Duck’s Village

Location: Eugene, OR

University: University of Oregon

The Challenge

Before Campus Advantage assumed management, Ducks Village faced serious operational, financial, and residential trust issues. Occupancy reporting was inaccurate, with records showing 92–93% pre-leased when actual occupancy was closer to 85%, and vendor accounts were in disarray due to overpayments, unpaid balances, and missing records. The client requested a full staffing overhaul, requiring the interview, hiring, and onboarding of more than 15 employees from a competitor in one week. Outdated leases, unprocessed transfers, missing resident data, and widespread maintenance and safety concerns — from moss-covered sidewalks to nonfunctional parking lot lights and outdated smoke detectors — compounded the challenges. Years of inconsistent management practices had eroded resident confidence, leaving the property in need of a complete operational reset.

The Solution

Campus Advantage began by addressing the most urgent operational gaps. A comprehensive audit of Entrata, vendor statements, and staff leases identified discrepancies and allowed the team to correct occupancy records, recover lost income, and put new compliance measures in place. Sales training with a back-to-basics focus on customer service reset the leasing culture, while strategic incentives encouraged residents to transfer into consolidated units to free up marketable inventory. Maintenance addressed critical safety concerns, replacing every smoke detector, installing carbon monoxide detectors, repairing lighting, and remediating moss to improve curb appeal and safety.

The team also pushed forward a variety of capital projects that had stalled under previous management. These included completing a dog park, repairing sundecks, updating clubhouse furniture and decor, resurfacing the billiards table, adding a Lululemon fitness room, and upgrading gym equipment. Curb appeal improvements, new signage, and refreshed amenity spaces elevated the tour experience, while resident-focused touches — from operational coffee machines to community events — helped rebuild trust. Campus Advantage established structured task lists, daily progress calls with the client, and consistent communication with residents to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Results

By focusing on operational integrity, service consistency, and resident engagement, Campus Advantage transformed Ducks Village into a fully stabilized community. Pre-leasing for 2025–26 jumped from 12% in November 2024 to 100% by July 2025, an increase of 26%, while physical occupancy climbed from an adjusted 83% to over 92% within a month of takeover. Delinquency dropped from more than $318,000 in December 2023 to just $16,517 by July 2025, and the property’s Google rating improved from 2.6 to 3.2 stars. Maintenance satisfaction reached 9.8 out of 10, and the on-site team earned multiple company awards, reflecting a cultural shift toward professionalism and accountability. As Maintenance Supervisor Marissa Gingell described, it became “a team that truly feels like a whole — where one person’s weakness is balanced by another’s strength, and together, you function as a complete unit,” reinforcing the trust and cohesion that now define the property. Most importantly, Ducks Village regained the confidence of both residents and ownership, operating with the systems, standards, and teamwork needed for long-term success.