Your Trainer – Cheryl Donato

With more than 23 years’ experience in the apartment leasing industry, Cheryl Donato knows what it takes to achieve and maintain success. Her ability to troubleshoot leasing challenges and bring struggling properties to high occupancy rates in 6 months or less has made her a sought-after trainer and consultant in diverse markets across the country.

Apartment Trainer and Leasing Expert

Cheryl began her career as a Leasing Consultant with JMB Property Management in the mid 1980s in the Houston area. It was a highly competitive market, impacted by job losses from the oil industry crash, low rental rates, and excessive concessions.

Cheryl was so successful at increasing occupancy rates and reducing turnover in her first years that the company began sending her around the country to troubleshoot other problem properties in their portfolio.

JMB soon tasked Cheryl with assisting and training local teams in various regions to increase occupancy within 6 months, and she delivered. Working in diverse geographies across multiple states gave her the opportunity to sharpen her skills even more. Cheryl developed strategies and tactics specific to the unique challenges of each community as well as foundational best practices that work in any market.

Property Management Trainer

Cheryl spent 20 years successfully managing properties in markets ranging from Houston, to Southern California, to Northeastern Ohio. In 1990 Cheryl acted as Marketing Director for a challenging 1886-unit property in southwest Houston, where she managed a team of 5 leasing agents. Streamlining day-to-day operations was absolutely critical to keep things moving – the property averaged 95 move-ins and 90 move-outs per month.

Resident Services and Resident Retention Trainer

The key to low turnover is happy residents, and Cheryl is a specialist in building and maintaining strong resident relationships. That means hiring and training the right people to develop meticulous time management skills, attention to detail, organizational excellence, and most importantly, a positive “yes I can” attitude. Cheryl’s systems and motivational training will help your resident services professionals keep work orders, make-ready scheduling, resident communications running smoothly.

Apartment Marketing and National Sales Trainer

During her tenure as an account executive with For Rent Media Solutions, Cheryl sold advertising to property owners and property management companies. From her very first week in the business she was consistently one of the top 10 sales executives in the Midwest North Region.

It wasn’t long before Cheryl was promoted to National Sales Trainer, traveling throughout the U.S. to deliver multi-day classes in Selling Skills Training and Advanced Strategic Selling to new account executives, general sales managers, and regional managers.

National Sales Trainer
What sets Cheryl’s approach to training apart from the competition? It’s all about sales, conversion, and closing. Cheryl combined her background in all facets of the apartment leasing industry with years of success as a top-performer in school fundraising sales and advertising sales to develop her exclusive 10 Steps to Successful Leasing/Sales Skills program.

Cheryl walks the talk, helping class participants apply their new skills in the real world through role playing and even one-on-one “tour along” training that demonstrate how to get positive results in the field in real time. She is known for her down-to-earth manner and an engaging, dynamic presentation style that keeps audiences riveted and motivated to learn.

Call Cheryl at (330) 353-6138 for your free consultation, and start bringing occupancy to a higher level – right now!

Awards and Outstanding Achievements

• JMB Outstanding Marketing Representative South Central Region, 1986
• JMB Outstanding Apartment Marketing Representative South Central/North Central Region, 1986
• JMB Outstanding Marketing Representative Eastern Residential Region, 1987
• JMB Outstanding Residential Marketing Representative Eastern Region, 1987
• JMB Outstanding Marketing Representative Eastern Residential Region, 1988
• JMB Outstanding Residential Marketing Representative Eastern Residential Region, 1988
• Northern Ohio Apartment Association’s Property Manager of the Year, 1993, presented by Kaval-Levine Management Co.
  Liberty Card Ohio’s Eagles Dare to Win Award 1997
• Community Curb Appeal Landscape Award, presented by the City of Stow, Ohio 2002
• Community Curb Appeal Landscape Award, presented by the City of Stow, Ohio 2003
• Community Curb Appeal Landscape Award, presented by the City of Stow, Ohio 2004
• Five Years of Service Award, presented by Riverview Management Akron, Ohio 2004