More than 800 people joined the Apartment Innovation and Marketing Conference in Huntington Beach last week for four days of learning, networking and fun. The REACH by RentCafe digital marketing agency was in attendance as marketing leaders and multifamily experts from across the country took the stage to share both strategies and results. Here are some quotable moments from this incredible event to help you get inspired for your next campaign. Connect with the speakers by clicking on their names. Making marketing matter “What does it mean to be in marketing? Your job is to make a brand cool and don’t get it sued.” Nick Tran, former global head of marketing at TikTok “Be authentic. Trends aren’t one-size-fits-all. Do what works for your brand and each community.” Sarah Wieman, PRG Real Estate “In marketing, we don’t want to be order-takers. We want to be decision-makers. Stop treating yourself as support. Bring data to the table so you can come in with value.” Kelley Shannon, Bozzuto “For marketing to work in a silo, you might as well just go stand against the wall and bang your head. Getting more traffic isn’t the highest and best use of your marketing dollars. Educate your team about the value marketing brings to the table and how it impacts ROI.” Gigi Giannoni, Gables Residential “SEO should be a foundational element for you. Why would you put money in places with diminishing returns when you could make a winning long-term play?” Melissa Cartagena, Greystar Give renters what they want “We’re focused on our brand and the lifestyle, but we know from looking at our analytics, lifestyle images aren’t necessarily what sells. Lifestyle helps bring your story to life, but we need core property content and images to sell units.” Tim Hermeling, Cortland “Only 2% of residents say property management overcommunicates. And 45% of residents think their rent will stay the same or go down. Are you setting realistic expectations?” J. Turner Batdorf, J. Turner Research “A full 90% of renters are either interested in or won’t rent without soundproof walls. This feature ranks only slightly below air conditioning and in-unit laundry, and yet is advertised by very few properties.” Sarah Yaussi Pienik, NMHC Social media content is queen “We have not traditionally trusted our leasing teams with social media. But in reality, they’re the closest to your customers. Give them the power to create content. They can become the ultimate creators for you.” Kristi Fickert, Realync “You can reach so many more potential renters on Pinterest. Did you know 72% of users use Pinterest to decide what to buy offline?” Brooke Atsalis, The Management Group “I didn’t have any expectations when we tried TikTok, I just didn’t want to offend anyone. We’re in lease-up; we need velocity. We’ve gotten 74 leads. A very interested lead slid into our DMs. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.” Kira Brown, Wood Partners #REACHpeace The REACH team was also able to donate an additional $1,250 to Direct Relief International to provide aid in Ukraine because of engagement at the event. Thank you to all who participated. We look forward to seeing everyone next year at AIM...

Are you missing live events? While we can’t bring back the hum of the tradeshow floor just yet, we’re excited to team up with AIM to host a live webinar event that we hope will rival some of your favorite speaking sessions from conferences past. Keep reading to see how we’re bringing industry leaders from Bozzuto, KETTLER and The Management Group together on one virtual stage … and why you want to reserve your seat asap. The New Apartment Marketing Playbook: Consumer Behavior Has Shifted, Have You? Thursday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m. PDT Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, renters are still on the move. With social distancing measures in place, renters expect to interact with properties in new ways. This increasing demand for virtual and contactless engagement is nothing new. But now that we’ve adapted to a new norm and the virtual conveniences that come with it, there’s no going back. Considering this shift in consumer behavior, here are some questions your property management teams may be facing: Is it possible to create an online experience as powerful as a visit to your properties? How can you offer game-changing online and self-service tools that don’t compromise your security standards? What should your leasing agents be doing to pivot and provide real value in an increasingly virtual world? “Don’t lose customers to your competitors while you’re waiting for things to ‘get back to normal.’ Normal as we knew it is changing. Taking this opportunity to make smart updates to your leasing process will have a lasting positive impact on your business in the months and years ahead,” said Esther Bonardi, session moderator and vice president of marketing at Yardi. During this live online event, you will learn how to: Convert more renters by creating authentic experiences onlineLease more units by offering a range of tour types to fit every needImprove the prospect experience while prioritizing the safety of your team and propertiesEvolve leasing positions to meet the demands of the new customer experience Speakers include: Jamin Harkness, Executive Vice President, The Management GroupKelley Shannon, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Customer Engagement, BozzutoDaryl Smith, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, KETTLER Free ebook Webinar registrants will receive a free copy of The New Apartment Tour with their confirmation email. This exclusive ebook details three ways you can modernize different tour types at your properties to convert more renters, both online and in person. Save your seat today to get your...

