This post was originally written by Kerry Sugrue, former Social Media Specialist at Apartments.com.
May is the perfect time to start thinking about container gardening at your apartment community, so we asked our friends at Gethsemane Garden Center for some advice. Check out these five tips for keeping your property blooming this season. Read More
It’s time for spring cleaning on your online advertising! In my last three posts I provided tips on photos, descriptions and pricing. Now, it is time to bring them all together for peak leasing season. When renters visit websites like Apartments.com and your property websites, they expect complete information, so they can get a clear picture of what they can afford and where they want to live. Renters build confidence and prepare for property visits by checking multiple websites to ensure they are finding the right place at the right price. Do a spring cleaning of all your listings across all the websites where you advertise to make sure you are presenting your property consistently and accurately.
As property owners, managers or leasing agents, you understand the need to conserve energy at your apartment community. By installing energy-efficient appliances and windows and using eco-friendly alternatives for floors, countertops and paint, you are not only significantly reducing your carbon footprint, but also banking significant savings on energy costs. If 10,000 owners of large apartment communities change to Energy-Star appliances, the energy saved could power each of your TVs for 1,640,625 years! While the people on the property level are doing their part to protect the environment, we want to provide you with four sustainable tips you can share with your environmentally-friendly residents—leading up to Earth Day on April 22nd—that they can put into practice today.
1. Be a Savvy Shopper
Cut down on the amount of paper or plastic consumed by bringing a reusable shopping bag to the grocery store. If eco-friendly shoppers forget their tote, ensure those plastic grocery bags get reused to line garbage cans or when scooping kitty litter. Additionally, fuel and distribution costs can be reduced by shopping at local farmers’ markets instead of large chain grocery stores for produce. Read More
We are quickly approaching peak leasing season, so it is time to make sure your ads are in peak condition! Cost and location are typically the most important search criteria for renters. Make sure your rent ranges are up to date, because competitive pricing is critical to your success online.
Here are a few tips for pricing: Read More
Does the thought of optimizing your website make you wake up in a cold sweat every night? Do you hear the phrase SEO strategies for ranking number 1 in Kentucky and think to yourself, someone got it wrong, what they meant is SEC strategy falls on no. 1 ranked Kentucky (let’s go Wildcats!)? My apologies for throwing a March Madness reference in there, but it is that time of year again. Or, simply put, do you just not have the resources to keep a well maintained website according to Google’s standards?
If any of these questions resonate with you, then I would like to talk about a product Google has been pushing rather aggressively for some time now and the potential impact it may have to you, especially if SEO and website maintenance are on the same level as quantum field theory in your book. The product I am referring to is Google Places and if you have not yet claimed your Places, it’s a good thing you are reading this post. Read More
You’ve heard it a million times – first impressions are critical because they are the most lasting! It takes only seconds for renters to evaluate your staff and your community, and their original thought can be hard to reverse. But no pressure! From the outside passer-by to the face-to-face communication, below are tips to help you deliver a great first (and lasting) impression at your apartment community.
1. Keep your landscape well maintained: Set a schedule for your maintenance crew to trim the shrubs, pick the weeds, mow the lawn and plant flowers. If your team does not have time to whip out the gardening gloves, visit your local nursery for ready-made flower containers, hanging flower pots or window boxes to quickly and affordably dress up the entrance to your community. Read More
A compelling description engages renters with your listing and moves them closer to your leasing office. According to a study conducted by Apartments.com, a well worded short description can increase the click-through rate to your listing by 4%.
Tips for writing powerful community text descriptions: Read More
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we asked our 2011 Roommate of the Year, Jesse McLaughlin –who recently turned his cohabitation into a happily-ever-after by proposing to his girlfriend, Lisa Harbin–for his advice on successfully sharing space with a significant other. If you have any couples living in your apartment community, they may enjoy the following five tips to make living with their sweetheart a success:
1. Talk money before the move
Discuss finances up front, even before you start looking at apartments, to make sure you establish what each person is comfortable contributing financially. When you have this discussion, remember to include the cost for internet, utilities, parking and any other fees that may arise. Read More
Moving into a new apartment can mean so many decorating opportunities for enthusiastic residents! While hanging pictures, painting walls, putting up window treatments or even stapling the area rug in place (EEK!) might be exciting and innovative to residents, it could mean disaster for your maintenance team. Here are five tips you can share with residents to help them decorate within the guidelines of the rental agreement, ensuring a happy living situation at your community
1.) Offer to do it for them – Whether it be painting or hanging items on the wall, give your residents the VIP treatment—and avoid potential disaster–by offering up your professional services. Before a new resident moves in, ask them if they would like to pick out a new color for the apartment and offer to paint as long as they front the supplies. As a result, your happy resident will feel more at home, while you control the quality of the paint job. Read More
This post was originally written by Omer Navaid, Online Marketing Specialist at Apartments.com
Here are three quick tips to help your email messages reach your subscribers’ inboxes, avoid spam complaints and maintain your status as a reputable sender: Read More
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