RPM Careers Spotlight: Chiccorra Connor

Name: Chiccorra Connor
Title: President
Property: Occupancy Heroes Incorporated

What I Like Most About My Job.
I love changing lives for the better.  You wear so many hats when you work in the multifamily industry.  No matter your position, you become a therapist, a mentor, a teacher, a counselor, a parent, a life coach and so much more to so many people. I have the ability to help clients increase their profitability as well as help people start new careers and exceed both their professional and personal goals.  I get to help people!  I like being a part of that! 

Tell Us About Your Career.
I’ve been in love with the multifamily industry for over 20 years (But I am still very young… lol) Oddly enough, in 1997, I started my career in this industry as a property manager.  I leased 20 apartments my first weekend onsite.  The corporate office was excited, I didn’t know why but, now I do.  I enjoyed leasing more than I enjoyed managing communities.  So, I accepted a position that allowed me to travel and increase occupancy rates.  Fast forward to 2003, I launched Occupancy Heroes, a firm that specializes in accelerated leasing, marketing and training.  While working with hundreds of owners and management firms nationwide with various property types, I observed several unmet needs in the industry.  Property owners and management firms were searching for more sustainable support when managing their properties and lacked the resources to manage properties efficiently.  In 2005 I incorporated Occupancy Heroes, became a single source solution and began offering clients a total solution.  I added several extended services to the company including our Maintenance Heroes and staffing division.  Today, I continue to focus on our clients and our employees.  I have decided to follow the trends and move Occupancy Heroes Incorporated into the tech world.  I recently launched an app that benefits both our clients and our employees.  I love seeing our industry growth and I’m looking forward to playing a large part in bringing more people into the multifamily industry and helping owners and management firms exceed their goals. 

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?
Never stop learning and Be authentic!  Always take advantage of the free and paid classes that are made available to you.  Take what you’ve learned and make it your own by sprinkling in your personality.  No two people in this world are the same.  And there is no better person in this world to be than you!

Anything else you would like to share?
This industry is not just my passion.  It was passed down to me.  My grandfather was a property manager.  My parents owned and managed their own property management firm.  My parents insisted that all the children play a role in the care and management of the properties.  My brother is an onsite maintenance technician.  My younger sister is a supervisor within a property caring for the disabled.  My baby sister was a leasing consultant and now is a placement specialist for the industry.  All my adult children work in the industry.  My husband is a contractor within the industry.  This is a family thing!  

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