Maintain your digital presence to find potential renters.
Back when EBMC opened in 1968, the internet was merely an academic research project, 30 years later it became mainstream, and almost 30 after that we have the internet in our hands and at our disposal 24 hours a day.
For apartment communities looking for new residents, this means building an online reputation that is consistent, succinct, and one that shines from ratings to social media, to your responsiveness to inquiries. Here are four important considerations to factor into your communications with potential renters:
1. Renters look for recency on apartment review sites. Reading online reviews is second nature for consumers and renters alike. Before signing a lease, renters want to hear from current residents.
According to Google, “Reviews are useful when they are honest and objective. Customers find a mix of positive and negative reviews more trustworthy.”
But you can't wait for reviews to happen...they need to be asked for, and opportune times to request reviews are after maintenance requests or after move-ins. New residents are a prime resource for feedback because they have a fresh perspective on the search process and how the community outperformed competitors.
2. Completed Google Business Profiles increase your trustworthiness. Completed Google Business Profiles drive more impressions and more actions on the listing when compared to communities that did not complete their listing information. Similarly, Business Profiles with images deliver more interactions compared to those that lack visual content.
A well-executed GBP adds real estate to a community’s online presence and boosts SEO to help properties outshine competitors during the apartment search. If you can compel potential customers to simply interact with your Google Business Profile, there’s more than a 50% chance that they’ll visit your website.
3. Activate renter interest with updated social media channels. Like it or not, Social media is here to stay! Keeping up with a well-rounded social strategy will help apartment communities stay relevant. Communities must actively nurture their social media following, by maintaining community pages on relevant social channels, posting engaging content that encourages community discussion, and providing critical updates.
4. Responsive Communication is Key. From Facebook Messages to Emails, website inquiries, and text messages, customers are going to reach out; responding quickly and accurately will increase their trust and can increase your conversion rate. Minimize miscommunication and increase quick response by making one person your point of contact!
Renters are savvy and investigate a property’s digital presence before deciding to sign a lease. With some effort, it is possible to meet the evolving technology standards that renters have come to expect, by maintaining a strong digital presence.
