The Value of Information + Knowledge

Did you know that RHAWA houses a wealth of knowledge on the rental housing industry laws and best practices? Having access to this information is one of the key benefits in becoming a member and adds considerable value to your membership. While a Librarian I saw firsthand the difference that having access to various sources of information can make when doing research. Google may be the most popular search engine, but it certainly isn’t the BEST resource out there. It doesn’t make up for the wealth of knowledge that experience brings to a career, and unless you’re up to date on Boolean search practices, it’s difficult to find information on the specialized categories that you may require.

“Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps through the walls topped by the barbed wire, it wafts across the electrified borders.”
– Ronald Regan

According to Training Magazine*, there are three main advantages of Peer-to-Peer Learning, with the most important being “Cost Effectiveness.” People pick up more industry knowledge from their colleagues than they could from classroom learning. Which may be why we are instinctively drawn to networking opportunities within our peer groups. RHAWA has begun to host our monthly LINK Meetings ONSITE again at several locations through the state. This is the perfect opportunity to network with other industry professionals and discuss issues that are important to the rental housing industry. You can find more information on LINK meetings in this issue, or by logging on to RHAwa.org/events to find the next meeting closest to you.

Our Connect Forum (connect.RHAwa.org) is another great place for peer-to-peer advice and is available for those not able to make the ONSITE meetings. With an average of 400,000 views each month, our Connect Forum has become an unofficial encyclopedia on rental housing advice and information. Mary Rapaport, Founder of Minority Business Growth Alliance, states that Peer forums are a great source for industry leaders to share ideas, concerns, thoughts, and questions in a safe and confidential setting**. Which is exactly why we created this resource for our members. Rapaport goes on to remind us that “As a member, it’s your role to fully participate. YOU create powerful experiences and YOUR knowledge helps others.” I’ve found that our members who participate follow these simple guidelines perfectly! The professional group of individuals has grown to become a trusted group of industry peers that allow others to grow, share experiences and share in goal-focused discussions.

“Information rules the world” – Winston Churchill

RHAWA also utilizes their Blog to pass along industry news, best practices and critical legislative changes quickly to our members. This is the perfect place to visit to ensure you’re staying up-to-date on everything going on in the rental housing industry. A recent survey by Hubspot indicates that readers visit blogs to learn something new, to be entertained, and to discover news or trends in industry. Our Vendor members also contribute articles for our blog, which is a great place for you to learn about maintenance on your property, business financial matters, how to best market your property, and so much more! The blog is another form of peer-to-peer learning that has become invaluable. If you are interested in providing an article for the blog (or our Current newspaper) as a vendor, reach out to publications@rhawa.org for more information.

Knowledge Databases and Support Centers are another source of great information. While it could be considered peer-to-peer learning, many times this information has been compiled by industry experts. A Knowledge Database helps us to save, organize and share knowledge easily. RHAWA has created their own Knowledge Database that can be accessed through the new Support Center at RHAwa.org/support-center. Here you can enter your questions or search terms to pull up articles that will aid in your information search. But we take the knowledge database concept one step further by offering the ability to submit your questions directly to our Support team, who can then direct you to additional resources related to your specific need. Utilizing this system we can address many more member requests for assistance in a timely fashion, and empower members to find their own solution based on the information found in articles and other resources.

I will forever be a lifelong learner and through my studies have found the value in knowing where to find the best information quickly. RHAWA is the first place housing providers should search when looking for more information on the rental housing industry. Through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and our knowledge database and support center, you are sure to find the answers you need!

* Gilligan, C. (2020, January 6). 3 Advantages of Peer-to-Peer Learning. Training Magazine. https://trainingmag.com/3-advantages-of-peer-to-peer-learning/

** Rapaport, M. (2020, April 20). Maximizing Your Investment in Peer Forums. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/maximizing-your-investment-peer-forums-mary