Where the Heck is your Leasing Office?!
Is your Leasing Office a Needle in a Haystack?
From our experiences within the last two weeks, we have come to one conclusion: Columbus area apartments’ leasing offices are often inaccessible or downright closed.
A few days each week, we drive around to Columbus apartments to drop off information regarding our services, especially if we know that they are currently in need of maintenance staffing. So, we set out on the road, generally between 10AM-2PM, during more boring weekday hours to avoid traffic.
So, why is your leasing office closed at 1PM on a Tuesday, despite being listed online as open from 10AM-6PM M-F?!
We have seen mail piled up in front of locked leasing office doors, lights on inside (but locked regardless), and inaccurate “Will Return Later” times more than we care to count. Not only is this a bad look for your properties, but it tells current (and potential!) tenants that you’re not accessible. In addition, we have encountered multiple properties with seemingly hidden or missing on-site leasing offices. While we understand that it’s not always possible to have the office at the forefront of your property, proper signage and descriptions online/over the phone regarding how to find the office are crucial.
Prime example: A prospective tenant calls you about setting up an appointment to view vacant floorplans. This is the perfect opportunity to make them feel valued, as you can save them time driving around the complex by simply giving them a landmark to look for near the leasing office. Wouldn’t you be more inclined to sign a lease in this scenario?
Property managers: Lacking leasing consultants does not send a good message to possible renters. Absent office staff in general poses questions for renters like:
→ Who am I supposed to call for work orders?
→ What if I have questions about rent or amenities?
→ Who is the point of contact about rental-related issues?
Unanswered questions oftentimes point your prospective tenants into the leasing office of another property.
Scenario #2: A traveling worker is moving to a new city and is interested in your apartment complex. They decide to drive over an hour to the leasing office, which is listed as open on your Google Business Profile and website. However, your only leasing agent called off for the day. Your prospect finds an empty office and feels that their valuable time is wasted, so they drive to a neighboring property instead. In addition, they are more likely to not recommend you to their friends and additional coworkers who are relocating.
We’ve driven around in circles during our time marketing, trying to find accessible parking or any signs pointing us to a leasing office. There have been multiple times where we gave up and drove away. Your tenants will feel that their needs are unimportant to you, and what’s stopping them from choosing another rental instead of reupping their lease at the end of their contract?
Your staff.
The right person in that leasing office chair during the hours necessary to serve your tenants is what will differentiate you from other properties. An accessible and welcoming leasing office is how you will attract more tenants. We have seen how much these principles have been neglected in the community, and it truly reflects on their businesses!
If you're struggling to find trained, quality staffing, we are here to help! Use the contact page above to reach out for information regarding our staffing services and training shops.
