Insights & Strategies

Customer experience management

Find out how your property management business can create differentiated experiences and exceed resident expectations.

What renters expect from property management companies

Over the last few years, consumer expectations have dramatically shifted. Renters now expect on-demand, digital experiences, but there’s a gap in what property management businesses are delivering, opening the door for more frequent resident turnover.

Only 24% of renters say that they are likely to recommend their property management company.*

Unsatisfied renters are almost 2x more likely to be planning a move to a different rental.**

Recommendations from friends and family are the third most important source for finding a new rental.**

*Source: 2022 AppFolio Resident Motivations Report **Source: 2023 AppFolio Resident Preferences Report

What customer experience is and why it matters

Customer experience includes all aspects of the customer's (in this case, your renter’s) journey, from their first touchpoint to their ongoing interactions with your business. When renters feel well cared for and have a seamless experience, they are more likely to choose your company, remain loyal, and promote it to others.

“It’s all about satisfying the people that live at our properties and the employees that interact with them and building these personal relationships. That is what drives our business.”

JC Castillo

President & CEO, Velo Residential

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Why you should prioritize customer
experience

Drives higher conversions

A frictionless leasing experience makes it easier for renters to view and apply for units, helping you fill vacancies faster. 

Provides a competitive advantage

When you effectively market your services and offer self-service options, you’ll make a better first impression and build lasting relationships with your renters.

Increases renewals 

Residents who are satisfied with the service your team provides will be more likely to renew their lease, recommend your business, and stay for the long term.

Keys to enhancing your resident experience

Download this free guide to see how you can implement proven customer service strategies to boost resident satisfaction.

Customer experience: How is it measured?

Before you begin to improve your resident experience, it’s important to know where you currently stand when it comes
to customer satisfaction. Here are a few ways you can measure it:

Referrals

How many of your residents are referring you? Take a detailed look at your guest cards to see how many were referred to your community by friends, family, or co-workers, and calculate on average how many of those prospects turn into residents.

Renewal percentage

Check your annual renewal rate and compare it to previous years. It should be at least 45-55%. Reporting technology that’s built into your property management software can simplify this process and make it easier to analyze this data.

Satisfaction with service

To understand your residents’ satisfaction, send out a Net Promoter® Score survey. Once all feedback is received, your NPS will be a number from -100 to +100 — the higher the NPS, the better. You can also leverage integrations that allow you to collect, analyze, and respond to resident feedback.

Want to offer a better resident experience? Follow these best practices

Make life more convenient

Convenience is crucial when it comes to satisfaction. This is why it’s important to implement technology that makes life easier for your renters. Look for a comprehensive system that is user friendly and enables them to complete tasks on demand, such as online applications, rent payments, maintenance requests, and lease renewals.

Communicate more effectively

Improving communication with your residents means more than just increasing contact frequency. It’s about expanding your communication in ways residents want and need. Implement modern communication methods that align with resident preferences and allow your team to respond quickly, such as email, text messaging, and online resident portal access.

Prioritize flexibility

When renters have multiple options rather than a single way of doing things, they will be more satisfied, and you’ll be able to tailor the experience to their needs. Consider offering things like flexible lease terms and rent payments, security deposit alternatives, and self-guided showings to boost satisfaction.

Provide a human touch

Resident satisfaction for your property management business ultimately boils down to empathy. However, this can be hard to provide when your team is bogged down by manual tasks. Look for ways to automate tedious and repetitive processes using AI so your team can focus on providing personalized service to your residents.

Exceed your residents’ expectations with AppFolio Property Manager

Provide exceptional experiences and deliver standout service to renters all in one powerful platform.

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“We are living in the 21st century, and renters want to do everything online. With the AppFolio Online Portal, our residents can log in to make rent payments, view their lease, or read any other documents — it’s huge for them.”