4 Tablespoons Curb Appeal

1 Quart of Apartment Training

½ Cup of Welcoming Office Environment

¼ Cup of Targeted Marketing

1 Pint of Community Reputation

2 Cups of Answering the Phone

2 Cups of Returning Prospect Emails

3 Cups of Welcoming Prospects at the Front Door

2 Cups of Follow Up

1 Smile from Ear to Ear

1 Heart that Wants to Help Someone Find a Home

1 Handshake with a pinch of determination

Blend all these ingredients well.  Cook at 350 degrees of Passion.  Don’t ever let it cool.  Decorate the lease with resident retention rosebuds.  Make your presentation and make that resident drool with anticipation.  Repeat this process daily.  Don’t be wowed by any add water and stir recipes that are out there.  Stick to the fundamentals and you will bake something special every day.  Did I miss any ingredients?  Let me know in the comments below.

Written by Jonathan Saar  If you wish to subscribe to regular posts, please subscribe here.

There are more than 2.4 billion mobile phone users; this number is growing every day!  About 30% of these mobile phone owners (more than 700 million and growing) have browsed the Internet through their mobile phones. This is why mobile marketing is predicted to become the next predominant media segment.  Local search is also an area being give much discussion as of late.  Unsurprisingly, searches conducted via mobile products are much more likely to be of a local nature than a desktop query.  According to Google, 1/3 of all mobile search queries have a “local intent.”  Google also states that 15% of all iPhone apps are local.  With this information, it seems like a “no brainer” for us multifamily folks to get involved with mobile marketing.  We all know the old real estate adage “location, location, location” – so, local search via mobile becomes a must!  The next question is how do we develop a mobile presence?

Here at Princeton Properties, we recently launched 12 mobile websites.  I have learned much during the process and would like to share a few tips for developing a successful mobile site:

Less is More

Make sure your design doesn’t over burden the mobile screen.  It’s a small screen, remember that!  Keep the site simple, streamline, and contact information friendly.  Also, have minimal navigation, don’t make the mobile user drill down 3-4 pages before finding the information they are looking for.

Contact Information

Put the call to action on the FIRST page and leave it on a footer or header on every interior page.  The call to action should be a telephone number and email address.  With smart phones you can press the telephone number or email address and it will automatically take the appropriate action.  The mobile user is on the go and needs “skimmable” pages with easy contact links.

Be Consistent

Make sure the look and feel of the mobile site compliments the corporate and/or property websites.  The sites should work together, don’t get caught up in the “let’s try something different because…” mentality.  The media channels should complement each other for you to realize the best branding exposure.  This isn’t to say you cannot deviate slightly with design but the sites should enhance each other.

Prospect or Resident or Both

First decide who you are building the mobile sites for; are you strictly trying to prospect for new business?  If so, offer up imagery and pricing very quickly.  Are you looking to service both the prospect and resident? (This is the way I designed our sites)  Then offer up the contact information and a resident portal link from the FIRST page of the mobile sites.  Residents can pay rent or submit work orders while prospects can browse photos, floor plans or connect with the rental office directly.  Decide who your target audience will be prior to starting the design.

Tell People

If you build it, they will come…..doesn’t always work!  Don’t forget to promote your mobile pages.  Start conversations about the mobile sites on all your other media outlets – websites, blogs, print, social.  Attach the mobile website to your SMS campaigns.  Also, don’t forget to let your current resident base know about the mobile pages either with email blasts or good old fashion signage in the office, laundry centers, fitness centers or stickers on packages delivered to the site.

Mobile marketing is an extremely fast moving media segment; there are many ways to accomplish the same outreach goals.  I have highlighted some tips that have worked for me, I am curious to hear what you are doing with mobile.  Are you using it to market your properties?  If so, do you have any impressions or experiences to share?

A guest post by Sarah Greenough.  Sara is the Vice President of Corporate Sales and Media for Princeton Properties Management Inc.

Check out some of their mobile sites through your smart phone!

http://www.princetongreen.com

http://www.yourprincetonplace.com

http://www.yourpheasantrun.com

http://www.boulderparkapts.com

http://www.backcoveapts.com

http://www.livegrandview.com

Can there be any doubt of what a smile can do for another person.  When a prospective resident walks through that door, you have less than a couple of seconds to make that first impression.  It all starts with a smile.  Does a smile only come from your lips?  Absolutely not!  A smile comes from your whole body.  A genuine smile can be seen and understood from our whole demeanor.  Can you think of ways of how our whole body smiles?  Can a genuine smile really make a difference in gaining a new resident who will lease and call your community home?

