Property Management Marketing: The Renter’s Journey

Optimizing your digital customer touchpoints will energize your marketing.

As a property manager, you have to understand that renting property is a big decision. It's not only a financial commitment but also an emotional one. 

It involves multiple steps and considerations that have only grown more complex because of the myriad of digital channels that have sprouted in the past decades.

When prospects are looking for a property to rent, they go through a journey that can be categorized into five key touchpoints. In this blog post, we cover the digital touchpoints you might be overlooking.

First, what are customer touchpoints?

Customer touchpoints refer to any time a prospect interacts with your brand. Touchpoints are everything that a consumer comes into contact 

with – whether it’s your website, a customer service representative, an advertisement, or a social media post.

Managing your customer touchpoints is crucial to maintaining a good reputation. Even without you knowing it, there might be digital assets in the wild that could be communicating something about your company!

So what does the renter’s journey look like?

The first stage usually starts with a Google search. Based on a study commissioned by RentPath, prospects looking for an apartment typically use multiple sources of information to evaluate a community they’re looking to rent in. 

About 84 percent start with a broad search engine query, then 70 percent head to an internet listing service (ILS). On average, someone searching for an apartment can use up to four ILSs to aid them in their search.

When the prospect is done with their search, they often go back to the different channels they visited to continue their research or to ask more questions. They won’t just be looking at ILS or your property website; they’ll also look at your ratings and reviews on social media sites. 

Your prospect would want to know more about how your residents’ experiences. More than what you post on your social media accounts or your website, they want to get a sense of what the residents’ experiences are in your community.

Needless to say, in today’s digital age, the importance of having an omnichannel approach to your marketing strategy cannot be understated. 

It’s important that you meet your prospects where they’re looking to start a conversation – whether it’s an ILS or a social media comments section. In the same study conducted by RentPath, among the renters who contacted the property, more than 75 percent never heard back from them.

To ace your property management marketing efforts, make sure that you are proactive in implementing measures and standards that can help you maintain a positive experience across your digital touchpoints. 

Here are a few ways you can do that.

How you can optimize your digital touchpoints

1. List down your services on rating/review sites

Rated property management sites are a great way to showcase your services and property listings. 

When prospects look up properties for rent in their area, these sites come up with user-generated reviews and ratings from past renters. This helps them know what to expect from you as a property manager, which can lead them to make a decision.

However, take care to manage the reputation of your company’s brand as well. Digital native renters who spend their time online would surely find their way to review sites where your corporate brand is reviewed. These include sites such as:

• Glassdoor and Indeed

• LinkedIn

• Google Business

• Whose Your Landlord

Savvy consumers will be looking into what kind of company will be managing the property they rent, and if the property management company’s values align with theirs.

2. Don’t forget local searches

It goes without saying that it should be easy to find online. Make sure the content you create on your website is SEO-friendly so that it appears at the top of search engine results pages. 

Most importantly, you have to maximize the capabilities of your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business). 

This means optimizing your business listing in the Google Map Pack to rank higher on the search results page when someone logs a query for an apartment in your area. 

Make sure that your listing has all the information you want prospects to have, such as:

• Your business name, address, and phone number

• A link to your website

• High-quality photos and videos

• Authentic customer reviews and ratings

3. Have a consistent brand voice across platforms

When it comes to property management marketing, consistency is key. You want to ensure that your message and property listings are consistent across all platforms, from your website to social media channels. 

This will help you build trust with prospects as they go through their buyer’s journey. 

4. Use videos to conduct virtual tours

Finally, property managers should consider using 3D videos to give prospects a virtual tour of the property. This is especially useful for long-distance renters who may not have time or resources to physically visit the property. 

Virtual tours and walkthroughs also increase the likelihood that renters will call about your property. A survey of real estate professionals and property managers showed that 95% of their prospects are more inclined to inquire about homes that feature 3D tours.

By using 3D tours, you can provide an immersive tour experience for your prospects. In the long run, this will save you and your prospects time and effort.

Conclusion

Property management marketing can be a tricky subject, but by understanding the renter’s journey and improving each digital touchpoint along the way, you can increase your chance of success.

Want to reach more prospects in your area? Get custom-printed flyers and banners with your brand and your contact details. 

Reach property seekers on the go and let them know you're their best property management option! Call DesignsnPrint today at 800-492-1218 for more information, or to request a quote.