Your Sherwin-Williams rep can help your property thrive

When you own or manage a multifamily property, you wear a lot of hats. A day’s work might involve managing leases and rental agreements, meeting with new and existing residents, and handling payments and maintenance requests—not to mention staffing, payroll, and marketing. It’s no wonder many owners wish they had a duplicate of themselves to help shoulder the load.

But when it comes to maintaining your property, that’s exactly what your Sherwin-Williams sales representative is there for. They simplify the entire process for multifamily property owners and managers with interior and exterior repaints, property maintenance, color selection, and more.

“Being able to contact a Sherwin-Williams rep who can address their needs, find a reasonable solution, and come up with a plan of action not only allows property managers and owners to meet the needs of their own customers, but makes Sherwin-Williams a valuable partner to their business,” says Sergio Cesario, a Boca Raton, Florida-based Sherwin-Williams sales representative.

Your local Sherwin-Williams sales representative will meet your needs by recommending the right products, offering experience and color expertise by connecting you to color resources, so you can focus on clients.

The Right Products

Walk into any Sherwin-Williams store and you’ll see numerous product lines, each precisely designed for maximum performance on whatever substrate or environment is encountered.

For example, Cesario says his region’s corrosive climate affects the products he recommends to his clients.

“In South Florida, we have very tropical weather, and storms tend to pop up without notice throughout the year,” Cesario says. “With such harsh weather, it is important that we recommend the right product for the right job. We’ve found that Sherwin-Williams’ Latitude Exterior Acrylic Latex helps combat the early moisture issues that tend to arise from these storms. As we get closer to the beach, where salt air is a major factor, we usually recommend Emerald Rain Refresh Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint for its self-cleaning properties and color retention.”

To find the best options for you and your property, Sherwin-Williams’ reps offer a free property assessment. Following this assessment, they’ll offer a full property assessment report, with specific, tailored advice on the right products from floor to ceiling for your property. Reps can even help owners and managers develop specifications for upcoming projects.

“Whether it’s a small pool floor coating or a large high-rise repaint, we seek to assist our customers with all their needs,” Cesario says. “Project specifications provide our customers with a detailed scope of work of the substrates included, the coatings recommended, and the recommended preparation for the project they are looking to undertake. They also give the painting contractors bidding on the project a foundation to base their bids on, so that everyone is in line with what is requested.”

The Right Expertise

Your Sherwin-Williams rep will also use their years of experience to guide you through the specific process based on your environment, your property, and its use.

As an expert rep with 18 years of experience, Cesario says one of the most important facets of his job is passing on his knowledge to property owners and managers. That knowledge will empower owners and managers to make more informed future decisions about the projects affecting their properties.

“When you prepare a specification or scope of work for a client, it’s very easy to just look at price versus performance,” Cesario says. “But one of the most important things we do is educate clients as to why one product should be spec’d over another or why certain products are recommended for particular substrates.”

He says doors are a great example of this.

“For unit entry doors, we recommend a harder enamel finish, which usually is found in our industrial lines,” Cesario says. “These are formulated to withstand more abuse than traditional latex paints. However, a client may question the higher price point and wonder if it’s worth it. This is where I would explain that the unit entry door to your home, condo, or apartment is the first thing you see when you’re coming and going. The entry door also encounters the highest amount of traffic and visibility. So we recommend a better-matched product that will meet the needs of the community.”

The Right Color Solutions

In the multifamily segment, color is an especially important consideration.

“Properties in the multifamily segment are generally repainted every seven to ten years,” Cesario says. “In those seven to ten years, styles change and new trends emerge, so it’s important to maintain an up-to-date look, which should take into consideration new coatings, technologies, and color.”

Local guidelines must be factored in as well.

“We’re finding that a lot of cities now have community activity boards that require you to submit any colors for approval before painting begins,” Cesario says. “That means your design not only has to look right for your property, but also has to reflect the styles and color palettes of the city you’re in.”

But that’s where having a Sherwin-Williams sales rep in your corner can be valuable for property owners. Cesario recalls that in the past, repainting a property usually required a mock-up, but now free virtual color consultation through Sherwin-Williams’ Color Marketing and Design Services streamlines the process. This is especially useful for owners or management companies who may not be local to the property.

“Not everybody has a chance to come and see the colors firsthand,” he says. “That’s where our Color Marketing and Design Services team comes in. They can give you customized color palettes based on a variety of factors including your property’s architectural style and regional location along with trending colors that will look fresh for years to come. With our color visualizer program, we can provide you with a professional color tool in which you can view proposed colors applied to your building and change the colors in live time.”

Remember, there’s no need to wear every hat or do everything by yourself—not when you’ve got Sherwin-Williams on your team. Your local rep is ready to share the load and be your go-to source for paint, coatings, and expert advice. Let them handle the details for you, so that you can spend more time on your residents.