7 quick marketing tips for property management companies

The nature of property management is that day-in and day-out, you’re always busy. Even if you’re trying to grow your business, you often don’t have the time to study up on the latest marketing trends and implement those strategies at your company. For property management companies, marketing often falls by the wayside—and this means that you might be missing out on opportunities to achieve sustainable growth.

We’re here to help. We’ve identified several painless, proven marketing tips for property management companies of all sizes. These tips are designed to help you to demystify digital marketing and achieve smart, strategic growth in a way that makes sense for your company.

Here are our 7 quick marketing tips for property management companies.

#1: Take Amazing Photos

Here’s the good news: You don’t need to invest in a fancy camera to take amazing photos of your properties. Thanks to the wonders of smartphones and photo-editing apps, you can learn to take high-quality photos with just a few simple tricks.

First, know your numbers. Listings with 10-15 photos outperform those with 20 or more photos, so don’t overdo it—but better to post 17 great photos than a single blurry one. Take a hero shot of every room in the property; and focus on getting great lighting, highlighting main features, and including any detail shots that add character. For more in-depth tips, check out our guide to taking amazing photos, co-written with photographer Jeff O’Connor.

#2: Write Click-Worthy Property Listings

For property management companies trying to stand out from the crowd, it’s all about stopping the scroll. Renters are inundated with potential homes, all of which claim to be the very best. Grab their attention by learning the anatomy of property listings that rent themselves.

Here’s your crash course: A great rental listing includes a click-worthy title (brag a little!), bite-sized blurbs, key features for your target demographics, and squeaky-clean grammar. First impressions matter, and your response rate will prove it. Oh—and don’t write the headline in all caps!

#3: Partner with Airbnb

We know, this strategy sounds a little out there. But hear us out: multifamily property owners are finding that partnering with Airbnb can help them to stay competitive in today’s market. For property management companies looking for a creative approach to generating revenue, Airbnb gives you access to short-term rentals at a higher return than long-term leases.

Likewise, you can leverage your Airbnb partnership to attract busy professionals who want to list their rental on Airbnb while they’re away. The company’s “Friendly Buildings Program” is a way for landlords and property management companies to allow tenants to list their rentals on Airbnb. It’s a secure, transparent method for earning extra income and sharing a percentage with your tenants (they’ll love you for it!).

#4: Market Your Values

As a company, what do you stand for? Your company’s purpose, vision, and values are the heart and soul of your business, and sharing them with your customers and community is a great marketing tool. After all, who wouldn’t want to work with a company that shares their ideals and has an inspiring vision for the future?

After defining your vision and values, do an audit of your marketing efforts. Are you communicating your values to customers on your website? Are you talking about them on social media? Are you bringing those values to life through your community involvement? When you wear your company DNA like a badge of honor, you’ll attract great residents and clients who believe in your business.

#5: Create Helpful Content

If creating original content sounds intimidating, you’re not alone! But the popularity of content creation isn’t a threat to your business, it’s an opportunity. You have years of expertise in property management, and content creation is just a new way for you to flex your muscles and demonstrate your expertise. Even better? Content creation is a proven method for generating leads and penetrating new audiences.

You don’t have to be Hemingway to leverage content to your advantage. It’s all about positioning yourself as an industry authority and building trust with your key demographics. All it takes is channeling your professional expertise into a reader-friendly format (like a blog or email newsletter) and finding ways to boost the reach of your valuable expertise. For tips on collecting and sharing content effectively, check out our 7 Habits of Highly Successful Property Managers guide.

#6: Learn to Use SEO

Speaking of boosting visibility, you can leverage SEO to significantly increase your discoverability. SEO is an intimidating term, but we can easily demystify it: Search engine optimization uses our understanding of how search engines (like Google) work to increase the chances that potential customers will find your content.

For property management companies, it’s all about identifying the keywords that owners and tenants use on search engines like Google when they’re trying to find property managers and rental properties. For example, if you’re trying to reach property owners in Michigan, include phrases like ‘Michigan property management’ on your website, social media, and in blog posts. Tactics like this are an effective way to increase your discoverability and put yourself out there in the local community and beyond. Not so scary after all, right?

#7: Get Involved and Give Back

Digital marketing is powerful, but we’re not quite ready to write off word-of-mouth referrals. Property management companies with a strong local presence should prioritize getting involved with the community. Sponsor local events, participate in community activities, and form partnerships with local businesses.

Affiliate relationships with local businesses are a powerful way to cross-promote your business and tap into new markets. For example, if you manage properties that cater to millennials, exchange links with local colleges, professional organizations, and businesses. Even better, show up at critical community events. In-person relationships create loyalty, and that matters when you’re choosing who to partner with for your properties. Your digital footprint is important, but person-to-person relationships stand the test of time.

What are the best marketing tips for property management companies that you’ve learned? Share your advice in the comments!