‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: Roger Federer and the Danger of Complacency in Apartment Marketing

Last night I went to the U.S. Open and saw the Roger Federer vs. Tomas Berdych quarterfinals match. Now, I’m not a huge sports fan, but I still had a few expectations when I got to the tennis center:

1. The food would be expensive.

2. I would see celebrities.

3. Roger Federer would be handsome in real life.

And

4. Federer would win.

Well, I paid $7.50 for ice cream; saw Pippa Middleton, Anna Wintour, Arethra Franklin and

Yup, Federer, the number one tennis player in the world, lost to Tomas Berdych, who is…actually, I’m not sure what number he is (thought it’s certainly higher after last night), but he’s not the best. Why wasn’t this a grand slam for Federer?

To my very-untrained eye, the match looked almost like a “Casey at the Bat” type situation. Federer didn’t appear to be trying that hard at first—just doing all is usual old moves, but not putting in much effort. After all, he’s better than the other guy, so why waste energy or strain yourself—the tougher competition is later on in the tournament. And, by the time Federer realized that Berdych was going to be hard to beat, it was too late.

Don’t be like Federer with your apartment marketing.

Are you 99 percent leased? Well that’s great. You could sit around and do nothing, maybe hope that if residents leave they’ll recommend your building to their friends. But what if they don’t say anything? When I go on review sites such as Yelp to look up, say, a restaurant for dinner, there are always, always, more bad reviews than good. By that I mean the really bad vs. the really good. It seems like more people take to these sites when they feel wronged or slighted. Do you remember to write a review when the service was excellent and your meal was delicious? Maybe. What about that time the hostess lost your reservation and the waiter spilled soup on your lap? Totally, right? Same with people and reviewing apartments. And all of a sudden, you’ve lost your competitive edge.

It’s nice to be the property management equivalent of the number one tennis player in the world. You could put in minimal effort in your marketing, and most of the time, sure you’ll attract new renters and be fine.

But will you prepared when you’re face to face with the young and hungry player looking to ascend the ranks? Word of mouth and other passive marketing unfortunately won’t stand a chance against a massive social media marketing campaign, brand new amenities, discounts for new renters, or whatever they’re going to lob over the net.

Don’t get complacent. You may have all your apartments rented out now, but what about next time? Always sharpen your skills, and play your best game.

And then reward yourself with a delicious $7.50 ice cream cone.

What are some of your successful apartment marketing tactics?

-Jessica Fiur, News Editor

Photo credit: Anthony Correia