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Home > Marketing Tips > It's A Leasing Battle.

It's A Leasing Battle. Will You Or Your Competition Win?

There's no doubt that the multi-housing industry is still feeling the effects of this depressed economy. The leasing landscape has changed, even over the last year, and to make your property succeed, your marketing tactics must also change.

THE REALITY (PART 1): Leases and occupancy are down everywhere, and fewer prospects are signing new leases. You can no longer afford to "lose one" and move to the next. The one you lost may be the ONLY one this week, or in some cases, this month.

THE REALITY (PART 2): You MUST realize that your competition is having a meeting across town RIGHT NOW. They are lowering prices and planning new strategies to capture any and all prospects. They're doing this behind closed doors, waiting for an opportunity to get ahead wherever possible.

It's an all-out battle. Fought prospect-by-prospect, lease-by-lease.

These are a few of the marketing ideas and strategies that you must implement to come out on top.

- Embrace Direct Mail

Problem: Perhaps you have tried direct mail in the past and did not get the results you expected.

Solution 1: Not all direct mail pieces/companies are made equal. If you let the Direct Mail Experts at Apartment & Real Estate Promotions handle your direct mail campaign, you can expect great results. We produce the highest quality direct mail postcards that reflect our 20 years of design experience. We know the apartment industry, and we know how to get you leases. Request a free sample kit to see the difference that quality and experience can make.

Solution 2: Who did you target with your direct mail postcard? If you didn't mail to the renters at the communities with whom you compete every single day, your postcard might have been delivered to prospects that aren't even qualified to live in your community. When a direct mail postcard reaches your exact target market, your traffic will always be qualified, and will always produce leases.

Solution 3: Perhaps the traffic from your direct mail piece was not tracked properly. A properly executed direct mail campaign will result in phone calls, walk-in traffic and web traffic. If every prospect is not asked, "How did you hear about our property?" then you could have missed the true results.

- Put All Your Cards On The Table

Problem: You are hesitant to advertise your low prices.

Solution: The good thing about prices is that they can always go up. We urge our customers daily to advertise their lowest prices, because the price you advertise directly impacts the results you receive.

Put yourself in the driver's seat. Say you're a prospective renter who receives two postcards. One has a great advertised price and a month's free rent. The other postcard asks you to "Call for specials." Which property would you call first? The second property might be offering free rent for THREE months, but you wouldn't know because the first phone call you made resulted in a lease.

- Stop Advertising With Your Competition

Problem: Your entire marketing budget is tied up in the apartment books and their websites. It's easy for your property to be lost in the mix when your competition is only a page flip or click away.

Solution 1: Distance yourself from other properties with an aggressive outside marketing campaign. Distribute your community brochures at local businesses and colleges. Attend local chamber and business networking events. It doesn't have to be every week, but when you establish yourself in the local business community, they will frequently send their new employees and friends your way.

Solution 2: Start an aggressive direct mail campaign. Direct mail is one of the few marketing avenues that let you advertise your apartment community independently of others. This prompts prospects to think of your property first when it is time to move, and it drives them straight to your own website! Use this advantage to also mail to comp properties that are a little "higher" and "lower" than your community. You'll reach people who are going through a variety of lifestyle changes that cause them to change their budget, or require a larger or smaller apartment. Reaching them at just the right time will increase your bottom line every time.

- Let Your Quality Show

Problem: You need new brochures, but think they are too expensive.

Solution: Your current brochures are speaking more to prospects than you think. When a prospect leaves your leasing office, the only item that will remind them of your community is your brochure. If it's out of date or in poor condition, you can be sure that the prospect will remember your community that way. Fortunately, you don't have to break the bank on new brochures. Apartment & Real Estate Promotions has custom- designed, high quality, tri-fold brochures starting at only $789!

- Offer Prospects Different Forms Of Value: One prospect might be more interested in receiving a $500 TV than free rent for a month.

- Offer A Proven Difference Between You & Your Competition: Print resident testimonials to show new prospects. If you offer a great family atmosphere, have a family give a testimonial about your great resident activities in exchange for a $25 gift card. If you are close to a business park, have a resident that works there give a testimonial about your perfect location.

- Offer The Best Customer Service: Even in this economy, there are still prospects that will choose service over price. If you offer consistently good and memorable service, you'll see your turnover ratio go down, and you'll enjoy positive, complimentary comments on the apartment ratings websites.

- Send Out Thank You Cards: Never underestimate the power of a hand-written thank-you note to prospects that toured your property.

- Reputation: One manager or leasing professional can change the way your community is viewed. Strive everyday to have the best reputation in your apartment industry and community.

- Always Speak Kindly Of Your Comps: Always emphasize the ways in which you are better, but never speak of your comps in a demeaning way.

- Knowledge Of The Area: Be the most knowledgeable. Sell your location, and notice that price will be less of an issue.

- Know Your Weaknesses: So you can focus on your strengths and value.

- Web Presence: Be the best. (And deliver your web address to every comp property through direct mail!)

- Response Rate To Voicemail Or Emails: Be the fastest.

Apartment & Real Estate Promotions understands the apartment industry. We've attended dinner meetings, trade shows and been active members of various associations for over 20 years. We understand that developing and maintaining a tight network of professional relationships is required to assure success. With vacancies at all-time highs; however, we also know that you must employ new strategies to get ahead. Start today by visiting www.apartmentpromotions.com to view all of our products and services.

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