Blog
Guest Blog: How to Increase Your Visibility on Apartment Search Sites
By Edward Jiang, Business Development Manager at PadMapper A successful marketing strategy for every multifamily community recognizes how renters in your area look for new places to live, and being available and visible in the right locations. With 27-million monthly unique visitors to the top 6 apartment search websites according to ComScore (and that’s in January, the middle of slow season), you can’t ignore the fact that many people start their hunt for a new place online. Websites like Google and Amazon train users to expect easy access to information about products or services: reviews, photos, open hours, etc. However,…
What Renters Want with Jessica Fiur: 6 Ways to Encourage Healthy Living at an Apartment Community
OK, so I know it doesn’t feel like it, especially to those of us on the East Coast who are still walking around in our puffy jackets and fur-lined boots, but it is almost swimsuit season. Already. I know, it’s been months of pasta and red wine and candy (though pasta has essential carbs and red wine has antioxidants and you can take the peanut butter M&Ms out of my cold, dead hands), but according to the calendar, it’s technically spring, which means summer is right around the corner. Time to shape up! (Of course, we know that there are…
What Renters Want with Jessica Fiur: 5 Ways to Give Your Community an Apple Watch Makeover
Yesterday Apple had a huge announcement where they gave more details about their soon-to-be-released Apple Watch. And now we all know what we’re going to do with that extra 10 grand we have laying around in our apartments, right? Well, time will tell whether the Apple Watch will go the way of Google Glass, and be cool in theory but look totally lame in real life (and, like, be unusable. But, more importantly, will look dorky), or if we’ll all be walking around with our future-watches like George Jetson. But, as of now, people are super excited about the new…
Guest Post: Creating Active Adult Communities that Withstand the Test of Time
By David Smith, Florida Division President, AV Homes Baby boomers are known for their commitment to progress, and their pursuit of revolutionary new ideas. It is only fitting, then, that the generation that redefined activism decades ago is changing what it means to be an active adult today. As developers, managers, board members and property owners know, 55-plus communities are evolving dramatically, employing thoughtful new design elements, a range of highly customized amenities and even a new approach to marketing. The most successful active adult communities are defined by the choices they offer, particularly in terms of their residences, which…
Guest Blog: Active Adult Living: Marketing Amenities for Broad Appeal
By Michael Mendillo, President, FirstService Residential Mid-Atlantic For today’s active adult residents, a marketable and appealing community amenity is not what it used to be. In fact, it’s not one specific thing at all, unlike in the past when a top-notch golf course drove the formula for success. Now amenities are a different story altogether–a story marked by diverse activities that reflect the unique and varied interests of the 55-plus audience. The golf course still has a place in the overall plan for many, but it has been joined by a host of potential options: team sports programs, on-property bike…
What Renters Want with Jessica Fiur: 5 Ways You’re Infuriating Your Renters
Have you ever been minding your business on the subway, when, at the next stop, someone innocently sits across from you, and then, for some infuriating reason, starts clipping his nails? And even though you turn up your music and try to look anywhere but at that person, you hear the click of the clippers, and see pieces of human nails flying through the air and landing near you. Doesn’t that make you so, so angry? What is wrong with some people? Well, I hate to break it to you, but sometimes property managers or apartment communities have policies that…
What Renters Want with Jessica Fiur: 50 Shades of Property Management
It’s Valentine’s Day on Saturday, which is a great time to show your residents you appreciate them. Are you searching for some ideas for something special to do at your community? Well, as you know, a little movie called Fifty Shades of Grey is coming out this weekend. And even though it’s a movie based on a book that is just some poorly written Twilight fan fiction (seriously), and certainly something you should not be seeing with your residents, the name is definitely inspiring. So that’s something. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, and the name Fifty Shades of Grey, here are 50 ideas for you…
What Renters Want with Jessica Fiur: Could Apartments Turn Down Anti-Vax Renters?
So, I’m going to see the band Bush in a few weeks. They were popular in the ’90s (and was my first concert, like, ever), and they’re totally back! I’m so excited! Do you know what’s also back? Flannel shirts. Oh, and measles. As I’m sure you’ve heard, even though it was considered eradicated in the United States years ago, there is currently an outbreak of measles, which started in Disneyland, and now is spreading across the country. Many people are saying that it’s able to spread so far now because of an anti-vaccination movement, where parents are choosing not…
What Renters Want with Jessica Fiur: The Problem With Some Amenities
Theoretically, you could have a community that is 100-percent leased even though it doesn’t offer any amenities. After all, amenities are just the icing—the “cake” of an apartment is a safe place where people can live. That’s all. And plenty of apartment buildings are just that—apartments with no frills. But, as we all know, the icing is always the best part. (For cakes, I mean. And apartments, in this metaphor. But not for Oreos. The cookies are the best part of an Oreo, not the icing, and I will defend this to the death.) Especially if there are a lot…
What Renters Want with Jessica Fiur: Alternative Super Bowl Party Activities for Residents
It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday. I know, I don’t really care either. But it is a good excuse to have a fun event for your residents. If you’re like me and couldn’t tell a football from… a slightly deflated football and have no idea why this is an issue, then here are some alternative activities you can have for your residents that will still get everyone in the spirit of the big game. Flag Football. If your community isn’t currently buried in snow, and you have the space, you can arrange a friendly game of flag football (while also allowing for…