How to Improve Listing Quality

There are three easy steps you can take to improve your listings and conversions. First, focus on choosing high-resolution, varied photos and media; second, highlight in-unit and community amenities to give prospective residents a better idea about what it’s like to live there; third, optimize for leads and conversions.

Step 1: Add media and photos

Listings feature four key photos at the top. These need to be high resolution and really make your apartment and community shine. Viewed on a desktop, you can include a map plus four photos. For our mobile listings, you can include a feature photo.

When your prospective residents are swiping through the listing, these images make a crucial first impression.

When choosing the images, think about the individual units and what they look like. Show a mix of community common areas and interior shots of the individual unit such as kitchen, bath and bedroom.

Showcase your apartment homes with images of every floor plan. At Apartments.com, we provide ranging photography volumes based on your advertising package so there can be plenty to choose from.

Floor plans, whether shown in 3D or traditional 2D, can have furniture placement represented, but it’s not required. More important is to show the dimensions of the apartment so your prospects can see how their furniture fits into the unit. You want them to envision what it’d be like to live there.

Another great option we recommend is including an image taken from the balcony so they can get a sense for their surrounding areas.

Step 2: Highlight amenities and unit-level details

In the “about us” section, write a compelling unit property description. Some customers don’t include one or include a cookie-cutter description. This is an important element. Take this opportunity to make the case about why this community matters.

Include the basic descriptive items, but write a narrative about what it’s like to live there. It can be more than one sentence. Some go for a few paragraphs — whatever length you decide — that describe how your apartments are unique and why people of all backgrounds would want to live there.

Showcase your rent specials such as discounts, free rent, or reduced fees. We can call out that information on your placards. Reviews are something that renters truly care about. We have found that just having one review helps to bring the units to life and improves conversions, even if it’s a negative review. Make sure you respond to your reviews to show you are engaged and listening.

We recommend that you complete the listing by providing full model and unit-level details. Here, with our newly launched Listing of the Future, you can provide more in-depth information and photos. Be sure to highlight the amenities and floor plans for individual apartments as well as those included at the community level.

Make sure these amenity details are sent to Apartments.com so that we can include them in our filters to help prospective residents find you. Apartments.com advertising packages allow you to elevate or feature as many as four, six or eight amenities in one listing.

For example, in-unit amenities could be used to show countertops as granite or quartz and whether the apartment comes with carpet or hardwood. For appliances, tell prospective residents if a gas stove or smart thermostat is included.

If you have a relationship with a community and unit-mapping service provider, such as Engrain, we can implement that detail into your listing so it displays for prospective residents.

New this year, we can now highlight videos taken at the model and unit levels (not just those of the community). This shows the space available and what it’s really like to live there.

We have partnered with Matterport and other video providers so unit-level videos can now be included in your listing. Studies show that 63 percent of renters will make a decision based solely on virtual tours.

Step 3: Optimize and convert

If you provide information regarding tour scheduling, Apartments.com can aggregate it for your listing. We also can track analytics on the site regarding when they want to call or visit in-person to learn more.

We facilitate the chance for prospective residents to request a video, virtual or self-guided tour, and whether they wish to tour with or without an agent. This will appear in your listing’s calendar, and Apartments.com integrates with your touring provider to create a seamless experience.

Contact your Apartments.com representative to learn more about how the Listing of the Future can feature unit-level details for your available units and take your advertising to new heights.