The way that prospective renters are searching for their next apartment community has taken a turn. The days of using an internet listing service (ILS) for apartment searches are fading—and fading fast. So, how are these renters connecting with your community? Simple. The old fashioned way—internet searching.
We’ve all experienced them at one point or another, and it’s always a great feeling when we can solve one every now and again. I’m referring to those infamous rental complaints that can tend to result in excess vacancies, poor online reviews and overloaded voicemail boxes. From leftover pet waste sprinkled on the front lawn to overgrown hedges and dripping faucets–as property managers, we’ve heard it all. While they are not one of the best surprises that could pop up in your inbox, they do oftentimes provide great insight into your property’s operations, and when solved, can mean all the difference in the world for your residents. Not to mention, it’s a great feat for you as well.
Continue reading 3 Top Resident Complaints Solved with Rentbot
It is no secret that the multifamily industry is growing, and its growing fast. New properties are popping up every day it seems, making it much more difficult for communities to stay one step above the competition. Despite this ever-changing environment, it is still possible for owners and managers to breathe new life into their properties while attracting more tenants—and it all comes down to smart marketing.
If I were to ask you if your current marketing strategy is centered on your customer, how would you respond? Yes? or No? Well, if the answer is yes, then you’re right on track. If it’s no, then you have some work to do. Despite the fact that we may invest heavily in the greatest digital tools and tactics, at the end of the day, a business’ true success will always come back to how it’s treating its customers. Continue reading Improve your Customer Experience
When it comes to marketing apartments, there is no perfect formula, and different strategies tend to work for different properties. But, there are some important tips that you should know before trying to market your property in today’s rental market.
Before making any major moves with your apartment marketing efforts, you’ll first need to create an official marketing strategy. This strategy will outline how you will accomplish your sales goals and objectives for the upcoming year. It should include information like your target market, competitor details, promotional tactics, and timelines. This strategy will help you determine how to spend your marketing budget more effectively and provide a framework to attract the best renters for your property.
Though you may be tempted to ignore those angry renters who post negative reviews online, don’t! Responding to reviews-both positive and negative- can create a bigger payoff for you in the long run. You’ll not only show your residents that you care about their issues, but you will gain an inside knowledge into some of their biggest concerns. When responding, it is important that you do so quickly (within 48 hours), personalize your response and offer a solution. Your residents will definitely appreciate the one-on-one attention, and you’ll create a much more positive rental experience at the same time. After all, who wouldn’t want to live in a place where their opinions matter?
By taking advantage of popular social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, you will not only help build your online presence, but foster a deeper relationship with both your prospects and current renters by keeping your property top-of-mind. You should utilize these channels to not only market your community and any current specials, but to share valuable information such as resident events, major projects, and even address resident concerns. When creating your page, ensure essentials like your property website, address and phone number are included and up to date. The majority of your renters spend quite a bit of time on these channels every day, so it is important that you post relevant content at least three to four times per week to ensure a regular presence.
A good, quality, responsive apartment website can be a 24/7 lead generating machine for any property. While your website is the first time most prospects will connect with your property, it is extremely important to make sure their first impression is your best. An effective apartment website offers all of the answers to your prospects’ questions in one place. So, you should take full advantage of your site and include such information as real time pricing, layouts, unit pictures, availability, amenities, etc., and present in a clear, simple format. Last but not least, by incorporating a responsive design, your prospects will be able to view your site on any device of their choosing—be it mobile phone, laptop, tablet or desktop.
In addition to your website and social media pages, there are other online marketing tactics that can offer substantial benefits for your property. These tools will not only help you increase your online visibility, but generate more targeted leads and conversions. When developing your next marketing strategy, make sure you look into incorporating search engine optimization for your website, a Google AdWords campaign and email marketing wherever possible. You’ll just need to ensure that you are collecting data from each campaign and tool along the way so that you can judge which tactic proved most effective.
You already know the important role your website plays in the leasing process—so, why not take your to the next level? By converting your website into a Rentbot site, you’ll not only stand out above the competition, but you’ll be in a better position to secure more leases and better leads. With search engine optimization included, a mobile and responsive website design, and fast and friendly web support, you can easily create that perfect look for your property and meet your sales goals at the same time. Elevate your apartment marketing with Rentbot, and we promise you’ll be glad you did!
Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.
Forbes recently released its list of top projected marketing trends to be on the lookout for in 2017. Several of the tactics mentioned in this article have the potential to change the face of apartment marketing as we know it. It is no secret that in this industry, owners and property managers alike must constantly find new, innovative ways to connect with prospective renters.
Next time you decide to revamp your marketing strategy, try to take advantage of a few of these new tactics:
Holiday season is upon us! During this time of year, the rental market typically slows down; but, you can still take advantage of these cold, winter months by taking a good, hard look at your current marketing strategy to ensure you are still one step above your competition. The first thing you should do is evaluate your current website. If you don’t feel it is performing to your liking, then it may be time to evaluate alternate options so that you’re not approaching a brand new year with the same old results.
Rentbot is here to help you get started, and we are guaranteed to produce results.
Here are a few of the wonderful benefits that we offer our customers:
Now a days, adaptability is not only important, but necessary when designing a website, especially considering the rise of mobile technology. That is why we design each Rentbot site so that it effortlessly responds to each user’s environment and behavior, no matter which device they are using—be it smart phone, tablet, desktop or laptop.
What does all of this mean for you? Well, considering that 91% of all apartment shoppers are likely to use their mobile devise during their next leasing cycle, you’ll need to ensure that each and every one of those prospects who visit your site receive the best first impression with hopes that they will ultimately become your next tenant.
By investing in Rentbot, you’ll not only receive a site with a beautiful, custom layout, but we will also ensure that your prospects can find you when they need to. While in the design phase, we carefully optimize your website so that it is highly searchable and will rank well in organic search engine results pages. This enables our customers to “seal the deal” much faster.
When it comes to apartment life, renters tend to prefer convenience. This concept extends to payments, maintenance requests and even the initial application process. At Rentbot, we not only understand the importance of convenience, but we go the extra mile to ensure that each of our sites will not only save our customers time on the back end, but their tenants as well. This is why each custom Rentbot website is designed with a seamless payment system which accepts credit cards and bank drafts, so that your tenants can pay their monthly rents with just the click of a button.
We also know that, oftentimes, the maintenance repair process can be quite frustrating. We try to remove some of this stress for both parties involved by automating the maintenance request process online. With your new Rentbot site, your tenants will now be able to note their maintenance issues online via a simple form, and they will be delivered to your inbox almost instantly. You’re then able to confirm and prioritize your team’s jobs in no time.
When we mention online functionalities, we cannot forget the most important tool—online applications! We make sure you catch all of your prospects when they’re most engaged with your property. After viewing the real time unit availability and property amenities on your Rentbot site, prospects are then able to complete a simple, convenient application online so that your leasing agents can follow up with each prospect sooner than later. As we all know in the rental industry, timing is everything.
Rentbot offers all of these features and more; but, perhaps the most popular benefit that we offer is our money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your custom Rentbot site for any reason within 90 days, we’ll refund you every penny. It doesn’t get any much better than that!
Ring in a little holiday cheer for your tenants with a new Rentbot site, and start the New Year off in the right direction! You’ll produce more qualified leads and sign more leases if you do—we guarantee it.
Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.
You know you need to take some pictures of your property for your website and internet listing ads, so you pull out your cell phone and let the snapping begin. After you’ve completed your mock shoot, you scroll through the selection and upload your top picks online, not thinking twice. After all, “It’s just a photo, right?”
Wrong! Your property’s photos are one of the most important aspects of your website and internet ads, as they should not only draw your prospect in, but provide an accurate and realistic visual experience of what life will be like at your community.
Photography is actually one of the simplest and most important tactics you can utilize to stand out among your competitors. Here are some tips to ensure you are taking full advantage of your photos:
Though you may be tempted to just pull out that cell phone, trust me, you’ll fare much better in the long run if you invest the time and money into professional, quality images versus taking the do-it-yourself route. Research local photographers in the area, particularly those who have experience with apartment photos. In the event it is not quite feasible to hire an outside photographer, try to get your hands on a DSLR camera, as the higher quality lens, larger imaging sensor and filters will make all the difference in your photos.
