The influence of property management rating websites is exponentially growing among users in the United States. Online reviews have been shown to impact 67.7% of purchasing decisions, and many consumers say positive reviews help to create trust in local businesses.

Many of our prospects and residents post reviews about our communities on Yelp, Google, and Facebook. These reviews are then read by prospects, often before they even contact us, as part of their search process.

What are Essex’s Reputation Management Goals?

In partnership with Operations, our Reputation Management team is working toward the following goals:

• Continue to humanize Essex as a company with a Simple. Human. Response. Make residents feel heard and valued by responding to all posts. Build credibility and provide transparency for residents and prospects.
• Turn negative feedback into actionable solutions.
• Strengthen and promote a positive online image.

How does Essex support reputation management?

• Reputation monitoring and reporting through Chatmeter.
• Publicly responding to every review on Facebook, Google, and Yelp with support from Essex corporate communications
• Identify and effectively manage crises, negative chatter, areas of opportunity.
• Partner with communities to improve ratings across the portfolio.

Why is it important to respond to online reviews and feedback?

• Increase leads to leases by improving Google rankings. The more a business responds to reviews, the higher it will rank in local Google searches. By boosting your Google rank, you can turn these leads into leases.
• Show customers we are listening. By publicly addressing all feedback, we reinforce our respect for prospects and residents.
• Provides a competitive edge.
  • When apartment searching, prospective residents reference online reviews, often before they even contact us.
  • Research indicates that negative online reviews can impact a prospect’s interest in a community.

Learn more about the reputation management process on our Chatmeter page.