Real estate marketing is no easy thing, even for renters and property managers, but for most of us, it’s an undervalued facet of the rental process. A good marketing campaign helps to rent units out quickly, meaning that the owner makes more money. A good marketing campaign targets the correct demographic, pays attention to details like where that demographic is looking for property, and of course, provides the maximum amount of ROI. Most importantly, real estate marketing is quickly moving online, where an increasing number of people are searching for units and rentals using the Internet. So, whether you live in downtown Seattle, or Woodinville, you can take this property managers marketing checklist to create your own campaign for 2014.
Website
While not every property manager has a website, it can be useful if you have a number of units or a larger apartment complex. For this reason, the following includes a quick checklist for your website.
• Make It Mobile Friendly (20% of Real Estate Searches in 2013 were via Mobile)
• Keep it Simple (Overly Complex Websites Don’t Make Sales)
• Leave Contact Information in Plain Sight (Don’t make people jump through hoops to get your phone number)
• Connect Your Social – Social Sites Do More For Sales than Websites
Social
Social Media Marketing is one of the biggest and most affordable marketing techniques, even for a Issaquah property manager. There are plenty of ways to set up a locally targeted social account so if you do not have one, make sure it’s top priority. In addition, you want to make sure that you respond as much as possible across all of your networks, especially when it comes to bad feedback. Just ensure that you stay professional and stay polite.
• Reputation Manage
• Set up Google Local Places Account
• Set Up a Business Page with Your Hours and Location
• Focus on Google + and Facebook
• Respond to Questions and Feedback
• Be Professional
Content
Not every real estate manager needs content marketing but if you do decide to use it, it can greatly benefit you. The following strategies can help you with content marketing, but keep in mind that in order to market most content, you need a website. Some content, like imagery and videos, goes well on social, but for the most part, you need a website to make a blog successful.
• Quality photographs or videos of your units and complexes
• Informative blogs about rates, local attractions and activities, new laws, etc.
• Targeted ads that focus on locals in your demographic
While anyone can utilize some types of real estate marketing, the truth is that it can be overly complex for many people. Any property manager should focus on creating a marketing strategy that ‘sells’ with the end result of filling units and keeping them full. For the most part, this means actively engaging with tenants, creating a strong online reputation for great service, and following through on advertised information. If that sounds a bit more complex then you would like, consider that a local property manager in your area of King County (I.E. hire a local Issaquah property manager) will have the experience and know-how to effectively market for you, so that you can focus on what you know best.