Why Maintenance is the Secret to a 5-Star Reputation

Online reviews. Ads. Events. Rent specials.

With so many ways to market your community, it's easy to overlook one of your community's most influential and vital aspects:

Maintenance.

A rock-solid maintenance program helps renew residents, attract new ones, and get you those highly sought-after 5-star reviews.

Here's what to know about maintenance and why it's the ultimate secret to reputation success.

Residents Are More Confident in Your Community

It's no secret - residents notice when repairs are left undone or addressed infrequently and will assume it's not a priority.

Once residents start spreading the word that your community doesn't prioritize maintenance, it's challenging to undo the potential damage.

After all, when prospective residents have their choice of communities to rent from, they'll overlook the ones with a less-than-stellar reputation.

Creating a multifamily maintenance checklist can help you stay on track. Here's a template to get started:

[Maintenance Checklist]

Tip💡: Beyond your checklist, it's a good idea to send out a survey every quarter to see if you have neglected maintenance. What your residents respond with might surprise you, and your maintenance team.

Truth 💣: When residents feel like you care about their community, they're more likely to become your brand evangelists and spread the word (hopefully in the form of a 5-star review!).

Your Online Reviews Improve

Is your multifamily property in disarray? Are there noticeable issues around every corner?

Your community's reputation is at stake.

When residents are unhappy, inevitable maintenance issues will make their way into online reviews, impacting your ability to attract and convert new leads.

Take a look at our recent poll where we asked 100 multifamily professionals what influences property review the most.

Notice how "review management software" only got 8% of the votes!

Often, your maintenance team interacts with your residents more than anyone at your company. Make sure they are representing you well and take care of your residents.

Tip💡: Remember it's not just about keeping up appearances, it's about maintaining and improving relationships with residents.

Truth 💣: More consumers are reading online reviews than ever before. In 2021, 77% 'always' or 'regularly' read them when browsing for local businesses.

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Your Community Stands Out From Your Competition

Your competitors also shed light on where to focus your maintenance and enhance your competitor campaigns.

Look through your competitors' online reviews and look for references regarding maintenance and repairs. This could be an opportunity for you to have an edge over your competition.

When users are looking for their next home, they will notice that you have reviews mentioning how good your maintenance is, while your competition does not.

Imagine your competitors' reviews all have 1-star reviews due to maintenance, while your community has plenty of reviews that look like this:

Tip💡: Make browsing your competitor's online reviews part of your ongoing marketing and maintenance strategy. You'll gain deeper insights into their strengths and weaknesses and where you can fill in the gaps.

Truth 💣: Your competitor's maintenance issues are an opportunity stand-out.

You're Known as a Proactive, Organized Community

Residents who feel neglected will inevitably move on, leaving you with higher vacancy rates.

You can develop a reputation for proactive problem-solving by making it easy to complain.

Create a system to submit maintenance requests, including:

• A physical or digital suggestion box
• Dedicated maintenance email address
• Post phone numbers throughout the community for residents to text or call for maintenance issues
• Poll your residents once a quarter, minimum!

You can also develop FAQ pages on your community site and Google My Business Profile to address questions about all things maintenance.

It's also wise to post information about how maintenance requests are handled. Let tenants know:

• When are maintenance issues addressed?
• When will your team follow up?
• How often do property managers walk the community to address unexpected issues?

You may be unable to control online reviews or how many prospective residents come through the door.

But you can prioritize keeping a clean, tightly run community where residents never worry about maintenance and reward you for doing so with 5-star reviews.

Tip💡: Don't assume residents who never complain are fine. During lease renewal, ask what changes they suggest in the community or maintenance needs.

Truth 💣: Maintenance is something within your control. Put in the work to make it the cornerstone of your community and why residents love living there.

Bonus Tip: How to Incentivize Maintenance Crew

Your crew works hard to keep up with the demands of your community and residents.

It's understandable that your online reputation isn't their biggest concern.

However, there are many things you can do to make them prioritize it, such as a monthly competition.

Consider sorting through all the reviews you get each month to reward the maintenance member who had the most reviews that mentioned their name.

What was your biggest takeaway from this article? Let us know in the comments!

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