“The multifamily industry has been resistant to change,” said Terry Danner, SightPlan CEO. “What we have learned throughout the pandemic is that new, creative ideas (for leasing) have come to the forefront. I hope our industry continues to accept these new ways of doing things. There is a better way.”
That better way to lease focuses on meeting the prospect in the ways they want. We are already seeing the benefits of communicating with residents on their terms, now is the time to bring leasing into that same realm leveraging new technologies and platforms.
Funnel – an industry-leading marketing and leasing platform for multifamily owners and managers that unifies syndication, lead management and online leasing into one seamless, automated product – suggests the following steps in order to optimize your leasing opportunities and deliver the experience prospects are looking for:
- Be proactive: There are so many technologies that are available to give a prospect what they want without having to ask for it. Consider launching a YouTube channel to house pre-recorded community tours. Optimize your ILS listings and website by keeping them as up to date as possible
- Be flexible: It is all about meeting the prospect at the right time and on the right channel. Consider offering more ways to invite a prospect to a community. Virtual tours, self-guided tours, Facetime and Duo all provide a way for prospects to experience a community without being there in person. It is also important for your CRM to track exactly how a prospect wants to conduct a tour.
The Data Speaks for Itself: Live video tours represent around 15% of the tours being booked for all Funnel users. Recently, as in-person tours have been reintroduced at communities, Funnel is seeing a strong preference for in-person tours over live video tours when they are being offered. - Be interactive: The pandemic forced the multifamily industry to rethink customer service and how to build rapport with prospects. The discovery process is more important than ever. Focus on determining what the prospects finds valuable, like a great kitchen or a large closet, instead of overloading them with unnecessary details. Ask leading questions to get a true sense of the apartment home they are looking for.
See these tips in action in the latest episode of Back to Work with Terry Danner, as he visits with the team at Cantera by Cortland to learn how they leverage Funnel’s CRM technology along with their fortitude and excitement to excel at apartment leasing, pandemic or not.
