Leasing Tips & How To Follow Up’s:

With so many online, social media, and other software’s out there now, how do you keep up with it all? Start out by keeping an inbox folder on your email identified as Online Leads. You will have all ILS and email leads centralized for reference if needed.

One of the largest parts of your online presence will be how and where your community is presented. The largest part of your leasing tool kit is your People, Product, and Perception. Even down to the vendor who hosted a resident or staff party or luncheon. 

You get your leads via email, or by looking on your ILS sites. First things first, enter them into your system. Don't wait!!! Again, I repeat DON'T WAIT! Enter them as a prospect by their online or email requests you will potentially know what their name is, their email, phone number, what size apartment they are looking for in addition to their price range. If their phone number is listed, guess what… they want you to call them! Call them from your office phone and not your cell. It takes out the confusion and prevents liabilities. 

Smile when You Dial! 

Smiling when you are dialing a phone number or answering a call, puts you in the mood to consult! Smile when you dial that phone number. At this point your greatest priority is to schedule a time for the prospective resident to see your community! Remember you are in control of the conversation, allow the prospect time to feel inspired to lease and become a member your community! If you are not able to reach them and are opted to leave a voicemail, smile when your leaving that message and pay attention to the information you are providing! It helps sell not only you, but your community!

What if there isn’t a phone number? Email them! Email them welcoming them to your community and email them a floor plan of what you have available that fits their preferences, then set an appointment time if they are a local prospective resident. If you don't have that floor plan available, email them one anyway. They may be flexible on their move in date. If all else fails when they are explaining what they need, have a sister property list on a piece of paper and/or word/PDF to attach to your emails.

FOLLOW UP’s:

Here is the biggest one folks... FOLLOW UP!!! Losing Leads due to Decreased Follow UP! Your losing too many prospective residents. It should be an established standard to record all leasing and follow up activities in the leasing software used, whether it be Onesite, Yardi, or another platform. Always keep record of when, what, and where. Be brief, consistent, and professional on your recorded information.

Example of Phone Call Follow Up:

“Dear Jane, this is Lindsey from (Community Name)! I wanted to follow up with you regarding your new apartment home. Don’t forget, that we can only waive your app and admin if you lease within 24 hours of viewing this apartment home. Please call me back at (phone number) any questions and I am looking forward to seeing you soon!”

Do you send your prospective resident an email or send a handwritten or preformatted thank you note?

No, these are not extinct, and can be very charming! Start by creating a template of a thank you note or email. Make sure to always customize it to your prospects preferences including any of the small details that you and the prospected connected on. Create a since of urgency. Even if this person may have to be on your waitlist to have their dream apartment home, you are still building that rapport and having them recognize your community is the only one they want to call home! Build your connections! Todays living experience is about the connections you make with people. Everyday you meet at a minimum of ten people, by visits, calls, and vendors.

Follow up to a prospective resident and/or vendor is a huge way to enhance their overall experience. We are losing too many leads to not following up. Stop and think how you can prioritize this into your work day. Hint, follow ups are great to do in the morning, lunch time, and later afternoon. Dependent on what time of day your traffic is the most active, use that other time to follow up!

Boosting Your Leases and Team Spirit:

Use your Initiative and Accountability by pulling your personal traffic detail report on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to ensure you have followed up with every potential prospective resident. Your managers want to see this initiative! Make it a consistent routine. This is an excellent way to increase your customer satisfaction and show your value to the team! These reports will also give you key performance indicators such as where most of your traffic is coming from, what floor plan seems to be the most desirable, including to customizing yourself with your community and the ILS’s and SEO’s used.

THE FOLLOW UP! THIS CAN BE YOUR MOST CRUCIAL PART OF LEASING YOUR PROSPECTIVE RESIDENT THEIR NEW HOME!

 *        Call Prospect After 24 Hours! Stress a Sense of Urgency Upon them!

 *        Create a General follow up email template

 *        Personalize it to what your prospects needs and wants are

 *        Email the Prospective Resident within 24 Hours of their initial Visit

 *        Don’t Forget to Follow Up When that Prospective Resident Asks You To