Regional Manager Spotlight: Brian Nalezny, PeakMade

How did you become interested in property management?

“I wanted to go into creative advertising and marketing initially. With that being said, I graduated when the dot com bubble burst and, knowing I had a knack for sales, took a job as a full-time leasing consultant instead. This position was the catalyst for my career in student housing. I quickly moved from a full-time leasing consultant, to leasing manager, to assistant manager, and finally to property manager. In this position I moved around a little bit but ultimately came back to Peak where I managed one of their largest University of Minnesota assets at the time. It was a challenge, but it was awesome and showcased what I can do with teams.  After this experience I became an area manager and then finally a regional manager.”

 

What major shifts have you seen in the industry during your 15 years?

“If you take COVID out of the mix the industry has changed but in a way that I didn’t expect. Most of the purpose-built student properties are high end now. There used to be way fewer options and none of them had penthouses or the high-end amenities. Now, all of them do! Essentially, from this we have learned that if you have 9 products and the same offerings at each community, you need to find something that sets your property apart from competitors. For me, that’s customer service.”

 

What piece of advice would you give to aspiring regional managers?

“Two things: people matter most and buckle up! The biggest leap you’ll take is from property manager to regional manager. Once you’re a regional manager you can’t do all of the things you were able to do before. You have to learn to trust people and take bigger chances. You need to learn different markets and make sure to keep track of everything in a meticulous way.  This is important for keeping up with different people, owners, and communities and not missing deadlines.”

 

What are some successes and obstacles you’ve faced in your career?

“One challenge for me has been trying not to take everything home with you. Some of what I do is out of my hands, but it still keeps me up at night. With that being said, one year I had all six of my properties hit 100% leased at the same time. That was great and I attribute that success to every single person on the team. In fact, my favorite success is watching people in my region getting promoted for doing well. This is largely because I don’t pretend to care…I just care.”

 

How would you describe your experience with LeaseMagnets?

“It’s a success story so far. We signed a contract on our first property in December and were able to get everything rolling by January. LeaseMagnets is easy to work with and Varun is extremely receptive. He took my suggestion to add a Mandarin tour option and immediately came back with an updated product for us. We are in a beneficial partnership that has translated to an immediate increase in leads at properties where we use the tool.”

 

In the competitive leasing industry, who has had a significant impact on your work?

“I’d say Casey Peterson and Kelly Muller. Casey is the COO of Peak Campus. We actually started our initial positions as leasing consultants within a week of each other at the same property. He brought me back to Peak and we try to do what's best for each other and the company and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Kelly, the Regional Vice President, has also been instrumental in my recent success and she’s just someone I really admire. Overall, this is the best management company for which I have ever worked.”

 

Brian is a great partner to LeaseMagnets and we are very excited to continue working with him to expand our presence and keep the new ideas flowing!