Cultivating Successful Lease-Up Strategies: Lessons from Student Housing, With Brandon Willis
In the competitive world of apartment marketing, lease-ups present a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Whether you’re in a conventional community or student housing, successfully filling vacancies means you need to have a strategic approach that integrates effective branding, targeted marketing techniques, and a deep understanding of the demographics and strategies. In this episode, Brandon Willis of GMH Communities gives some valuable insights for making lease-ups successful.
THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE BRANDING FOR APARTMENT COMMUNITIES
Understanding your prospective residents' demographics is so important when you’re creating a compelling brand identity that resonates with prospective residents. You can conduct surveys and form focus groups so property managers and on-site teams can gain valuable insights into audiences’ preferences and lifestyle choices, allowing them to tailor their branding efforts.
Actionable Takeaways:
Conduct Surveys: Gather insights directly from students through surveys to understand their preferences, lifestyle choices, and expectations from student housing.
Create Focus Groups: Form focus groups of students to get feedback on branding concepts, amenities, and community offerings, ensuring alignment with their needs and desires.
🛑 ✋ STOP stressing over branding. Whether you just need updated branded collateral or you’re a lease-up facing full on brand building - the Sprout team has branding experts (that get RAVE reviews!) who are here to help take the stress off you. Brandon says to brand and it’s literally in his name, so he’s probably right.
Here’s what we take off your to-do list:
Logo and Style Guide Design
Floor Plans & Maps
Print Collateral
Custom Digital Graphics
Select Signage Design
Here’s what you get:
More Time Back - Use it for work, use it for play. We don’t judge.
A Marketing BFF Who’s Here to Help
HEAR IT FROM A HAPPY SPROUTER:
(That’s right, there’s 3 exclamation points in there!)
“We love this! This has been an excellent logo refresh from start to finish - your team truly hit this spot on!!”
BUILDING TAILORED MARKETING TECHNIQUES FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT
Creating tailored marketing techniques is SO essential for reaching and engaging with your audience effectively. By optimizing websites for SEO and utilizing social media advertising, property managers and on-site leasing teams can increase their property's visibility and attract prospective residents.
Actionable Takeaways:
Optimize Website for SEO: Invest in search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure your property's website ranks high in search results when students look for housing options online.
Utilize Social Media Advertising: Develop targeted social media ad campaigns on platforms like Instagram and Facebook to reach and engage with your student audience effectively.
Actionable Takeaways - With a Student-Housing Spin:
Host On-Campus Events: Organize events on campuses to promote your property, build relationships with students, and showcase the unique amenities and community atmosphere. BONUS: You might find some interested students who want to join your leasing team!
Partner with Student Organizations: Collaborate with student clubs, organizations, and student government to sponsor events, offer discounts, and gain visibility among the student body.
EPISODE AT A GLANCE:
00:00 The Challenge: Branding a Lease-Up
00:23 Welcome to the Multifamily Mix
00:59 Quick Recap of TAA One Conference
03:31 Deep Dive into Lease-Up Strategies with Brandon Willis
06:02 Brandon Willis: From Musical Theater to Multifamily Success
10:36 The Art of Branding and Marketing in Lease-Ups
28:49 Leveraging AI and Technology in New Developments
32:16 Career Growth and Final Thoughts
37:20 What’s Next for Multifamily Mix
CULTIVATING TEAM BUY-IN FOR APARTMENT COMMUNITY BRANDING AND LEASE-UPS
Creating a successful lease-up doesn’t happen by accident and it definitely doesn’t happen with just one person’s efforts. Cultivating an environment where everyone’s voice is heard and opinions are valued gives everyone support. It also helps make sure you have a team around you that you can trust to work hard with your collective goal in mind.
Actionable Takeaways:
Hold Regular Team Check-Ins: Make sure that everyone is on the same page and aware of any promotions, marketing campaigns, etc. that are going on to push resident sign ups for the community.
Cultivate a Culture of Ownership: Give your team members the chance to make decisions and take responsibility for projects they’re interested in. Once you create your core team that you know you can count on, giving them ownership goes a long way in motivating them.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FLEXIBILITY IN OVERCOMING OBSTACLES DURING LEASE-UPS
Successfully navigating challenges and overcoming obstacles happens when you and your team keep a flexible mindset. Even our best-laid marketing plans sometimes just don’t work. When you’re able to recognize when the results you were hoping for aren’t showing up, you give yourself the opportunity to pivot and develop something better. This flexibility is a key quality that successful lease-up teams must have.
Actionable Takeaways:
Regularly Evaluate Marketing Campaigns: Keep an experimental mindset when it comes to marketing campaigns and don’t be afraid to admit when an idea didn’t go as planned.
Maintain Goal-Oriented Flexibility: Find a balance with your team of passionately working towards your overall goal, but being flexible and creative about how you can get there.
FREE BRANDING E-WORKBOOK
Download your free branding e-book that showcases how Sprout branded DC’s Fastest-Paced Lease-Up, The Collective. Inside you will find:
4 Steps To Research
Branding Questionnaire
Naming Hacks
Logo Design Tip
Messaging Tips & Worksheet
HOW TO UNLOCK SUCCESS IN LEASE-UPS
Mastering the art of lease-ups in student housing or conventional apartment communities requires a multifaceted approach that combines a few main ingredients:
Effective Branding (Need help with this? The Sprout Team is here to help! Learn more here.)
Tailored Marketing Techniques
Proactive Strategies for Overcoming Challenges
By understanding the unique preferences of your prospective residents and adapting to evolving market dynamics, property managers and on-site leasing teams can position their properties for success, even in today's competitive landscape.
CONNECT WITH BRANDON WILLIS
Brandon Willis is a skilled Regional Leasing Manager, with over 5 years of experience in the student housing industry. Advancing through his career quickly, Brandon has performed various roles in three different new developments across the country, which has grown his experience in leasing and marketing strategy. Working in challenging markets, Brandon has successfully established and built property brands, while overseeing leasing efforts, daily operations, and overcoming New Development obstacles.
Brandon's dedication to his work is evident in his ability to adapt to different markets and create successful leasing strategies, tailored to each unique property. As a Regional Leasing Manager for GMH Communities, Brandon has built strong relationships with both clients and team members, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment. Brandon’s passion for the student housing industry shines through his innovative approach to marketing, dedication to rent growth, and consistently staying ahead of trends while delivering positive results.
>>> Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn here.
