Why Landlords and Property Managers Need To Add Video To Your Apartment Marketing Plan
Prospective residents need as much information as possible to assist them in their decision making process. In today’s fast paced world 70% of tenants start their searches online from the comfort of their own home. If a picture is worth a thousand words than a video is worth a million words. Video is a necessary part of the marketing picture.
Using Video Effectively
The most effective use of the video format is to showcase the lifestyle features and benefits of your building and the neighbourhood. A professional shot of a beautiful park makes you want to get out your running shoes and go for a jog or walk. A nearby mall, Doctor’s office or your fitness centre can all be illustrated with much more emotional impact in a video than in a text ad or picture. Video makes your building come alive for viewers.
(see sample produced by RentSeeker.ca’s Video Marketing Team)
Video Can Be Targeted
Shoot your video with your target market in mind. Young professionals and seniors do not share the same activities and interests. Seniors may be concerned with the proximity to the hospital, medical clinic or building activities. Young professionals may prefer to know that the Starbucks is across the street and your facility offers a state of the art fitness centre. Families may want to know there is a daycare or pool in your building. What you choose to highlight in your video may determine who will take the all important steps towards making your building their home.
YouTube
Videos shot and uploaded to YouTube are easily accessible and searchable to RentSeekers. When most people think of search engines they usually think of Google but YouTube is actually the second largest search engine (and owned by Google), and their videos rank very highly in Google and other search engines. You get a lot of exposure for your initial investment. Your video can see tens of thousands of views over time.
(Check out RentSeeker.ca’s YouTube channel here):
http://www.youtube.com/rentseekerinc
Videos Last Forever
After the initial outlay for a professionally shot video, it can be used reliably for years to attract potential residents to your facility. Until there are major changes in your area or building you can continue to use the same video. Considering the evergreen nature of film it just makes sense to find those budget dollars to develop this collateral to the fullest extent.
Be Ahead Of The Technology Curve
Prospective tenants provide us with the impetus to leverage new ways to reach them. With QR codes, a tenant looking at your print ad can use their smart phone to scan the code which will take them to your video, which will tell them why they should rent from you instead of your competitor. Your competitor that does not implement new technology requires them to drag themselves out into the cold and wet to go physically look at the building to determine if they want to live there. Which do you think tenants prefer?
(Scan our QR Code to watch RentSeeker.ca The Importance of Having a Web & Social Media Presence).
Prescreen Tenants
Tenants generally have a list of non negotiable criteria that they can not live without. It is a waste of your staff’s time to show an apartment to a couple who require ensuite laundry or a pool if you don’t offer those amenities. Higher quality of information provided before potential tenants come to rent an apartment leads to higher conversion rates . Your staff can then focus on renting to people who already know they want the apartment when they walk in the door. The showing becomes a formality because the tenants know that the building checks all their boxes and they want to rent because the video has already done the work.
Presenting The Best Image
Rental staff may at times forget to point out each and every feature of the neighbourhood or the building. Video never forgets, rushes, answers the phone or fails to present anything but a fully complete picture perfect image. Video’s work 24 hours per day and 7 days per week even on Holidays. With QR codes any prospective tenant who works odd hours can get further information after seeing another ad or your website. In this way you can link all the information required to make a decision to rent your suite.
Video and Your Bottom Line
Video is a cost effective way to illustrate the advantages of your building to your target market. By linking your existing advertising and web campaigns to your video you can leverage your existing expenditures to provide a complete synopsis of the area. By accentuating the positive aspects of a grocery store across the street, you get the boon of that asset at no cost. Tenants who screen themselves and come prepared to rent save time. If you haven’t yet created a video for your building, isn’t it time to enjoy the profits this endeavour can bring?
-The RentSeeker.ca Team
