The Property Management industry is full of competition, giving potential renters numerous options at their fingertips. It’s important to know what they are looking for so that you can accommodate them and separate yourself from the guys next door. It’s not just the shiny countertops, updated fixtures, and clean carpeting that we’re talking about here...
People are attracted to things that make them feel at ease and create stress free experiences. To a renter, these could be things like the ability to apply and pay online, as well as schedule showings online. In addition, the ability to communicate via text or email with their potential property management group is key.
As technology improves, attention spans grow shorter, making it essential to adopt features such as texting and automated emails. The quicker you get back to a potential renter, the more likely you are to land the "sale". According to Hubspot:
"Almost ⅔ of buyers expect a response within 10 minutes to any marketing, sales, or customer service inquiry." - Jon Dick, Hubspot
This expectation makes the use of automation a necessity, otherwise you may find yourself missing out on potential tenants. Software like AppFolio does offer the ability to communicate online quickly with potential and existing tenants. However, a lot of users don’t enable these functions or don’t know how to use them. If this sounds like you, now is the time to train yourself and your staff on how to use these features. You are paying for it after all!
Once you have a lead, be sure to schedule a showing with them in 24 hours or less (going back to the quick response expectations). This makes them feel wanted and tells them that you are an organized community.
AppFolio has an automated feature that replies to guest cards as they are received via email, and can even send them a pre-qualification form. Using this feature takes a bit of the workload off of your staff and proves a larger window to schedule a showing.
When you have the showing scheduled, it’s important to keep things in mind like the time of day, the number of existing showings, and cleanliness of the current tenant.
According to Avail, all of these items, and more, play a big role in landing a responsible and reliable tenant. Paying attention to the small details and giving leads a quick response will yield more favorable renters. Who doesn't love that?
APM Help can train you and your staff on leasing features available on AppFolio and Propertyware. If you have questions please contact us as apmhelp.com or at info@apmhelp.com and we’d love to discuss your current leasing process and goals!
