Landlord and tenant sustainable communications

SuperStorm Sandy was a real eye opener with regard to landlord/tenant communications - or the lack of it. As a result, some forward thinking landlords are re-evaluating property notifications systems. Why? Well this story says it all. With Hurricane Sandy approaching, building management knew the need to alert their residents to the threat of serious flooding and potential electrical power loss, and wanted to encourage temporary relocation. Meanwhile, tenants in the building were busy stocking up on beer and snacks for storm parties. Sandy arrived in full force, and the worst was realized: the building lost power and was flooded from the basement levels to the lobby. Did tenants relocate? Yes, but after the storm - in the dark and with no elevators. With Sandy highlighting the need for better emergency communications, it's time to rethink notice distribution methodology. In any communication, and especially in emergency situations, the speed of dissemination along with receipt of the notice is the critical factor. Landlord/tenant communication makes good sense as well as good business and it doesn't need to be limited to emergencies. Good communication shows a commitment to the welfare of the tenants, and keeping people informed is an important factor in improved tenant relations. The expanded notification flow could include building upgrades/maintenance updates, water shutdowns, fire/EAP drills as well as announcements regarding the local community. To avoid the spam effect of email overload, recipients must be able to instantly recognize and prioritize inbox messages, if they are to be read. In a good communications system, information needs to be easily recognized and categorized according to importance, avoiding the "received-but-ignored" trap. As to the communications platform itself, the technology is in plain sight. Today's mobile devices along with laptops and computers can not only receive wireless broadband but are assured of connectivity during power outages. Will all these factors add up to an effective model? Trinity Real Estate must think so, because their team is implementing a streamlined intra-building notification system developed for its portfolio in conjunction with Zephyr Communications of N.Y.C. Their cloud-based model deploys clear, easy-to-read emails in a unique layout, combined with graphical icons for easy recognition. The model also includes the ability to target recipients not only by building, but by groups within buildings, and it has redundant text messaging ability, to insure message receipt by mobile phone. This system may well become the building communications model of the future. George Crawford is a principal at NYG Green Partners, New York, N.Y.