CHICAGO—For multifamily operators, online reputation management has never been more important. Apartment shoppers scour sites like Yelp and Google to see what current residents think of a community. They also want to see how a community responds to critical feedback and how responsive they are to the needs of residents.
GlobeSt.com recently caught up with Kim Morgan, marketing manager for the Oak Brook, IL-based owner and operator JVM Realty. A vocal advocate of the benefits of ORM, Morgan discussed the common mistakes operators make in their online responses, the value that less-than-positive feedback can provide and emerging trends in the practice.
How important is online reputation management in today's multifamily industry?
Morgan: It's essential for success. With the rise of apartment rating websites, prospects are relying very heavily on online reviews and feedback to select their next home. In fact, 91.4% of apartment shoppers use online reviews and ratings to at least some extent when they're looking for their next home. That's according to a study that Kingsley Associates performed for RentPath. In short, if you're not responding to online reviews promptly and professionally, you're putting your communities at a significant competitive disadvantage.
In a general sense, describe your online reputation management program and how your communities respond to both positive and negative reviews alike.
Morgan: It can be overwhelming to manage all the different platforms on which people can leave a review these days. So our communities use a tool that connects to all the review platforms. The program sends an alert whenever a review has been left, and serves as a venue to view and respond to all the reviews in one place. Our community managers respond to every review — both positive and negative — within 24 hours. For positive reviews, our community managers respond by thanking that resident. On the flip side, when responding to negative reviews, it's critical that our community managers make it clear that they care, they're taking the feedback seriously, and they're committed to addressing and rectifying the issues people bring up.
In your mind, what are the most common mistakes and biggest no-nos of online reputation management?
Morgan: First and foremost, I think the biggest mistake is being defensive in response to negative reviews. We're in this era of corporate transparency, and people like to see businesses holding themselves accountable. We put a heavy emphasis on using a calm and respectful tone when engaging unhappy residents online. Also, ignoring reviews altogether – especially the bad ones – is just as bad as providing a combative response. Ignoring reviews will slowly chip away at your reputation.
You obviously don't want to see a lot of negative reviews, but these reviews can still provide invaluable market research. How do online reviews help you implement better onsite operations?
Morgan: At JVM we say, “feedback is a gift,” and we truly have that attitude when it comes to reviews – even negative ones. Online reviews provide an excellent opportunity to get what amounts to free market research. Of course, one angry resident may blow something out of proportion. But when you see consistent comments about one particular thing or another, then you know there's something that needs to be addressed. For example, we have found that online feedback has really helped us optimize our amenity packages. Our fitness centers, off-leash pet parks and package delivery systems have all benefitted from our online reviews. My advice to those in the industry would be to not get down at a one-star review, but to extract some real value from the feedback provided. You have the review: now do something with it and then make it clear on review sites that you took that action.
Do you see any big emerging trends in online reputation management?
Morgan: I think online reviews and rankings are going to play an ever-larger role in a community's Google rankings and search engine optimization programs. I believe search engines already are starting to analyze reviews and responses more intensely. I think another trend is a more centralized approach to online reputation management within apartment companies. More operators want to make sure their community's responses have the same tone and approach. Review sites present an opportunity for residents and prospects to directly interact with your brand, and operators want to make sure the right messages are always coming across.
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Brian J. Rogal
Brian J. Rogal is a Chicago-based freelance writer with years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, most notably at The Chicago Reporter, where he concentrated on housing issues. He also has written extensively on alternative energy and the payments card industry for national trade publications.
