I think almost everyone here would agree that most apartment seekers go online first. When I talked to Judy Newman, investment manager at Discovery Heights in Washington, she even said their “first step” in reaching prospects now is a computer or mobile device.

There has already been some chatter on Multifamily Insiders about this new type of client. And according to the e-tailing group and HubSpot, half of consumers say online research is where they spend 75 percent of their shopping time. In fact, about two-thirds to 90 percent of the buying process is often done before a prospect ever engages with a salesperson (or leasing agent, in this case!).

How can you better engage this type of apartment hunter? Discovery Heights chose to add live chat to their property website and online ads…and it’s paying off in terms of at least five new leads per week from chat.

Why & How Chat Works for Them
Discovery Heights was already sending direct mail and advertising on places like Craigslist and Apartments.com. “But I wanted to capture leads right when they first met us…before they had time to go to our competitors,” Judy says.

When prospects visit the website, they are in the selection process. “They’re deciding to call you or your competitor,” Judy adds. “We’ve found that chat does help us stand out; our prospects sometimes click just to see if it’s a real person on the other end.” Then, the leasing agent has the chance to put a face to the property and show that “this property cares and is managed well.”

Tips for Making Apartment Chat Effective
What is Discovery Heights doing to make their apartment chat solution work so well?

• Get the chat icon out there – “The more you put the live chat link in Craigslist ads and elsewhere, the more chances you’ll have to start conversations,” says Judy.
• Plan on about three agents/day to chat – With three agents in the office each day, Discovery Heights has a higher chat answering rate. Even if there is a phone call or tour, at least one person is usually available to chat.
• Learn the shortcut responses – Discovery Heights’ chat provider (Contact At Once!) includes a library of customizable, prewritten chat responses to increase response speed.
• Ask if the chatting prospect can tour the property today (or what time is convenient) – Usually one of the prewritten shortcuts, this type of question helps confirm the appointment or at least gets the prospect thinking about it.
• Offer the chat convenience to residents – People don’t stop needing to talk with you once they sign the lease. Letting them chat in with simple questions like “When does my lease expire?” means you can answer immediately and keep the phone line free.
• Chat on the go – If your chat solution has mobile apps, you could chat off-hours to generate more leases. One of Discovery Heights’ top leasing agents is able to set up quite a few appointments because he makes himself available to chat around 10:00pm.
• No specific chat training needed –Instead, Judy’s team trains on how to figure out what’s important for the individual customer; chat is just another way to communicate it.
• Focus on providing a good customer experience – Prospects often chat in questions that are easily answerable on the website. “In a sense, they’re just trying to learn how well your property is managed or how well they ‘like’ you,” says Judy. Prospects may not even realize they are looking for that, but how well and how quickly you answer their questions is important. 

Along with those tips, Discovery Heights also listed the following situations to keep in mind when implementing a chat solution at your property:

• Watching your spelling & grammar –If you wouldn’t use poor grammar when speaking with a prospect, be careful in how you communicate through writing. Chats are more informal than emails, but Judy reminds that poor spelling and bad grammar can still be a turn-off to some (like her highly educated prospects who work at Microsoft, Boeing, etc.).
• Live prospect walking in your door while you are in the midst of a chat – Make sure they know you aren’t ignoring them; you’re answering another prospect’s question!
• Prospect who wants in-depth info over a chat – What could be a three-minute phone call can turn into what feels like an hour-long chat. Don’t get frustrated; remember that there’s a reason the prospect chose to chat.

“That person who wants to chat in-depth may be at work and be unable to pick up the phone,” Judy adds. “So without chat, I wouldn’t be able to engage that client at that moment. That makes it worth it.” In fact, adding chat has given Discovery Heights more chances to connect and talk with more prospects in general. 

Such expanded availability is only going to get more important. “Our future leads grew up texting, chatting and using computers,” adds Judy. “We can’t ignore this communication. We have to be part of it, or we will miss out on capturing those leads.”

What new ways are you considering to engage your online prospects earlier?