So you’re taking over a property and you’re ready to hit the ground running on all your marketing to-dos. Congratulations! We’d love to help you with next steps as you grow your portfolio. Property takeovers come with their own set of marketing challenges, but we’ve been around the block a time or two; here’s what you need to know to set your newest acquisition up for success!
Get a Handle on Reputation Management
One of the first things you’ll want to do is claim all the reputation management accounts for your acquired property, transferring the accounts over from the old management. Google My Business should be top of your list; request management of the page and then apply for ownership of the profile using these instructions from Google. You’ll also want to transfer ownership for management accounts on Yelp, Apartments.com, ApartmentRatings.com, and Apartment Guide, or set up management accounts on these sites if they don’t already exist.
Once you’ve claimed your property’s profile on Google My Business, you’ll want to ensure all the info is up-to-date, including contact information and the website URL.
When a property has poor ratings and reviews on reputation management sites like those listed above, you may want to consider a rebrand. A new identity including a new name and logo may help you shake off the effects of previous management mistakes or public relations snafus. If you’re looking for a marketing partner with experience in rebranding, we’re here to help!
Make the Website Work for You
Whether you negotiated for the website and domain or you need to create a new website, there are a few items you’ll need to check off in order to ensure your property’s website works for you.
Firstly, if you need to create a new website or revamp the old one, we recommend partnering with a marketing agency with experience building real estate websites that drive conversions and enhance organic traffic. We can certainly help with that, no matter what your budget looks like (let’s talk if you’re interested). In the meantime, you may want to build a single landing page that can go live while you continue work on your full website (and what do you know, we can help with that too).
If you’re using an existing website, you’ll want to request a domain transfer. The domain provider should have instructions on how to do this. GoDaddy.com is a common one; their instructions can be found here.
Whether you need a new website or not, your next steps are to set up Google Analytics and install new Google Tag Manager code on the site. Have ownership of Google Analytics transferred to you (including all GA that may be on the website; select one to move forward with to act as your primary GA account). If an ownership transfer is not possible, create a new Google Analytics account and add it to the website or have your digital agency create a Google Analytics account for you.
Claim Social Accounts
Social media accounts are essential to strong digital marketing, so it’s crucial that you also transfer ownership of these accounts from previous management.
When it comes to Facebook, you’ll want to first have the prior management add you as an admin of the page. Then you’ll need to go through the more demanding process of contacting Facebook to gain ownership of the page. Then remove any old admins that should no longer have the ability to manage the page.
For Instagram, you’ll simply need to have the previous management update the email address associated with the account, then share their existing login credentials with you so you can access the account and update the login info.
Update Existing Digital Ads (or Create New Ones)
Before launching new digital campaigns, you’ll want to find out if previous management had any running already that you’d like to continue. This may require some digging in Google Ads (ask for the ownership to be transferred by previous management if you haven’t already, instructions here), Facebook Ads Manager, and other ad management accounts. If display ads are running that need to be updated (for example with a new name, logo, or special), have your in-house marketing or agency partner update those for you so your campaigns can continue seamlessly.
Establish Great Email Marketing
As you get all the digital technicalities squared away, don’t neglect the human side of your property takeover. Existing residents want to know they can trust their new management and setting up great email marketing can be a great way to do that. Design a professional, branded email template (or two) you can use from your very first “Nice to meet you” message to every resident event announcement, community update, and holiday greeting to come. You’ll also want professional branded templates for your transactional emails and prospect responses. We just happen to have done plenty of email designs for real estate brands, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re looking for help.
That’s it for our property takeover tips! From reputation management to Google Analytics setup to designing new display ads and email templates, there’s a lot to check off your list to ensure a seamless transition. If you’re looking for more advice or help getting started, we’re happy to put the full force of our digital and creative teams at your back! Reach out to our team to learn more about our full-service agency.
