Let’s face it, the pandemic has drastically changed how we conduct our daily lives. Grocery shopping has moved to grocery delivery. Going out to dinner has changed to going to pick up take-out. Business meetings are now being conducted primarily over video conferencing. The need to maintain social distancing has accelerated our dependency on technology to handle day-to-day activities. Leasing an apartment is no different. On-site tours of properties have been replaced with virtual tours. Leasing teams are conducting tours over FaceTime or using virtual touring software to showcase the community and apartment amenities. The need to leverage technology to connect to renters is more important than ever.

Many properties have closed their leasing office or reduced their hours to comply with state and local regulations. That can impact the experience of today’s rental prospect. If you are not available to answer calls, then you are missing leasing opportunities.

The virtual leasing experience is here, and it all starts with the initial communication from a prospect. They want to get their questions answered, tour your property and sign the lease from the comfort of their current home. So, is your property “virtually open” 24/7? If not, don’t worry you can add a virtual leasing assistant that will ensure you never miss another leasing opportunity. Just make sure you do your homework as not all virtual assistants are created equal.

ACE, LeaseHawk’s virtual leasing assistant, is the only omni-channel solution that offers voice, chat and text. So, you can engage with prospects on their preferred communication channel. With a brain powered by Google AI and a human-like voice, ACE engages with prospects conversationally and acts like a search engine for your property by providing all of the unique information that sets your community apart.

Check out these 5 virtual assistant benefits you can’t afford to miss:

1. No more missed calls

Missed calls are missed leasing opportunities. The average apartment community misses 49% of all calls. If you want to be competitive and offer the best customer experience you need to make sure that you have a solution in place to capture every incoming call. It is not just the after hours calls that you are missing, it’s also calls  during business hours when your team is giving tours or assisting residents.

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2. Gives you peace of mind by offering a consistent customer experience

ACE never sleeps so you can. ACE will give your prospects the same, consistent experience across every communication channel. It’s like having a leasing agent on your team that works around the clock to answer over 160 leasing questions, collect guest card information and set appointments when your team is unavailable. Speaking of setting appointments, 31% of prospect calls resulted in an appointment set by ACE in 2020 (Based on data collected April 25 - May 25, 2020). Knowing you have a consistent and efficient back-up leasing team member in your corner can really help you sleep at night.  

3. Saves money by reducing call center costs

If you currently use a call center to answer after hour calls and calls when your leasing team is unavailable, you know it can be expensive. When it comes to optimizing your budget, it’s all about re-allocating dollars. ACE costs half the price of a typical call center. Just imagine having 50% of your spend back in your budget! That can make a huge impact on your community.

4. Enables you to offer an omni-channel experience

ACE is the industry’s only virtual assistant that gives your prospects the ability to engage on three channels, voice, chat and text. Over 80% of prospective renters start their search from a mobile device and it’s hard to find information on a tiny screen. Make it easier for them to find the information they need by giving them the option to chat via your website or text your property. This enables you to respond to them instantly and on their terms.

5. Staying “virtually” open 24/7

Amazon has been one of the companies that has thrived during the pandemic. They make it so easy and convenient for us to shop around the clock and quickly get our items delivered. So now, as shoppers, we have an expectation that the experience should be easy and convenient no matter what we are shopping for. Leasing an apartment is no different. If your property isn’t responsive, the prospect will move on to the next option.  

“ACE has been a valuable contribution to our business because it allows us to be available to prospects 24/7 … whether it’s 2 a.m. or 3 p.m. when the office is tied up with a resident or tour,” says Cherise Soulliere, Director of Organization Development for City Club Apartments.

We hope you have gained some valuable insight into some of the key benefits you can gain by leveraging a virtual leasing assistant. ACE will not only give you peace of mind, it will give you a competitive edge by allowing you to connect and in engage with prospects on their terms day or night.

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Give ACE a try, call or text (480) 571-1339. Ask it any common leasing question, book a tour or ask for availability—you'll see why having a virtual leasing assistant can offer so many benefits!