5 Must-Haves on Your Property Website to Attract Student Renters

By Elise Nelson on January 11, 2018

If you want college students to rent your property, you need to find them where they spend most of their time—the internet. This means you’re going to need a stellar property website geared towards your target audience. Here are five must-haves on your property website to attract student renters.

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1. Add a testimonials page

You can claim to have the best apartment complex in town, but will your tenants back you up on that?

Ask a few of your current or previous residents to provide a testimonial for your property website. Rather than answering common questions yourself, let the tenants do the talking. Have them share a memory of working with you or their favorite thing about living in the apartment. Students are going to trust you more if they hear positive feedback about your property from other students.

Testimonials prove your credibility and give happy consumers a chance to share their satisfaction. “Simply put, when people see someone else trying/buying/enjoying something, they are more likely to imitate that behavior and do the same,” according to WireBuzz.

Written testimonials are easier to obtain from your previous renters, but you should also try to include video testimonials from current residents as well—videos appear more authentic and will appeal to the viewer’s emotions.

2. Make it mobile-friendly

College kids are always on their phones … that’s a no-brainer. This means their apartment searches are likely to be done on a smartphone. When they find your property website, it should be compatible with mobile platforms—if it’s not, they’re going to leave your site sooner.

A mobile site is different than a regular website in that the mobile site is a condensed version. Some pages might be excluded or cut down on the mobile site. When your website detects that a user is on a mobile device, they will be redirected to the mobile version with the option to return to the desktop version.

As it is a smaller version, your mobile site should contain only the most important information. All forms, photos, and videos that you would find on your site should be accessible. Think about the sites you visit on your own phone. How are they set up, and how can your site fit this dynamic?

Google provides a tool for checking if your site is mobile-friendly. If it isn’t, they offer tips on how to improve!

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3. Gain followers with social media links

Your property website shouldn’t be the only place renters can find you! As a landlord, you should maintain a presence on social media, whether it be with your personal accounts or business accounts.

You’ll find it easiest to interact with students via social media sites. Attract prospective renters by creating events on Facebook, posting photos of your complex on Instagram, or replying on Twitter when someone mentions your property. Be sure to post the latest news on every social media platform in addition to your property website.

The homepage of your website should link to your top social media sites in plain sight. Interested renters will see that you’re eager to connect and interact with them regularly. You should also encourage new tenants to visit your website and follow the social media links in order to stay updated.

4. Be active on your own site

Updating your property website constantly will further boost your credibility. Potential tenants will see that you are dedicated to providing them with the best rental experience.

Have a news page where you post any upcoming events, contests, or announcements. Additionally, any seasonal discounts that you offer, such as half off the heating bill for new renters in winter, should be listed on a discounts page. College students love discounts—make it known that renting your property will be their most affordable option.

A major part of staying active on your site is responding quickly to questions or comments. Offer a forum for prospective tenants to voice their concerns. If you don’t receive notifications when someone posts in the forum, create a habit of checking and replying to comments at least twice a week. If you find that several people are asking the same questions, build an FAQ page.

Your response time is key to holding onto potential tenants. If you don’t answer their questions soon, another landlord will!

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5. Provide photos and videos of your property

You’ll find a larger audience if your property website appeals to student renters who aren’t able to visit the apartment in person before signing the lease. Think about it this way—students looking to rent property for the school year don’t already live in the area.

Offering a thorough glimpse of the apartment will save these students time and, in turn, they’ll be more willing to rent your space. Be sure to include high-quality, color photos of the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and any amenities you have that will stand out to students. For more tips, check out Apartment Therapy’s guide to taking quality photos of your apartment.

Alternatively, you can record a video while you slowly walk through all areas of the apartment. Stop for a few seconds at each focal point so the viewer has enough time to make observations.

If you already manage a property website, then these five adjustments should be simple. If you don’t… 2018 is the perfect time to create one!

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