How about our eyes?  Certainly they play a huge part.  Make sure your eyes on focused on theirs and not anywhere else.  Of course don’t be creepy about it; you don’t want to make the prospective resident feel uncomfortable.  Be relaxed about your eye contact; do not come across as forced.  Make sure you are not distracted by other things going on around you and remember that you are a professional.  Avoid eyeing the prospect from head to toe and back.  That would be really creepy.  If something does demand your attention while first greeting the prospect, make sure you say: “Excuse me”, turn to the person who is distracting you, address the matter quickly, then turn back and continue the conversation.

The handshake is also an important part of the smile.  That really helps translate the warmth, enthusiasm and overall happiness you are feeling towards the prospective resident.  In other words, don’t give the prospect a boiled spaghetti handshake, they need a determined and firm handshake that shows that their visit means the world to you and you can’t wait to fill their apartment needs.

Make sure our smile is natural.  Sometimes we can over smile.  This can come across as showing too much teeth or the cheese smile.  If we over smile it will be shown in our facial wrinkles.  You could be stretching your face so much that appears that we are completely overdoing what should be a natural act.

One of the best ways to get feedback about your smile and its affect is to ask someone.  There is only so much we can learn by looking in the mirror.  Ask someone close to you to give you an honest assessment of your smile in natural settings and its power over others.  Our ultimate goals are always to command the room…and it starts with a smile.  Does a smile really make a difference in securing leases?  Switch roles for a moment and pretend you are the prospect or consumer.  What impact did a smile have on you?

Written by Jonathan Saar

In case you missed it, check out our 15 steps to telephone leasing success.

There really has been little proof that leasing via twitter is or could ever be a reality.  A few of us have been testing the waters and “listening” to those on twitter who use the keyword apartment or apartment hunting.

By sheer coincidence I spotted a tweet from someone I was following already.  Cristin was kind enough to let me blog about this experience which began with the tweet captured above.  I asked her a few questions about what the difficulties were and where she was looking.  Up to this point I had really not tweeted very much with Cristin expect on a couple of chats.

I then began to use my network and send out some messages to property management companies on twitter who have communities along the east coast.  Cristin was looking for something in the Philadelphia area.  Mike Whaling suggests I ask Ellen Thompson since she had communities in that region.  I introduced Cristin to Ellen on twitter and Ellen very kindly provided assistance and found a community with availability in the location Cristin was looking.

Cristin tweeted a couple of times about her experience and how she was on her way to look at her apartment.  I checked in on her just to see what the outcome and here is her tweet in reply.

Please understand the context of this blog.  I am in no way saying that this is the next greatest way to get leases.  I felt compelled to report to my multifamily friends this experience and to demonstrate the power of listening and networking with the end result being a happy prospective resident that started out stressed and ended up happy.  As the dynamic of how prospective residents are changing it behooves us to closely monitor trends and to be in position for opportunities such as these.  There is so much change on the horizon.  How long will it take us to be ready for it?  I look forward to your thoughts on this topic.  What do you see on the horizon?

Written by Jonathan Saar

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Want to get more leases from your internet leads? Try these 12 steps when responding to prospects.

~~A  post by Mechelle Flowers-President of The Training Factor

1. Reply to it!

2. Reply to it within 2 hours.

3. Use a catchy subject line… Example- “Your perfect home is waiting”

4. Use a personal greeting… Example – “Hi there Deshawn”

5. Speak to the person… Answer all the questions. – Don’t use a canned email!

6. Write with features and benefits of the apartment and community –

Example 1-  “The apartment I have in mind for you has a roommate floor plan.  That means that your bedroom will be separate from the other bedroom, giving you a little place to escape at the end of a long day.”

Example 2 –“You mentioned that you have children, what are their names?  They will love to play at our beautiful playground that is within view of your living room window and during the hot summer months, they can swim in the sparkling pool while you relax on one of the many lounge chairs.  If they like video games (what kid doesn’t?) we have an arcade and small DVD and book library for those rainy days as well.  The schools here are beyond compare and your children can hop on the bus while you wave to them from your balcony as you sip your morning coffee.”

7. Include Links to helpful information:

Example-

Web commercial – Click here to see a video of our community - www.webmercial.com

Website – Click here to see our apartment and community features - www.website.com

2×2 floor plan- This is the floor plan I had in mind for you.- www.floorplan.com

Local School Website- www.localschool.com

8. Ask questions back: Example -

“In the hallway, you’ll find a large closet with your washer and dryer connections which would comfortably fit, not only your laundry appliances, but a comfy corner for your kitty as well!  What is your cat’s name, by the way?  I have a cat too and I just love her!”

