Apartment Blog

Did you attend the Florida Apartment Association (FAA) tradeshow this year? It was held from August 26^th -28^th at the Caribe Royale Orlando All-Suites Hotel in Orlando, Florida. This year was a huge success as the Florida Apartment Association (FAA) conference opened its doors to more than 450 multi-housing professionals. The conference encouraged attendees to “Catch the Next Wave” of industry innovations.  Multi-housing professionals learned more about technology, customer service, green initiatives, marketing, and training. Check out this 2009 Florida Apartment Association Conference and Trade Show highlight video which captures moments from the successful education conference and trade show!

And of course, you know your friendly For Rent Media Solutions staff was there representing! Corporate and Florida employees were decked out in bright colored t-shirts with icon graphics to include ways we reach consumers: text, mobile, social media, video and much more!

Listen to a testimonial from one of our clients Lori Donnelly, VP CFH Group with For Rent Media Solutions to Dori Rones, South Florida GSM of For Rent Media Solutions.

Mobile marketing is on the leading edge of making life easier for apartment renters on the go. Now, more than ever, marketers understand the need to integrate mobile into their multi-channel branding, customer acquisition and customer retention plans. Mobile marketing is most effective when your listings have a presence on mobile Web sites, mobile applications (i.e. iPhone® and GPhone applications), and through text messaging. Don’t limit your marketing potential! An effective mobile marketing strategy should start with a strong mobile Web site. Renters can view your listings any time, any place from the ForRent.com mobile site. In addition to receiving more than 845,000 pageviews in the last 90 days, the ForRent.com mobile site has also received more than 865,000 clicks. Be sure to reach renters through online video as well. More than 80.7% of mobile users coming to the ForRent.com mobile Web site can view video.

iPhone apps are popular; our app has been downloaded more than 40,000 times. One out of six ForRent.com mobile consumers utilize ForRent.com applications. However, the iPhone only captures 25% of the mobile phone market share. ¹   In addition, 16% of ForRent.com mobile users are using our apps and 83.7% are using our mobile Web site. Usage of mobile Web sites greatly outpaces usage of HTML sites on smartphones¹. The most popular apps are used for entertainment purposes, such as games. Apple® does not provide detailed metrics for application use. Find out the iTunes App Store Categories and the Top-Sellers here.

Over the past 90 days, more than 35,000 text messages have been sent to property managers regarding ForRent.com properties. For Rent Media Solutions^TM offers the ultimate Mobile Marketing Solution for your advertising needs by providing multiple ways for apartment seekers on the go to search for an apartment.

Find out which mobile devices and manufacturers apartment renters are using to find your listings on ForRent.com’s mobile Web site here.

ForRent.com mobile users view your listings on the mobile site through these cell phone manufacturers:

• Apple 48.3%
• RIM ( BlackBerry®) 20.5%
• T-Mobile® 8.6%
• Samsung 5.3%
• Palm 4.9
• LG 3.6
• Other 8.5%

* Apple mobile device usage increased 27.9% from June to July.

* RIM mobile device usage increased 81.7% from June to July.

* T-Mobile mobile device usage increased 80.25% from June to July. 

The following are the top mobile devices by the top three manufacturers ForRent.com mobile consumers are using to view your listings:

Apple

• Apple iPhone 38.9%
• Apple iPod® Touch 9.4%

RIM

• BlackBerry 8330 7.8%
• BlackBerry 8320 3.6%
• BlackBerry Storm 2.7%
• BlackBerry Pearl 1.2%

T-Mobile

• T-Mobile G1^TM 8.1%
• T-Mobile Dash 0.5%

The ForRent.com mobile site adjusts to the dimensions of our users’ screens, reformatting for easy viewing and use. Most consumers are viewing your listings on the following screen sizes:

• 320 x 480: 48.7% of mobile views
• 320 x 240: 17.4% of mobile views
• 480 x 320: 8.7% of mobile views
• 320 x 320: 4.3% of mobile views
• 240 x 260: 3.2% of mobile views
• Other: 17.6% of mobile views

ForRent.com mobile users view your listings through these cell phone operating systems:

• MacOS X: 48.3% 
• RIM: 20.7% 
• Unknown:16.5%
• Linux: 8.5%
• Windows: 5.9%
• Symbian: 0.1% 

With the growing popularity of mobile communication for the masses, comes the development of mobile applications and mobile Web sites. Mobile initiatives are quickly becoming part of today’s marketing mix because they can connect brands and products directly to consumers. Today’s consumer is very tech savvy and branded applications and mobile Web sites are a way to connect on their terms, are perfect for consumer engagement and provide rich data.

