Think about your leasing agents. If they had zero technology helping them with leasing, you could quickly conclude that alone, leasing agents are ineffective. Without technology, agents would be suffering immensely and so would your properties.
With the competitive leasing landscape at hand, however, it’s not enough to just have any technology working alongside your leasing agents. In fact, having the wrong or clunky tech stacks can cause disruption for your properties. Technology or even AI (artificial intelligence), can be great at automating and streamlining processes but often is viewed as a bit inauthentic. The human element still matters.
If you picture a leasing funnel for your agents or your tech stacks working on their own, you’ll notice leads slip through the cracks at the bandwidth of your teams or the technology’s limitations. By combining the two, you’ll then have Leasing Agents + the Right Tech = Super Leasing Agents. Your teams can be that much more efficient and effective simply by working in alignment with technology to do so. Let’s take a look at how to make your leasing funnel airtight:
Picture a potential resident scrolling through your property’s website. They’re looking at available units, floorplans, pricing, and photos and haven’t actually gotten to fill out a form. Your leasing agents don’t have the ability to sit with these potential residents in real-time and convince them to take a tour. Even more so, a lead might have more questions left unanswered that could push them toward a form-fill but aren’t ready to commit to a full conversation with the property.
The solution? Chatbots have been the most popular solution for properties, ensuring a website visitor can get questions answered and have a conversation before a commitment. Even better, a Chatbot can qualify a lead and capture information to turn that website visitor into a booked tour.
On the flip side, putting AI or a Chatbot in place may cater to better lead capture but it does not fully cater to the potential resident. Some renters are less likely to convert when they can see they’re talking to a bot who cannot possibly care about their problems or needs. When qualifying a lead, ensure a human agent is available to step into a conversation where automation would fail to connect authentically with a human. This echoes the alignment you want between your leasing agents and technology to optimize your leasing processes.
AI-driven Lead Capture + Leasing Agents = Super Leasing Agents
A “perfect handoff” looks like your lead generation efforts seamlessly transitioning into a tour to your leasing agents, without being dropped, missed, or lost. However, the handoff tends to be where properties most likely fumble a lead. Did you know a lead is 21 times more likely to convert when contacted within five minutes of filling out an inquiry versus 30 minutes or later? Here’s why:
Here’s what we recommend you test out with your own properties. Think Undercover Boss for the moment. Try calling your property yourself. If they didn’t answer the phone, how many more attempts did it take to get someone on the phone? When they didn’t answer, what other options of communication did your property offer? Chances are, if the phone isn’t picked up, a prospect won’t keep trying.
Essentially, this should tell you where some of the gaps need to be filled. More than a third of leasing agents say they can’t get their work done in the time allotted. Your leasing agents are and should be focusing on tours and talking with potential residents. After hours, they have their own lives.
This brings us to the idea that leasing agents on their own are going to be ineffective and to no fault of their own. This is an ample opportunity to bring in the right technology to foolproof your leasing process. When you bring in a reliable and speed-to-lead-focused contact center, you’re ensuring that perfect handoff actually happens.
Seamless contact center + Leasing Agents = Super Leasing Agents
Actionable Data
Let’s talk about your CRM reporting. This should provide a wealth of actionable data for your leasing agents and property owners.
On the property side, leasing agents must be able to see which leads are more likely to convert, identify bottlenecks in the leasing process, and understand the effectiveness of different marketing channels (BONUS!)
On the owner/operator side, adjustable KPIs and custom reporting help to accurately gauge on-site performance to quickly identify where additional support, training, or automations might be needed to bring the best results. Not having this data can result in a lack of efficiency in your leasing strategies so a CRM with solid reporting is a must for your properties.
Actionable data from CRM Reporting + Leasing Agents = Super Leasing Agents
It’s no secret that many salespeople, leasing agents included, have a bit of recency bias. When new leads come in, those shiny objects capture the attention of your agents while “stale leads” get left behind. Some leads do need quick (30 days or less) turnaround for apartments; we don’t blame your agents for focusing on those leads! But neglecting the leads that need a bit more time is just leaving a lot of money on the table.
Take a look at some of our data:
Nurturing those leads might take up a lot of time for your leasing agents. This is yet another area where the right technology can turn your leasing agents into super leasing agents. With your contact center in place and a solid CRM reporting dashboard, you can automate rescheduled tours, send reminders, and nurture prospective renters into leases. Leasing agents are even more empowered to focus on the tasks at hand.
Automated Lead Nurture + Leasing Agents = Super Leasing Agents!
Technology and leasing agents together are powerful. If your leasing processes rely on one and not the other, you’re automatically losing business. Technology alone is inauthentic. Leasing agents alone are ineffective. Together, they’re a well-oiled leasing machine.
If you’re interested in leasing smarter with Anyone Home, BOOK A DEMO to learn more.