Giving back to local and global communities is a central tenant of Yardi’s mission. At the recent AIM Conference, Yardi invited attendees to join our team in supporting two local Southern California charities. In the second part to our AIM Conference coverage, we spotlight our charitable partners, Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAPOC) and the Orange County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OCSPCA). Keep reading to learn more about Yardi’s selfless selfies donation drive and the work of these two inspiring nonprofits! Selfies for Charity AIM Conference attendees were invited to snap and post selfies at the RentCafe kiosk with cuddly OCSPCA therapy dogs and fun props from CAPOC’s Orange County Food Bank. For every post shared to social media with the conference hashtag #AIMConf, Yardi donated one dollar to the day’s featured nonprofit. In total, AIM attendees helped raise $500 for each nonprofit with their selfless selfies. In addition to the social media donation drive, both nonprofits educated AIM attendees on their programs and volunteer opportunities. Community Action Partnership of Orange County The CAPOC has provided support services to address hunger and poverty in Orange County since 1965. Each year, CAPOC helps more than half a million people in need through its comprehensive program offerings. This includes the OC Food Bank, emergency utility assistance, financial empowerment education, family counseling services, and transitional housing. The goal of these programs is to empower healthy living, stabilize families and prevent the causes and effects of poverty. “Our goal is to ensure that the people we help have the tools and resources they need to not just survive, but also thrive! We meet people where they are at and help them achieve their personal goals so that they are safe, comfortable and living a life of well-being,” explained LaShanda Maze, Vice President of Philanthropy at CAPOC. Funds raised at AIM will support CAPOC’s Food Bank, which offers food and nutritional education for low-income children, families, seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Each year, the OC Food Bank distributes 19.5 million pounds of food to nearly 1 million at-risk residents, including one in five kids living in Orange County. Through its network of nearly 400 partner charities, the OC Food Bank provides 26,000 boxes of food each month to seniors at 70 sites throughout Orange County, and areas of Los Angeles County. According to Maze, “Whether it’s helping a family for the long holiday weekend who may need food from our OC Food Bank or seeing how our weatherization program can make a home safe and warm for a senior, we are impacting lives every day.” Get involved with the CAPOC at capoc.org. Find out more about CAPOC’s Hope for the Holidays Kick-Off Dinner, a unique culinary experience and fundraiser, on Sunday, October 13 at The Playground DTSA. You can learn more by visiting capoc.org/h4h. Orange County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Since its founding in 1984, the OCSPCA has been a leading animal welfare organization in Orange County. With a mission to save the lives of animals in the region, the nonprofit focuses on programs to strengthen the human-pet bond through proactive education, emergency resources, and networking. “What I enjoy the most about my job is receiving feedback from those who we have been able to assist when no one else would step in to help,” said Kevin Marlin, Executive Director at the OCSPCA. “Pets play such a vital companionship role in the lives of so many, and we are so glad to be able to promote that human-animal bond and to enable residents with the resources to keep their pets in their loving families.” As an ally to animals of all kinds, OCSPCA made a huge impact in 2018. The nonprofit delivered 63,250 pounds of pet food to families in need, funded life-saving medical services to 350 animals and assisted more than 6,000 Orange County residents and...

