Leasing agents are the front-line team for pulling prospects from leads to signed leases. Therefore, it’s critical agents are equipped with the right tools and multifamily leasing tips to grow and constantly improve performance.
So, to help start 2022 on the right foot, here are our top three multifamily leasing tips for leasing agents to take a good performance to a great one.
Strengthen Your Listening Skills
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? However, being a great listener is an underdeveloped skill for many – in multifamily and in general.
For leasing agents, listening and understanding what prospects want is more important than ever. It is by far one of the best skills a leasing consultant, or anyone for that matter could have.
Take the time to truly listen to prospects in a way that allows you to understand and remember what they are saying. After each conversation, particularly at the start, prospects should walk away feeling heard, respected, and understood. That’s a big part of being a successful leasing agent.
Occasionally, prospects will be direct – telling you exactly what is on their minds, what they want, and what they need in a new home. Other times, they won’t or maybe aren’t sure themselves. That’s when reading between the lines is so important to fill in the blanks and get the information you need to know to provide the best guidance.
Listening carefully and effectively is one of our top leasing agent tips because it allows you as an agent to ask pointed and specific questions to get to what a prospect really wants, driving the leasing process forward.
Effective Communication
Next on our list of multifamily leasing tips is effective communication. Again, it feels too easy. Of course you communicate with your prospects! But, unfortunately, not all communication is effective.
Among the best ways to effectively communicate is through simple, straightforward follow-up. It’s a simple, hugely impactful part of the process that tends to get dropped or done inefficiently.
When you follow up with a prospect, don’t use a canned templated email or text message on a predefined timeline. Instead, be intentional and personalize the communication to the prospects. Include information specific to them delivered in their preferred communication method.
Set clear expectations with your prospect when you meet with them. That could mean including a reiteration of what you heard in the conversation about what they need, then what you recommend as the next steps within a defined timeframe. Be specific and pointed in the follow up as well as diligent in catering to the individual.
Oh, and actually follow up with related information or next steps within that time frame. Sticking to your word and personalizing your follow-up shows you were listening and that you care about that. It’ll also help you stay top of mind. All of those are critical to boosting overall performance more than almost all apartment leasing tips and tricks.
Keep it Real
Finally, one of our biggest multifamily leasing tips, and what we’ve built our business on, is being real, transparent, and authentic. Show your prospects the real thing without sugar-coating anything. Yes, present your property in it’s best light. But, remember that if your prospect believes what you’re saying, they will likely become a resident. Then, if you’ve hidden anything, that’s going to be unveiled on move-in day. If that “thing” is big enough? That resident not only won’t renew or provide a favorable review, but they also won’t be a positive and happy resident. And that can impact, and potentially influence, both current and potential residents.
That’s why this is one of our top leasing consultant tips to improve performance. Be authentic and be transparent. Show your prospects exactly what they are going to get and, if possible, show them in real-time.
The best way to do that, other than in person and physically walking through the property together, is via live and unfiltered video tour. Keeping it real, authentic, and showing prospects what they need to see. That’s going to be so appreciated by prospects, but is also a critical component in getting the right people into your property.
When it comes down to the question of what does a leasing consultant do to improve performance, it boils down to listening, communicating effectively, and keeping it real. Those are the key multifamily leasing tips to improve the lead-to-lease process, create a happier resident experience, and, ultimately, boost performance.
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