Convenience. It’s a luxury that we all deserve. So, why should your renters prove any different? Convenience can come in many shapes and forms; but, when it comes to the leasing industry, it mainly comes in the form of amenities. And we’re not just talking about your standard water, sewer and trash. As a property owner or manager, you should really take the time to think about if you are doing everything you can to make the rental experience convenient for your renters—and you should begin with your website.
Your website should not only be seen as a tool to introduce your property to prospective renters, but a way to improve the renter experience too. Are you offering live contact tools, online payments or maintenance requests? If you’re not already incorporating these things, then it may be time.
According to the 2017 SatisFacts Online Renters Survey, 75% of surveyed residents said that they use their apartment community’s online portal to submit maintenance requests. So, if you’re not currently taking requests online, you’re already behind the eight ball. Customer portals in general offer great benefits for your renters and you as property managers/owners as well.
Take a look at a few of these benefits below:
Boost customer service.
With the advent of online portals, gone are the days of paper forms for maintenance requests or complaints. An online portal provides you and your renters with an electronic record of their issues; thus, removing the need for filing and record retention. Who needs more paper anyway? Customer service is bound increase on your end because you’ll have a more efficient way to track and assign or forward requests to your team—be it maintenance or management.
Maximize everyone’s time.
Online portals provide time savings for both renters and owners. Customers will no longer have to give you a call every time they have an issue; rather, they can contact you on their own time, and are likely to provide greater detail regarding their issue in the process. Without the plethora of phone calls, leasing agents can now restructure their time to handle tours, marketing and customer responses without too many surprises in between. Additionally, with online payments, your leasing agents will have fewer trips to the bank, again freeing up their time to focus on other tasks.
Streamline service.
Online maintenance requests are great for both you and your renters in that they provide a structured tracking system. Your renters will love their ability to submit their request from any device and track it until completion, ultimately giving them that piece of mind in knowing that you’re on top of it. You, as property managers and owners, will benefit from the ability to streamline service among your maintenance team by assigning the most relevant requests to the appropriate team member. Additionally, with all of your online requests recorded, you and your team will be more equipped to identify trends so that you can actually get in front of certain issues before they escalate.
Rentbot can help.
Online portals are an essential amenity that all properties should offer their tenants. Not only do they enhance customer service for your renters, but can be lifesavers for you as well. Our Rentbot customers will agree. In a matter of days, we provide each of our new clients with a fresh, responsive website that works on any mobile device. In addition to beautiful HD photos, 3D layouts and an original site design, you’ll have your very own online portal, also custom to your property and its needs. Your renters will enjoy the added amenity and your leasing team will appreciate the extra time.
Give you renters what they want, and boost your retention too. Invest in a new site today, and experience the Rentbot guarantee!
About the Author
Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.