Erin Fransen |Chief Operating Officer, Timberland Partners
Erin is the Chief Operating Officer and a Principal at Timberland Partners. As COO, she oversees the accounting, human resources, marketing, training, and information technology departments. Erin began her multihousing career at Timberland Partners in 2013 after eight years in various roles at Target Corporation, the last of which was Digital Marketing Manager. Prior to becoming COO, she most recently served our company as an Asset Manager, and previously held roles in operations, marketing, investor relations, and has also handled Risk Management. Erin served on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Multi Housing Association and was the liaison to MHA’s Careers Task Force as well as a member of the Emerging Leaders Committee. Erin is a graduate of Boston College with degrees in Finance and Hispanic Studies.
How do the company’s guiding principles impact your day-to-day decision-making?
I keep those in mind every day, and if there’s a problem and I can go back to our guiding principles to help figure out where to go next. Answers become clearer to me when I keep these guiding principles in the forefront.
Can you describe how the company’s goals encourage all team members to challenge themselves daily?
I think that with our vision to be the premier real estate investment management company in the industry comes a growth mindset and drive to help others think bigger. So, our goal is to help each of our team members think, ‘We’re trying to be the best, so in your day-to-day work, you have to try to be the best.’ It can be hard to get where you are going if you don’t know where you are going. Setting goals helps us see where we are going and figure out ways to get there.
Timberland Partners has a large number of long-term team members. What contributes to that longevity, and how does it benefit investors?
I’ve heard that many of our team members come to work at Timberland Partners because it is a family business with strong values. People stay because of this culture, but also because we are constantly growing. With this growth comes new and bigger opportunities for each of us.
When a property has a strong, consistent staff, financial performance improves. We avoid the costly expenses associated with hiring, and we consistently provide great customer service to our residents. We also increase the knowledge base within the company so that we can change and adapt as trends in our business change.
