Welcome to REAC GURU
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Otherwise, let me explain:
TRAINING FOR PROPERTY REPS SHOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM REAC INSPECTOR TRAINING
The jobs of a REAC Inspector and of a Property Representative (Lead Maintenance Person, Property Manager, Regional Manager, Asset Manager, etc.) who is responsible for a property's performance on the REAC inspection are totally different, and at odds with each other. The Inspector's job is to gather data to dispassionately evaluate the property's condition. The Property Rep's job is to strive to achieve a satisfactory or even superior evaluation.
Up Until Now, The Training Has Been Based in the Same Methods and Theories, Which is Just Wrong
Up until now, every REAC seminar ever conducted has been based primarily in the original training methods developed by HUD/REAC to train REAC inspectors to evaluate the physical condition of properties utilizing the UPCS (Uniform Physical Condition Standards. Participants have been trained in much the same way as REAC inspectors are trained to conduct their inspections. Participants sit in a classroom setting for a day or two looking at photos of deficiencies and learning to interpret the pertinent definitions. The main content of this kind of training is learning the names, definitions, and Levels of Severity of the various Deficiencies.
How successful has this kind of training has been for REAC inspectors? It seems to be a widely held truth in the housing industry that no two inspectors conduct the REAC inspection in exactly the same way. Nearly anyone who understands this inspection well, and who has observed many REAC inspections, can tell you that inspectors are frequently either far to tough on the property or they waltz through the inspection without detecting many defects. Rarely do we observe that the inspection seemed to be conducted "just right."
The main objective of REAC inspector training is to train inspectors to rigidly observe and record data according to a set of rules, with absolutely no regard for defect scoring values. The inspector is forbidden from voicing an opinion on the overall condition of the property and generally has no idea how the property has scored. The inspector's job is only to observe and record data - not to make a Pass/Fail decision. The inspector is entirely unconcerned with the performance of the property - his or her sole job is to make observations, and to fit them into a structured system of check boxes on a computer.
How Much Good Is It to Simply Know What a Defect is Called, Without Knowing the Scoring Value?
The Property Rep is responsible for maintaining a high level of compliance with the UPCS standards. Compliance is measured by the REAC inspection almost purely in numerical scoring terms. If the objective of the Property Rep is to assure that the property performs well on the inspection, this means - in blunt, truthful terms - achieving a numerical score within an acceptable range, whether it be "at least 60" or "no less than 99.9."
Considering the difference between their jobs and objectives, WHY would anyone consciously train the Property Rep to IGNORE the scoring value of REAC deficiencies?
Your REAC Guru: Michael Gantt - click for instructor bio