Putting the Internet to Work for You in Property Management

What’s the first thing you do when you hear about something new? You Google it. And you’re not alone. As a property manager, not only do you have to have a well-written, easy-to-navigate website, you have to know what others are saying about you. A few bad Yelp reviews and your reputation can plummet. Even no Yelp reviews compared to a property with plenty of positive ones can affect how many people come to see your property.

So what can you do? Stay informed. You should always know what people are saying about your property online. Do the searching yourself, use an online tool, or hire a firm to do it for you. And if you encounter a negative review, remain calm. It isn’t the end of the world. Even the worst review can be turned around if you respond to it in a calm, professional manner. And potential renters encountering that negative review will also see your response that either addresses the problem or proves it untrue, which will always work in your favor.

But what if no one is talking about you at all? Ask them to! Talk to your happy tenants and invite them to comment on a review site like Yelp or on your social media pages. Don’t get frustrated if they don’t respond right away. Remember that leaving a review likely isn’t their first priority and they may require a couple of reminders. The most important thing to remember is never to offer compensation for their reviews. This is a conflict of interest and if you’re found out could give you a reputation as a dishonest company. After all, if you have to pay people to say good things about you, how good can you be?

Your online reputation is important. Positive reviews can do wonderful things for you, but even negative ones can help as long as you approach them properly. The only real mistake you can make is ignoring others’ online opinions of your company.

Pilera is a best-of-class, easy-to-use, comprehensive online property management solution for apartments, condos, and associations. Pilera provides the easiest, most comprehensive data management capability available to property managers, leasing agents, boards of directors, and back-office personnel. Quickly and easily access whatever you need, whenever you need it, from wherever you need to be with office or mobile phone connectivity. You are never out of touch. Act on the document/information accessed from the office or “on-the-road” with Pilera-supported mobile capability. Contact us today!