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

Thanks for tuning into the Apartments.com Got a Minute? video series, where experts from Apartments.com answer questions and tackle topics in about a minute.   This month our Internet Support Specialists review the top three questions that we hear from our advertisers and provide the answers.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email support@apartments.com. Read More

Bed bugs were a popular topic at NAA this year and the conversations were lead by Greg Baumann, Director of Technical Services for Orkin Pest Control. With over 30 years of pest control experience, Greg was the perfect person to ask to contribute to our Ask the Expert blog series. Below is his post on avoiding, controlling and eliminating bed bugs in multifamily housing.  He can be contacted at gbaumann@rollins.com. For more information, go to http://www.orkincommercial.com/ and make sure to comment below with questions.

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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

With new construction cut in half and the housing market still down, the demand for rental units has increased, while the supply has stayed the same. This situation has put the rental market in the hands of landlords across the country. Apartments.com spokeswoman, Tammy Kotula, was recently interviewed by MSNBC for their article Renters Are the Next Victims of the Housing Market. In it she gives some sound advice for both renters and property managers, encouraging both parties to discuss the option of committing to a longer lease to lock into a more affordable rate. This option will save the management company, as well as the renter, money in the long run.

Have you noticed an increase in the number of renters asking for extended leases at a lower cost?

Looking for ways to convert your website traffic into leads? To learn five key tactics you can begin implementing today to ensure your website is performing at the highest level, delivering measurable results and—ultimately—more leases, read the article “Online Attraction” by Apartments.com VP of Product Management, Chris Brown, featured in the May 2011 issue of Units magazine.

Want to participate in a more in-depth discussion on the topic? Join us at NAA in Las Vegas on June 23rd at 9AM as Chris Brown and Chief Marketing Officer of Princeton Properties, Sarah Greenough, present “Building a Better Mouse Trap: Capturing Prospects with Your Website.” Click here for more information on the session and be sure to follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #educonf11D1. Read More

This post was originally written by Brandon Hollembeak, Product Manager – Advertising Products & Services

You’re not alone.  However, adoption of smart phones is rapidly growing.  But don’t take my word for it, these numbers speak for themselves: Read More

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

We have talked a lot about tracking, analytics, SEO and reporting on our blog, which has prompted customers to ask questions about what all this means (We love questions! Keep them coming!). So I thought, who better to ask, than the experts? There are many different resources available for website tracking, both free and paid services. A well-known tool, which also happens to be free, is Google Analytics and I had the pleasure to talk with Jesse Nichols, the Partner Program Manager for Google Analytics & Website Optimizer at Google. We discussed the basics of analytics and how to get what you need to know from all those reports. Below is our interview for you to learn from. If you have any questions, please write them in the comments below. A big thank you to Jesse and everyone at Google from the Apartments.com team! Make sure you follow @GoogleAnalytics on Twitter for updates, and view this product tour for more information. Read More

Congratulations to Steve Lefkovits and the folks at Apartment Internet Marketing (AIM) for putting on another great conference. As usual, it seems to bring out the best people and companies in the industry. In no particular order, here are my thoughts on my three days spent last week in Southern California …

A social event: Social media once again dominated the conversation. And like much of the buzz on the Twittersphere, there seems to be general agreement that the industry is beyond both “if” and “when” and finally moving into “how.” And that’s when the conversations really start to get interesting, when the “how” isn’t just about how to generate leads but how to manage reputation, build community and brand, etc. Read More

This post was originally written by Catelyn Bergstedt, Associate Product Manager, Consumer Products at Apartments.com

If only you knew what your residents were thinking. Do they feel at home in their apartments? Is your maintenance staff getting the job done? Do they crave more community events to meet fellow residents? Read More

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our 3rd annual Apartments.com Roommate of the Year Contest—live now! As we search the nation high and low for the best roomie, we turn to you, once again, for support. Could the next Roommate of the Year be living under YOUR roof? If so, not only could you help them win the Grand Prize of FREE Rent for a Year plus $10,000, but you can also walk away $1,000 richer for promoting the contest!

Scratching your head asking yourself “How can I help?” Don’t worry. We’ve made it easy! Simply, fill out the entry form, read the official rules and visit the Roommate of the Year Contest promotion website to get started on spreading the word. From flyers to distribute to your residents, to posters you can showcase in the most popular areas of the apartment community, to social media tips and banner ads for your website, we’ve got you covered! Read More