The process to close someone looking months out in advance is generally broken.

Lisa Trosien continues to be on fire with her research/analysis on prospect communication, and this one is a big issue.

I think it's important to think about the "Planner" type of personality. It doesn't necessarily mean they will be wishy-washy up to the actual decision day.

Oftentimes, a Planner wants certainty in their lives, which is why they are looking 6...The process to close someone looking months out in advance is generally broken.

Lisa Trosien continues to be on fire with her research/analysis on prospect communication, and this one is a big issue.

I think it's important to think about the "Planner" type of personality. It doesn't necessarily mean they will be wishy-washy up to the actual decision day.

Oftentimes, a Planner wants certainty in their lives, which is why they are looking 6 months out in advance. They don't feel comfortable with something ambiguous floating out there, so they want to get ahead of it.

From our perspective, we think we can't close someone like that, and while it's true that we can't literally close them, I believe we can close them psychologically.

If they are looking for a sense of comfort from knowing their plans, then we can still close them on the plan. In other words, we close them on the idea of moving in, and then when we get within that 60 day window, all that is left is to pick out their favorite apartment.

In other words, they have already bought into moving to the community and they can mark it as "done".

In fact, I would take it a step further and have them actually apply to the community rather than a specific apartment, assuming legal in that area.

Once they have applied, nobody wants to waste that application fee, and they will be much more likely to continue on once availability is set.

Regardless of the strategy, there are plenty of opportunities to nurture those long-term lookers!
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Lisa Trosien

A YEAR in advance.

That’s how early many renters are starting their apartment search now.

Speaking in North Carolina last week, I surveyed a room of 200+ property management professionals and asked:
“How many of you are seeing renters looking a YEAR in advance?”

Over one-third of the room raised their hands.

I call this “The Long Game.” And it's a strong consumer trend.

A renter reaching out 4–6 months early is no longer unusual. And clearly In some markets, even a year out is not an anomaly.

The graphic below is a perfect example of how NOT to respond to someone looking months ahead.

Some of the issues:
• A lengthy explanation of how renewals work. Spoiler Alert: The prospect does not care how your notice process works.
• “If you haven’t visited our website…” even though the lead came FROM the property website.
• Instructions on how to apply online for an apartment they cannot even see yet.
• No invitation to visit.
• No curiosity about anything the prospect actually shared: new to the area, had a pet, needed a two bedroom.

People reaching out NOW want to SEE SOMETHING now. Such as:

• the quality of the finishes
• the overall condition of the community
• a ready apartment and amenities they are interested in
• a model if you have one

They KNOW they are early.
They KNOW they most likely will not see the exact apartment they may eventually lease.

Yet they reach out anyway because they are trying to reduce risk and gain clarity before making a major decision.

The teams that understand “The Long Game” are building relationships earlier, creating trust sooner, and staying top of mind longer.

The teams that dismiss these prospects as “too early” are quietly losing future leases. Show more

In most cases, landlords only need verification that you have a disability-related need for an ESA, not the details of your diagnosis. Before redacting anything, consider asking your provider to issue a revised letter that does not include specific medical information.As for the pet deposit, many...

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Business leaders who adopt the attitude that anyone is replaceable, thinking they can simply hire someone with a greater skillset or someone with a more prestigious pedigree, are fooling themselves.

When a company has a truly great employee, that employee carries value that simply cannot be replaced. They have extensive product, systems, and process knowledge. They hold client relationships that have been built over many years or could take...Business leaders who adopt the attitude that anyone is replaceable, thinking they can simply hire someone with a greater skillset or someone with a more prestigious pedigree, are fooling themselves.

When a company has a truly great employee, that employee carries value that simply cannot be replaced. They have extensive product, systems, and process knowledge. They hold client relationships that have been built over many years or could take years to duplicate.

And great employees have camaraderie and influence with their coworkers, which when lost, has an impact on the corporate/company's culture within. Show more

Love this: "Experience Is the New Amenity". We keep our pools "sparkling", we keep our landscaping "mature" and "lush", and hopefully... our prospect and resident experience "exceptional".

THIS! "Your resident experience will never outperform your employee experience." Well said!

Yardi CRM IQ phones Does anyone know if we can connect a tracking number from CRM IQ to a polycom phone so that users have accessibility to physical phones instead of their laptops?

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Your insight is always a good read, Donald. You are so on point in distinguishing the two. Too many people and organizations are shaking in their boots! Years ago, you wrote a quick opinion on the impact of rehabs over time. I still use your pers

Quick question! We are seeing “incorrect billing” on ledgers. We use OneSite. We have LIHTC affordable communities who process renewals and ARs that do not run on the same day. What are you doing to help avoid the incorrect billing? (We have the rent codes locked down). TYIA!!!

Preach it! And say it louder for upper management!!