Whether you’re taking the photos yourself or using a photographer, staging is always important. Turn off televisions, organize loose cords, wipe tables and straighten the furniture if need be. Your prospects want to envision themselves as a resident at your property—whether it is watching television in the lounge, exercising in your workout room, or lounging in their unit. The smallest distraction—including the leftover dish in the sink—can make this process a little more difficult.
Proper lighting can make or break a photo. You will only want to take your property photos during the daytime hours and avoid using the flash feature whenever possible. This way, you can use the light to your advantage. You can even turn on the interior lighting for a few shots to make for a larger, more inviting space.
Don’t just stick with the same basic angle when taking your photos. Prospects want to view all aspects of a space. Try walking around the room, elevating yourself on a chair or stool, getting on your knees, and experimenting with close ups as well. You will actually show the largest percentage of the room by shooting the picture from a corner. Point the camera upwards, slightly downwards, even including the floor. It will also help to focus your shot on the most attractive or unique elements to ensure the best points are showcased in the photo, especially if you are including these features in your listing description.
Your apartment photos can completely transform the aesthetic of your website, and will ultimately help tell your property’s story. At Rentbot, we understand the importance of a great photo. That’s why, when designing your website, we will incorporate beautiful, high-definition imagery and design elements that provide the perfect complement to your property. Not sure you can provide high quality photos? No worries! We can take care of that for you too! We’ll provide you with professional and optimized images which showcase your property’s best features. Not to mention, each photo will be taken by one of our trusted, experienced photographers and provided to you with your site so that you can display on other internet ads as well. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Let Rentbot help tell your story and secure guaranteed leads and more signed leases in no time!
Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.
When renters are searching for their next property, your community isn’t the only one they’re viewing. This means you have a very limited window to capture these potential leads and convert them into actual leases.
But, don’t worry just yet, there are few tactics you can do right now to secure your next cohort of tenants and boost your overall lead conversion rates.
Time is truly of the essence when it comes to responding to prospective residents. Whether you utilize an auto responder, answering service or an after-hours agent, it is important that all residents are addressed in a timely manner. So, what’s considered “timely?” According to the Harvard Business Review, those who respond to leads within the hour are seven times more likely to qualify the lead. Can’t make that one hour timeframe? Try to stay within the 2-hour response period when it comes to communicating with your leads. This will ensure that you stay top-of-mind throughout their search process.
Try to narrow your advertising as much as possible to your target renter. Utilize Google AdWords to attract attention by purchasing key phrases that relate to your prospects. Take advantage of location options so that you can tailor your campaign to those searching within your proximity. If your community offers a unique amenity, add these terms to your AdWords portfolio as well. If you’re leveraging internet listing services (ILS’s), include basic information like square footage, price and floorplans up front. Also consider beefing up your photos, which will allow you to disqualify those leads who ultimately will not be interested in your property for one reason or another.
Your website shouldn’t be viewed as just an informational source for your community, but rather another tool to help qualify prospective leads. When a prospect lands on your website, your goal is to ensure that they take action at that particular moment. This can include calling the leasing office, sending an email or even completing your site’s contact form. To do this, you’ll want to take advantage of compelling imagery, offer easy to find contact information, engaging videos and place price qualifiers throughout the site. We can’t forget about that “call-to-action.”
No matter which channels you use to secure your leads, you need to know the numbers behind them. Knowing this information will not only help you better understand your target renter, but provide you with a much clearer indication of where to direct the majority of your marketing expenditures. Install an analytics program on your website so that you can determine where the majority of your traffic is coming from. If you’ve invested in an ILS or AdWords account, make sure you review your click-through rates weekly. You can also purchase unique tracking phone numbers for each of your active marketing channels so that you can determine which medium produced the most action.
Rentbot has a proven track record of delivering our customers more qualified leads and leases. At Rentbot, we understand that search engine optimization is an important part of lead conversion. That’s why each Rentbot site is carefully optimized so that it is highly searchable and will rank well in organic search engine results. In addition, your custom website will feature a mobile and responsive design so that your prospects can view your property on any device. It doesn’t get any better than that! Let Rentbot supplement your marketing efforts and turn your leads into leases much faster—we guarantee it!
Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.
As we approach a new leasing season, you should begin to take a good, hard look at your current marketing strategy to see if it can use a bit of “Fall sprucing.”
