User Experience, also know as UX, is a popular buzz word used among people creating websites and designing software. However, UX is also a powerful framework for thinking about your rental property.
Get inside the head of your tenants. See what insights emerge.
1. What are the strongest features/benefits at your property?
2. What would a tenant say are the strongest features/benefits?
3. What would your tenants say are the top three best neighborhood features/benefits?
Ok, now take a close look at your answers and ask:
1. Was there a feature/benefit mentioned more than once?
If so, this should grab your attention.
2. What should you do to maintain this feature/benefit?
3. Would your bottom line improve if this feature/benefit was 10% better?
Ok, you should have at least one idea in mind now. And it’s probably clear to you what needs to be done.
Now be a Leading Landlord – TAKE ACTION!
But don’t stop there
1. Connect what your customer sees is important with one of the 16 Drivers of Meaning and Motivation.
2. Update your marketing material so you’re able to quickly connect with future tenants and keep your rental vacancy free.
I’ve put these questions to you (and myself) to help you do some preemptive business planning.
Waiting on Mother Necessity for inspiration is expensive. Be proactive.
To My Surprise – Case Study
I asked my own tenants what they thought where our strongest features\benefits.
They said:
1 – Being able to make rent payments in two parts.
2 – The gated fence
3 – Responsive and attentive landlord, quite neighborhood, and secure entry.
4 – Gate, not having any unnecessary traffic coming through
5 – Being able to access all the freeways quickly
Whereas I would have guessed they would have pointed to the Wi-Fi or affordability.
Clearly the self-closing gates are winners. The “Drivers” that tenants suggest are motivators: Tranquility and Status.
For maintenance: I shoot graphite in the locks to maintain them, but nothing else is needed.
Now, I don’t know how to make the gates 10% better, but there surely are other security issues I could improve.
The Changes I’ll Make
I’ll be sure to:
1 – Make sure all my Craigslist ad headline mention the gates and tweak copy to highlight the peacefulness associated with the complex. Maybe I’ll try to position it as a private club to give it more status.
2 – Start looking for other features to improve security or strengthen a “members only” perception.
Anyway, I’m going to stop focusing on additional landscaping and start following smart key technology. Keyless entry is here, so I’ll start paying attention.
You may also enjoy reading:
How to Quickly Collect Anonymous Tenant Feedback for FREE