How Facebook Helps Leasing

Thinking like a student through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram endears student housing owners to students—and that could mean increased occupancy. Here are tips on how to turn potential residents into signed leases:

1) Discuss what they care about.

Serendipit Consulting VP Alexis Krisay tells us creating Facebook contests that match your market’s interests boosts engagement on your Facebook page. (That means students will be looking at your page during sociology lectures instead of the cute person in front of them.) It also gives potential new residents a reason to stop by your leasing center. Pictured: 319 Bragg (an Auburn University housing project slated to open this fall) created a contest that led to students posting photos on its page.

2) Make your page a one-stop shop.

Today’s students want to get all of their info in one place, Alexis (above), says. She suggests posting branded graphics of floorplans and photos of your apartments directly on your Facebook page to make your leasing center accessible to students. Don’t just post random things like the day’s weather. (But you could post pictures of the property in the rain or snow.) If you’re unsure what students want, put together a focus group and ask about trends and hang-outs. She recommends planning a content calendar for your social media accounts.

3) Integrate your brand into the student lifestyle.

Branded graphics—whether a color palette, logo, or icon—can help spread buzz about your property and make it recognizable for the students, Alexis tells us. Ask questions on group pages, like those of sororities or fraternities. And post daily to stay at the top of a student’s mind. By using these tips, the social media campaign at the Auburn property resulted in 158,600 unique Facebook and Twitter users per month, an average of 218 new Facebook fans per month, and a 40% conversion rate of signed leases resulting directly from Facebook, she says.