Huntington Beach, Calif. — With the multifamily industry still enjoying rising rents and high occupancy rates in most markets, it’s no wonder this year’s Apartment Internet Marketing Conference had an air of successful complacency, as most apartment marketers have been enjoying smooth sailing lately. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement, and several hundred industry insiders gathered in Southern California May 2-4 to dig into the trendiest best practices for multifamily marketing. Here are a few key takeaways from the event: Smart apartments: still simmering Despite growing chatter about smart home technology, the sector hasn’t optimized for multifamily yet, but stay tuned, because development for the market is hot. “You don’t want to take something that’s created for single family homes and apply it to a 800 unit apartment complex … it won’t scale,” said Felicite Moorman, CEO of StratIS, a tech company focused on access, energy, and automation. Multifamily owners and managers were urged to focus on useful innovations first, before offering fancy bells and whistles that might impress prospects and residents. ROI is still a challenge, a smart home technology panel concluded. Clay Hicks, president of apartment management at Dinerstein Companies, said his firm sees an average of $45 more in monthly rent for “smart” apartments in Texas, and $60 more in California. Meanwhile, average spending for tech-forward amenities has dropped from $2500 per unit to $1500. The incredible shrinking garage The eco-conscious transit marketplace and the apartment industry have yet to intersect in a way that’s financially rewarding for either, but one thing is clear: apartment garages are getting smaller and will keep shrinking. Millennials are eschewing the personal vehicle as a transit method—in fact, 25 percent of them do not have driver’s licenses. Their dependence on apartments for housing means multifamily will see an impact. “What’s really going to go away is the garage itself,” said Manny Gonzalez, managing principal of KTGY Architecture and Planning. “We may have once built that garage with 2.5 spaces per unit, but before long I think we’ll be down to 1 space per unit, and then one half.” Electric vehicle charging stations, which have popped up at many trendy new communities as green-oriented amenities, haven’t been overwhelmed by resident use. Bozzuto Director of Sustainability Peter Zadoretzky said many sit empty at the company’s East Coast communities. However, a simpler fix, big screen TV’s with transit schedules placed in Bozzuto lobbies, has been wildly popular. Building communities with fewer parking spaces creates considerable value for Bozzuto as a developer, Zadoretzky said. “For us, it costs $35,000 to $50,000 per parking space in our new projects. To recoup that, we would have to be charging $300 per month per space.” Airbnb: Still an option If you thought the final answer to Airbnb’s efforts to play nice with multifamily was “never going to happen, don’t ask again,” a panel at Tuesday’s AIM Conference was an eye-opener. JaJa Jackson, head of multifamily partnerships for the popular home-sharing website, made this bold prediction: in the next 24-36 months, he speculated, 50 percent of multifamily housing providers will decide how to allow regulated home-sharing in their apartment communities. Airbnb is currently piloting partnerships with multifamily providers in certain urban markets, in an effort to see how owners, residents, short-term subletters and other vested parties can harmonize. Driving the continued conversation around the sharing economy is the realization of many property owners that they could have increased opportunities to bring in revenue from Airbnb-like activity, whether it’s from renting temporarily vacant units or allowing renters to list their units while they travel. “Many of the brands we spoke to are very focused on developing community at their properties, and they’re also focused on millennials,” Jackson said. “They’re thinking a lot about long term relationships, and building a feeling that their community is a place where everyone can thrive.” For property owners, hurdles about security and accountability may remain....

Prospects love apartments in walkable neighborhoods. And more likely than not, they are checking out what neighborhood attractions they could get to on foot before they even decide to come check out a potential new apartment community. Location-based technology has made assessing such neighborhood info as easy as can be. With a simple search on a service like Walk Score, potential residents know before they schedule a viewing appointment how far the community is from their favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or gym. And they are more likely to get excited about a new home that offers easy, convenient access to their favorite things. “One-third (of apartment renters) are willing to pay more to easily walk to their work, to entertainment and to restaurants,” said Josh Herst, CEO of Walk Score, at Inman Connects. Herst will be a featured speaker at the 2013 Apartment Internet Marketing conference, coming up from April 29 to May 1 in Huntington Beach. He’s slated to speak with 30Lines CEO Mike Whaling  on “the uncharted digital marketing opportunity of maps, mapping, and location-based services.” Multifamily managers that want to harness the power of Walk Score can take advantage of the site’s walkable grading service with its built-in functionality on RentCafe marketing websites. See how it works in the image below. Clicking on the “Neighborhood” button brings up the Walk Score information for the community’s neighborhood, including what restaurants, grocery stores, parks, shopping and more can be found nearby.   Prospects can drill down to get more detail on how the Walk Score is computed, search for other businesses they may be interested in having close by, and access easy lists in each location category that include distances, so they’ll know exactly how far the nearest bank, library or convenience store would be. “The score is primarily based on proximity to nearby amenities—grocery stores, restaurants, schools, parks, entertainment—the things that people want to be able to access regularly as part of their regular routine and errand running and such. As you may know, an increasing number of consumers are saying that access to these things is one of the most important criteria in deciding where to live, whether that’s buying a house or renting an apartment,” Herst told Multi-Housing News. “Location based technology like Walkscore also benefits communities that aren’t highly walkable,” says Esther Bonardi, Industry Principal of Yardi Marketing Solutions.  “Apartment shoppers use these tools to understand how close goods and services are to the community, even if they don’t plan to walk there.”  Indeed, incorporating neighborhood information in multifamily marketing strategy is a best practice for most communities, not just those in dense urban areas. RentCafe marketing websites also offer interactive Google maps that feature bird’s eye and street level views, providing consumers with a comprehensive overview of the neighborhood in a format they’re already accustomed to. Prospects will be impressed with the convenience and easy access to such vital  neighborhood information – and they’ll be excited to rent an apartment near more than a few of their favorite...