Career Spotlight: Brandie Jeffries
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Name: Brandie Jeffries
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Tell us about your career:
I joined the apartment industry in April 2008 as a leasing consultant. I had recently moved into a new apartment and during the leasing process, I thought to myself, this would be a cool job and I think I would be great at it! I started looking for opportunities in my area and found a community in Garner, NC that was hiring a leasing consultant. The community, Abberly Place, had 300 apartment homes and was in the process of building a second phase and adding 300 more apartment homes so they would have 600 apartment homes in total. I interviewed and fell in love with the manager and the people in the office. They seemed like a family, and I wanted to be a part of it. Here I am now, 15 years later, and still with the same company and family…the HHHunt Family.
I loved being a leasing consultant. I am outgoing so it is no surprise that I enjoy talking with people and getting to know them. I like hearing their life stories and what they may be going through. We have many different people that come in looking for apartments that are just at different stages of life. It feels incredible to provide a space for someone that they will call home. A space where they feel safe, where they may have their first child, their very first apartment, their first home after a divorce…you name it and we have probably dealt with it.
In 2014 I was promoted to Assistant Community Manager. I knew early on that I wanted this to be my career and not just a job. I love my job and I am passionate about what I do. I was still at Abberly Place and working with a lot of the same people. These people were more like family at this point, so it was nice to share their accomplishments and mine together throughout the years. Being that we had 600 apartments, we were always busy and there was always something to do. We would always say, there is never a dull moment which is still the case today! I learned a lot of new things once I was promoted. I took on a large portion of the admin work so this was new to me. I enjoyed the challenge, and I knew that if I wanted to continue to grow with the company, I would need to have this skill set to be promoted so that is what pushed me.
I found out that we would be building a brand-new community right across the street from Abberly Place. When I found this out, I knew that is where I wanted to be. It would be a new product, same location, same company…everything I could ever want. I was very fortunate and blessed to be offered the opportunity to manage this brand-new community!
In March 2019, I accepted the Community Manager position at our brand-new community, Abberly Solaire. This community has been my baby, my pride, and my joy! I am so proud of my team and all that we have accomplished. A lease-up has its hurdles as many of us know, but it also has so many good things and so many learning experiences that I will never forget. We have an incredible team, and I would not be here without them. I am so thankful for everyone that has helped me and guided me over the past 15 years!
What advice do you have for someone just starting in your field:
I would tell any new manager not to lose that part of them that made them fall in love with this job.
Most of us fall in love with this industry because of the people. Make sure that you still take people on tours from time to time and that you are building that rapport with your residents. Make sure that your team feels supported and that they feel comfortable talking with you whether it is due to a conflict or just to bounce an idea off you. Make sure they feel supported and valued. Be adaptable because in this industry and life in general, change is inevitable so if you learn to just go with it, it will take so much stress off you. Last but certainly not least, SMILE! Be the confident leader that you were hired to be. There will be days where you feel like your head may be underwater, but just stay positive and smile and know that there are far more good days than bad!