ForRent.com has launched a T-Mobile G1^TM (GPhone) application. The application is the latest addition to For Rent’s existing suite of mobile marketing products offered to apartment seekers and solidifies ForRent.com as a leader in mobile marketing. In addition to the GPhone app, ForRent.com launched an iPhone^® app in April which has received more than 23,000 downloads.

With ForRent.com’s free GPhone application, apartment seekers can browse through thousands of apartment listings nationwide. Users can also view apartment descriptions, videos, pictures, and floor plans, save their results, and contact the property. Consumers can use touchable map pins to click on a pin representing a property and go directly to the property’s page. The GPhone runs on the new Google Android operating system. Applications are only accessible through the GPhone phone, but can be previewed at the Android Market Web site.

 ”According to comScore Media Metrix, consumers downloaded 83 percent more mobile applications in March 2009 than in March 2008, says Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “We understand how much mobile Web impacts our consumers’ daily lives and will continue to explore opportunities with other mobile devices.”

While the number of consumers downloading mobile applications continues to grow, comScore shows that the preferred mode for accessing local content on a mobile device is through a mobile browser. In March 2008, 15.4 million mobile Web users accessed information via a mobile browser. By March 2009, that number jumped to 20.7 million. According to Omniture SiteCatalyst, an online business optimization company, the ForRent.com mobile site received more than 256,000 page views in May 2009.

This past March we posted an article titled ‘Marketing to Hispanics‘ where we briefly mentioned mobile marketing. This month we would like to expand on that topic as we take a look at mobile Web sites, text messaging and mobile applications to reach the Hispanic community.

According to comScore m:metrics, 71% of Hispanics consume content on cell phones compared to the market average of 48%. Nielsen’s recent ‘Mobile Advertising Report’ highlighted that Hispanic data users are more likely to recall seeing ads on mobile phones (41% compared with 30% of non-Hispanics) and more likely to have responded (22% vs. 13%). Therefore, mobile marketing to the Hispanic demographic is an opportunity to experience growth in this slowing economy.

Having mobile capabilities like text messaging is ideal for these consumers to find you.  Especially since many Hispanics will first experience the Internet via their cell phones because of limitations of Internet on a home computer. In addition to having your Web site available on mobile devices is the need to offer a Spanish translated site. Many Hispanic consumers are bilingual, but there is a sizeable market that still communicates primarily in Spanish. To effectively target these consumers, mobile initiatives should include Spanish language media as a key component of the mobile marketing mix.

According to Jose Villa, author of MediaPost’s blog, ‘10 Things You Should Know About U.S. Hispanics‘, “Hispanics are still a part of the honeymoon phase.”  Meaning, they are not burned out and therefore, are more likely to respond to advertisements from companies on their mobile devices.  In addition to mobile Web sites, text messaging and mobile applications are essential.

For Rent Media Solutions’ text messaging product allows the Hispanic apartment seeker to send a text message with the property’s unique keyword to the short code 47368 (4RENT). The property keywords can be seen on leasing banners, yard signs at the property, and in Apartamentos Para Rentar® magazines. By texting the keyword apartment seekers will receive a response text message with information about the specific property. Property managers also use the service to send customized messages promoting specials to potential renters, as well as important messages and alerts to their current residents.

“Hispanics are connecting twice as fast as the general market (14% growth versus 7%) adding over a million users per year. In 2008, 23 million Hispanics are online, about 52% of the Hispanic population.”1 Therefore, adding more technology to your business, i.e., mobile marketing, to attract the Hispanic community is very important to the survival of companies in this economy. This Hispanic market is the ideal renter because they are very brand loyal and they tend to stick with what with what is familiar to them. Just like any other consumer, they are looking for an experience.  Provide that for them and have a loyal, growing force supporting your brand. What more could you want?

¹ MediaPosts Engage:Hispanics ‘10 Things You Should Know About U.S. Hispanics’ by Alvaro Cabrera. Thursday, June 25, 2009

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                            Contact:                                                                                                                             Meredith Mobley
Marketing Communications Coordinator
meredith.mobley@forrent.com
Phone: 757-351-7366
Fax: 757-961-4827     

ForRent.com launches free GPhone application

ForRent.com offers most comprehensive line of mobile products in multi-housing industry

NORFOLK, Va.-(June 29, 2009)-ForRent.com, anchor Web site of For Rent Media Solutions^TM, a leading apartment resource for searching apartments nationwide, and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has launched a ForRent.com T-Mobile G1^TM (GPhone) application. The new application is the latest addition to For Rent’s comprehensive line of mobile marketing products for apartment seekers, including the ForRent.com text messaging product, mobile Web site and iPhone^TM application.

