426: Cortland’s New Approach to Branding Multifamily Housing with EVP of Marketing, Tim Hermeling

In this episode, you'll learn about:The role of Revenue OperationsCortland’s unique approach to branding, awareness, and rethinking marketing as an investment rather than an expenseThe importance of peer-to-peer recommendations and how Cortland manages their online brand reputation
Tim Hermeling is EVP of Marketing at Cortland. He is a goal-oriented person, both professionally and personally, as seen in his love of competing in triathlons and marathons. Tim went to college to be a sports broadcaster, but pursued public relations in order to find work in the city. After working closely with C-level executives in that role, he found his love for strategy and goal-setting would make him perfect for the marketing world. Tim started his journey in relationship marketing, focusing on direct mail, before serving as VP of Marketing for Classic Residence by Hyatt and VP of Product Marketing at Northern Trust Company. In 2015, he started with Cortland to establish their marketing strategy and recently moved into revenue operations to align all of the teams that support the top-line growth of the company. Cortland is a vertically integrated, multifamily real estate investment, development, and management company based in Atlanta. With over 250 apartment communities comprising over 80,000 homes in the US, Cortland is rethinking what apartment living can look like and giving tenants top-of-the line amenities throughout the Sun Belt.
On the show today, Alan and Tim talk about his new role as head of revenue operations as well as how Cortland differentiates itself, their unique approach to branding, how they are rethinking marketing in the multifamily industry as an investment rather than an expense, and how they approach performance-driven marketing.
Key Highlights:[01:45] How to hate running less[04:55] Tim's career path[09:00] Marketing vs. Revenue Operations[10:25] What is Cortland?[14:30] Tim’s approach to branding Cortland[17:55] Finding efficiencies in driving awareness [19:25] Cortie, the Pug Mascot [21:20] Marketing in the multifamily industry [25:40] No one’s doing it quite like Cortland.[27:20] Online brand reputation management [31:25] Performance measurement and research[33:30] What Tim learned from his time as a reporter [35:20] Advice to his younger self [37:45] The AI portion of the show[39:40] Harnessing the growing focus on experiences[41:05] The importance of the human touch
Looking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!