Online Reputation Remains Important to Residents, Physical Apartment Visits Decline

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J Turner Research dives into resident apartment search and selection behaviors.

J Turner Research is examining resident and prospective resident online behaviors and how they compare to a similar study from 2018. More than 2,200 residents participated in the most recent research—four in five were conventional renters, while 18% were student renters. The purpose of the research is to study resident selection processes and how prospective residents gather available online information such as reviews and manager responses.

Physical visits are down slightly prior to renting apartments—4.22 communities visited compared to 5.2 in 2016. Apartment hunters are also actively researching more than 14 communities prior to renting.

Community reviews are also important for residents, with nearly two-thirds stating they read all reviews. Only 11% said they do not read reviews, while more than a quarter read 4- and 5-star reviews. Online reviews, no matter the time frame, are also vital for a community. More than a fifth of respondents reported past reviews are never irrelevant, while 25% said reviews become irrelevant after two years.

The speed at which a manager responds to reviews also matters to prospective residents. Nearly 60% want a response to a bad review with a solution within 72 hours, while 42% expect a response with 24 hours.

The majority of residents search for their next apartment within 6 months before moving—20% at three months, and 15% at two months. In 2018, roughly 12% of renters started searching at six months, the same as the current research.

When visiting a community, 20% of respondents said their interaction with office staff had a strong influence (10 on a 0-10 scale) on their renting decision. And 55% said staff caring about renters as the most important factor when selecting an apartment. Just shy of a third said online ratings and reviews was most important, while 14% said “other residents are like me” as their top priority.