Creating a Seamless Resident Experience: Best Practices for Property Managers

Are you eager to level-up the resident experience you offer as a property manager?

You’re in luck because today we’re sharing eight top strategies you can employ to create an effortless resident experience. 

Ready to learn what they are?

Let’s take a look!

Keep the line of communication open between yourself and your residents 

Demonstrate your dedication to resident communications and timely support by including smart business cards in your welcome kits when meeting with new or prospective residents. 

Smart business cards can be digital and physical. The physical ones incorporate QR codes which can lead recipients to a personalized video message, application link, or document checklist. 

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The digital ones provide all pertinent links your residents or prospects can use to learn more about who you are, the properties you manage, and what documents they need to submit to apply for a unit.

Pro-Tip: Send over a welcome email after you meet a prospective renter and attach a digital version of your smart business card. Your contacts can then use the search feature in their email provider to locate your message and business card in case they ever lose the physical version.

Create a seamless pet management experience  

Use pet management software designed for apartment communities to keep track of your residents’ pet data, deposits, and additional rental fees. 

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For instance, pet management software can help you pinpoint that Dave Brown who lives in Building B, Unit 242, has a 2-year-old American Bulldog with an up-to-date health certificate, rabies vaccination, and city registration form.

Or, stick with an all-in-one property management software that lets you add custom forms to keep track of pet information, like with ManageGo’s Custom Forms tool. Property managers can store pet policy lease riders as well as assign, upload, and store necessary documents.

Offer an inclusive approval process 

Work with a community that uses an inclusive approval process to encourage people with lower credit scores or socioeconomic backgrounds to apply. This approach is particularly beneficial in a hybrid work era, where traditional income sources might not be the only indicators of an individual’s financial reliability. The use of a hybrid work app can further assist in establishing reliability and income consistency, particularly for those who work in non-traditional jobs.

For instance, some inclusive communities use sliding scale matrices that look at various factors, such as rental history at previous properties (including good behavior and paid rent), annual income before tax, discretionary income, and any additional assets that prove worthiness. 

Communities with inclusive approval processes not only get more renters in the door, faster, but they also promote fairness and address income and credit inequality concerns.

Digitize everything 

In today’s digital age, modern property managers face the challenge of providing a seamless resident experience that meets renters’ increasing expectations of digital convenience and efficiency. 

Over the past 22 years, internet usage has increased by a staggering 1,355%, amplifying the need for property managers to leverage digital tools, such as online portals, mobile apps, and virtual tours to simplify the move-in process and service requests.

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That’s why it’s essential to create a digital process for all of your management tasks. 

By digitizing everything, from leasing and maintenance to payments and accounting, you can create a streamlined and personalized experience that enhances resident satisfaction and encourages renewals. 

Keep track of interested leads using real estate CRM software 

Use a robust CRM for real estate to keep track of interested prospects, manage their profiles, and automate communication touch points. Once you’ve successfully onboarded them, you can transfer their information to your property management software to make it easier for them to get move-in ready.

If you’re looking to build up your lead list, consider building healthy partnerships with mortgage lenders and real estate professionals and agreeing on a mutual value exchange. 

For instance, if a resident expresses they’re looking to buy a home after their lease ends, you can offer to connect them with your mortgage lending and real estate agent partners for support.

On the flip side, if a homeowner needs to transition to a rental unit after selling their house, the mortgage lenders and agents you’ve partnered with can offer to put them in touch with you to help secure an apartment while they’re looking for their next home.

Keep your community clean and ask your residents to do their part 

From scheduling routine garden and lawn maintenance to supplying eco-friendly bags and pet stations, do your best to keep your community clean and professional.

It’s also vital to encourage residents to do their part to follow all community guidelines. For instance, if you notice residents aren’t throwing away trash in the appropriate bins or cleaning up after their pets, implement a warning system and a disciplinary policy. 

You can also remind members about community rules by posting them in public spaces, such as in amenity spaces and at resident events.

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Consider including these reminders in routine community emails, newsletters, announcements, and in your resident management portals as well.

Host resident events 

While managing documents, communication, and policies are essential tasks, don’t forget about one of the most important aspects of delivering an impeccable resident experience…

promoting a sense of community and belonging. 

A simple way to nurture community is by hosting fun events for your residents, such as: 

• Outdoor concerts on the lawn
• BBQs by the pool
• Pizza parties in the community lobby

Pro-Tip: Send a poll or survey out to your residents to gauge the types of events they’d be most interested in attending. 

Wrap up

And there you have it! Today we shared some of the top practices you can implement to create the seamless resident experience your renters deserve.

Ready to put these insights into action? Save this article for reference and carve out time in your schedule to make it happen. 

And if you’re in need of a top software solution to help you improve your processes, don’t forget to request your ManageGo demo.