That’s what we’re here for! Experience matters when you’re going through a major web-development (or, [...]]]> So you’ve been reading our blogs, following our site and learning firsthand what a real content-based marketing strategy looks like. You’ve decided: you’re ready to take control of your online marketing and grow your own web presence. Now what?

That’s what we’re here for! Experience matters when you’re going through a major web-development (or, in some cases, redevelopment). We have been through all of this before, with over 100 different property management companies, each coming to us with a wide variety of different needs and goals. (Read sketches of how we have worked with three very different companies here.) Most importantly, we know what works specifically for property management companies. Some web companies sell into any industry, but we focus only on the multifamily industry. Our single-minded focus and expertise will go a long way toward outfitting your company with the best possible web presence.

We build an effective web presence by increasing the traffic to your website and increasing the effectiveness of your website with engaging content. Content is king, and we’re not the only people who think this whole content marketing thing is a good idea.

Effective web design is not all about marketing. Your internet strategy can affect your business at every level of your operations. So many current websites require a lot of run-around just to get a simple task done. Do you have an online database of all your property information that you can easily edit, add to and back-up? Can your residents contact you through your website? Do you have a vault of effective content that showcases your properties at their best that you can draw from at any time, without having to ask for special permission or rights? Do you have a branded online-presence that makes your brand stand out? Can your employees login and change the information on your website to accurately reflect availability, price and current specials, without having to call or email 5 different people? We have experience in developing features like these (and more) for our clients.

These features are neither mere “toys,” nor are they “luxuries” – these features save valuable time, effort and ultimately: MONEY. Also, in terms of generating revenue(rather than merely saving you money), your website should bring in the most cost-effective leads and leases for your company, so if your web presence isn’t properly setup, you are probably shoveling money out the window in lost opportunity costs!

As I’m sure you know, we do more at RentPing than just produce the world’s best walkthrough video tours. Leveraging our experience in growing your own online presence will do more for your marketing and operations management efforts in the long run than simply going it alone and figuring it out as you go will ever do. Our experience will help bring your new web presence to market faster and help it be more functional for a longer period of time. Let us help you!

But what kind of video should you invest in? There are a host of choices for video out there, ranging [...]]]> Many sources are predicting incredible increases in the investments that the apartment industry will be putting into video. This includes Multifamily Executive Magazine, whose survey data is displayed in the graphic to the right.

But what kind of video should you invest in? There are a host of choices for video out there, ranging from shoddy picture slideshows to video that looks like it was produced in Hollywood. And as you probably know if you have received quotes from any video production companies, prices vary wildly from video to video.

One question that doesn’t feature prominently enough into many discussions about video purchasing is this: What will our videos do for us? Many people are caught up in the hype of video in general, and they want something attractive to embed in their websites, but only a short-sighted purchaser would ignore thinking about how those videos would function within their leasing process.

Think about football. (If you are like me, that isn’t hard right now.) It’s one thing simply to put just any old offensive line on the field; it’s quite another to recruit, train, feed, coach, and play-call your offensive line to accomplish your specific goals for it. If you have a passing quarterback, can your tackles protect the end-rush, and can the line as a whole buy your quarterback time to make the proper reads? On the other hand, if you want a run-first team, can your line plow forward and make blocks for you at the second and third levels of the defense? Those are two very different skills; linemen typically play better in one scheme than in the other.

If your line can’t enable you to run your scheme, then it doesn’t matter at all how talented they might be at other schemes-they are worthless for accomplishing your larger goals of scoring points and winning games.

This is why we are committed to producing the highest quality walkthrough video on the market. Sure, some videos might be more creative, but is it your goal to win the Cannes Film Festival or to lease apartments? And other videos might focus on featuring your world-class amenities, but are you trying to get residents to move into your clubhouse or your apartments?

With a walkthrough video tour, the X’s and O’s of your video strategy will center on leasing apartments. A walkthrough video tour is a 24/7 virtual leasing agent, extending your leasing capabilities beyond your property, outside of your office hours, and to the highest degrees of consistency.

You wouldn’t pass-block on a run play, so don’t buy videos that will accomplish the wrong goals. If you genuinely want to lease apartments, buy videos that will get the job done.

Now for the longer explanation. In our last newsletter, we sent out a survey asking property owners, community managers and RentPing.com end users what they thought about our video voiceovers. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being extremely helpful and 1 being not helpful at all, [...]]]> Short answer: Yes, you can.

Now for the longer explanation. In our last newsletter, we sent out a survey asking property owners, community managers and RentPing.com end users what they thought about our video voiceovers. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being extremely helpful and 1 being not helpful at all, 67.8% of respondents rated our voiceovers at 8 or above, with the remaining 32.2% rating voiceovers in the 4-7 range.

The majority of you prefer the current RentPing audio style with a voiceover only and no background music with nearly 50% of you responding you would least prefer no sound at all. Eighty-eight percent of those who responded were prospective residents and 77% of respondents fell between the ages of 18 and 39.

Why did we take the time to organize a survey about our voiceovers and analyze the results? Admittedly, it was mostly because we were seeking out a self esteem boost in the form of mass approval and admiration, but we were also trying to gauge feelings on alternate audio formats. After looking at our production process, we began to look for ways to improve turnaround time while also making our product more consistent.

One proposed route was to remove voiceovers in our standard walkthrough tour videos and replace that audio with background music. This would eliminate production time spent creating and recording voiceovers resulting in a more efficient production process. While it appears most viewers like our videos just the way they are, changing to a format with background music alone wouldn’t be met with too many negative feelings.