9. Include the community phone number.

10. Use some sales skills!  Paint pictures with your words focusing on the prospects needs.

Example – “You mentioned that you have children, what are their names?  They will love to play at our beautiful playground that is within view of your living room window and during the hot summer months, they can swim in the sparkling pool while you relax on one of the many lounge chairs.  If they like video games (what kid doesn’t?) we have an arcade and small DVD and book library for those rainy days as well.  The schools here are beyond compare and your children can hop on the bus while you wave to them from your balcony as you sip your morning coffee.”

11. Invite them to come to the community and include your office hours.

Example- I can’t wait to meet you and your children!  When will you be able to come and see your new home?  I am available to meet you, either over the phone or in person all this week.  Our office hours are M-F 8:30am to 6:30pm and on the weekends from 9:00am to 5:00pm.  I’d love to talk to you, so please email me back, call me or stop by soon!  Your home is so great that I would hate for someone else to snatch it up before you have a chance to look at it!  I’m including some more information about your home, so please take a look when you have a moment.”

12. Make sure your email is grammatically correct.

Please share any tips you may have for internet leasing success.  The more feedback the better for the industry.

Written by Mechelle Flowers

There is a fine line between training and application.  Take a trip back to your school years and reflect on the moments when you said to yourself or your teacher: “Why do I need to learn that?  I will never use it.”  As we made our way into the workplace, we should be able to see why advanced algebra, trigonometry, calculus, physics and other subject have served us well.  They developed our ability to think, reason, multitask, and progress in our career path.  It taught us the ability to emotionally handle challenges and to not just give up.

So this brings us to our current moments in life and how we view and apply our continuing education we receive at work.   How can it be possible to score 100% on a multifamily leasing course but only score 60% on a secret shop?  You can add as many thoughts as you want in the comments below.  Follow me on this analogy.  Last week I purchased some paper towel in one of those bulk packages.  I left it in the hallway to see if one of my children would take the initiative to put it away for me.  I left for Pittsburgh for a few days and returned to see that the package was still in the same place, which I then pointed this out to my children.  One of them decides to “put it away” for me and when I opened the cabinet this morning this is what I found.  Yep, the package was just “shoved” into the cabinet.  Now do my children know how to reorganize a cabinet? Yes.  Do my children know how to take the plastic wrapping off a package and stack the contents in a cabinet? Yes.  Do I have smart and intelligent kids?  Absolutely, they are both straight A students.  Do I love my kids?  Yes I do, and they are going to crack up when they read this.

So what’s my point, what was missing?  Education is only the beginning.  Application, drive, and initiative are everything.   How is this achieved?  It can be achieved on 2 levels.  Our clients are using our performance evaluation tool to measure the relationship between education and on the job application.  In other words it’s important to have a follow through program in order to ascertain if the learner is applying what they have been taught.  The other level comes down to individual drive.  When I had the pleasure of visiting Gerry Hunt and Tara Smiley from McKinley, this became part of our discussion.  Gerry pointed out how some leasing professionals can score perfect on their guest cards and yet not be able to close a lease like someone who has their own internal drive and can be basically “human” about the whole experience.   Mechelle Flowers the President of The Training Factor used the expression “Lease with a purpose”, which helped sparked some conversation on Multifamily Insiders.  My thoughts are more towards a less “canned” approach to our career.  In my former industry I had salespeople that could describe the beauty of the flowers over the phone so well, that had arrived at our market that morning that the client was sold without ever seeing them.  Does that occur for your telephone and internet leads?  Please don’t “shove” your leases.  This is your career; this should be your passion.  Achieve and aim high for yourself and for your company.  A future blog post will talk about the “canned” approach to our leasing style, but for now I would love your thoughts on what it takes to bridge the gap between education and application.

Written by Jonathan Saar

1. Marketing plan-Is it the right one for me? How long should I stick to it?
2. Competition-What size fish am I in my pond?  What do I do about the bigger fish?
3. Budgets-Do I spend the money, or do I cut back?  Do I invest or do I ride this economy out?
4. Training-Do I really need it?  Can I live without it?  Will the cheap version be as effective as the higher quality version?
5. Occupancy percentages-What really works for resident retention?  Do I use social media or not?

It’s current events like we have been witnessing recently that give us a whole new appreciation for being Secret Shopped!  I was hired at one time to do secret phone shops, and I never felt more uncomfortable in my whole life.  I felt so sad for the people I was talking to on the phone and looking to try and find something to score them high on.  I felt bad because now that report had to go to their boss and I was so anxious that because of my call, someone might lose their job.  After witnessing the ACORN events, my attitude has changed.  Secret Shops are for a protection and will only make you strive to achieve higher in your position.  Notice below from the ACORN website their motto and brief bio.

Who is ACORN?