FOR LEASING AGENTS: HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FITNESS ROOM
How can leasing agents make the most of their fitness amenity with potential residents?
FOR LEASING AGENTS: HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FITNESS ROOM
If you’re a leasing agent, you recognize the value of community amenities. According to the 2017 NMHC/Kingsley Apartment Renter Preferences Report one of the top 5 reasons people move to another property is: community amenities. How can you capture the most interest in your amenities?
Well, just how important is your fitness amenity?
If you have a fitness center designed and outfitted by Commercial Fitness Equipment, then you have a great tool at your disposal to win new residents. We design each fitness center (and subsequent updates) with your goal demographics in mind. That means that once your potential residents are scheduled for a tour, you’ve got a lot to work with. The purpose of this post is to assist you, as leasing agents, to make the most of your fitness center amenity to bring in new residents.
In this article we’re going to focus on 2 keys that take a leasing agent, you, from good to great!
Take Time to Listen
The Personal Touch
How can these keys be applied to your fitness amenity? Let's get started.
TAKE TIME TO LISTEN
The very first step in providing a great tour is getting to know your potential residents.
www.apartment-marketing.com “Ask genuine questions to find out what they are looking for and what they need. The more you understand the prospect, the easier it is to present your community as the answer and solution.”
Here’s an easy one to start with:
How important is a fitness amenity to you?
Stop and take the time to listen. Even after they’ve answered, give it a few seconds, maybe they’ll tell you more. Follow up their answer with a “Why?” or even a “Really?” when it’s appropriate. Listen carefully to their desires and concerns.
Are they young? Perhaps they would be excited by your HIIT(high-intensity-interval-training) zone? Or your functional training items?
Are they older? Is the low step-up height of your Precor treadmill helpful? Or your Prism accessory tower with self-guided workouts?
Do they like watching television while they workout? Listening to music? Working out with a friend?
Showing a genuine interest will allow you to see what aspects of your property to feature to give the tour The Personal Touch.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
How do you view your potential residents? Are they numbers on your next report or individuals seeking a comfortable place to call home? It’s easy to get caught up in the bottom line, but when you focus on the needs of individuals, you are going to have the most success not only winning new residents but retaining them.
Propertymanagerinsider.com “The greatest leasing consultants in the world are different because they seek to understand the customer’s wants, needs, and goals. They truly believe their product and service will help the customer. Solving the customer’s problem becomes their #1 priority. The entire business feels the positive impact of their unselfish goals.”
What products in your fitness room will help your customers? Use what you’ve learned about them to decide what to feature.
Do you have Precor networked cardio in your fitness center? If so, make sure that you have a Preva account. When you’re giving a tour you can simply use your phone to login. Show them how you’re automatically logged in to your Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, etc. and how you have access to all of your saved workouts and goals. Offer to help them download the Preva app and set-up a free account right on the spot.
How about Wellbeats virtual fitness classes? Show them how to look up their favorite kind of workout. Offer them a free one-year subscription to the classes when they sign up for a lease so they can workout in their own apartment.
Is the Expresso GO bike in your fleet of cardio equipment? Let them see all of the different workouts available such as HIIT games (chasing the dragons is one of our favorites), on-demand indoor cycling and racing your own best time. Plus, they can compete with others and show off their skills on social media.
Do they like working out with a friend? If your fitness center is large enough then we’ve probably set you up with 2’s for this very reason. Do you have 2 spin bikes together? 2 treadmills? Remind them how great it will be to have their buddy with them to motivate and provide support (If their friend isn’t already a resident, perhaps you can mention your referral incentive program).
Don’t forget to give them some quiet time. Let them wander around the fitness center if they want to. Don’t bombard them with words, but be available to answer questions. Allow them to picture the benefits of calling your property home. Help them to feel good about your property.
And finally, don’t forget to continue to remind them how they felt on their tour. Follow-up with specific items that you know they were excited about.
www.multihousingnews.com “Final steps to speak to your new lead include a final push roughly five to seven days after the initial point of contact. This could include a new promotion, personal invitation to an upcoming social event or highlighting upgrades to amenities that differentiate your community from the competition. In bringing the conversation back full circle, you complete the initial follow-up with points of self-interest, demonstrating both strong communication and listening skills that reflect positively upon your community.”
FINAL TIPS
Keep listening to your residents. When you leave the lines of communication open with patience and good customer service your residents will feel at home and happy. This will allow you to find those holes in your offering that you may need to fill to continue earning their business.
Plus, when your residents are happy they will help you to keep bringing in new residents.
Use your Precor networked cardio: Incentivize your residents to review your property on social media. Advertise events so they feel the benefits of being a part of a community. Encourage them to bring a friend to the fitness center with referral incentives.
We’d love to assist you in in getting these messages out to your residents.
We know you’ve got a great team. We’d love to support you in making the most of your fitness room. That might mean an update to ensure your fitness center is adding value to your property. It might be as simple as creating a document for you that gives you ideas on what to highlight during your tours.
We are ready to do what we can to assist your property to succeed. Contact us today!