The Unit-Level Details Renters Crave

Renters Seek More Unit-Specific Information in Apartment Search

When searching for an apartment, today’s renters are increasingly interested in unit-specific details. In a recent presentation at this year’s NAA Apartmentalize conference, Arjun Anandan, group product manager for Apartments.com, shared a series of tips that apartment communities can use to make their listings more attractive to prospective renters.

Anandan shared insights from recent renter survey data, as well as insights from the millions of renters who search on the Apartments.com website every month, and he offered specific tips based on how renters are engaging with listings in today’s market.

Renters are searching farther and faster

In today’s market, renters are increasingly searching from out of town and are becoming more likely to rent sight unseen, Anandan said. At the same time, renters are growing faster and more decisive in their searches. The average rental search has dropped from 32 days in 2022 to 29 days in 2023, with renters only seriously considering 2.8 communities.

Why unit-level details matter

In this fast-paced environment, unit-level detail — or information specific to the available units, rather than your community as a whole — is a key factor that can help you stand out. A whopping 98 percent of renters describe unit-level detail as important to their search.

Anandan highlighted key stats on the relevance of unit-specific information:

• 98 percent of renters said location matters
• 89 percent said view matters
• 59 percent explore unit floor plans when available
• 24 percent interact with virtual tours and videos

What unit-level detail can you display?

In your Apartments.com listings, you can drill down to share specific information about your available units, including:

• Photos
• Videos
• Virtual tour
• Floor plan
• Location within property
• Amenities
• View
• Direct inquiries (leads)

New unit-specific features available

The unit-level functionality for Apartments.com listings has been expanded to include the following:

• Price by lease term. This lets you set a different monthly rent for each unit depending on the length of the lease.
• Price by move-in date. This option opens a pricing calendar based on the length of the lease and the specific move-in date for the unit in question. This can allow you to give renters lower rent to those with more flexibility in their move-in dates.
• Specials. From a free month of rent to a 50-percent move-in discount, highlight concessions specific to a given unit.
• Descriptions. Include a custom description to highlight the unique features of each apartment.
• Direct link to apply. Increase the efficiency of your lead conversion. With this option, there’s no need for renters to search for the unit again on your community website.

The use of unit-level detail is a win for both prospective renters and apartment communities.

“This empowers renters with not only the most amount of information possible,” Anandan said, “but also when it comes to inquiring, they can send a lead to you for a specific individual unit, saving the prospect as well as the leasing office a ton of valuable time and energy.”

Check out more sessions from Apartmentalize 2023! Now available on demand, these presentations offer market insights, advertising tips, and social media best practices.

See all on-demand webinars from this year’s Apartmentology Learning Lounge, or watch more Arjun Anandan:

• Optimize Your Apartments.com Listings