Multifamily Automation

Automation Best Practices in Multifamily

Automation can be used in various ways, especially in the multifamily housing industry. It can enhance the resident experience, increase operational efficiency, and streamline processes. Critical areas for automation in multifamily can include leasing processes, resident services, and communication/engagement. 

Implementing the right kinds of automation can be the difference between 1 and 100 hours of extra work in a month. Investing in automation that works can save your team immensely. To make the most of how your systems are working, there are best practices to put into place from the beginning. 

Automation Best Practices in Multifamily Housing

Implementing a comprehensive automation strategy

First, you’ll want to assess your automation needs by looking at your pain points. What processes are taking the most time for your leasing teams? What areas require human interaction, and what would be easiest to automate? Define your goals and objectives based on the information you find. Then you can prioritize your initiatives based on impact and feasibility. Decide which tools make your life easier, and look for the best options.

Choosing the right automation technologies and vendors

Conduct thorough research and due diligence on all the platforms available. Compare the value you pay for each platform, and decide which makes the most sense for your company. It’s essential to evaluate the scalability of your portfolio and what integrations are available. Do they play nice with other vendors? Seek recommendations and references from other industry experts to understand the success of a tool’s functionality.

Ensuring seamless integration and interoperability

Once you’ve found the right tech stack, establish open communication protocols and standards from the beginning. It’s often practical to complete a 90-day test period on a few properties before rolling out a product to the entire portfolio. This way, you can ensure the compatibility and functionality of the product before involving more parties. You’ll want to take the time to integrate different automation systems and platforms as much as you can to make the most of your automation. 

Providing proper training and support

Once you’ve finished testing your products, you are ready to roll out to the entire team. Training staff on new automation technologies and processes is critical. Ensure the tools you have partnered with offer ongoing support and troubleshooting assistance. Encourage your team to share feedback addressing any concerns so that you can share it with the appropriate groups. 

Case Studies: Successful Automation Implementations in Multifamily Housing

Check out how these companies have implemented automation techniques to save their teams time and money:

  • Paradigm saved over 6K hours by implementing chat and lead nurturing technologies
  • ITEX saved over $115K by implementing automation for their primarily affordable communities
  • Highmark saved their properties over 104 hours a month by automating processes

Automate Away

At the end of the day, implementing the right automation solution can assist in several ways. On average, teams using BetterBot’s automation platform save about 100+ monthly hours per property. That saves their team $2,000+ and helps reach prospects they may not have previously been able to. Implementing these best practices when choosing your automation can help ensure everything goes off without a hitch. Embrace the automation tools available to improve efficiency and satisfaction for both prospects and residents. 

Best Apartment Software For Leasing

As the years go on, it seems that properties become busier and busier. Leasing teams have more responsibilities than ever before, and they are expected to lease at high rates. Automation tools can make life easier for on-site teams in several ways. Bringing on new programs can be stressful, but these tools are designed to take the burden off the property, practically filter through traffic, and help analyze what’s working. Here are four of the best automation tools for leasing: 

  • Chatbots
  • Virtual Concierge
  • Lead Automation
  • Marketing Analytics

Chatbots

A chatbot is a tool you can add to your community website to assist prospective renters in real-time. They can answer any questions prospects have about living in your community. Chatbots can insert you into the conversation at the prospect’s convenience so that you stay top of mind during the decision-making process. Heather Anderson, Head of Partner Sales at BetterBot, says, “Our bot helps save leasing teams time and allows prospects to find your community where they are searching rather than having them come to you”. 

Marketing Analytics

One of the things that can be helpful when it comes to marketing automation is automating your analytics. However, it’s completely understandable that you may not be able to pull this information as often as you’d desire. That’s why analytics automation is crucial for you and your teams. There are many tools you can use to automate reporting, so it comes straight to your inbox. 

G5’s new MTA Journeys report removes the blind spots in your marketing by stitching together full renter journeys.

G5 | Digital Marketing Software and Services is one great example of in-depth analytics. We had the opportunity to catch up with their Product Marketing Manager, Chris Hanson, and he shared that “Having an integrated and easy to use analytics platform is a crucial tool that every marketer needs. From monitoring baseline interactions like traffic and leads, measuring automation investments, and predicting campaign returns, it’s the glue that holds your activities together.”

Virtual Concierge

Virtual concierges are used in a number of different industries including hospitality, airlines, and restaurants. When it comes to multifamily, a virtual concierge typically offers prospects and residents assistance on their timelines. It may help give information about the community or assist with scheduling appointments. Residents may also be able to do things such as submit a service request, find a pet sitter, locate discounts, or even connect with other residents. 

Lead Automation

Taking advantage of lead automation is excellent for keeping in touch with your audience. There are many ways you can utilize lead automation but the most prominently used is an automated email outreach. Rent Dynamics CRM offers a great example of how this can be used with automated follow-ups. For example, there may be a prospect interested in a particular floorplan, but if that option is not available, their automated follow-up will send the prospect a notification once it becomes available. Harvard Business Review shares that leads are 60x more likely to convert if contacted within the first hour, which shows how important this touchpoint truly is. 

When your team has a little help and support, it becomes easier for them to focus their attention on what’s happening on-site in real-time. Chatbots, virtual concierges, autoresponders, and marketing analytics are all resources that are designed to support your teams effectively and help your communities thrive. These four tools can help ease the burden so that they can make people a priority.

Want to learn more?

Get inspired with
our latest case study

Want to learn more?

Get inspired with
our latest case study

Want to learn more?

Get inspired with
our latest case study

Want to learn more?

Get inspired with
our latest case study

Want to learn more?

Get inspired with
our latest case study

BetterBot_2020-favicon.png

Well hello there.

BetterBot_2020-favicon.png

Well hello there.

Better Bot Fav Icon

Well hello there.