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The Ultimate Apartment Management Companies’ Guide to Renting to College Grads: 10 Tips

Image of a recent college graduate lifting his diploma in a salute to the city skyline in the background, an image for the apartment management companies guide to renting to college grads.

Marketing apartments to recent college graduates poses unique challenges and opportunities for savvy apartment management companies. Fresh grads are members of the fastest-growing contingent of renters nationwide, with 4.5 million entering the rental market in the past 5 years.

Gen Z renters have specific preferences, communication styles, and even shopping styles to consider. If you’re going to attract them in this competitive market, you must know how to speak their (online) shopping language and appeal to their social life and values.

These are our favorite top 10 trending tips for marketing apartments to recent college graduates.

1. List Properties on the Right Sites

Two highly popular apartment listing websites among Gen Z renters are Zillow and Apartments.com.

Zillow, with its user-friendly interface and extensive apartment inventory, allows grads to browse various listings, filter according to location and budget, and contact property managers directly. Apartments.com, known for its modern design and detailed listings, provides comprehensive information on amenities and nearby attractions, making it a preferred choice for Gen Z.

Apartment management companies without a large management portfolio and self-listed rentals should consider investigating which listing site is the most popular with younger renters in their market.

2. Emphasize On-Site Amenities in Ways That Connect

Younger renters want apartment communities that offer more than just living spaces. When you create ads or website content, add virtual tours of highly desirable community features such as fitness centers, study rooms, rooftop lounges, and communal spaces.

3. Prioritize Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Features

Gen Z graduates are increasingly concerned about environmental sustainability. Promote your community’s green initiatives, such as renewable energy sources, recycling programs, and energy-efficient appliances. Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability will strongly resonate with this environmentally conscious demographic.

4. Market Apartments with Open Floor Plans to Younger Renters

Young tenants prefer open floor plans that promote a spacious and modern living environment. Focus on listing images and virtual tours that emphasize open-plan flexibility and a seamless blending of living, dining, and kitchen areas. This layout caters to Gen Z’s desire for multifunctional spaces that can be used for work, relaxation, and entertaining friends.

5. Optimize Your Community’s Social Media Presence

To effectively engage with first-time renters, establish a strong social media presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Post visually appealing content that showcases your community’s unique features, events, and resident testimonials. Be responsive to inquiries, encourage user-generated content, and use these platforms to build a sense of virtual community.

6. Highlight Local Attractions and Connectivity

Recent college graduates often prioritize lifestyle amenities and proximity to entertainment, restaurants, and public transportation. Illustrate your community’s convenient location, walkability to local attractions, and easy access to public transit routes. Showcasing your apartment community’s connectivity will resonate with Gen Z’s desire for an active social life, with or without a car.

7. Know if Your Property is in a High-Growth Market

When marketing to those who’ve just taken their first job out of college, high-growth markets will offer the most opportunity to target recent graduates who are moving to where the jobs are. Cities such as Austin, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, and Nashville provide vibrant job markets, cultural opportunities, and a youthful atmosphere that appeals to young renters. If your property is in a similar location, focus your marketing efforts on attracting Gen Z graduates moving to the area.

8. Leverage Virtual Tours and 3D Visuals

We can’t say this enough: offering virtual tours and captivating 3D visuals of your apartments is essential for connecting with today’s online shoppers. Provide potential residents with an immersive experience by showcasing floor plans, amenities, and community spaces. Utilize technology to cater to Gen Z’s digital expectations and empower them to explore your community remotely.

9. Facilitate Seamless Digital Communication

Young renters prefer seamless digital communication methods such as online chat, email, and text messaging. Ensure your community’s website and online portals are user-friendly and mobile-responsive. Streamline communication channels to maintain prompt and efficient communication, ultimately enhancing their renting experience.

10. Offer Flexible Lease Terms and Move-In Incentives

Younger renters value flexibility and control. Consider offering flexible lease terms and move-in incentives like reduced security deposits or waived application fees. Flexibility and affordability are key considerations for this demographic, and these offerings can help attract and retain Gen Z renters.

The Right Apartment Management Companies Create Vibrant, Youthful Communities

Effectively marketing apartment communities to recent college graduates requires an understanding of their specific preferences and needs. By leveraging popular listing websites, highlighting desirable community features and amenities, understanding ideal apartment layouts, targeting high-growth markets, and embracing digital communication preferences, property managers can attract and retain Gen Z renters successfully.

Meet them where they are and show them the home and community where everyone their age will want to live. Follow these tips, and you won’t have any problem improving occupancy with the latest generation of energetic young professionals.

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The Importance of Apartment Staging

Image of a beautifully decorated gourmet kitchen with flowers, an image for the blog on Apartment Staging Property Marketing.

Did you know that apartment staging can fill a vacant unit an average of 80 days faster than in a community that doesn’t have a staged apartment? Staging a home or an apartment can help prospects envision themselves living in the space, and any marketer knows that vision is tied to emotion, and emotion drives people to make decisions.

Use apartment staging to drastically shorten your vacancies and improve occupancy rates. We’ll tell you how, but first thing’s first.

What is staging?

Staging a home, or arranging it with furnishings and accents to make it appear lived-in, is a popular tactic and one that real estate agents everywhere tend to invest their time and money into. So, the logical thought is this: If staging does so much for selling homes, why can’t it do just as much for rental homes and apartments?

