Why APASS?
Why is APASS Important to You?
By Heather Alzate, PRG Real Estate, Vice Chair of Education Advisory Council
We work in an industry where every element of our job is constantly changing. We filter through sales, new laws, resident expectations and so much more daily. Some ask, “How do you keep up with the constant changes?” The key is education. Tenure means nothing when it comes to education. Our new team members to our veterans all benefit from the one constant in our profession. Education is our key to success.
AAGO is the home base of education in The Central Florida area offering over 100 classes at your fingertips. APASS is a program created to enable leasing consultants to management to maintenance the opportunity for continued education at an affordable cost. An annual membership to APASS is $795 for a community. This breaks down to $67.00 per month. The membership pays for itself very quickly as most AAGO classes cost $67-$99 each! Having APASS allows your team members to go to a majority of courses for no additional cost. Also, APASS members receive discounts on Designation Programs. The benefits to APASS are invaluable. I wanted to get someone else’s take on the APASS membership so I reached out to my friend and Chair of the Education Advisory Council, Lori Agudo. She says “As an APASS member for many years, I attribute my personal success within my organization to the many classes I participated in over the years. APASS membership allowed me to choose what classes would best benefit me for career development. In my opinion, outside learning opportunities are necessary even if your organization offers an internal training program.” I totally agree, Lori!
Great thought and attention to detail, from course material to instructors, is given to each class. Each class gives you the opportunity to network with your peers and share ideas. You will not only learn from your instructor, you will learn from your peers! So many of our industry peers have grown in their careers due to their participation in APASS Membership.
My company is also an example to this benefit. We only own 1 community in Central Florida with 208 units and 6 employees. As part of my personal goal to ensure my teams success, I require them to each attend a minimum of 1 AAGO course of their choice every year. Most of my team chooses more than one course to attend. We are constantly seeing a return on our investment with this program through personal growth and promotions within our organization. Size of community does not limit the amount of success you can have with APASS.
If you have not experienced APASS, please consider adding it to your budget! Learning is limitless, and education is key to success in our ever-changing industry! Don’t wait any longer – start your path to career growth today!