With ForRent.com’s free GPhone application, apartment seekers can browse through thousands of apartment listings nationwide. Users can also view apartment descriptions, videos, pictures, and floor plans, save their results, and contact the property. Consumers can use touchable map pins to click on a pin representing a property and go directly to the property’s page. From the map, apartment seekers can zoom in and out to get a clearer view of the property and its proximity to surrounding apartment communities.

The GPhone runs on the new Google Android operating system and applications are distributed in the Android Market, which opened to the public on October 22. Applications are only accessible through the GPhone phone, but can be previewed at the Android Market Web site.

“Mobile marketing is quickly spreading as a leading method of communication used to engage consumers,” says Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “According to comScore Media Metrix, consumers downloaded 83 percent more mobile applications in March 2009 than in March 2008. We understand how much mobile Web impacts our consumers’ daily lives and will continue to explore opportunities with other mobile devices in the future.”

While the number of consumers downloading mobile applications continues to grow, comScore shows that, overwhelmingly, the preferred mode for accessing local content on a mobile device is through a mobile browser. In March 2008, 15.4 million mobile Web users accessed information via a mobile browser. By March 2009, that number jumped to 20.7 million. These numbers support the success seen by the ForRent.com mobile site. According to Omniture SiteCatalyst, an online business optimization company, the ForRent.com mobile site received more than 256,000 page views in May 2009.

The GPhone application adds to the already existing suite of mobile products offered to apartment seekers and solidifies ForRent.com as a leader in mobile marketing. Other mobile products include text messaging, launched in June 2007, the mobile Web site, launched in June 2008, and the iPhone application launched earlier this year.

About For Rent Media Solutions^TM

Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., For Rent Media Solutions is a division of Dominion Enterprises. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers, property/apartment managers and owners, For Rent Media Solutions provides superior products, outstanding customer service, and tangible results.  For Rent Media Solutions is a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent, townhouse, condo, duplex, efficiency, studio or loft and provides a free customizable apartment search from more than 30,000 apartment listings nationwide.  For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine^®, as well as ForRent.com^TM-The Magazine, and publishes 99 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide, including After 55^TM Housing & Resource Guide, and Apartamentos Para Rentar^®. For Rent Media Solutions operates four additional Web sites: ForRent.com^®, SeniorOutlook.com^TM, CorporateHousing.com^®, and ParaRentar.com^TM.  For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.dominionenterprises.com/.

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Written by Erica Campbell, Gillian Luce and Kimetha Hill

“Gen Yers,” “Echo Boomers,” “Millennials,” “Net Generation,” “Trophy kids,” whatever you want to call them, are you ready to market to them? The largest generation since the Baby-Boomers, the Y Generation is defined by their numbers. Generation Y, born between 1977 and 1994, makes up over 70 million people in the U.S.; which equates to 20% of today’s population. ¹ Growing up in the age of technology has definitely given them an edge. In a world where YouTube^TM videos, MySpace® friends and common lingo including terms like ‘OMG,’ ‘LOL,’ ‘I Facebooked you,’ ‘BBIM,’ and ‘I tweet,’ building and sustaining relationships with consumers has become increasingly difficult, forcing marketers to reach beyond familiar and traditional strategies and techniques.

Web 2.0 platforms, mobile devices and video sharing sites are not merely evolutionary changes in the world of marketing. They are revolutionary. As marketers we need to reach Gen Y through an integrated marketing strategy which includes advertising on multiple platforms such as print, Internet, social networking sites, video sharing sites, text messaging, mobile Web sites, and the like. In a study conducted by Junco and Mastrodicasa: “Research on ‘The Net.Generation,’” they found that 97% of students owned a computer, 94% owned a cell phone, and 56% owned an MP3 player (iPod, Zune, Sansa, etc.). In that same study, 69% of students polled reported having a Facebook account, 28% reported owning a blog and 44% reported reading blogs.

Who Are They?

Gen Y is well educated and will have a huge social and economic impact. They are very independent due to divorce, day care and single parents. According to NAS Recruitment Communications, they were raised by “active parents,” who gave children lots of attention. They are very technologically savvy and thrive on networking and connecting with their friends and families through instant communication. Gen Yers, also known as Millenials, are considered efficient multi-taskers who will get things done faster and better than their competition. Often times Millennials can be curious, expressive and impatient while demanding instant gratification.

