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better able to meet the customer where they want to be met. Some people love the idea of doing a virtual tour and doing everything with an AI tool. And that’s great. We have that for them.”
In many cases, leasing teams led the way in this adoption of new technology, according to Flamini. “Many of our property managers and leasing agents took the lead and started showing our individual apartments and communities through virtual leasing and self-guided tours,” Flamini says. For ZOM, the pandemic has changed leasing forever. “We never imagined how well people would adapt to virtual leasing, which some customers prefer,” Greg West says.
A HYBRID FUTURE
But that doesn’t mean technology is totally taking over. “You hear people saying that we’re going to be going to all virtual,” Clare says. “I don’t believe that. I do believe that we will continue to have people that want to come in and see their apartments and interact with leasing agents in person.” Wood has noticed that in-person tours have increased back to pre-pandemic levels. “However, virtual and self- guided tours will continue to be a part of our leasing strategy,” Hallsey says. That’s why leasing agents won’t be going away anytime soon. The pandemic has helped the industry figure out how to serve its customers, regardless of their desire. “The leasing consultants are there for them,” Clare says. “We also have people who want to do self-guided tours. We can accommodate that. So, I think [the pandemic] has expanded our ability to meet our customer’s needs.”
At ZOM, the strategy is similar. If the customer wants to connect virtually, most managers will maintain the virtual option for leasing. “Connecting with our customers in the virtual world was, of course,
important before the pandemic but now [it is] more than ever,” Greg West says. “It is clear some people expect some, if not all, of their shopping experience to be online. It is our mandate to constantly find ways to more efficiently find and engage those customers.”
As technology has changed, so have some of the skills that leasing agents need. Flamini calls good computer and social media skills a “must-have” skill set. “Many of today’s leasing transactions are fully automated online without a face-to-face meeting until the day of move-in,” he says. “With that said, there are still renters who like to see the apartment and will always kick the tires before they make a commitment. This is why soft skills like being a good listener, friendly, informative and genuine are equally important in today’s marketplace and post- pandemic.”
Those same soft skills have been essential for leasing agents for decades. And even though the pandemic and leasing technology have upended the marketplace, they aren’t going away anytime.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO) GAINS MORE PROMINENCE
The apartment industry’s focus on search optimization and reputation management existed well before the pandemic. But COVID-19 has magnified its importance. During the pandemic, Morgan Properties improved its website, adding chatbots to all community sites, allowing prospective residents to search directly for apartments by bedroom and price. Social media is also playing a more significant role in marketing. “We know how important it is to improve our online ratings and recognize their impact on driving traffic to our communities,” says Dan Flamini, Area Vice President for Morgan Properties.
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