Building And Giving Back To The Community

With a property manager like Steven Scott Management, based in St. Louis Park, it’s easy to pay rent on time.

In the mid-’60s, Steven Scott Management was just a few small apartment buildings around the University of Minnesota. Founded by two brothers-in-law, Zollie Baratz and Sid Bader, Steven Scott Management—then known as Z & S Management—continued expanding for 30 years by developing, buying and managing apartment buildings across the Twin Cities. The brothers-in-law transferred the business to their son-in-law and son, Steve Schachtman and Scott Bader, and it has since grown to managing nearly 10,000 apartments in the Twin Cities metro area.

“We made a strategic decision a while back that our company was going to focus our property management business in Minnesota, with most of our communities being located here in the Twin Cities metro area. We enjoy doing business in the communities in which we live,” Scott Bader says.

A lot has changed in the Twin Cities since the 1960s, and that rings true in renters’ needs, too. Bader says the characteristics of a renter are changing, and so are their lifestyles, wants and needs.

“We anticipate trends and do our best to meet them. Several years back, we surveyed our renters and found that they were asking for more of a ‘sense of community’ and the ability to make their apartment their home. We now allow painting, wallpapering and pets at almost every Steven Scott community,” he adds.

In addition to renting and managing traditional apartments in the Twin Cities, Steven Scott Management focuses on encouraging its residents to get more involved in the community—especially in ways that give back.

“We created and implemented the ‘Steven Scott Community Builder.’ This program supports our apartment managers by offering a variety of ways for our renters to engage with each other and their neighborhood,” Bader says. “Activities might include hosting property-specific gatherings, facilitating different interest groups (book clubs, walking or biking teams, yoga classes) or volunteering at different organizations together as neighbors. For example, our communities regularly participate in community blood drives with the Red Cross and make and serve food for families at the Ronald McDonald House.”

Steven Scott Management also focuses on providing housing to anyone who needs it—regardless of income bracket. From affordable housing to luxury apartments, Steven Scott Management does it all, allowing for everyone to find the perfect home, regardless of budget.

“The Twin Cities apartment market really offers fantastic amenities in both our communities and at our competitor’s as well. It seems that there are always new amenities being introduced, and someone is always offering the ‘latest and greatest,'” Bader says.

While the Twin Cities housing market is quickly changing, Bader is confident that Steven Scott Management always knows what its renters are looking for.

“At Steven Scott, we really try to know our renters (both current and prospective). We are always learning which amenities are most important to them, and we respond accordingly by making sure those specific amenities are done well,” he says.

In general, Steven Scott Management focuses on health and wellness, which includes fitness centers, smoke-free environments and recreational equipment to utilize the neighborhood parks/trails around us. Some of their recreational equipment share programs offer bikes, kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddle boards and snowshoes, he adds.

“Many of the apartments in the area are so nice, that there aren’t always many things that differentiate among them. At Steven Scott, we pay more attention to customer service—how you’re going to be treated. You can learn a lot from your first impression. Ask yourself: Is the management sincere and friendly? Do current renters look happy there? Use that when making your final choice,” Bader says.

For more information about Steven Scott Management, visit www.steven-scott.com.