How Do You Gain Gen Y’s Attention?

Have your message available to them across multiple platforms. For Rent Media Solutions^TM accomplishes this by enabling renters to find apartments any time, any place and strives to position your apartment listings in more places for consumers. With more than 2 million publications distributed monthly nationwide, 2.4 million visitors each month to its Web sites, more than 13,000 text messaging customers, more than 2,000 customers using its online video, For Rent Media Solutions offers more points of contact to apartment listings than anyone in the multi-housing industry. Here are four tips on how you can successfully engage with Generation Y in this ever-changing marketplace:

1. Be available 24/7:
   Today, consumers are gathering information when they want and how they want. Gen Y in particular has become accustomed to instant gratification and they prefer to receive lots of  feedback. They tend to be impatient and want answers immediately. So take that into consideration when marketing. In addition to your Web site and listings on our Web sites,  also consider having a blog. As mentioned previously, 44% of the participants from the Junco  and Mastrodicasa study reported reading blogs. That’s a huge audience! For Rent Media Solutions allows prospective renters to find apartments 24/7 via our Web sites, social media profiles, our iPhone^TM application, mobile Web site, and text messaging.Incorporate For Rent Media Solutions’ text messaging product into your advertising. This allows the apartment seeker to send a text message with your property’s unique keyword to the short    code 47368 (4RENT). The property keywords can be seen on leasing banners, yard signs at the property, and in For Rent Media Solutions’ magazines. By texting the keyword, apartment  seekers receive a response text message with information about the specific property.   Property managers can also use the service to send customized messages promoting specials to  potential renters, as well as important messages and alerts to their current residents.
                                       
2. Listen:
   Gen Y is very blunt and expressive and making their point is important to them. Listen carefully to their wants and needs and analyze their behavior. According to a Cone Business study in September 2008, 93% of people using social media believe a    company should have a presence in social media and 85% believe a company should go further than just having a presence and should also interact with its consumers via social media. For Rent Media Solutions continues to push to be more social and find new ways to engage its consumers.  ForRent.com has taken a strategic approach to get in and get social and take their efforts to the next level with sites such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and Twitter to maximize their  reach.For Rent Media Solutions likes to encourage feedback from its users and wants to hear what they     want in order to provide a better apartment searching experience for them. The company diligently follows up with customers whenever they have a question or comment whether it is   sent in the form of an email, MySpace message, YouTube video comment, Facebook message or a Tweet. Engaging with consumers provides a better experience for them while also giving companies necessary feedback.
                             
3. Be Creative:
   Gen Y likes to mix it up and keep it new. So your advertising to them needs to be creative in order to catch their attention. Things you’ve done in the past may not necessarily work for the future. Being innovative and thinking outside the box is vital! ForRent.com launched its second  annual video contest on April 1. The “Ready2Move?” video contest at http://contest.forrent.com/    asked apartment seekers to tell ForRent.com in a 60 second or less video why they are ready to     move, for a chance to win $10,000. The concept gives users lots of flexibility with their     responses and also allows for plenty of room for fun and creative interpretation.
                                            
4. Go Green:
   The green revolution is more important to members of Gen Y than it ever was in the past. Gen Y has grown up with efforts to help save the environment and help preserve it for future   generations. Therefore, they are much more willing to alter their point of view on a company if        they know they are committed to conserving resources and finding innovative ways to be eco-friendly.  For Rent Media Solutions understands the big impact that corporations can have on the   environment. Here are some ways that we are helping to protect the planet: All newsprint pages   are printed on recycled paper and our insert cards are printed on a UV press that uses non    hazardous inks and do not emit VOC’s into the atmosphere.We also recycle all of the metal for the plates, and the ink/water/fountain solution. In addition to using eco-friendly methods during our business practices, we also provide ‘going   green’ tips and green living blogs for apartment renters and property managers. These tips range from using ‘green’ products to clean your apartment, purchasing  energy efficient appliances, ways to save on water, heat and electricity and how apartment communities can benefit from ‘going green.’
                             

The bottom line is that Gen Y is making waves. Understanding the needs and wants of the Y generation is one of the most important steps in marketing to them and retaining them as your customers.  In order to reach Gen Y, brands need to keep their advertising simple, be available, be authentic, be trendy and be where they are by providing them with what they want.
              
                
Source: ¹ Bureau of Census