Managing more than 7,800 high-quality, affordable apartments in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, BRG Apartments takes pride in helping residents find the next place they’ll call home.

One major reason that residents choose BRG Apartments is because it offers a large portfolio of homes that are well located, well maintained and reasonably priced. Another key factor is that its employees are dedicated to the idea of working with customers as true individuals.

Every resident has their own unique preferences and requirements. Whether that means making sure a home is pet-friendly, getting a kitchen that’s big enough for all of your appliances and gadgets, or having amenities like a swimming pool or a gym, no request is too big or too small for BRG Apartments to assist with.

“Traditionally, BRG prospective residents would go to a leasing office to tour the community and apartment homes,” said Jennifer Illanz, BRG Marketing Manager. “BRG has adopted new technology that now allows prospective residents to view via virtual tours on our website.  This allows the resident to find the perfect home for their needs”.

When making hiring decisions, the company seeks out people with a genuine commitment to service and to making a difference for their residents as individuals. It also looks for employees who derive satisfaction from working together as a team.

Finding the right match for each position is important. In an industry that often has high employee turnover, BRG Apartments boasts a loyal workforce in which more than 40% of employees have been with the company for longer than five years.

That low turnover is in line with the company’s credo of providing careers, not jobs. To prove that point, BRG Apartments frequently pays for educational and training opportunities and provides a very competitive benefit package with performance-based bonus programs.

In return for employees’ dedicated service, BRG Apartments goes above and beyond to take care of them. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has been fortunate enough to maintain its payroll. It’s also working with employees to accommodate their schedules and other needs, offering as much flexibility as possible at all times.

“As a result of COVID-19, BRG was forced to quickly shift away from our 2020 business priorities and focus quickly on the health & safety of our residents and employees,” Jeff March, CEO of BRG, said of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The company also adopted three guiding principles for how we would operate the business. These priorities included: team member and resident safety; job and financial security for BRG team members; and housing stability for the nearly 8,000 families who live in BRG apartment homes.

“As a business that provides housing to our communities, BRG has operated throughout the pandemic while instituting new protocols and safety measures. BRG has also provided relief to residents experiencing hardships by eliminating late fees and rent increases, providing access to rental assistance programs and suspending all evictions.”

Company management also offers employees an understanding ear, during both the pandemic and more normal times. Since the leadership team has extensive experience working at properties on-site, it can draw on that experience when advising employees and setting expectations.

Many members of the locally owned BRG Apartments team live in the same communities that they serve. In addition to providing excellent service through its work, BRG Apartments supports the community by donating to local organizations.

BRG and its principals provide meaningful financial support to over 25 local organizations both financially and through volunteer efforts that include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, The Children’s Home of Cincinnati, United Way, Apartment Association Outreach, Inc., Fisher House and more. BRG is very active in the Apartment Association’s Charitable Outreach Program which provides financial and other support to individuals who face difficult circumstances.  This includes a partnership with the Freestore Foodbank for rent assistance and food drives, low income senior events, a back to school program, educational scholarships and supporting 21 food pantries.

As the largest owner and operator of apartment communities in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky market, BRG Apartments looks forward to welcoming you home.

The post At BRG Apartments, finding the right home for every individual is personal appeared first on BRG Apartments Blog.

1. Assume the worst, and plan accordingly

This seems unnecessarily harsh, but particularly in our current highly unsettled environment, you should err on the side of being too cautious when it comes to taking care of your roommate. What if that individual did have a potentially life-threatening disease, one which resulted only in mild symptoms for her, but could hit you harder? It pays to be prepared by stocking up early on all the items you might need to care for a sick person, including disinfectant, gloves, bleach wipes, over the counter flu/cold medicines, Tylenol or other fever-reducing pain reliever, a thermometer, isopropyl alcohol, and enough food/toiletry supplies to hunker down until your roommate is feeling better. Also, figure out a plan to ensure your roommate will have plenty of reading material/access to the internet or TV access in their room, ideally before anyone falls sick.

2. Practice sensible self-care

Though you want to make sure your roommate knows you are present and taking care of them, it’s best to limit your time in close contact. Avoid being face to face (even if you have a medical-grade mask, which are often hard to find), and stay out of their room as much as possible—while they stay inside. You can both deep clean that bedroom once everyone is feeling better! In addition, make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep, are eating healthy foods and getting exercise, and are drinking lots of water. If you can get outside and into the sunshine on a regular basis, that’s also a great idea!

3. Keep the rest of the apartment (and yourself!) extremely clean

Speaking of cleaning, use this time to deep clean the rest of the apartment, sanitizing all surfaces and washing your own hands frequently. Avoid touching your face until you’ve thoroughly washed your hands after you deliver anything to your roommate’s room or after doing their laundry or handling their dishes. Washing your hands for at least twenty seconds should become almost a meditative routine for you—do it early and often! If soap and water isn’t available, you can use an alcohol-based hand rub, but soap and hot water is best.

4. Watch their symptoms carefully

Most likely, your roommate will recover after several days or a few weeks of mild to moderate symptoms, but if you’re their primary caregiver, it’s important to watch them to make sure they don’t need more help. This list, provided by the CDC for adult flu sufferers, is a great one to keep handy. Seek medical care if your roommate experiences any of the following:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Persistent dizziness, confusion, inability to arouse
• Seizures
• Not urinating
• Severe muscle pain
• Severe weakness or unsteadiness
• Fever or cough that improve but then return or worsen
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions

Caring for a roommate when they’re sick is an incredible act of service, and you should be commended for taking it on—while caring for yourself, too. Here’s wishing you and all you know a safe and healthy Spring!

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