THE IDEA OF HELPING STUDENTS
Many students at Binghamton University seek to make the transition to downtown housing, as they become upper classmen or even immediately after their freshman year. Whether it is for the more affordable rate or to be nearer to the party scene, its something that all students consider and an action that more than ninety percent commit to. More than that, moving downtown allows students to really live as independents and to transition better into adulthood because of the lessons learned after each housing experience.
Currently there are many recognizable names in the downtown Binghamton student housing game; including larger conglomerate buildings and other popular student rental companies.
The rent starts from around nine hundred dollars per person increasing up to well over a thousand dollars depending on how the room is laid out. Other than the sky high cost the most common complaints heard from residents are in regards to the extra cost and limitations of parking, the inability to open windows, noise from other apartments and small bedrooms.
Its true that some of these issues are adaptable or solvable, but students shouldn’t be forced to adapt their lifestyle to their housing when their paying nine to thirteen hundred dollars a month in the town of Binghamton; where the average rate for premium housing is five-hundred and fifty dollars a month.
I agreed to move into my current residence and pay a premium rate because I saw it as an upgrade from my previous apartment that was handled by a local management company. I blame myself, for failing to find a housing company like BingStudent because of the lack of effort I put into my search, but mostly I blame my terrible experience with the local housing company that handled my first off campus home. I was so turned off from viewing other potential households, which could be rented at reasonable rates, because I expected all of them to be run by penny pinchers and contractors who cut corners like the last one.
The purpose of this article is to explain that there is a Student Housing company out there that meets the basic needs students require; such as safety, security and comfort, and exceeds them with luxuries such as free off-street parking, brand new furnishings, a television and couches for every living room, sturdy desks in each bedroom, large backyards and included laundry.
I applied to work for BingStudent as a graduate student myself through the HireBing website. The interview process was strenuous and very technical as I was quizzed with different scenarios and asked to determine necessities in valuing locations of different classes and how each situation could be organized as efficiently and effectively as possible. I don’t blame myself for initially expecting the proceedings of day-to-day work to be very focused on profitability and other capital focused issues. Instead the firm surprised me and emphasized the mission statement “Do Good.”
Doing good is offering all of the relevant information to the other party and showing them that what they are receiving is worth in value what they’ve exchanged for it; whether it be money or otherwise. For example, in any successful negotiation, in any sector or industry, both parties agree to the terms of the contract and look forward to its execution; creating value for both parties. Signing a lease and renting a property is certainly a form of negotiation. In this manner it is evident to BingStudent, and very recently became evident to myself, that we needed to do the same.
What “Doing Good” means specifically to BingStudent, in this realm of housing, is offering an option to the students here at BU that puts a smile on their face and creates a feeling of excitement. This is accomplished by offering a lower than anticipated cost for a higher than expected quality of living.
After observing and absorbing the ins and outs of all the assets the firm had and the cost students incurred to rent each one, I understood that the larger housing complexes and many of the local real estate companies were not “Doing Good” for anyone other than themselves. The services they provided at the rates they cost indicated that they were taking advantage of the students that originated from out of the area; whom are usually unaware as to what cost they should sustain for premier housing downtown.
Alon Eckhaus, BingStudent's primary investor and chief manager has defined proper allocation of funds as the most appropriate way of investing capital in order to continue offering the best product. He’s explained to the firm that the best possible service is the one that brings the most happiness. For this reason all of the firm’s bedrooms rent from three hundred and fifty dollars to five hundred and fifty dollars. However, don’t let the affordable rent fool you, all of our locations are beautiful from the inside out and many of them are landmarks in this historic area of Binghamton that carry with them a priceless aura of antiquity and unmatched craftsmanship.
Eckhaus frequents Binghamton as often as possible and always seems to carry with him a bit of advice. Very recently he explained to the team that creating value by seizing any opportunity of purchasing homes for competitive rates allows us to return the favor to the community by leasing them out to students who need them and can enjoy them at a price point that isn’t a burden on them. That is what separates BingStudent from the other housing complexes and companies in Binghamton—superior management, and “Doing Good.”
"The idea of helping students" -- Eckhaus