Survey reveals mobile devices as valuable apartment hunting tool

When it comes to hunting for their next apartment, renters are accessing property information on the go using smartphone and tablets to search and browse online, according to a new Mobile, Search and Renters study from Apartment Finder, a multi-family, multi-platform resource for apartment shoppers.

Nearly all, 97 percent, of apartment seekers who used a mobile device in their search process considered it a valuable tool, with 48 percent asserting it as “essential” and 49 percent stating it as “helpful.”

The national study of over 1,500 renters also reveals that mobile leads convert, as 73 percent of mobile device users contacted someone to view an apartment based on their search. The growth potential in mobile search usage is significant, with 85 percent of non-users stating they’d consider using a mobile device in their next apartment search.

“What our latest study confirms is that apartment renters, like consumers overall, are adopting easier, faster ways to access information on the go, and in this case, it’s when they are looking for their next apartment home,” says Marcia Bollinger, president of Apartment Finder.

The Apartment Finder Mobile Renters study found that the activities conducted most often from a mobile device were:

• 72 percent viewed photos and videos of apartments
• 68 percent found details, price, description, amenities and contact information
• 59 percent searched by city
• 53 percent inquired for more information about an apartment community
• 45 percent located an apartment community with GPS
• 36 percent downloaded an apartment search app
• 24 percent shared listing information with friends and family

Bollinger adds, “What’s even more compelling about these survey findings, particularly for property managers and apartment communities, is that mobile users are not only browsing on their devices, but taking action to contact someone to view the listing. This is powerful insight for anyone in the business of leasing apartments. Now is the time to leverage mobile tools to reach renters in leasing mode, right when they are actively engaged in their search process.”

“Mobile is a complementary to our print and web offerings. We use our magazines to drive traffic online. We track the results and see our peak traffic on our website on Monday and Tuesday, but our peak traffic on mobile is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - when people are on the go,” says Bollinger.