Onsite Insites by SatisFacts Research 2015 - 1st Quarter | Page 4

Lia Nichole Smith
VP of Education and Consulting
SatisFacts ResearchTM

Have you ever had a tour where things started off great
and then went downhill really fast? According to the
2014 SatisFacts Index for unclosed traffic, onsite teams
are doing very well during the initial part of a prospect’s
tour. Exceptional and superior scores are found in the
areas of office interaction, knowledge, and the sincerity
to find a home to suit the prospect’s needs. From the
onset, things are looking good and the first impression is
stellar.
So, what is happening that sabotages the tour and results
in the prospect deciding not to lease? This question can
be answered in one word…value. Because the initial
interaction is so positive, prospects are expecting
everything about the tour to live up to those standards.
What they are finding, according to the index, is a less
than positive experience once they leave the leasing
center and go on the tour. Scores decline for community
appearance and apartment condition and features.
Great customer service sets prospects up to expect the
same level of attention to detail.
When the physical aspects of the community and the
toured apartment home are lacking, prospects begin to
question the overall value for the rent they are being
asked to pay. Customer service, rapport building, and
answering questions will only get you so far. Remember,

the apartment home you are showing will be the
prospect’s home for at least 12 months. They may like
everything about you but nothing about the apartment
home itself. A rockstar leasing associate may be able to
secure a lease, but over time, that resident will grow
weary of their physical surroundings and question the
overall value of living at the community.
Establishing and adhering to physical appearance
standards is paramount to a community’s leasing
success. Train your maintenance teams to recognize the
tiniest of details when it comes to the community and
apartment appearance. A great exercise is to have each
member of your team, both office and maintenance,
walk a made ready apartment home one at a time and
make a list of the outstanding items found. After
everyone has inspected the apartment home, compare
notes. Most likely, each will have found something not
discovered by another team member.
Before deeming an apartment ready to show, add
$100.00 to the rent and ask yourself is that apartment
home worth the price. If the answer is yes, a prospect is
likely to perceive the actual price a good value. If the
answer is no, a little more attention to detail may be in
order.