Resident Retention: All Night Long

You should see the tweets regarding the AIM (Apartment Internet Marketing) Conference! (For those of you not yet on Twitter, well, all I can tell you is this is the next wave you should be riding).  While hundreds of brilliant minds are focusing on internet marketing strategies and trends, here I am thinking about internal marketing and the role the internet plays.

We can't ignore the presence of technology in our world and in our communities.  How we shop, communicate, pay our bills, complete school homework, and even how we work is changing dramatically. In fact, when residents were surveyed regarding their preferred hours of access to the leasing office, nearly 15% of residents said they wanted 24/7 accessibility!

Can we staff our management offices all night long? (All night?)

The answer is, while we may not be able to physically staff our management offices, we can increase the hours in which residents can conduct business with us. And technology is the answer. How?

Do you have online service request submission? Do you offer online rent payments? Do you have office email addresses? Do you have online community news? If you have at least one of these offerings, you have just 'virtually extended' your office hours! The question is: Do your residents know?

You know how relentless you are with marketing your vacant apartments. Whether through print ads, online sites, craigslist, etc., there is constant attention drawn to you in the marketplace. Or, at least, that's the goal. It's time to apply the same relentless mindset to promoting your internal resources and showing the continued value you provide for your existing residents.

• When they stop by the office or call in a service request, remind them of your online services. (Not to deter them from contacting you personally, but to be aware of your many points of contact.)
• At lease renewal and during prospect tours, conduct an online tour. Show them how easy it is to submit a service request or an online payment.

If your residents don't know about these great 'amenities,' you're throwing valuable dollars down the drain. Internet marketing doesn't just apply to your prospective residents. It's a critical strategy to add value to your existing residents too!