During a special Thanksgiving episode of Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers, Apartments.com is recognized as an official life changer for donating Free Rent for a Year to the King family.  Burdened by financial hardships, the family of four (with a baby on the way) have been living out of a motel for almost four years.  Watch now  to see how the King’s lives will change for the better by receiving a  gift from an Apartments.com representative, Dick Burke, in this touching segment, sure to tug on the heart strings. 

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Although it’s not always top of mind, homelessness is everywhere.  On my morning run, I pass the man singing My Girl.  On my way out the door, I see the woman selling newspapers outside the grocery store and then the man who sits just outside of the train station every morning, wishing everyone who passes by a wonderful day.  That’s already three people affected by homelessness and I’ve only gone a few blocks from my apartment. 

Volunteering is a passion of mine but what can I possibly do for someone living on the street?  Lucky for me, I work at one of the greatest companies;  Apartments.com.   From helping families in need through the Ellen DeGeneres Show, to the Campaign to Help End Homelessness, I’m thankful to work for a company that gives back and really cares.  You can join us in the fight against homelessness.  Here are some ways you can replicate the efforts and make a difference in your community:  Read More

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

In a world where the phrase “I’ll Facebook you” has become an acceptable salutation, the line between personal and professional is starting to blur.  I have been noticing at our company, and others, that people are combining their business and personal networks on Facebook.  This practice is okay, as long as you take the time to understand online responsibility and your company’s social media policy.  Here are a couple tips for maintaining a versatile Facebook page: Read More

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

It’s that time again.  Back to school!  If you have an apartment community near a college campus, then you are gearing up for the busiest time of year.  As soon as you get all of your 2011-2012 residents moved in, you have to start thinking about getting leases signed for next year.  I had the opportunity to chat with Kim Cory, Sales and Marketing Director for University Village, about marketing to students.  She offered five tips for reaching your key audience and having a positive presence on campus. Read More

I know consumer reviews are scary.  Trust me.  Having worked in public relations my whole life, user-generated content that can disparage a brand I’ve been working years to uphold, has kept me tossing and turning more than one night.  Something you used to have control over is not totally in your hands anymore: your public image (e.g. branding, advertising, marketing collateral, and even to some degree, the press being generated about your company).  Sure, people could complain about your property, but that was typically somewhat contained.  Today, anyone can publicize their praise or contempt for your brand by going online.  What’s worse than consumers finding it?  Consumers looking for it, especially renters.  In fact, 58% of renters, who are also active on social media, told us at Apartments.com they search for additional apartment information and recommendations online when looking for a new place to live.

My name is Tammy Kotula, and I’m addicted to review websites Read More

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

Every day there are new social networking sites or tools being released that we don’t hear about.  But when a giant like Google announces a social network, everyone pays attention. I was lucky enough to get an invite to join the Google+ Project and have had some time to play around in it.  Here are some of the main features and how they can be used at your apartment community. Read More

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

Creating a Facebook page for your apartment community is a great way to interact with your residents.  It can give your management company a human element when discussing upcoming events or issues with the members of your community.  Facebook recently announced that there are over 750 million active users on the popular social networking site, making it the most visited website in the United States.  Odds are your residents are there, which means you should be too.  Here are a couple fun ways to interact with them on your Facebook page: Read More

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

Earlier today Mark Zuckerberg was joined by Tony Bates, CEO of Skype, for their most recent product announcement.  As I’m sure you can guess from this partnership, Facebook is launching video calling today powered by Skype.  During the Q&A sessions following their live announcement, both Bates and Zuckerberg avoided questions about what’s in it for Skype?  But Bates assured listeners that the long-term partnership outweighs the possibility of losing Skype users to Facebook. Read More

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

Here is a behind the scenes look at our trip to Las Vegas for the National Apartment Association Education Conference and Expo. See anyone you know? Read More

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

What happens in Vegas is SUPPOSED to stay in Vegas, but we had such a great time at the National Apartment Association Conference and Exposition (NAA) last week, we just couldn’t help but share some of it with you all. Read More