Topic: Lease Up Ideas

I'm searching for some tried and true lease up ideas. I have a new property that we will be getting our first building with CO within the next month and a half. So far, we only have 3 leases and we're expecting 40 units in the 1st building.

Currently, we're doing:
Outreach which consists of just dropping flyers in break rooms or community boards while establishing relationships with businesses.
Posting to CL daily.
Offering a great move in special, resident referral program, and mailing flyers
Participating in various parades and festivals in the area

What are some other great ideas? We don't have a budget so funds are available to do just about anything that isn't ridiculous

Step up outreach efforts. Send $5 pizzas along with info on your exciting new housing opportunity to the lunch rooms of the major employers you have targeted. We have sent cakes to employers with edible photographic images of the community on the cake as a Hello Neighbor gesture. Send a party in a box to the HR director with a VIP invitation to visit. Lease-ups are our passion. Be glad to brainstorm some additional ideas with you if you like. Send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Have you thought of using Welcome Gifts? Since 1990, we have been the leader in Apartment Welcome, Renewal and Marketing gifts. Doing the "unexpected" is a sure way of making your new resident feel right at home reassuring that their decision was the best decision! Welcome Gifts create word of mouth advertising and early on sets the stage for lease renewals. $100 can buy you 20 beautiful gifts; the ROI is priceless! www.basketsbyjill.com :)

Something I would recommend is reaching out to some of your B/C comps. Partner with them in a nice way by introducing yourself to their teams and offering to send those Prospects who come but can't afford to rent with you. This doesn't mean sending over unqualified prospects, by the way. Hosting an Open House for them, providing lunch, etc. would be a nice gesture. I would also sponsor a Realtor's luncheon or breakfast and introduce your property to them. Letting them know you offer a Referral Fee might pique their interest enough to send you even a few short term winter prospects.

You might also offer new Prospects who lease well in advance of being ale to move in, the option to use the Clubhouse, fitness room, or pool with their friends. Host a movie night or small cocktail party for them. Getting your name out may be all you need to get the leases rolling.

Have you made any contact with any Corporate Housing providers, in addition to your local furniture rental provider such as Cort?

With my lease up properties I had an open house for locators with door prizes as well as anyone that leased that weekend did not have an application fee, a $99 non-refundable deposit and entered into a drawing to win a $500 gift card or a 55" flat screen tv. Our best open house resulted in 17 leases that weekend! You have to promote it really well! Good luck!!!

Where is it? How does it compare to the comps (product, price, location etc)? What are you already doing? Of what you are doing, what sources appear to be sending the best qualified traffic? Are you fully confident that your team is selling as best they can (have to ask...I always go back to the 4 P's as a place to start)?

Happy to try to come up with some ideas with knowing a bit more about the situation. There's nothing that works like a "paint brush" for every community!

Being the new kid on the block...no one knows who you are..schedule in person visits with large employers..can you host an open house for relocation agents? Get property brochures in all of the service locations future residents will patronize...dry cleaner, gas station, mass transportation, grocery, cell,phone providers, food delivery., vets if you're pet friendly..

Sometimes the tried and true is something that everyone is using. What makes something more appealing? What is you could offer the whole family a service? Give them a year and if they like the service, then you can give them the opportunity to go for longer. Talk to a board certified doctor on the phone, via email, or video chat 24/7 for 365 days out of the year (call as many times as you want no extra charges and even get non DEA perscriptions filled?), doscponted Physician Visit/Hospital Referral Network, discounted Aetna Dental Access, Discounted Coast To Coast Vision, Discounted Pharmacy, Hearing, Discounted Lab Services and Imaging, Discounted Vitamins, Discounted VIP Diabetic Plan, Roadside Assistance, and Legal Care Direct Family OR Legal Care Direct Small Business. Safe Identity is an optional benefit.

Now if the whole family was offered that service as well as if they have college age children away in college they are covered as well. If this was all offered to the tenants would this not make living at your place a great deal? It is catching on and the great thing is there are many ways this can be done. Once signed up and keeping current the price is grandfathered in against all service increases for the program!

Hi,

Depending on your location, some people are starting to post signs/billboards that include a short code so prospects can learn more instantly and automatically. For example, the sign might say "40 Luxury Units available for occupancy in January, 2015. Text "luxury" to 91011 for more information or call xxx-xxx-xxxx" If people text, your automated text response might say: "Thanks for your text. If you're interested in a 1 bedroom, reply 1, a 2 bedroom, reply 2 etc." The next automated text might say "Our 2 bedroom units are 1125sq ft and include laundry and balconies. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx for more information." Using this technology, you can interactively give and capture a lot of information on a 7/24 basis...basically enabling you to lease-up while you sleep. You will capture their phone number as well as their information (ex. interested in 2 bedroom unit) for followup. Good luck!

Having a website. A good website is essential for advertising apartments to rent, because the Internet is the first place many people turn to when they are searching for a new home.

Use Social Media. Make your website easy to find with the search engines by promoting it using social media. Create a blog and publish regular posts about news and events happening in and around the apartment building. Feature some of your tenants’ stories and how they came to live there.

Try to Host Events. Timeshare marketers do it, so leasing agents can too. Hold presentations onsite and offer prizes or special offers for attendees. Get qualified prospects to attend the presentations by sending invitations to everyone who has previously shown interest in the apartments.

Put a Signage. Most people don’t consciously notice signs until they are looking for something, when they often remember having seen a sign advertising what they want. To benefit from the potential of signage, the International Sign Association recommends that on-premises signage includes the name and address of the business and communicates clearly what is available.

we are having an open house in a month. I would love your suggestions on how to market this!!

Anonymous wrote:

we are having an open house in a month. I would love your suggestions on how to market this!!

i've had success with
asking residents to bring friends and reminding them of the resident referral program
blasting on social media
if you have the budget, have attendees enter for a chance to win something
offer a one-time concession to anyone leasing within 24 hours of your open house

What companies offer the automated text ?