Today we're exploring a topic that’s as much about self-expression as it is about sales: the art of developing your signature style as a leasing consultant. 

What does it take to be a stellar apartment leasing agent? This week we are talking about 8 steps to become a kick-butt leasing agent THIS WEEK. Working on communication skills, knowing your competitors, and getting to know the ins and outs of your neighborhood will give you the edge you’re looking for in the multifamily industry. Check out all ten suggestions.

It’s no surprise that attention spans today aren’t what they used to be. Studies say that in 1920 the average attention span was 20-minutes. Today? Eight seconds...the same as a goldfish. As a property manager trying to market your apartment community, this fact should stop you in your tracks. Breaking through the noise of day to day life is a real challenge. Twenty years ago, we were just trying to stand out from the competition with nice curb appeal and a good photo in our For Rent ad. But today’s online world has created a new set of complicated problems for apartment marketers. Your community is no longer just competing with other communities. You are competing with EVERYTHING for your customer’s attention.

Most managers would agree that a proactive marketing approach is ideal, still the large majority default to a reactive approach. Why? Often, managers start with the best of intentions to have a well-crafted marketing plan but then things happen onsite that take away our focus. Mid-month they can find themselves with dipping occupancy, unaccounted for skips, or a lower renewal rate than anticipated. In the shock and misunderstanding a hail mary is thrown in hopes it will correct all the missed goals. But let’s be honest, does the hail mary ever work?

A lot of time, energy and money are spent on apartment marketing. Most of it (sigh) doesn’t work. 

After working with thousands of multifamily professionals, we’ve seen some patterns emerge. So today we are breaking it down and identifying the top FOUR flaws in apartment marketing…and the way to fix them.

If you haven’t heard already, this month is better breakfast month! This is a fun monthly theme that you can use to create unique resident events and outreach initiatives, but it’s also the perfect month to push your community’s health and wellness facilities. If you’re a community that is in an area of town where fitness is the new fad, or if you have an on-site workout space that would make Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson drool, now is the perfect time to show it off! 

We’ll be real honest, selling smaller floor plans can be tricky. No one loves to hear a prospect say, “Oh wow, this apartment is so small.” But, when you hear that, that’s when it’s your chance to sell the lifestyle that comes with living in a smaller space. 

Let’s face it, there’s sometimes where leases are far and few between. It can feel like ‘frustrating’ isn’t even the right word to describe it. While those moments may come, we don’t have to accept the lag in leases as “normal”. We can combat the ‘leasing block’! In our free webinar, Lease It Like It’s Hot, that we’re hosting next week on August 20th, our CEO Barbara Savona is going to give you 2 secrets to getting more leases immediately.

Teachers work seriously hard for the money and I LOVE giving back to them. I’m talking about pairing goodies that give back to teachers and at the same time, attract these hard working professionals to your community. So, let’s think about how you can market to teachers, school districts, and faculty staff.

Q: “Barbara, I've attended several courses that you presented. I have a question for you. With competition being so fierce, do you have any quick tips on best practices when it comes to marketing? Best, Sarah from Indiana."