Sell Your Rental: 7 Features Top Apartment Websites Use
With 70-80% of people doing research online before they make a major purchase, having a website for your rentals is a must.
Would-be renters want to spend some time learning about the apartments, and the top apartment websites give them exactly the information they’re looking for.
But what should you include on your apartment websites? The quick answer is as much information as you can, to allow your tenants to imagine themselves living there.
For the longer answer, read on for seven of our very best tips to help you find the best property management website design.
1. Top Apartment Websites Create a Vibe
Visuals are an important part of communication. When potential renters come and visit your website, you can tell them very quickly and simply whether yours is the sort of apartment they’re looking for.
What is the selling point of your apartments? Are they a great price or are they high-end and stylish? If they’re close to any nightlife, they’ll appeal to a different tenant that apartments that look out over woods or fields will attract.
Let these differences reflect in the styling and branding of your website and you’ll quickly help potential residents understand the sort of home you’re offering.
2. Show the Apartment
Photographs are a key component of the best apartment websites. Before taking any, make sure that the rooms look their best, even if that means doing some quick DIY work.
The photos are usually the thing that prospects view first before they move on to the text. The most important room to get good shots of is the kitchen, as it’s often the priority of viewers. Other rooms will be more defined by the furniture they bring with them.
Go room by room and take photos from a number of angles. Good lighting makes all the difference, so take along extra lamps to keep things looking bright on even the greyest days.
But don’t get tempted to photoshop any of those images. Even cosmetic changes, like cropping out fire exit signs, will be spotted by sharp-eyed prospects and that could erode trust.
3. Floor Plans That Work
Including floor plans helps the would-be tenant imagine the layout, but floor plans alone don’t really tell them what they want to know. If you include dimensions, they can start figuring out if their furniture will fit in the new place.
If the apartment is high-end, it might be worth looking at getting 3D floor plans created. Or, use panoramic photography to allow potential tenants to “look around” the apartment from the comfort of their own homes.
4. The Necessary Legal Information
There’s been a change in legislation this year, which means that any property with over 150 units needs to include certain documentation online. If you don’t have that information available, you’re in violation of those laws. Visit this website to discover more.
Along with this required information, you might want to consider adding information about any residents’ association. If there is an expected standard of behavior for residents or certain types of behavior that you’d like to discourage, then it’s worth mentioning those here.
5. A Sense of Community
Although the apartment itself is important to the tenant, so is the community feel of the property. If there are communal spaces, indoor or out, make sure that they’re included in the photo galleries.
It’s also worth including any community events that take place in the area, whether it’s carols around the tree or beers on the 4th of July. And while you’re at it, tell your would-be tenants about the local amenities. Where’s the nearest gym, grocery store or cinema?
6. Make It Valuable
Apartments aren’t only somewhere to lay your head — they’re a home. Every apartment block has its own unique bonuses and those could be valuable to the tenant. Don’t think you know what they want; while some might favor apartments to the rear of the property because they’re quieter, others might want easy access to the parking facilities.
The key here is to think about what makes each apartment unique and to understand that there’s a tenant out there who will value it. For less-able residents, an apartment near the entrance will be worth more, however, those who value their privacy will prefer to be off the main drag.
7. Site Map
Set the apartment within the wider complex by including a site map. This map should show the entrances, exits and communal space. Also include other useful information such as laundry facilities, car parking and what is outside.
These sorts of property management images give the prospect a chance to understand where the empty apartment is located in the building. They can see more than only their living space, and feel “at home” before they even get to the building.
You also have a chance here to reinforce what other features are nearby. While tenants might use Google maps or similar to research the area, if you can show them that you’re walking distance from a nature reserve or a theatre, then you help them see the benefits of your particular apartment over others.
Understand the Modern Renter
Many people shop around online before they go out into the real world. Whether it’s researching a new TV or researching apartments on property value websites. Having an online presence for your apartments is a must-have.
But the top apartment websites help residents get a feel for the property before they pick up the phone to arrange a viewing. Do all that you can to make prospects feel at home, and you’ll soon fill up those vacant rentals.
And while you’re designing your site, keep smartphone users in mind. Many people use their phones rather than desktop or laptop computers to view the internet these days. Make sure that your site looks just as good on the small screen as it does on the large.
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