This week the staff at Apartments.com paid a visit to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless to present them with a check for $15,000 to culminate “Raising Awareness.  Taking Action: A Campaign to Help End Homelessness.”  During the two-month campaign, kicking off in November to coincide with National Homeless Awareness Month, Apartments.com promised to donate $1 to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for every Like we received on our Facebook page.  While we are so pleased to announce over 6,000 Facebook Likes were earned in response to this important initiative, the team at Apartments.com wanted to go above and beyond the number of Likes and present this well-deserving organization with a check for $15,000.

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This post was originally written by Kerry Sugrue, former Social Media Specialist at Apartments.com. 

It may have taken a while to get here, but winter is upon us.  If you are lucky enough to live in a warm climate city, you don’t have to worry about snow removal.  But for the rest of us, winter means investing in a durable pair of boots, warm gloves and a shovel. Read More

This post was originally written by Kerry Sugrue, former Social Media Specialist at Apartments.com. 

According to a recent study done by SatisFacts, move-out costs are estimated to average around $3,900.  When presented with figures like that, you have to think what can we do differently so our residents choose to renew their lease instead of leave.  You may be surprised to find that 54% of residents choose not to renew their lease based on controllable reasons such as poor customer service and lack of responsiveness.  You can find simple, inexpensive fixes to reconcile these issues and keep your residents coming back. Read More

As an Android enthusiast and a proud apartment dweller, I can assure you that my mobile phone never left my side while I was pounding the pavement during my last apartment search.  And, I’m not alone.  In a year or two, mobile phones are predicated to overtake PCs for accessing information online, which will certainly have an even greater impact on the way people shop for apartments.  Knowing that smartphone owners are brand loyalists (guilty!), Apartments.com launched an Android app to help provide renters—and smartphone lovers—with a variety of options to choose from during their apartment search.

A unique feature of the Apartments.com app is that it’s built according to Google’s guidelines, designed specifically for the Android phone to ensure users have the best experience.  While many companies simply port their iPhone app design over to the Android platform, we’ve tailored the rental search experience for them so that it feels like home.  With Android gaining momentum as one of the most preferred platforms across the country—representing 47% of the market share—Apartments.com is now broadening its reach to this growing segment of smartphone users looking for easy access to apartment information on the go.  Read More

Photos: To get the most out of your photos, help renters quickly form that all-important, emotional connection with your property.  Update the order of your photos each season to showcase the most inviting photo – start with a pool or garden photo in the warmer months and kitchen or cozy living room photo in the cooler months.  Remember to keep your photo library current after renovations and construction.  You want to build trust from the start with accurate photos of your property.

Make sure to check back for more quick tips!

Last week Google announced on their blog that they would be transforming their search experience into something rich with people and personal content.  Today, Google claims search is limited to public webpages that are created by people you’ve never met.  At the heart of this new ‘search,’ Google is looking to bring your social world closer to you than ever before:

“Search is pretty amazing at finding that one needle in a haystack of billions of webpages, images, videos, news and much more. But clearly, that isn’t enough. You should also be able to find your own stuff on the web, the people you know and things they’ve shared with you, as well as the people you don’t know but might want to… all from one search box.” – Amit Singhal, Google Fellow Read More

This post was originally written by Kerry Sugrue, former Social Media Specialist at Apartments.com. 

Is your apartment community active on Twitter?  With over 100 million users, odds are your residents are there and listening.  When you are tweeting, it’s important to keep a couple things in mind: share, ask, respond and reward. Read More

This post was originally written by Kerry Sugrue, former Social Media Specialist at Apartments.com. 

If you haven’t heard of Pinterest yet, you will soon.  The popular new social site allows users to Pin items of interest onto virtual tack boards.  Links to cupcake recipes, interesting photography, Blackhawks players and wedding dresses have been inundating my feeds on both Facebook and Twitter, as people put together their boards.  The platform is still an invite only, VIP kind of site, but you can request an invitation anytime or receive one from a friend.  Here are the main things you need to know in order to speak Pinterest-ese. Read More