Your community must stand out beyond general features and amenities to catch your ideal prospective resident’s attention. By utilizing the following leasing hacks, you will enhance your leasing process.
I covered 10 additional leasing hacks prior to this webinar. Click here to read those at any time.
Leasing Hack # 1 – Think of sales and leasing as a process of trying to get your customer to fall in love with your community.
Focus on helping your customers fall in love with your community and maintain that mindset with each action you decide to take as related to your prospective resident.
Remember, although there are many apartment communities to choose from, you are unique. Some people will actually sign or renew a lease because of you and the customer service you offer.
Phrasing to Consider Using
- Do you have any questions that I can answer for you?
- I just need some information from you so that I can help you find the perfect home.
- I typically work by appointment; would morning or afternoon work better for you?
- Why don’t we take the apartment off the market?
- Let’s make another appointment for you to bring back your wife/husband
Leasing Hack # 2 – Identify the next step (call to action) at every step of the sales process.
Your job is to be clear on the next steps a prospective customer needs to take throughout the pre-lease and leasing process.
The Leasing Process: Email/Phone Call > Tour > Follow-up > Move-in
Up to 60% of prospects will not complete the leasing process within 30 days; this is the reason the follow-up process is key. Remember, it is your job to lead the prospective client through the leasing process.
Be sure to use the prompt phrasing above to end emails you send to a prospective client or on email replies from you.
Leasing Hack # 3 Answering the phone with, “I’d be happy to help you with that! Who am I speaking with?”
Make sure to use the phrase “I’d be happy to help you with that! Who am I speaking with?” when you answer a call from a prospect so that you can get more information from the customer right at the start.
This is especially priority for the potential customer that calls with quick pricing and availability questions.
You should never simply respond with the answer to the quick questions they are asking you as there is always more information they will need to make their apartment decision.
Leasing Hack # 4 “Have you visited our website?”
This question should take place before you start asking the general leasing conversation questions. The typical consumer completes 70% the buying journey on their own. (Source: rentping.com and vidyard) The odds are your customer today has done some research on a variety of platforms before reaching out to you for information.
Asking them if they visited the website, saves you time and the potential customer becoming irritated with repetitive information. You can then ask them if they were looking at any specific apartment units or amenities so you can elaborate on those interests.
If they haven’t visited the website, just start asking the general leasing conversation questions.
Leasing Hack # 5 The 30 Minute Strategy
Your phone goal is to get the caller to make an appointment to tour, but what if they don’t want to make an appointment?
If you have a prospective caller that says that they are not sure if they can make an appointment or they mention the website says walk-ins are welcome, use the script below:
“We always welcome walk-in clients! However, what I would recommend is that you give me a call about 30 minutes before you think you’ll stop in so that I can make sure someone is here to help you. Our office can get really busy and I would hate for you to have to wait when you get here!”
Using the above script also helps you avoid blame if the prospective resident does not call and has to wait.
Leasing Hack # 6 Use friendly email subject lines.
Example Subject Line: Hi from Rommel at the Village Apartment Homes!
This increases the chances that your e-mails will actually be opened by your prospective resident.
Make sure to not use the preset or cookie cutter email subject lines as many residents and potential residents have a million emails to open each day.
Leasing Hack # 7 Make your tour feel like a date.
This means you should be attentive, make eye contact, be respectful to their needs, and actively listen to your “date” (prospective resident).
Your prospective resident should not feel like another person you are simply trying to push through the system. Remember, your goal is to attract the customer and ensure they fall in love with your community.
Leasing Hack # 8 Get creative with your floor plan descriptions.
Make sure your prospective customer can feel and see themselves living in this floor plan.
Ask them to imagine “breathing a breath of fresh air from this balcony…” or how their furniture would fit in the master bedroom perfectly.
Leasing Hack # 9 Have your model tell a story.
You can place signs or have nice story snippets in mind of fun facts that would sell your apartment unit.
i.e. Did you know this kitchen has 17 cabinets and drawers in it? Yep, we counted!
i.e. Although we think you’ll love the kitchen; if you don’t want to cook, there are 11 restaurants within walking distance (and 6 of them deliver!)
i.e. Our high-efficiency toilets can reduce your water usage by 20%!
If your model can tell a story, your prospective residents can learn so many benefits about what your apartment community has to offer.
Leasing Hack # 10 Use “AND”, not “BUT” when overcoming objections.
Objections are an opportunity to highlight other apartment and community features. You can relate to their objection and add another benefit they enjoyed or mentioned they liked.
These are 10 updated leasing hacks that will help you tremendously. Use them yourselves or promote them to your team so that your community can shine!
Presented by:
Rommel Anacan, President and Founder
The Relationship Difference