We all have made purchases online, perhaps even yesterday. When you are looking for a specific item, you read multiple reviews, crowd source your family and friends and do as much research as possible before you decide to buyAnd when the item finally arrives, you are hoping the online depiction of the product is an accurate representation. Will the item live up to what the description says it is? Is the item the color it says it would be? Is it the size really accurate? An apartment home is quite the same.

 

Today’s renter is more likely to do up front research before contacting a community. Searching a community’s website wanting the website to be a wealth of information and not an advertisement. A renter’s offline journey starts with confidence due to what they have learned online. In our 2019 Online Renter Study a renters “trust in a community’s website” has drastically decreased from 35% in 2017 to just 9% two years later. Renters are trusting a community’s website less as a community’s online presence is found to be saying one thing online, but showcasing something different in person.

 

Due to the decline in trusting a community’s website, reviews have moved to the #1 most trusted source. Renters have determined reviews to be most trustworthy and want know the authentic story, the good and bad. They need to feel confident they are making the right decision.  Touring the community is now a means of verification as renters need reassurance to what they’ve seen online is accurate in real life. How do you make sure everything on your website reflects what a renter will see when they tour community?

 

Common website features

 

1. “Pet Friendly This goes beyond just having the amenity of a dog park. If a community is pet friendly, do you have dog bones available in the office or perhaps several water bowls around the community to reinforce you are pet friendly? Providing prospects and residents with a list of groomer, veterinarians, pet day camps and boarders is a nice touch In addition, inviting a prospect to bring their dog on tour helps reinforce the community is pet friendly on the website and in person. 

 

2. “Luxury” Do you showcase your apartment homes as luxury on your community website? This term can be an overused and every renter has a different idea of what the luxury means. Model apartments featured on a community’s website often depict a luxurious lifestyle however renters prefer to see the actual apartment.  According to our 2019 Online Renter Study, viewing the actual apartment is rated as the #1 motivator to lease; viewing the model is #14.

 

3. “Photos” Does the community’s photos showcase the pet park with bright green grass that has been photo shopped, but when the renter tours the community they find the pet park to be mainly dirt? Renters are expecting community online photos to be an accurate depiction of what they see when on a tour

 

4. “Convenience” Many community websites allow renters to reserve and apply online, which is a true convenience to many.  But iconvenience is something featured onlinewhat happens when the renter walks in for a tour they find an out of office sign? Calls that go to voicemail and emails that go without a response are the opposite of convenience.  To reinforce what is showcased online a community must be available during business hours via in person as well as phone and email. The traditional “same business day” response time has dwindled to 2 hours and renters preferences have evolved which means community’s must meet the change in renters preferences. 
 

A community’s online presence includes its website, reviews, photos and even social media which must be an authentic representation of the community. As with online purchases, if the item doesn’t live up the description, you will return it for a refund. Renters feel the same way, quickly losing trust and possibly moving on to tour another community.