Most Apartment Chatbots Disappoint

It’s true. Most apartment chatbots disappoint.

The use of chatbots is now more widespread than ever. Some even say that 10 years of multifamily technology was created in just 100 days due to the pandemic. Prospects are more than willing, in fact they are seeking, to get instant answers and information from digital resources to make their rental decisions. However, 73 percent won’t use your chatbot again if their experience ends up being a negative one.

If you are looking to add an apartment chatbot to your property’s website, or already have a chatbot, but it doesn’t work as much as you hope, then it's time to listen up!

Keep your eyes on the lookout for these apartment chatbot mistakes and solutions on how you can avoid disappointing your apartment community’s prospects.

Mistake #1: Beware of Menu-Based Bots

Prospects want freedom! Give them the option to communicate and ask questions in their own words. Chatbots that force users down a rabbit-hole of menu-based buttons can make them want to bounce from your website in a blink.

Imagine this scenario: You’re a prospect that’s specifically interested in your apartment home having a private patio. For a menu-based chatbot to answer your question about private patios, you’d most likely have to click through 4+ prompts before maybe being provided an answer about patios.

For faster and more direct service for your prospects, make sure your chatbot uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) in addition to having buttons for quick replies. This will allow the prospect to use their own words to instantly ask your chatbot specific questions that are unique to their needs. Plus, NLP can handle the unpredictable nature of prospects—such as asking the same question several different ways or asking multiple questions in one message. With NLP your chatbot will be able to understand what your prospect is asking and provide them an appropriate answer.

Mistake #2: Lonely Non-Integrated Bots  

Integrations are a bot’s best friend.

If your chatbot can’t be integrated with your Property Management System (PMS) and Customer Relationship Management software (CRM), then it’s probably time to walk away.

According to LeaseHawk data, more than 44% of chatbot conversations include questions related to pricing and availability. To provide this accurately and in real-time, a PMS integration is critical. Prospects are no longer satisfied with price ranges or hidden pricing—it should be readily available, so they can self-qualify themselves and make a leasing decision quickly.

Similarly, the goal of a chatbot is often to convert prospects to a tour. You need a CRM integration to ensure your prospects are booking a date and time for when your leasing team is available or when they can access a unit for a self-guided tour. Without this integration, you may be creating more work for your leasing team, instead of less—which is the whole point of a chatbot!

Mistake #3: Forcing Your Prospects to Chat

Much like how prospects have a preference for their number of bedrooms, they have a preference for how they like to communicate. And not everyone wants to chat.

Your bot should be more than just a chatbot. It should be available to answer their phone calls using voice, engage via text message, and have chat conversations across your ILS postings, social media and more using a chatbot URL link.

Giving your prospects an omnichannel experience is the ultimate in providing a frictionless customer journey—especially when it comes to phone calls. Why? According to LeaseHawk data, more than half of the inbound communications received by properties in 2020 were phone calls. And nearly half of those calls were missed by leasing offices.

Leads that decide to call your property are typically highly motivated and more likely convert to a tour. This is because most prospects self-qualify themselves by using online resources to assist in their home search before deciding to pick up the phone to contact you.  

Missed calls can lead to more than just a frustrated prospect. It can mean a missed leasing opportunity. A bot with voice capabilities can be a cost-effective solution to ensuring every prospect call is answered, 24/7.

How to Set Up Your Chatbot Up for Success

Chatbots are evolving fast. The key to not disappointing your prospects is to ensure your chatbot provider is setting your properties up for success. ACE™ Virtual Leasing Assistant powered by LeaseHawk is the world’s smartest AI-powered leasing agent. It’s so much more than a chatbot. It’s a sales dynamo. ACE is trained by thousands of real prospect conversations and is continuously learning.

With ACE, you will be able to:

• Communicate with your prospects on the communication channel they prefer, including calls, texts, and chats.

• Instantly answer your prospects’ unique inquiries using its AI-powered conversational knowledge, including Natural Language Processing (NLP).

• Boost your teams’ productivity by allowing them to confidently focus on high-value activities while ACE handles incoming calls, texts, and chats.

And most importantly:

ACE grows your bottom line. Compress your sales cycle with a personalized leasing experience for your prospects.

Ready to experience ACE for yourself? Call or text (844) 389-4060 to demo ACE’s voice and text abilities, or click here to experience how ACE can chat with your prospects. Tip: Ask her to tell you a joke!