Jen Piccotti - Today’s Online Renter Study – 2017

1. 2017
TODAY’S
ONLINE
RENTER STUDY

2. SOURCES Where they look for information
1. Online Apartment Listing
2. Apartment Community Website
3. Driving in Neighborhoods
Sources 2017 Total 2015 Total 2011 Total
Online apartment listing/shopping website (like
Apartments.com, Zillow.com) 74.80% 68.80% 79.00%
Apartment community's (or management company's) website 70.60% 66.50% 78.50%
Driving in neighborhoods I want to live in 57.70% 59.20% 68.90%
Search engine (like Google, Yahoo, Bing, City-Data, etc.) 50.60% 50.50% 55.10%
Ratings and reviews website (like ApartmentRatings.com, Yelp) 45.80% 45.40% 51.60%
Referrals (friends, co-workers) 42.20% 42.40% 59.20%

3. WHO THEY TRUST Where they look for recommendations
1. Friend, family, co-worker
2. Online ratings
3. Website
Sources 2017 Total 2015 Total 2011 Total
Feedback from a friend, family member or co-worker 77.10% 74.40% N/A
Online ratings and feedback/comments from customers 70.60% 67.70% N/A
Website for a company 35.80% 32.60% N/A
Advertisement 11.70% 11.80% N/A
Social networking page (like Facebook) 9.00% 7.10% N/A
Celebrity endorsement 1.20% N/A N/A

4. GREATEST IMPACT What apartment to rent in the future
1. Viewing actual apartment
2. Pay rent online (no fee)
3. Response time to email/VM
Sources 2017 Total 2015 Total 2011 Total
Viewing the actual apartment I can lease 4.54 4.58 N/A
Ability to pay rent online if there is no convenience fee 4.38 4.18 4.44
Response time to your emails or voice mails 4.33 N/A N/A
Perception of quality customer service 4.25 4.24 4.43
Security and access control features 4.20 4.16 4.34
Ability to submit service requests online 4.20 3.95 4.17
Ratings/reviews of community available 4.06 3.99 4.13

5. METHOD OF CONTACT Preferred communication
1. Email
2. Cell phone
3. Text message
Methods 2017 2015 2011
Email 88.00% 85.10% 89.40%
Cell Phone 73.40% 70.10% 73.10%
Text Message 50.10% 38.10% 28.00%
In-Person 25.50% 22.60% 26.90%
Home Phone 9.40% 11.60% 13.80%
Website/Property Portal 9.30% 9.00% 7.10%
Mail 8.30% 10.60% 13.30%
Work Phone 4.10% 5.20% 6.10%
Chat (LiveChat, Skype, FaceTime, etc.) 2.80% N/A N/A
Social Networking Sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) 2.60% 2.70% 3.40%

6. METHOD OF CONTACT Preferred communication
1. A record of their written consent?
2. A transcript of the text conversation?
3. Control over the opt-out message?
- Contact at Once

7. RATINGS AND REVIEWS What is it like
Reviews 2017
My apartment community has asked me
to post a positive comment 18.50%
I have posted a positive comment 18.00%
Reviews 2017 2015 2011
If asked by my apartment community, I
would post a positive comment 65.90% 61.00% 62.50%
My apartment community has asked me to
post a positive comment 18.50% 15.80% 8.80%
I have posted a positive comment 18.00% 13.80% 8.80%
I have posted a negative comment 6.00% 7.30% 4.90%

8. 13% - I don’t care if they respond
RESPONDING TO REVIEWS What impact does it have?
1. Great customer service
2. Care about customers
Perception 2017 2015
They have great customer service 52.30% 51.70%
They really care about their residents 50.60% 48.90%
They are a trustworthy property management team 29.10% 28.90%
They offer a quality living experience 27.90% 28.30%
None of the above 19.00% 21.90%
I don't really care if the staff responds 13.60% 11.10%
They have hired a third party to respond 8.00% N/A

9. IMPACT ON RENEWAL What matters most?
1. Value
2. Safety and security
3. Quality of maintenance
2017 2015 2011
Value received for the rent that you pay 4.75 4.74 N/A
Sense of safety and security at the community 4.62 4.63 4.6
Quality of the maintenance services provided 4.59 4.66 4.6
Appearance and condition of my apartment 4.55 4.53 4.47
Quality of customer service provided by the office staff 4.49 4.55 4.49
Appearance and condition of the apartment community
(buildings, grounds, landscaping) 4.48 4.48 4.46
Community has a resident website/portal (to submit service
requests, pay rent, view resident e-newsletter, etc.) 3.82 3.53 3.28
Neighbors 3.81 N/A N/A

10. VALUE DRIVERS What factors in?
1. “Sense of community”
2. Community social media
3. Appearance, condition of apartment
4. Social events and activities
5. Neighbors
2017 SatisFacts Index

11. SOCIAL MEDIA What platforms renters are using
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 2017 2015
Facebook 21.30% 24.70% 23.30% 20.30% 15.70% 7.10% 20.80% 20.00%
Instagram 7.20% 6.40% 4.30% 5.10% 1.50% 0.00% 4.80% 2.60%
Twitter 3.90% 3.00% 1.70% 5.40% 1.80% 0.00% 2.90% 3.20%
LinkedIn 2.50% 2.50% 1.70% 4.70% 2.90% 3.00% 2.80% N/A
Pinterest 1.40% 1.70% 1.30% 3.10% 1.80% 0.50% 1.70% 2.10%
Snapchat 1.40% 1.30% 0.70% 1.80% 0.30% 0.00% 1.10% N/A

12. SOCIAL MEDIA What platforms renters are using
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 2017 2015
Facebook 21.30% 24.70% 23.30% 20.30% 15.70% 7.10% 20.80% 20.00%

13. SOCIAL MEDIA What platforms renters are using
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 2017 2015
Instagram 7.20% 6.40% 4.30% 5.10% 1.50% 0.00% 4.80% 2.60%

14. SOCIAL MEDIA What platforms renters are using
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 2017 2015
Twitter 3.90% 3.00% 1.70% 5.40% 1.80% 0.00% 2.90% 3.20%

15. SOCIAL MEDIA What platforms renters are using
48%
Would not use community’s social media pages

16. SOCIAL MEDIA What platforms renters are using
#2 Value Driver
Community’s social media

17. SOCIAL MEDIA What platforms renters are using
Even if they are not participating, they are watching.

18. KEY TAKE-A-WAYS

19. The 2017
TODAY’S ONLINE
RENTER STUDY
Will be available in March 2017.
Please contact
education@satisfacts.com
to be put on the wait list for the
complete report.
THANK YOU!