Inspiring Communities to Stand Out: 7 Steps to Improving Your ILS Performance

Renters are exposed to countless listings on the web. What will make your community stand out among the rest? Here are 7 straightforward steps that you can take towards maximizing your apartment community's performance on ILSs online performance and improving your conversation with renters.

1. Higher-quality photos portray higher-quality living.

Photos should be exciting, full of color, and give renters a sneak peak of your community's best features. Take the photo below from Lakeview Oaks as an example. By taking a few steps back, adding proper lighting, and getting creative with the angle, they were able to tell a story about their floor plan. In addition, make sure any photos you upload to ILS sites are the appropriate width and height and are the "just right" size. Low quality images will appear blurry, but images that are too high of quality will cause slow-load times and the risk of losing impatient apartment searchers. 

2. Create unique & compelling content.

The reality is that most renters look to a number of sources before choosing a community to tour. If your community's content is cut and pasted from site to site, they will notice. Switch up the wording of your listings the same way you might switch up print marketing. This way, renters will be engaged as they move from site to site admiring your community. 

3. Stop using the same three adjectives!

According to the listings, your renter can find a pool that sparkles at almost any community. Take the following words out of your apartment vocabulary and try our suggestions instead.

Spacious
Synonyms: capacious, generous, roomy, immense, sizable, comfortable, open
Get specific: Can you brag about how many square feet your bedrooms are?

Sparkling
Synonyms: glittering, shimmering, crystal-clear, serene, glistening, reflecting 
Get specific: How deep is the pool? How many gallons?

Luxury
Synonyms: elaborate, extravagant, elegant, enjoyable, five-star, upscale, upmarket
Get Specific: Prove it's luxurious! What qualities of life make your community luxury? 

4. Be who you are.

Don't try to lie or mislead renters. It only hurts in the long run. Be careful, it is easy to oversell when typing from behind a computer screen. Your potential renters deserve information and resources that are 100% reflective of what your community has to offer—the tools to qualify your apartment based on their needs. Staying true to who you are limits surprises, saves time for both parties, and allows you to focus on prospects who are looking for exactly what you have to offer. 

5. Record your calls – either through the ILS or 3rd party service.

This will help you gain insight. Call recordings are the key to both recognizing talented leasing agents and diagnosing problems quickly and efficiently. Most importantly—don't just record calls, take time to listen and share with your team!

6. Answer your leads quickly.

First impressions are everything! Imagine if your renter clicks "Email Apartment" and receives a response back before he or she has even left their computer chair. This future renter now knows that you are responsive and value his or her time. The renter writes you back immediately, and suddenly a rare opportunity has arisen—you and your prospect are having a meaningful conversation. If a renter is going from listing to listing requesting information, wouldn't you rather be the first one with an opportunity to schedule a tour? From your experience, how long do you think a renter searches for an apartment? If it takes you half the search time to respond to their tour request, chances are your competitor already has.

7. Lean on your sales rep for help.

Your listing is our product! Your sales rep's job is to help you manage and maintain our product to its full potential. We recommend taking any opportunity to call, meet, or email your representative about questions and concerns. If you generated less leads than usual last month, your rep wants to hear about it! Consider your representative a collaborator on your marketing team and utilize him or her as a tool for your success.