5 Great Apartment Management and Marketing Tips and Ideas

Hi everyone, after reading various reports provided by the National Apartment Association and the National Multidwelling Council, I have gleaned some of the most valuable apartment marketing ideas and tips. They are listed in order of importance and, if done correctly, will help you get more leads, double or triple requests, and significantly improve leasing success. Hope you enjoy!

1. ALL marketing materials must have your primary contact information (this means your online rental application and website address too! – see #2, #3): Let me explain this a bit. little more. Many people have the misconception that advertising and marketing are the same, they are not. It’s true that successful marketing will pay huge dividends when you advertise, but it’s not the same. Marketing is the act of creating brand awareness and “buzz” about your company. So when I say all your marketing materials should have your primary contact information, I mean everything you produce (newsletters, surveys, signage, and of course your advertisements).

2. You must have a strong apartment marketing website – Your community website should be geared towards both your current residents and potential new residents. Your website should have useful information for your current residents, such as online rent payment, resident work order application, community news, and a directory of local schools, services, shops, recreation, etc. Most importantly, your website should have well-organized, direct sales information for your prospective residents. Floor plans, apartment amenities, discounts, maps/directions, and MOST essential, every apartment marketing website page should link to a web-based rental application (see # .° 3).

3. A link to your online rental application on every page of your apartment marketing website and in every website ad – This goes along with #. Tip #1. An online rental application will allow your prospective tenants to “contact” you and is therefore part of your contact information! All advertisements and other online marketing materials must include a link to your website AND a link to your online rental application. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have your own online rental application and it is not encrypted, you are responsible! You are collecting sensitive information from tenants, and it is your job to keep that information SAFE!

4. Respond to potential resident leads and online rental applications within 60 minutes of receiving them – Think of your potential resident leads and rental applications like milk left on the counter. You only have so much time before the milk turns sour and cannot be saved. In our personal experience, online rental applications answered within the hour they are received close over 50% of the time if they qualify

5. Reset office hours: It’s amazing why apartment leasing offices are open during “regular business hours”: 8 am to 5 pm, it just doesn’t make sense. Why is this? After 3 years of research (over 700 online rental applications and countless leads) and data compilation, we have found that over 50% of online leads and rental applications are received after 5: 00 pm So this means that all those leads and rental requests are not being answered within the 60 minute time frame. Also, many people choose to search for apartments after work, after 5 pm, and if you are not in your office, you are losing leases. Our suggested office hours are 9 am to 7 pm.