Marketing Ideas for Multi-Family Housing

Home owners and multi-family apartment have lots of classified-type advertising possibilities available. Some are free, such as Craigslist, and some have fees, like the local paper, apartment rental guides and online apartment locator websites. Use new techniques that complement more traditional advertising methods to capture your next renter’s attention.

Produce a Social Networking Presence

Create a page for your house on facebook. Market certain properties and units with a tab on your facebook page using the eListit local housing classifieds facebook addd-on, that prices, as of July 2010, $49.99 annually after a free 14-day trial period. Avoid abusing your social networking presence–adhere to the objective of building brand awareness while cultivating relationships, warns”For Rent” magazine. Its suggestion is to use the 80/20 formula with your twitter, facebook, YouTube and Linkedin accounts; recommend or connect to 80 percent related useful information united with 20% of self-published or marketing-related content. Remain consistent and authentic in your social networking involvement. Potential clients can become alienated when advertisers cleverly conceal propaganda as advice.

Modify Operating Hours

In a post for Multi Family Insiders, Sergio Navarrete of Occupancy 100 apartment advertising says 50 percent of his customer’s software and prospects come in after 5 p.m. Navarrete suggests modifying working hours to cater to the customer and business trends, rather than the traditional business-day schedule. Even adhering to the”swing” schedule a couple of days a week can make a difference in the total amount of property excursions the leasing staff schedules, leading to more rentals. The extra availability of the office staff throughout non-work hours can also be a marketing point for client support and can swing a choice for the busy executive who’s assessing your house vs. another which holds regular office hours. An answering service to handle after-hours requests serves as an alternative for owners who don’t have the staffing resources for this kind of scheduling.

Reward Renters with Referrals

Determine a reward level for existing or perhaps former residents who consult a tenant to your own property. Based upon your budget, it may range from a local retailer’s gift certificate to $100 to a month’s lease. Tell all your tenants about the program within their home tour, at lease signing and periodically with reminders via community newsletters or trademark signage. Make the most of online approaches to advertise your resident referral program; Rent Referral, an online apartment search program links tenants with referral deals. The Facebook community, Resident Referral, gives real estate owners and managers an opportunity to market their community’s programs, photos and details for free. A fulfilled, money-motivated resident has deep word-of-mouth advertising possible.

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