What do you think about this change? Feel free to comment below or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Something [...]]]> In July 2007, the month before I got married, my wife and I began our apartment search together.  I remember painstakingly looking at just a few pictures in magazines and on websites that showed various apartment communities.  I was able to see beautiful pools, fitness centers, business centers, basketball courts, and even flowers.

Something was missing, though.  I was not able to see the actual apartment.  Maybe we saw a picture of a kitchen or bedroom, but we did not know which floor plan it belonged to.  In most instances, all that was shown was a 2 dimensional floor plan.  The online content was pathetic.

To further complicate the situation, both my wife and I worked full time Monday – Friday during business hours.  We could only visit apartment communities when they were open on the weekend.  Our apartment search wasted two full weekends in a row driving all over Omaha!

In June, 2008, I had the opportunity to give prospective residents a better experience.  I was leading the marketing for a property management company with around 1,700 units under management.  The portfolio was made up of some larger apartment communities with 100+ units and lots of smaller property (1-50 unit buildings).  The first thing I did was begin to measure our marketing cost per lease for every marketing source.  As we looked at the results, we recognized a huge need for more cost effective marketing than the standard ILS portals, print guides, and newspaper ads were providing.  Embarrassingly, I found the newspaper was costing over $1,000 in marketing expense for every lease generated and print guides were running between $600 and $800 depending upon the apartment community.

So, we began to experiment with walkthrough video technology, professional photography, web distribution, search engine optimization, online ads, and much more.  Professional content – particularly our walkthrough video technology – quickly became our centerpiece because better content improved the performance of all our advertising.

Our walkthrough videos would allow somebody to feel like they were walking through an actual apartment online.  It wasn’t a distorted 360 degree tour or a video just showing community amenities.  People could actually walk through their apartment and see amenities.  This was the game changer.

Over the following year we began to see the number of apartments rented from our own web presence increase from less than 10% to about 30% of our total applications.  Another interesting thing happened:  Our leasing agents started leasing more units per hour they worked.  We paid for fewer labor hours and reimbursed less gas mileage (our agents drive all over town) for every lease.  We were finding that potential residents came to our company knowing what a particular apartment looked like, and this consumer knowledge made our leasing agents more efficient.  We knew we needed walkthrough videos and professional photos for all our floor plans to maximize our results.

Unfortunately, our technology was not at a professional level due to the astronomical cost of technology (web development, cameras, computers, editing software, videographers, programmers, etc.).  So, in October 2009, Rentping.com was born.  We created Rentping in order to serve more companies with a more professional product.

Today, less than 2 years later, my same property management company now receives around 70% of their applications from Rentping technology.  From call tracking numbers we have discovered that we convert a minimum of 1 out of every 10 visits into a lead for our various clients – a conversion ratio unmatched by anybody in the industry.  How did we do this?

We understand that content is king.

Everybody focuses on traffic – and so do we. What makes us different, though, is that we focus on converting that traffic into leads and leases too.  We invest significantly more into onboarding a client to shoot a walkthrough video and professional photos of every floor plan.  We also make sure to film amenities and other important information.  Once we create good content, we use it to improve the conversion ratio of a client’s website(s), Facebook listings, Craigslist presence, other ILS’s, and even physical marketing materials like brochures.  How much more effective would your website be if one out of every 10 visits converted into a lead?  Not to mention, our leads are the most qualified leads that exist.

Rentping got started because prospective residents want better content and information to guide their apartment search.

I know my wife and I did.

About David Watson

David Watson is the Founder and CEO of Rentping, LLC.  His background includes an entrepreneurial managment degree from TCU where he served as Student Body President.  He also spent 3 years working for Gallup leading their sales efforts in the area of leadership development education.  He continues as an owner of a property management company in Lincoln, Nebraska that manages over 2,000 apartment units.  This ensures he keeps Rentping relevant to the industry trends.

David has been successful at creating a unique and superior internet presence for Rentping.  He is most proud that Rentping’s websites now generate 1 lead for every 10 visitors – a conversion ratio unmatched by anybody else in the industry.  He is married with one child and resides in Lincoln, Nebraska.

When was the last time you looked at your community’s website? Chances are you have the URL printed on your business card, brochures and maybe even your property sign. These are good, but there is so much more you can do with it! [...]]]> So you have a website for your apartment community. Now what?

When was the last time you looked at your community’s website? Chances are you have the URL printed on your business card, brochures and maybe even your property sign. These are good, but there is so much more you can do with it! Your website is one of your most versatile marketing tools. It is an extension of your property’s physical real estate into the digital realm.

Have you included a link to your website:

• In your email signature?
• In your Craigslist posts?
• In your ILS listings?
• In your print advertising? (Bonus points for using a QR Code!)
• On your social media pages?

Now – let’s talk about how to use your community website as a closing tool before, during and after the showing. Before the showing – when a prospect calls to set up a showing, try asking them to check out your community website while you are on the phone with them. Most people are sitting at their computer when they call you anyway -so it is a great way to keep a conversation alive and move toward closing to a meeting.

Remember, your RentPing community website is powered by the world’s best video tours – no matter what source a lead comes from, watching the video tour before they arrive on property will help the prospect come better prepared with questions and gain interest in your property. During the showing, be sure the prospect knows where to find the information you talked to them about online. Your website should be your reference point between you and the apartment shopper.

After the prospect leaves – make sure that you follow up with the prospect by providing useful information. No one likes a nag – but everyone likes receiving the information they need in when they need it. Send the prospect an email thanking them for stopping by and telling them exactly where to find the information you discussed along with a link to your community website. Doing this will set you apart from the other properties they may have visited who never bothered to follow up with them to ask how their search was going. It will put you at the front of their mind and help you to close the deal.

Want to learn more about how to include these best practices into your leasing strategy? Ask us – it is our pleasure to show you how to get the most out of your marketing tools.