3 Out-Of-The-Box Ways To Reach Potential Renters

By Danielle Wirsansky on May 7, 2018

In a college town, there is no shortage of student renters on the prowl, looking for properties to rent and live at. If you are a property owner and/or manager in a college town, then you have a very large pool of potential renters at your disposal. The only thing is, it can be hard to reach those students and make sure they know about your property when there are so many of them.

Despite this downfall, the pros of renting properties to students in a college town far outweigh the cons. It just calls for a little creative marketing to make sure that the students know about your property, that it is available and there, ready for the taking (or the moving in). So how do you tap into the resource that college students present? Read on to learn some out-of-the-box ways to reach potential renters!

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Attending On-Campus Events

If college students are your target for potential renters, then you need to go to the mother lode, the primary source that produces a college student—a college campus. Colleges and Universities hold events on campus all the time to help students get access to all of the city’s resources without having to leave campus. Be a part of those events and tap right into that resource!

The colleges often hold housing events or fairs where many local property owners and managers can rep their properties and talk directly to students. But you do not have to just be limited to housing fairs! Sponsor an event—when the campus has a spring fling, see if you can get a booth. During their Winter Carnival, get a booth. You might have to make a small investment to keep your booth a little festive and fun and not completely focused on business, but it will be a great and memorable networking opportunity for your property among so many college students at once. It is a good way to get your name out there and make a positive impression.

Often when you help to sponsor events on campus as well, the university will allow you to leave brochures and other sorts of fliers at select locations on campus as well which will definitely help you to attract more potential renters.

Merchandise

Another great way to attract potential student renters is to get and hand out merchandise that advertises your property. But it should not just be any old merchandise, it should be catchy merchandise that really appeals to your pool of student renters. A magnet for an apartment complex they have never heard of? A student will throw that out. A pair of cheap and tacky sunglasses with a name on them? A student might not even take one. Perhaps the only thing more disheartening then giving out merchandise and not drumming up any more business is being unable to even hand the merchandise out because no one is interested in accepting it.

Show that you, your company, and your property are in touch with the needs of these potential student renters by giving them merchandise they will actually be excited about. Workout tanks are great options as well as travel mugs. However, just as important as what the merchandise is objectively, is how it is designed. A lackluster design will hardly help grab in a renter even if the object is desirable. A work out tank is useful—a drab shirt with a poorly made design on it is not something that anyone wants to wear.

Make sure that your designs, your logos, and even the materials of your merchandise are quality. Cheaply made and poorly designed items will attract no one and will not help you in the long run. Make the investment and do the merchandise right so that there is a payoff at the end, rather than you wasting your time and money.

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Community Partners

It is all good and well to try and market yourself and your property alone, but haven’t you heard the proverbs, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much,” or “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else?” Working together means working smarter instead of harder. So who can you collaborate with? Your community partners, of course! There are many local businesses surrounding your property that would be more than happy to cross promote with you. For example, if the local restaurant will put out your fliers, then you will use them to cater an on-site event you are hosting for your residents. It does require a little bit of give and take, but the end result will definitely help you to expand your pool of potential student renters and get the word out more with little additional effort on your part.

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