After Hours Leasing?

I recently read that a lot of prospects drive through their potential apartment communities after the leasing office is closed. What, if anything, are you doing to help those folks driving through the property after hours get information? Do you leave brochures out? Do you have information available by mobile phone? (Via text for example. If anyone does, I am very curious about how that works.)

Hi Donje,

Most people work the same hours that the offices are actually open, which is why in many of my sites we have extended the hours. However, not every community can do that, so in the sites that can only be open on regular business hours, we have a brochure holder outside, which is stocked with brochures and flyers each afternoon for after hours. We also have an after hour number that they can call and leave a message or get basic information about our community. The call center tracks the call and sends the recording to us in the morning, and then our leasing agent follows up. It works great!

Brochures and info by answering machine are great options. I have recently been helping a friend search for an apartment and can say I really appreciate it when there is number of bedrooms and price listed so I know whether to bother leaving a message. Also, having a website to direct people too, is helpful.

I think the most important thing when you are not open after hours, is ensure that there is an answering machine available and that you are responding to messages promptly. It might seem like the most obvious answer, but you'd be surprised how many people don't return prospective tenants calls.

I'm surprised that Robert Garcia hasn't responded to this one -- but here's a stunning fact he told me -- out of the thousands of apartments that he has mystery shopped after hours -- only about 20% (maybe even less actually) of them ever returned the messages that he left regarding wanting more information about the community. Pretty pathetic huh?. That's why companies like LevelOne can be very successful in this industry.

Leigh says is right here. A little over 10% of our lead phone calls come in after hours. That number isn't HUGE but consider the industry average of 10% of people leave a message and you are looking at some not so great numbers. We recently switched to LevelOne and it has closed our after hours gap. Sure it can be pricey but you no longer miss those calls at all.

I do think leaving brochures out is a good idea too though. Helps on those drive-bys.

There are some great automated technologies using blue tooth that can be leveraged to send a text to people nearby a specific location. There is also the automated information line solution, to me leveraging a call center certainly makes a lot of sense. I think the issue that is being brought up is broader than just after hours. It's about finding ways to capitalize on the narrow windows of opportunity a consumer gives us to convert them into a live prospect and then residents! This challenge presents itself in many circumstances beyond the after hours walk-ins. It is present when it comes to picking up the phone when it rings, returning messages, greeting people quickly when they walk in and you are there, responding to e-mails, leads or offering real time connectivity online.
Consumers are looking for instant gratification and finding solutions to that end is a critical competitive factor.
Consumers are conditioned to do things after work, most stores are opened until 9pm or later. Providing a path to a human interaction should be the primary goal and it seems like a call center maybe the better option for most in this case.

Holy moly...an ASTOUNDING number of lost leads come in either after hours or through email requests that get dropped through the cracks.

We listen, read, review, map out, time-log, color-code, x-ray, fingerprint and GuantanamoBay-torture every lead that comes through our RentWiki system to assure that only the Legit ones are bonused to our Wiki-Share and Reviews-done-Right partners and I never cease to be amazed at the lost rent revenue sailing out of apartment communities' doors because Legit Leads have no follow-up.

BUT, don't get me wrong...I've worked onsite for years. That arduous task of being on the front lines is not for the faint of heart. Many times as senior managers, we lay a mine-field of time-wasters in front of our Leasing Teams with zero "May-Day" back-up help on hand.

Even if you extend office hours, there are only so many hours in a day to lease apartments, send reports to corporate, walk vacants, send paperwork to corporate, walk make-readies, send new reports to corporate, corporate market, correct reports sent to corporate, talk to vendors, send reports to corporate that were misplaced while picking up cigarette butts. And I forgot to mention moving people in, resident renewals, shopping competition...I'm blathering...I'll stop.

Many great Leaders learn by following. Our Leasing Teams need great Leaders to help filter out the interference so they can do what they were hired to do. Lease apartments.

Here are three ideas to consider:

1. In my on-site managing days, we had positions called night monitors. These were usually college students who were paid minimum wage to keep our clubhouse open, keeping items from walking away, being there when the party house was rented out by residents, allowing residents to pick up packages after hours, close up pool, etc. They were there from 6:00 until 10:00, 7 days a week. Why not kick that position up a notch by training them to answer the phone, show the models, and sign leases for new move-ins after hours. I realize safety issues could arise, but I can think of several precautions that could help with that issue. This was not a hard position to fill as college students loved the hours and the fact they could study when not busy. The fact that this position could make you more comfortable renting out your party house it could pay for itself in addition to eliminating the rent reduction you may give a resident to close the pool etc. If you secured one additional lease per month, would it be worth the expense?

2. Having flyers available by your front door is an easy and inexpensive way to greet after hours prospects; make sure they answer the first questions they would ask if you were there in person. What styles do you offer and how much do they cost. Then give them clear information about your website and what additional information they can find there such as availability and tours. You can use this idea in conjunction with idea number 3 by promoting it on these flyers.

3. Depending on the size of your management portfolio, why not employ one or more individuals to be available for both a phone bank and live chat via your websites. This person(s) could easily have access to the status and availability to multiple communities covering the after hours prospects for many communities that visit in-person (because your flyer or door sign directs them to an available live person), the phone prospect that calls after hours, or the on-line prospect.

Do any of these ideas help set you apart from what your competitors are offering these same after hours prospects?