One Year Later: Catching Up with Our $100,000 Winner

What would you do with a cool hundred grand? That isn’t just a theoretical question for Michelle Kingson, district manager at Pegasus Residential.

One year ago, Michelle scored the grand prize in the Apartments.com giveaway at NAA Apartmentalize.

“It was life-changing,” she said.

Michelle joined us at NAA Apartmentalize 2024 to catch up on what’s happened in her life since her name was called on that unforgettable day.

A whirlwind experience

This time last June, Michelle was a property manager for Pegasus Residential.

She was standing in the crowd, waiting for the giveaway winner’s name to be announced. When her own name (Michelle Willis) was called, she didn’t even hear it over the noise.

“I heard the tail end of my management company,” she said.

She was pulled up onto the stage to cheers and applause.

“It was kind of a whirlwind,” she said, recalling the moment she realized she had just won $100,000.

Watch the moment here:

When she reached the stage, she was embraced by Jeff Goldblum — or Brad Bellflower, as he’s known to the apartment industry and to millions of renters around the country.

“He’s so wonderful,” she said. “He is exactly how you would think he is.”

Investing in her daughter

As a new mother, Michelle had made the tough decision to travel to the NAA Apartmentalize conference that year.

“It was really hard for me to leave my family to come,” she said, “but it was definitely worth it.”

Her daughter was only four months old at the time.

Michelle called her husband to tell him the news, and he couldn’t believe it was real until she sent him a photo.

So, what did Michelle end up spending her prize on?

“I got to set up a college fund for my daughter and buy a house for her to grow up in,” she said.

Words of wisdom for the next winner

At this year’s conference, another lucky attendee won $100,000. This time, the prize went to Gerry Jackson, a senior property manager for Berkshire.

Like Michelle, Gerry was in shock when he realized he had won.

What should Gerry do with his $100,000 windfall? Michelle offered her advice to the new winner.

“I recommend spending it on something that matters,” she said, “and don’t forget to save for taxes!”