Our progressively digital era has made it easier for property managers to connect with tenants and potential renters through useful communication platforms such as email to keep residents informed about property information and digitally market apartment complexes. Although email is an exceptionally beneficial communication device for property managers, it can quickly become stressful to manage hundreds of residents online. Depending on the amount of properties managed and the specific size of each, marketing and leasing email lists can spike to over 500 new emails in a busy week, and even with an experienced team of staff members, this number can be daunting. With the considerable amount of other duties property managers face on a daily basis, they don’t have any extra time to spend worrying about formatting an email to their residents. Where I work at Gainesville, FL, property management firm Trimark Properties, our team has to balance a portfolio of 25 apartments near Sorority Row, 2 off-campus dorms, and numerous houses. Managing thousands of residents from dozens of properties can be tricky, however we have found that by organizing your email system and establishing ground digital communication rules, operating a business email system can be made exponentially smoother. By utilizing valuable email tools and educating apartment staff on commercial email regulations, digital correspondence can be made more straightforward and effective, impressing both tenants and potential renters and simplifying the job of property managers.

Here are five tech-savvy email tips for property managers:

1.)    Send out Mass, Personalized Announcements Using an Email Merge

Although it is still required by law in many states for certain types of legal notices to be posted on a tenant’s front door, renters are increasingly requesting supplementary emails which contain important property announcements and relevant leasing office information, such as holiday hours changes or upcoming pest control. An email merge, a digital tool in which property managers can send out pre-formatted, mass notices to all occupants that are personalized for each individual recipient, is a time-saving option that allows resident-manager communications to be completed more efficiently and effectively. Instead of broadcasting the same message to all residents in the same mass email using the blind carbon copy (bcc) line of the message, managers are now able to deliver the same email to all renters so the tenant is the sole recipient of each message. As opposed to individually addressing each tenant through separate emails, wasting valuable time and opening up room for potential mistakes, an email merge ensures each renter will be addressed exclusively.

Example: At Trimark, we use an email merge to send out mass information in addition to posting announcements on residents’ doors. Tenants have expressed their appreciation for receiving notices in multiple formats, mentioning that it makes them feel more comfortable when they are traveling out of Gainesville or won’t be home for the day. Apartment renters will be impressed after receiving a personalized, timely message.

2.)    Utilize Email Marketing Tools

There are several email marketing tools available which can help simplify, regulate, and personalize email communications. One popular example of an email marketing platform that Trimark Properties uses, Constant Contact, allows you to create customized email templates for a memorable email that is both professional and engaging. Instead of important emails getting lost in a resident’s inbox amid the sea of other messages in the same plain, mundane format, create a unique and eye-catching email that tenants will remember and be excited to open.

Email marketing tools can also help with consolidating lists of email addresses. It is easy for property managers to become overwhelmed with the hundreds, oftentimes thousands, of email addresses of tenants and potential renters. Constant Contact and other email tools such as Mail Chimp can be used to transfer email lists from Excel or other websites to the complex’s or management company’s email contact list. Instead of adding new email addresses one by one to the email’s contact list, which would take up time and cause the potential overlooking of residents, these useful digital tools can centralize all email addresses into one main area.

Many email marketing tools also automatically organize the email system. Constant Contact, for example, routinely updates unsubscribes, bounces and inactive emails, saving property managers’ time by mechanically renovating and segmenting the email system.

Example: We have custom designed our email marketing templates for our various apartments in Gainesville. We can always go back and utilize these templates which keeps our branding and message system consistent.

3.)    Systematize Contacts by Segmenting Properties into Different Email Groups

In order to simplify mass communications, a crucial time-saving tip is to separate resident emails by property type or apartment complex. If you are a property manager supervising only one property, it would also be a good idea to divide email lists by building. At Trimark Properties, residents are separated into specific email groups by property type. There are separate email groups for residents living in apartments, off-campus dorms, and historic houses, making it convenient to contact individual sets of tenants with pertinent information. Instead of manually going through an entire contact list each time an email needs to be sent to occupants of an array of properties, similar locations will all be grouped together, making it as easy as a click of a button to deliver mass messages.

Example: Segmenting our properties into categories such as renovated houses close to the UF campus, affordable apartments, and luxury apartments, helps our marketing team stay on top of the targeted apartment audiences.

4.)    Remember to Comply with CAN-SPAM Laws

The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that dictates the rules and regulations for commercial email, and it is critical your apartment complex’s email system follows all relevant requirements to avoid steep penalties. The Act doesn’t just apply to mass emails to residents; it rules over any mail which promotes content on commercial websites, including emails to individual residents and business-to-business emails. It is important to confirm your emails are conducted within the guidelines of the Act, which includes, but is not limited to: not using false header information or misleading subject lines; identifying the subject as an ad; telling recipients where your office is located; telling recipients how to opt out of receiving future emails from you; and honoring opt-out requests promptly. Violation of any of the stipulations can result in up to a $16,000 fine, so be sure all property staff and leasing agents are aware of these guidelines. Employees and interns at Trimark are given a separate training on our email system, which includes a section on complying with CAN-SPAM regulations.

Example: In our email marketing messages that are sent out to the tenants, we always give the recipients an option to opt out of future emails. These are often students who graduated from school and are no longer living in Gainesville.

5.)    Check with an IT professional to Ensure Your Email System is Working Properly

Employing an IT professional to guarantee your email system is working properly is an often overlooked suggestion, however in the long run it can save time, money, and unnecessary stress. Email exchanges are critical for both managing a property of hundreds of residents and marketing complexes, so it is a worthwhile investment to seek assistance with an IT expert to confirm that emails are being sent and received correctly. Trimark employs an IT professional on staff to ensure our daily communications through email are functioning problem-free.

Example: If your company is utilizing an internal system to send out mass emails (and not a third party email marketing system), it is always advisable to check with an IT professional about the effects a huge mass mail campaign would have on your communication infrastructure.

Marketing apartments and managing tenant interactions have become increasingly digital, and in order to keep up with the turbulent world of apartment leasing, it is important for property managers to set up their email system so it is convenient for them to use and conducive to communications. Companies are increasingly developing user-friendly email options, making it easier to organize and personalize emails, and if property managers take advantage of these supportive tools and keep in mind the regulations of commercial email, correspondence will become more effective and tenants and potential renters alike will be appreciative and more excited to join the apartment community.

Written By: Genevieve Howard

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