in their commercial or residential spaces. Instituting or expanding building amenities with a focus on health and wellness can be very attractive for both residential and commercial tenants and can help justify higher rents.  Fernando Bastos, ARM®, Keola La’i While many properties have long incorporated workout facilities in their spaces, others are finding creative new ways to think about and prioritize wellness. In fact, several organizations ..read more

More than ever, proactive, effective tenant and resident engagement is necessary to keep our properties competitive. Tenant and resident engagement enhances our customers’ enthusiasm for and connection to the places where they’ve chosen to live, work, and play. Engagement goes beyond a mere tenancy agreement; it involves fostering proactive relationships between tenants or residents and management that enhance retention rates, bolster reputation, ensure safety, and shield landlords from potential liabilities. Moreover, tenant and resident engagement establishes an environment conducive to impr ..read more

In 2023, IREM chapters in Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana, inspired their members and industry partners to step up to support the IREM Foundation, and they had a lot of fun in the process. Commitment in Columbus In Columbus, the IREM chapter celebrated a triumphant 2023 marked by outstanding achievements and substantial growth. One standout accomplishment was the chapter’s participation in the IREM Foundation Chapter Giving Campaign, which exceeded expectations, reaching the prestigious Evergreen level with a remarkable $10,000 donation. This success was due to the relentless commitm ..read more

With almost 12 million people in the city center and more than 21 million in the metropolitan area, São Paulo is one of Brazil’s largest and most populous cities. A settlement founded in 1554, São Paulo experienced an economic boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to rapid industrialization and the developing coffee industry. Now, São Paulo stands as an economic powerhouse with the headquarters of several global corporations in the city and serves as a multicultural hub with a significant immigrant population from various parts of the world. Landmarks like Paulista Avenue and Fari ..read more

As e-commerce has exploded over the last few years, final mile, or last mile, warehouses have played a crucial role in helping suppliers deliver goods to consumers as quickly and efficiently as possible. Unlike other industrial sites, final mile facilities are strategically located in more urban or residential areas, closer to the end customers. Utilized primarily by large online retailers like Chewy, Amazon, or Walmart, logistics companies like FedEx, and other retailers who want to ship to customers quickly, final mile facilities are crucial for these e-commerce companies to stay competitive ..read more

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been at the forefront of IREM for a long time, and now the DEI Advisory Council is taking it even further with the introduction of a new program. DEI Ambassadors is a groundbreaking initiative designed to amplify IREM’s commitment to fostering a welcoming environment that continues to embrace DEI, as outlined in our DEI Strategy. The DEI Ambassadors program is open to any IREM member in a leadership role with their local chapter. Each month, the DEI initiatives team at IREM HQ will facilitate video calls for these DEI champions to share resources, gai ..read more

The portrait that accompanied the JPM President’s letters of Doug Collins, CPM®, in 1988. IREM is sad to announce the passing this past September of 1988 IREM President Douglas Collins, CPM®. He was 84 years old. Doug inherited the reins of IREM at a tumultuous period in the real estate industry after a series of tax law changes throughout the 1980s created an unprecedented rise and fall in inflation and interest rates. In 1988, investments boomed, inflation dropped, and the housing market rebounded, but bookkeeping anomalies were common. IREM needed someone to ride the wave, and Doug’s law ..read more