Amherst Innovative Living

Alex Laguerra Sierra specializes in operations, team development and portfolio growth. At Amherst Innovative Living, she has helped open and stabilize new communities while building proactive teams that prioritize resident needs. Her approach combines human connection, accountability and continuous improvement to strengthen communities and service.

Managing Growth Across Communities

Laguerra Sierra oversees five apartment communities with more than 300 apartments, nearly 500 beds and a team of 25 employees. Her role spans operations, finance, leadership and strategy, covering leasing, maintenance, resident satisfaction and team performance.

Over the past nine years, Laguerra Sierra has helped stabilize three communities, which reached 100 percent occupancy during several leasing years. She also serves on the boards of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and the Amherst Business Improvement District, supporting community initiatives.

Finding Leadership Through Leasing

Laguerra Sierra began her career as an undergraduate at the University of Florida, studying nonprofit leadership and management with plans to enter the nonprofit sector. A leasing role introduced her to sales and relationship building, skills that later shaped her leadership.

She signed more than 200 leases during her first year, prompting the company to place her on a management track. She gained experience across student and conventional communities, learning different approaches to successful property management.

“Technology should enhance the customer experience, not replace human connection."

Mentors further shaped her early career, offering guidance through unfamiliar resident complaints, operational challenges and vendor issues. Their support taught her to seek perspective and remain open to learning.

Building Proactive Teams

Laguerra Sierra’s approach to team building begins with hiring people who value personal, team and company success. She looks beyond technical experience, seeking candidates who collaborate, adapt and take ownership. She expects employees to identify needs before residents have to raise them.

Her approach was shaped by The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which she read early in her career. Its first habit, “be proactive,” became a lasting leadership principle. She applies it through inspections and service follow-ups, encouraging employees to anticipate needs and improve service.

Balancing Digital Convenience With Connection

Laguerra Sierra uses technology to make resident interactions easier while preserving personal connection. Entrata brings payments, service requests, applications, leases and renewals into one platform, while virtual tours help prospective residents explore communities when occupancy is high. Resident surveys guide service improvements and recognize employees for positive interactions. Website chats are answered by team members, and the company does not use bots or AI to replace personal communication or creative work.

For Laguerra Sierra, technology should enhance the customer experience, not replace human connection.

Responding When Crisis Strikes

Last fall, a devastating fire destroyed one of Laguerra Sierra’s communities, displacing more than 200 residents. There were no fatalities or injuries. With the building lost within hours, her team responded quickly, communicating clearly and acting without waiting for direction.

Laguerra Sierra coordinated with the University of Massachusetts, the Red Cross, first responders and local officials, while onsite managers directed residents to safety. The team contacted all 230 residents individually to help secure temporary accommodation.

The crisis showed Laguerra Sierra that relationships developed before an emergency become the foundation of a compassionate response. Existing connections helped secure shelter and resources quickly, while the team learned to focus on the next essential action. For Laguerra Sierra, preparation means developing people who can respond calmly in unfamiliar situations. The experience strengthened trust within the team and reinforced its ability to rely on one another.

Turning Feedback Into Lasting Progress

Laguerra Sierra encourages emerging leaders to recognize that success depends on teams, vendors, residents and community partners. Creating space for ideas, concerns and criticism allows leaders to turn feedback into meaningful change. She believes leaders must act on what they hear. Accountability and continuous improvement prevent complacency.

She also draws attention to the often-overlooked demands of property management. During peak turnover, her team may coordinate hundreds of move-ins and moveouts within 15 days alongside leasing, events, resident concerns and inspections. The pace demands resilience, adaptability and constant prioritization.