The Invisible Powerhouses That Keep Properties Profitable

When rents stop climbing, concessions start stacking up, and costs keep creeping higher, budget cuts start flying around like confetti at a parade nobody asked for. Budget season has me thinking about this, and hearing about layoffs lately made it hit even harder. I once worked for a company that went through four rounds of RIFs during my time there, and every single time, marketing was one of the first to go. It always made me wonder why training and marketing seem to get the pink slip before anyone else, especially when they are the very lifelines you need most when the market is rocky.

Too often, training and marketing are treated like expensive accessories instead of the powerhouse engines they are. They might not be the ones signing the leases or collecting the rent, but they absolutely shape the moments and the messages that make those things happen. The tricky part is that their influence is not always easy to measure on a spreadsheet, so they get underestimated.

Marketing is not just about putting ads into the world and hoping someone notices. It is about making sure your property is in the right spotlight so the right people walk through the door. Without it, leasing teams are starting a race with no running shoes.

Training is not just teaching. It is about creating confident, capable teams who can deliver experiences that stick and close the deal. We often expect training to magically change behaviors, but real behavior change comes from accountability. It means holding people to the standards they were trained on and making sure the knowledge actually shows up in their daily work. And yes, we have all seen training done badly. Too many “death by PowerPoint” sessions have sucked the life out of a room. But done well, training is a spark. It is the kind of energy that makes people want to try new things, connect better with customers, and actually enjoy the work they do.

Cutting these investments when times get tough is like deciding to save money by never putting gas in the car. You might feel like you are saving in the moment, but sooner or later, you are stranded on the side of the road wondering what happened.

I learned this early. When I was eight, I was president of a youth group, and we needed money for activities. I learned fast that if we wanted results, we had to invest first. You have to spend to see a return. That lesson has never stopped being true. Whether you are running a property or running a lemonade stand, strategic investment in people and visibility is what keeps the whole thing moving forward.