
Wise Property
Managers Boost their Branding with Asphalt Seal Coating
A recent survey uncovered value sitting dormant in most properties. Property management is very much a tangible business, where the physical asset
is the product to be sold, leased, or held for its future value. In marketing any product or service, any premium that can be charged for, over and above
its appraised value, is generally assigned to goodwill or what we prefer to
refer to as brand premium: the intangible ‘feeling’ or impression that the
evaluator has aggregated through their exposure, over time. Let’s take a closer
look now at
asphalt seal coating, as one of those contributors to a branding
premium.
What
do You See at Curb Side?
When someone views your property from the street, what do they notice first? Is the impression a positive one or a negative one? You’ll notice that your attention will naturally
gravitate to what stands out – and since you are a property manager, this will
be things that detract from the impression you are striving to provide.
Identify Brand
Boosters!
The most obvious places to start are the facility’s exterior – paint or
fixture improvements. Next you’ll notice landscaping or its absence. But for
some reason, we miss the most impactful opportunity to shake up and refresh
that exterior first impression: your access route or parking lot.
Most of us take it for granted. We view it as a maintenance and repair budget
item, versus the brand booster that it can be.
If you look closely, in most cases your parking lot will
take up close to 50% of the visual message we see from curb side; but we just
don’t see it for what it could be – a positive attention getter! Think of
driving down your residential street and seeing one of your neighbours has just
had his driveway done – it pops! The smooth black surface grabs your attention, and your impression
of the property is enhanced. See for yourself.
Do the Math- It's a Budget Saver.
Most property enhancements are expensive. They are longer term budget
allocations that are managed alongside those unexpected bigger ticket expenses
caused by unforeseen weather or other uncontrollable events. Professional
pavement solution providers advise that sealant applications every two to three
years will reduce the lifetime cost of your exterior surfaces by about 50 per
cent. After all, it protects it from the UV rays, moisture and chemicals that beat down on your lot everyday. And because it’s a small cash flow item, it’s painless – like putting a
few dollars in a savings account every so often. Additionally, if the contractor offers warranty, it's risk free!
Why Not?
Now it’s time to challenge yourself to break through all of the
reasons to put out a short Request For Quotation and to find a
qualified pavement contractor for next Spring or Summer season’s budget. If you
listen to the "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rationale only, it might be
easy to shelve the idea. But, when you
combine the ROI prudency, low relative cost, and the brand booster effect, well
you just can’t say no to that, can you?
Do your property and balance sheet a wise service, spruce up the
holistic image of your business with asphalt seal coating!