When it comes to apartment search websites, ratings and reviews are a sensitive topic. Prospects love them and apartment managers hate them. Why this love/hate relationship? Most ratings and reviews websites act as an exclusive message board for residents to discuss likes and dislikes about properties they’ve lived in. Apartment managers may not be allowed to participate in or regulate the discussion about their property. Renters prefer searching for their new home on websites that offer ratings and reviews, and use the feedback of current and former residents to make their decision. So bad ratings can lead to vacant units which makes for unhappy apartment managers.
So how can this relationship find a balance with benefits for both renters and managers? There’s a hard way and an easy way. If you want easy, websites like Vacancy.com allow you to manage your ratings and reviews and participate in the conversation about your property. If the resident posting the review is less than satisfied, you can choose whether to publish the review and respond either publicly or via private email. This allows you to screen out inappropriate content and also make things right for unhappy residents and show prospects that you really care about the people living at your property.
If you’re up for a challenge, you can advocate for good reviews. This may mean posting signs in your office, clubhouse, pool, and other common areas that encourage residents to rate and review your property at a number of review sites. You may offer discounts or promotions to any resident who posts a comment (positive or negative) to one of your apartment listings. Let your residents know their opinions matter and that you are doing all you can to accommodate them, and all that good karma my take the form of a five-star property rating!
We recommend both options: Participate in as many of the online conversations about your property as you can, and openly encourage residents to provide feedback. With a little work, these techniques will help you find some love for your property ratings and reviews.
