Why Choose Mark-Taylor as the Best Place to Work?

Imagine attending your next meeting on a houseboat. That's what Mark-Taylor Residential did this summer, taking managers out of the office for a waterside perspective on the monthly numbers. Such unorthodox meetings happen regularly at Mark-Taylor, a privately owned Scottsdale, Ariz.-based apartment firm. "We'll hold business discussions, but we won't always do it in a business environment," says Dale Phillips, president of the privately owned firm. "We're a fun-loving company, and we believe in getting out of the office and having a good time."

That attitude appears throughout the small close-knit world that is Mark-Taylor, which manages 7,200 apartments in the Phoenix area. On summer weekends, the company hosts pool parties for residents, employees, and the public at its apartment communities. A recent ad campaign highlighted company executives in jaw-dropping situations: racing a stock car, taming a circus lion, achieving a high-flying jump shot. Employee training days might incorporate team-building exercises such as rafting around obstacles in one of the company's lagoon pools or dressing in vintage clothing to build excitement for a groovy "Summer of Love" leasing promotion.

As playful as Mark-Taylor and its employees are, however, they take their work seriously. "We have a reputation for having the best product, the best people, and the best-built properties. People look for Mark-Taylor communities," says Clay Demara, the company's chief financial officer. They also look for Mark-Taylor jobs. Tina Makssour, director of sales and training, says a number of employees are former residents.

Details Matter
There are many reasons for Mark-Taylor's popularity among Phoenix renters, job-seekers, and current employees. Sixty-two of them, in fact, as captured in "Make It Mark-Taylor," an employee-generated checklist of customer service and property standards at the firm's 25 apartment complexes.

Among the priorities: resident and employee communication, leasing and sales expectations, and finishing touches, which include both property-based tasks (paying quick attention to a broken sprinkler) and people-based gestures (maintaining a toolbox for loaner items for residents). They add up to a level of resident service and attention to detail that originates from the company values of treating people well, from customers to employees.

As a result, "Make It Mark-Taylor" has evolved into much more than a set of reminders for this 259-person firm. "It defines our company," says Phillips. "It's what we're all about. Everyone in the company understands that these things need to be in place. It's what we stand on."

The list illustrates the importance of taking pride in one's work and the value Mark-Taylor places on each employee's contribution. Maintenance workers are expected to keep even hidden spots clean and organized, from water heater closets to the maintenance shop, where supply shelves should be color-coded. That approach represents a departure from many firms in the apartment industry, where property-level staff is typically expected to be (and treated as) short-term employees in starter jobs.

"One of the things that I think separates Mark-Taylor from others in the industry is that you can approach your work as a career rather than a job, even if you are a leasing associate or a maintenance person," says Demara. "The way Mark-Taylor develops people is far superior than any other real estate company I've worked for, and I've worked for four or five [real estate companies] over the past 13 years."

Creating Leaders
The prime example of Mark-Taylor's development efforts? "L.E.A.D.E.R.S.", which stands for "Leasing Excellence and Dedication to Exceptional Resident Service." This program both recognizes and challenges Mark-Taylor's most successful leasing consultants, tapping them to mentor others in the company for six months. "Everyone in the company can learn from our team members who are on the front line every day with our residents and prospective residents," explains Tina Makssour, who developed the program.

The program is a learning experience for participants too. "Being a part of the L.E.A.D.E.R.S. program has expanded my understanding of the company and allowed me to participate in sales training programs and staff meetings that I otherwise wouldn't have experienced. I gained incredible insights," says Jesse Dellett, an assistant manager.

Such professional growth is exactly what the company intended with this program, which is building a bench of experienced employees to support Mark-Taylor's business in the jobs that they do best. "Typically in real estate, the better leasing associates get moved up, and companies try to mold a great salesperson into a property manager," Demara says. "Tina's program allows them to make a career out of being a leasing associate and make more money than the typical leasing associate. We've created careers for people who otherwise tend to be promoted out of their area of expertise."

Honest Mistakes
That willingness to address an issue, as the firm did with the L.E.A.D.E.R.S. program, is a hallmark of Mark-Taylor. When employees make a mistake, they are expected to share that news publicly-without fear of professional retribution. "Employees quickly learn that Mark-Taylor culture is about trust and encouragement, not about berating or chastising our team members," says Makssour.

"We realize people are juggling a lot of balls, and we know they're going to drop one once in a while," Phillips explains. "When they make a mistake, it's their obligation to broadcast that to others to prevent someone else from stepping in a mud puddle . we almost reward people for acknowledging that they are not perfect."

That attitude has helped the company weather a corporate transformation, moving from owning and managing all its own apartment properties to a business that is 95 percent fee-managed. That means that Mark-Taylor oversees apartment complexes for individual and institutional investors, managing the property and its financial performance for maximum value. "We had to ensure the power of the brand, so that we could fly the Mark-Taylor brand over anyone's community, regardless of whether we built the community, and live up to the expectation of the Mark-Taylor name," Phillips says.

Mark-Taylor employees wouldn't have it any other way.