5 Property Management Marketing Trends for 2019

It’s inevitable that a tenant will eventually move out. And, that’s why property owners are always looking to increase the number of quality prospects and decrease any vacancy turnover times. That’s why it’s important to keep up with the latest property management marketing trends.

Video Use Continues to Expand

In today’s digital culture, video needs to be part of your marketing strategy. Research shows that videos are the best way to get people to not only remember your message, but also to act on it. Video tours of the property, showcasing common areas and any amenities will go a long way towards helping prospects envision themselves living in your property. And, beyond unit walk-throughs, there are abundant opportunities for landlords and property firms to get creative, like resident testimonials, or the Top 5 reasons to live in the community/neighbourhood.

More and more property managers and owners are using video not only on their website, but also in social media posts, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Ithelps increase the share factor and aids with brand recall.

Chatbots Can Help Convert

Chatbots are a type of software that helps website visitors get the answers they are looking for. They interact with visitors in a natural way, primarily through the use of text chat windows. According to stats, 1.4 billion people interact with chatbots each year. And 80% of companies say they're already using or plan to use chatbots by 2020. Property management firms are no different.

Chatbots build on that other strong marketing trend, personalization. They offer one-to-one personalized interactions. For example, someone visiting your property website might want to ask know about the square footage of the available unit, ask for additional photos, or get more details about leasing terms and conditions, or even assist in helping someone fill out an online application. A chatbot can answer these types of common questions without pulling away human resources. With more info, leads have a better chance of converting into tenants.

Social Media: Is it Aligned With Your Demographic?

Over the years, Facebook has become a powerhouse social media platform with many property managers using it to create property/company pages to target prospective leads. In 2018 the number of Facebook users in Canada totaled 23.6 million, and it’s projected to further grow to 24.7 million by 2023. But there are also statistics showing that the demographic using Facebook is getting older. Younger people seem to be moving over to platforms like Instagram.

So, if you’re in the business of renting to students, Facebook may not be the appropriate marketing channel for that campaign. However, that said, it is still a massive advertising platform, and it will be necessary to monitor any boosted posts to ensure you are getting the ROI and leads that best meet your target market criteria.  

More Marketing Automation

The more marketers can automate, the more efficient the marketing process. This means being able to automate responses to requests for more info. (More on email marketing in the next section.) It also means streamlining the digital marketing process. When ads are spread across multiple ILS, staying on top can be both challenging and time-consuming. Property management marketing software makes it a snap to keep your listings current and up-to-date, helping improve turnover times. Just log in to upload and update photos, information and availability all in one place with a few simple clicks.

Email Marketing Still Going Strong

It’s baaaaaaak! Well, to be fair, it never really left. Email marketing has been a perennial favourite for marketers for two decades now. By adding a simple “Request More Information” form to your website, you can easily capture and nurture leads. It allows you to follow up with details about the property and neighbourhood, as well as links to other vacancies you might have.

Get The Marketing Tools You Need

Property management marketing software gives you transparency into your digital marketing efforts so you can better spot where your ads are bringing in the most amount of quality leads. To learn more about how Property Vista can help give your marketing efforts a boost, including mobile-friendly websites, ILS automation, help with SEO, and much more, be sure to checkout pricing and get a demo.