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“Pay attention to the leasing process. If they don’t have their leasing process put together, then it’s probably going to be a poor resident experience, as well. How a company does one thing is how they do everything.”
As the Head of Marketing at Peek and one of NAA’s 20 in Their Twenties, Zeke Lucas works each day to ensure communities offer the best shopping experience for their prospective renters while also helping operators dramatically improve their leasing conversion. He chats with Marcus Armstrong in this episode of the podcast to discuss why the leasing process is broken and how adaptations in technology and personnel can improve it.
Zeke draws parallels between shopping for an apartment and shopping for shoes online to show the disparity between the consumer’s experience from a technological perspective. Data shows that price, availability, and pictures are what prospects want to see on a community’s website—but this information is often elusive or incredibly frustrating to access. Companies need to work to bridge the gap by offering virtual or self-guided tours, pictures of the community and the actual homes, easily accessible information on availability, and transparent pricing. He also emphasizes that when prospects do call the community or take a tour, the leasing agent should follow up with a personalized message that summarizes the high points of the tour, reminds the consumer how their homes fit the renter’s needs, and clarify any next steps.
Zeke further advises operators to raise the bar on how they are hiring, training, and rewarding their leasing agents. By focusing on centralization and high-level training for employees, operators will help support their leasing agents in this sales role and better serve prospective residents with the personalization and human touch that is so essential in shaping a sense of home. By adapting technology and training to make the leasing process more prospect-centric, companies can ensure the leasing process suits modern renters and makes the buying experience as easy as possible.