Understanding 2022 apartment marketing trends means giving renters what they want and how they want it. In order to be successful we will need to meet renters ever evolving expectations. Therefore, meeting these expectations will be a key differentiator that sets property management companies apart from each other in 2022. Checkout out last years post to see what’s evolving!
1. Best In Class Customer Experience
All sectors of industry have been welcoming new technology with open arms. In other words, a new standard for what consumers expect has been set. The renters we see and market to are having new experiences with the businesses they interact with. Think about how much your personal experience with businesses has changed in the last two years:
- Groceries delivered at your doorstep
- Paying your tab with the click of a button on your phone
- Same day deliveries from Amazon
- Every restaurant now delivers with tools like Uber Eats
- To “Zoom” is now a verb
- Fully remote employment is the new norm
- Your refrigerator will order more eggs for you…
These new trends aren’t viewed as features or products by consumers, they are experiences they are having. Most importantly the experience is being measured from first interaction all the way to a purchase decision. In other words, one of the most impactful 2022 apartment marketing trends will be customer experience (CX). Your renters will expect:
- Efficiency
- A personal experience
- Knowledgable employees
- Convenience
- “Ease of use” around the steps to leas a new home
How do you know if you are providing a good customer experience? Take a look at the prospects journey from the moment they submit their info until their lease comes up for renewal a year later. When looking we should consider the following about the prospect journey: experiences should be connected and seamless, experiences are consistent across all interactions, experiences need to be personal and all prospects questions need to be easily answered.
Understanding how to orchestrate your different marketing tools into one cohesive strategy is key to success in 2022
Finding tools that truly “Operationalize Your CRM” in 2022 means finding tools that are aware of the prospects journey as a whole, not just their slice of it. It’s this orchestration of strategy that will be expected from renters in 2022.
2. Video, Video, Video
Consumers wan’t to watch more and read less. Watching short videos allows us to consume a ton of info quickly. Today renters want to learn about the information they care about, quickly and easily, by watching a short video.
82% of internet traffic are online videos
54% of consumers want to see more video content from businesses
72% of consumers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video
Visual content is not only easier to consume but it is also easier to remember. Therefore, content consumed via video is retained more often and easier to recall. This all means that apartments who use short-form video marketing are more likely to make an impact on their renters. This is one of the 2022 apartment marketing trends we are most excited to see take off.
Pro Tip: Always add close captions to your videos! Here are some reasons why:
- Improve accessibility
- Better SEO
- Capture attention and boost comprehension
- 69% of people report viewing videos without sounds
Ensuring that your Lease Conversion Automation (LCA) tools and Renewal Conversion Automation (RCA) tools can support video content is key. The messaging and communication you are sending renters needs to be able to accommodate video if you are going to stand out in 2022.
3. Personalization: 2022 Apartment Marketing Trends Highlight
While personalization is not a new trend of 2022 it is certainly becoming more and more impactful each year.
80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences.
Simple things like renters seeing their name in print makes a world of difference. With the advances in technology this is becoming easier and easier. However, we can’t stop there. The old “Hi [prospect name], choose us!” doesn’t work anymore.
When we say personalization, we mean building a profile for your renter then crafting and delivering messaging targeted specifically to their needs. For example: What amenities are they interested in? What floor plan caught their attention the most? Are they bring any pets with them? Most of us already have this info in the prospects guest card within our CRM. Operationalizing your CRM means putting this data to work. Delivering highly personalized content to renters is how we win their business.
Ensuring your marketing tools can access this data from your CRM and then more importantly leverage it to create content that speaks directly to the renters needs is a must have of 2022.
How are you personalizing your messaging today? Nothing like starting the year off with the ole personalization audit! 😎
4. Automation and Artificial Intelligence
There is a lot to be said about what this means. Rather than dive back into that here, check out this post where we cover these definitions in detail.
Automation and AI are key for success in 2022 for many reasons. These can be broken down into 2 main categories:
- Delivering the experience renters expect
- Freeing up onsite team’s time to focus on what’s important
Delivering the Experience Renters Expect
As we’ve covered in this article already, renters want messaging that speaks to their wants and needs, they want to hear back quickly, they want their messaging personalized for them, and they want more information than ever before. With automation/AI you can achieve all of this! LCA and RCA tools allow you to respond to new leads immediately and use the data available in your CRM to speak to their needs. It is impossible for an onsite team member to remember at a moments notice all the information a prospect has given about what they are looking for. Its not impossible for a computer to do this! By leveraging new technology you can ensure prospects never have to wait or have a bad experience because a person got busy or forgot something.
Freeing Up Onsite Team’s Time to Focus on What’s Important
It’s no coincidence the first section in this article was about creating great customer experiences. Firstly, no technology or thing will ever replace the power of a wonderful person to person interaction. Secondly, Your onsite teams are experts in this field and we need to make sure they have the time to do what they do best! By automating and leveraging artificial intelligence for most tasks, you free up the onsite team to create meaningful relationships with residents, give amazing tours to renters, and have the time to think deeply about their tasks at work, making them more successful. A great customer experience starts with a great experience for team members. Happy onsite teams means happy renters 🥳
2022 Apartment Marketing Trends: Summary
2022 will be an exciting year for multifamily. New tools and technology make renting better for prospects and onsite teams alike. Understanding where the industry and its consumers are headed is important to stay in front of trends and expectations. Below is a short recap on the major trends to keep an eye on and think about implementing yourself for next year.
- Best in Class Customer Experience: Renters expect an experience that is efficient, personal, ran by knowledgable employees, convenient, and “easy”. Leveraging tools to operationalize your CRM is a great start to begin leveling up your customer experience.
- Video, Video, Video: People want to consume video content. 72% of consumers would rather learn about a product or service through a video. Pro Tip: Always add close caption to your videos.
- Personalization: Use the information you have about prospects and residents to build a profile and send content that speaks directly to their individual needs. 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that has a personalized experience
- Automation & AI: Leveraging Lease Conversion Automation and Renewal Conversion Automation tools powered by AI frees up time for the onsite team while delivering the experience to renters that they expect. Powerful Automation and AI tools are a must have to keep up with consumers expectations in 2022.
Here are a few more trends to look out for we didn’t cover in detail in this article:
