Embracing a Technology-Focused Apartment Marketing Strategy

Mobile technology is becoming more in demand in multifamily housing, according to some of the latest survey data. And websites need to get right to the point or prospective renters will move on to the next community. Lia Nicole Smith, Vice President of Education and Performance for SatisFacts and ApartmentRatings, said all indications are that renters continue to embrace technology. Property managers should pay attention when creating their apartment marketing strategy, or they’ll miss the boat when it comes to attracting and retaining renters. At Houston’s Texas Apartment Association conference in April, she gave a sneak preview of the SatisFacts 2019 Online Renter Study, which noted that customer preferences regarding technology hadn’t changed much from two years ago but that mobile devices are far more important. Smartphone use among apartment residents jumped more than 15 percent since 2017. In 2011, when SatisFacts rolled out its first survey, smartphone usage was 26.3 percent. “This is one that blew me away when I saw the results,” Smith said. Finding apartments online continues to grow Also, more prospects are searching online to find apartments instead of driving by, and online leasing and renewals are gaining in popularity. Renters are expecting to leverage online community portals, too. The number of apartment hunters who visit a community website before scheduling an appointment is up to 85 percent, 4 percent higher than last year. Renting online and renewals each earned higher rankings than in 2017, based on SatisFacts’ rating system, but remain moderately important. Smith believes that rising gasoline prices are driving prospects to websites rather than to communities. According to research, prospects don’t have time for marketing lingo, which means property managers need to make the most of their online presence. “They need direct navigation,” Smith said. “If they want fluff, they will...