The Company
Based in Sumner, Washington, Tarragon Property Services (TPS), an Investco Company, performs multifamily and commercial property management for a Pacific Northwest portfolio.
The Challenge
Inefficient Leasing & Communications
TPS used to process leases and renewals manually. “It was a slow and cumbersome process. There was too much paper waste and room for human error,” said Jane Griffith, marketing manager at TPS. Resident communications were also executed and tracked by hand. It was hard to know if messages were reaching the right people at the right time. TPS needed a faster way to go from lead to lease and a more convenient and reliable way to interact with its residents.
The Solution
RentCafe
RentCafe is a comprehensive multifamily marketing, leasing and resident services platform that includes dynamic property websites, smart multichannel marketing tools and innovative SEO and SEM capabilities. The platform makes life easier for prospects, residents and staff with online leasing, rent payments and maintenance requests.
The Story
Effective Online Leasing & Payments
TPS uses RentCafe to offer online leasing at all its properties. Prospects can apply online through RentCafe property marketing websites day or night using any computer or mobile device. TPS provides tablets in its onsite rental offices so that prospective renters can easily apply online in person, allowing for a faster leasing cycle and better data.
Once applicants become residents, they can access a range of convenient services available through the RentCafe resident portal. “Resident services and online payments are easy for our residents to use on their phones, and that sets us apart from our competitors,” said Griffith.
Innovative Communications
With RentCafe, TPS is able to interact with residents more efficiently and effectively. Residents can pay their bills, enter maintenance requests and renew their leases online, allowing leasing agents to focus on renting apartments. The marketing team can send emails and see open rates, as well as add notifications to the resident portal homepage for each property. It is able to distribute email announcements that let renters know about specials at other properties, community events and friends and family referral discounts.
TPS also alerts residents to job opportunities using RentCafe. “We get a lot of great employees through our resident portal recruitment efforts,” shared Griffith. “We’ve been able to hire quality people who are already invested in the success of their community.”
Improved Usability
RentCafe’s mobile functionality allows TPS team members to work from anywhere. “To be able to help our staff and residents whenever they need it is fantastic. I don’t have to be at a property or at my desk to get things done,” says Griffith.
Additionally, RentCafe property marketing websites have built-in SEO and user experience features that have helped TPS customize its sites for each community without compromising usability or requiring sophisticated web design training. “RentCafe gives us the freedom to try new things without jeopardizing usability,” Griffith concluded. “I’m impressed with what we’ve been able to do.”