Why apartment staging works

Imagine walking into a unit you’re interested in renting, or seeing a virtual tour video online. The unit is empty. There is nothing in the rooms except open space and bare walls. While some managers make the mistake of thinking that open space is a blank canvas for a prospective renter to view their future, this is most often not the case. A prospective tenant may, in fact, find him or herself overwhelmed at the very thought of trying to imagine how furniture will fit and how certain things will look.

Now, imagine walking into a unit that is moderately furnished and arranged to look as though it is lightly lived in and every space has a well-designed purpose. You can see how beds fit in the bedrooms, get a feel for the living room space and how well your stuff will “go,” and you’ll even get a feel for color palettes.

This is because apartment staging does two things:

  1. Helps prospective renters see all that is possible in the space
  2. Allows the presentation of certain features while minimizing other features that aren’t as desirable

Want to get units rented quickly?

We’ve got a strategy for apartment staging that works every time. Here’s how to do it right:

  1. Find the Space. It may not be economical to bring in a staging crew and materials for every vacant unit. In these cases, try to reserve one unit for the purpose of staging. Many managers use the staged unit as the office if there is not an actual office space on the property. Either way, you can always look into writing a staged unit off as a marketing expense.
  2. Rent. If you have the ability to stage individual units, renting furniture may be your best bet. This way, you have a great design for the exact amount of time you need it. As an added bonus, many rental stores deliver.
  3. Invest. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a long-term solution, remember that you don’t have to buy brand new, brand name furnishings. Lightly used and well taken care of items will definitely suffice. So, keep your eye on Craigslist and any area Buy-Sell-Trade Facebook pages where people tend to list some very affordable furnishings and designs.
  4. Mind the Color. To get the most from staging, you need to pay attention to color schemes and trends. Just because you are getting a couch from Craigslist and chairs from the newspaper doesn’t mean you can just throw whatever into the space and produce a hodge podge layout. The power of staging is in the ability to make a unit look like the best version of itself.
  5. Watch for Details. Throw pillows, window coverings, art work, and a small number of knickknacks should all be on your list. But, again, don’t go broke over the details. Some of the best stores for highly desirable home décor that won’t break the bank include Home Goods, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Ross.

Rather leave it to the pros? We love staging, and we love getting the properties under our management to maximum occupancy even more. Contact us today to see how we can work together. Call 817-295-5959 or email us at info@classamgmt.com.

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The Power of Multifamily Property Video Tours

Video Marketing through YouTube

Enhance Your Multifamily Property with Effective Video Marketing Tours

In today’s fast-paced digital world, video marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for property managers to attract potential tenants, showcase their properties, and boost business. With engaging video content, property managers can more effectively communicate the unique features, amenities, and ambiance of their multifamily properties. Below, we explore the benefits of video marketing for property managers and provide valuable insights on how to leverage content to maximize your property’s visibility and attract high-quality tenants.

Captivate Prospective Tenants

Video marketing allows property managers to provide captivating property tours, enabling prospective tenants to experience the property’s ambiance and layout virtually. By showcasing the key features, amenities, and floor plans through videos, property managers can create an immersive experience, generating greater interest and attracting higher quality leads.

Need help showcasing your floor plans? Check out these tips for staging apartments and see why you should try it, for videos and in-person tours.

Highlight Property Features and Amenities

Video marketing provides an ideal platform for property managers to highlight the unique features and amenities that set their multifamily properties apart. By showcasing well-designed common areas, modern kitchens, stylish interiors, state-of-the-art fitness centers, and other enticing amenities, property managers can effectively capture the attention of prospective tenants and convey the value of that rental.

Showcase Testimonials and Resident Experiences

Video testimonials from satisfied residents are a powerful way to build credibility and trust with prospective tenants. Property managers can leverage video marketing to capture the experiences and testimonials of current residents, sharing their positive feedback and demonstrating the quality of living their properties offer. These testimonials create a personal connection with viewers, enhancing their confidence in choosing your property as their future home.

Utilize Drone Footage for Aerial Perspectives

Drone footage has revolutionized the way properties are showcased. Property managers can utilize drones to capture stunning aerial views of their multifamily properties and the surrounding neighborhood. By showcasing the proximity to local amenities, parks, schools, and transportation options, property managers can enhance the property’s appeal to prospective tenants.

Leverage Social Media Platforms

Video marketing integrates seamlessly with various social media platforms, making it easier for property managers to reach a wider audience. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube offer excellent opportunities to showcase property videos and generate engagement. By leveraging the power of social media, property managers can increase brand awareness, attract more prospective tenants, and foster a community of loyal residents.

Optimize Videos for Search Engines

To ensure maximum visibility and reach, property managers should optimize their videos for search engines. By incorporating relevant keywords, descriptions, and tags, property managers can improve their videos’ search engine rankings, making it easier for potential tenants to find their properties online. Additionally, embedding videos on their property website and sharing them across various platforms improves their online presence.

Video marketing has become an essential tool for property managers to effectively promote their multifamily properties and attract high-quality tenants.Utilizing the tactics mentioned here, property managers can gain a competitive edge in the market.

Need help embracing the power of video marketing and unlocking new opportunities to elevate your properties? Contact us today and let our marketing team go to work for you. Call us at 817-295-5959 or email us at info@classamgmt.com.