Matt Weirich is CEO and Co-founder of Realync, the leading video leasing and engagement platform for the entire resident lifecycle.
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Traditionally, on-site teams have been locked out of high-level marketing plans, but is there a new opportunity for them to make recommendations and contributions in these areas, leading to more operational efficiencies across the portfolio?
Unlocking ways for autonomy to exist even more at the property level can empower your on-site teams while simultaneously saving time and money and generating more leases. Creating a welcoming environment that personalizes experiences to individual prospects will be your competitive advantage. That all starts with empowering your on-site teams and setting them up for success.
Here’s how you can listen to your on-site teams and equip them with the latest tech-enabled tools and training to boost team productivity and, ultimately, accelerate leasing numbers.
A Tech Stack That Accelerates Leasing Numbers And Teams’ Productivity
To level up across any organization, the front-line teams must have the know-how and power to perform. To do this, on-site teams need to be given the opportunity to perform well and the equipment and proper training. But it starts with understanding your on-site teams’ pain points.
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Millions of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress. This could be due to being overworked, a lack of resources, the work environment or all of the above. So think to yourself, could you eliminate some of this stress by listening better or providing the necessary tools?
• Create processes that empower your teams to speak up and voice feedback on what is and isn’t working. Foster an environment that empowers on-site teams to provide insight into your systems and processes.
• Equip your teams to communicate with prospects easier through chatbots and personalized and branded emails.
• Further your teams’ reach with prospective residents through a built-for-multifamily virtual leasing solution.
• Empower teams to turn website traffic into qualified leads with virtual leasing AI that automates actions and activities in a personalized way for each prospect.
• Review, fine-tune and iterate. No process is perfect from the outset, so put procedures in place or calendar reminders to review how things are or aren’t working.
Rock-Solid Support And Training Translates To Empowered Leasing Teams
Industry trends are changing and the required skills are ever-evolving. If you neglect your leasing teams’ training and development, you could risk the future of your investments’ success and increase team member turnover rates.
A key feature to look out for when adding to your property’s tech stack, and continued education for on-site teams, is considering if the technology company has a support or training team. Shop around and look into their training programs — do they have a live chat, help center or resource library to help your teams accomplish their goals? Does the technology company provide strategic insight into projects?
Whether your on-site teams are self-taught or instructed on the how-to’s from a training team, it’s essential to equip your teams for success with the ins and outs, background and specific information about your asset. That way, on-site teams can tell the proper story about why it should be that prospect’s new home.
Too many employees receive no workplace training, but most are willing to learn. To understand more about your teams’ training experience, check in and ask these questions.
• What could management do to support your continued education?
• What tools could help simplify your day-to-day life? Or, what tools have you leveraged in the past that worked for you?
• What systems or processes are you most comfortable with?
• How do you learn best — visual or hands-on? Virtual or in-person?
Technology Doesn’t Replace Personalization
Amid this proptech boom, there’s one thing that continues to stand tried and true throughout the multifamily leasing process: the human connection.
During training, prepare your teams with ways to get personal, to be storytellers and to create genuine connections with current and prospective residents. For example, here are a few questions we tell our clients to ask prospective residents before a virtual or in-person tour.
• What is most important to you: a view, a pool, the neighborhood, a large kitchen? By asking this question, you learn what a prospect values the most. Leasing teams can then cater the tour experience to that prospect and follow up with additional details about those most important factors.
• Do you have a preference for your apartment layout? Your community likely has a variety of floor plans. Your team needs to learn what’s most important to that prospect regarding the look and feel of your different units and what would or wouldn’t fit those specific desires. You’re the expert and know your building best — be the expert for your prospects.
• Do you have pets? If your community allows pets, a prospect will want to know more about those rules and regulations you have around your pet policy. Don’t stop there, though — showcase nearby parks!
• Do you have a tour preference? Don’t assume that every prospect can or wants to visit the property in person anymore. Leasing and touring experiences can and should be personalized to each prospect to offer the experience they need or desire.
Ready To Win More Leases While Empowering Your On-Site Teams
There are a variety of other property technologies that can help amplify your marketing and leasing efforts. The pandemic carved out a whole new world of technology solutions and skill sets and preferences — not only for prospects but also for on-site teams.
If you’re evaluating your current tech stack to see if these solutions are temporary or permanent and need assistance, I explored this topic in a previous article. But before you do, rethink which tech-enabled tools set your teams up for success and which don’t — but remember, it all starts with a candid and real conversation with your on-site teams.
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