The following companies and/or services are great
supporters of the apartment industry and are here to
make your lives easier! Visit their websites for more
information. Do you know of a great site? Please tell
me about it! Send me an e-mail.
Action Marketing – Direct mail and brochure designer / bulk mail facility
One of the many ways that property managers attract new customers is through the targeted use of direct mail at competitive properties. While it is possible to do this yourself, I always recommend the use of a bulk mail handling facility. Action Marketing is a terrific bulk mail company in southeast Florida with friendly people and the expertise to get your project sent out quickly and efficiently. 561-743-7351. |
|
Accurate Business Mailers – Direct mail handler / facility
This is another terrific bulk mail handler based in St. Louis with extensive experience in direct mail projects. They can lead you through the design process all the way to a response system to see how well your mailer “worked”. (314) 231-8220 |
|
Apartment Cards – Direct mail
A company that specializes in post cards and business
cards for the apartment industry. High quality glossy
card stock is used and their account execs can take
you through all the steps of the design process, plus
sell you targeted mailing lists. 888.394.9131 x. 206 |
|
AptConnect – Resident portal, online payments, etc.
This is a terrific new resource which combines the aspects of a fully-featured portal website, with maintenance requests and online payment options, with the aspects of a social networking site like Facebook. The idea is that by furthering interaction between apartment residents, you create a community rather than just a place to live. This reduces turnover and creates lasting friendships. Especially valuable for smaller management companies that cannot integrate all of these features into their websites on their own, AptConnect can do it for you. 832.978.3935 |
|
Call Source and Who’s Calling – Call tracking services
If you aren't using a call tracking service currently, you simply cannot be sure you are getting the most out of all of your print advertising. There are two major companies who provide this tracking data, Call Source and Who’s Calling. They are both great friends to the industry and offer distance-learning via their websites, marketing tips and advertising ideas in addition to unique 800 number services.
|
|
Creativity For Rent – Creative design firm
Lori Snider and her amazing team of creative design professionals specialize in cutting-edge branding and collateral materials for apartment communities. From a basic brochure redesign, to a whole new creative concept from property signage to door hangers, Creativity For Rent can do it all! Lori is also a sought-after speaker on marketing and management issues and a treasure trove of knowledge. 877.313.3743 |
|
Digital Bistro – logo and identity development
A full-service creative resource with a focus on multi-family
housing. They work with REITs, developers and managers
nationwide, providing logo and identification services,
websites, direct mail and brochures. They have won the
top Pillars of the Industry award 4 out of the last
5 years and the top CAMME award 4 of the last 4 years. 505.896.3330 |
|
DZAP – Marketing and collateral materials
This firm is a leading national marketing agency serving the multifamily housing industry. They assist owners and property management companies drive traffic to their communities and accelerate rentals and sales. They have extensive experience in brochure design, rebranding and positioning of apartment assets. 619.233.4700
|
|
EarthTalk Studios – Multimedia Course Design
A fellow Montana small business, Earth Talk studios has done some truly impressive multimedia design including websites and “tours” of museums and much more. I have been working with them on developing numerous cd-rom and dvd courses, coming in the fall of 2008 to The Apartment Guy website. 406.587.1456 |
|
efocus – Websites for property managers
In addition to hosting, expanding and maintaining the Apartment Guy website, e-focus has extensive experience in working with property management companies and real estate agencies and has developed a number of sites that integrate real-time listings and availability. They also developed the terrific freerentalfinder.com website with rental information for select cities in the Rocky Mountain west. Jim and Cari are terrific to work with and will get you a great site up and running quickly. 406.656.9486 |
|
Ellis Property Management Services – Shopping services and apartment data
This is the leader in apartment shopping services, from phone and Internet shops to live and in-person. Mystery Shopping is a method of anonymously evaluating how well and how consistently community personnel are carrying out standards, policies and procedures. A shop evaluates and monitors onsite leasing professionals while providing instructive and stimulating feedback. Each Shopping Report can become a mini-seminar on leasing and can be used as a powerful training tool to measure current and ongoing leasing performance. The company has been going strong since 1984. 888-988-3767
|
|
FlyerPower.com – Ready-made marketing solutions
Flyer Power is the solution to providing communities with professional marketing items. The Flyer Power Package contains the software, idea book, and templates for more than 1200 flyers, cards, and brochures. The items produced can be personalized in minutes, saving precious time and allowing you to create professional, graphically interesting pieces in just minutes. (866) 642-6523
|
|
Folders Direct – inexpensive folders and brochure holders
This is the company to go to for custom printed folders for your property brochures, move-in packets, outreach marketing folders and more. All they do is folders, and they do them fast, cheap and perfectly! Don't let the cost of the folder eat up your entire print budget – get it direct and save a bundle. 888.365.3377 |
|
Fource – logo and identity development
A great agency from Dallas that specializes in apartment
community advertising, web design, signage and collateral
materials. They can also design you a logo and identity
from scratch. Visit their website to see some great
examples of their work! 214.630.2125 |
|
iContact and Constant Contact – e-mail marketing to prospects and/or your current residents
E-mail marketing is not just a great idea for your prospects, but is also the best way to communicate with your current residents in a timely way. If your property management system doesn’t already have a tool for this in place, you can use an inexpensive e-mail marketing service such as these two to design e-mails from a template, handle list management and response.
|
|
JM Austin – Apartment renter mailing lists
This is a company with extensive experience in direct mail and providing renter lists for your mail campaigns. They are the premier provider of community specific apartment renters lists nationwide – apartment renters address lists by community. Not just a huge bulk mail warehouse, but a company that understands property management and the needs of a targeted, lean direct-mail campaign. 215.968.4434
|
|
Judo Marketing – Full service design firm
This is a comprehensive marketing company providing everything from logo design, brochures, stationary, to larger branding concepts, e-mail marketing and web design. They provide outstanding work at an affordable price. 866.905.2410 |
|
Keystone Resources – creative design and presentations
Julie Irvin’s fantastic company can do it all, design financing project proposals for new construction multifamily, military and corporate housing developments, cutting-edge training materials designed from scratch, and all sorts of e-goodies. Julie got her start running presentations for Walt Disney Company and has used her skills in the apartment industry for more than ten years. Her company also offers technology training and the exciting new Electronic Leasing Toolkit. 713.874.0162 |
|
Kinsley Dale – Website development and hosting provider
Developers of the initial Apartment Guy website and design concept and many cutting-edge internet presences from divergent businesses, Kinsley Dale is a web design and internet marketing firm that is uniquely positioned to suit a property manager's, landlord's, and an investor's needs because they design using direct input from experienced property managers. Their team consists of seasoned individuals who understand the demands of tenants and managers alike. A great resource! 319-239-5909 |
|
Logoworks – Logo and identity development
Looking for a great new logo, but on a bad, old budget? The creative team at Logoworks is a great resource to help you clean up your look. They have easy template designs to choose from, or can create a totally custom identity from scratch. 800.210.7650 |
|
Modern Postcard – Direct mail printer
Direct mail campaigns can be risky and very expensive;
but this company helps to minimize your costs and make
the process easy. The nation's largest company dealing
in direct mail and postcards, Modern Postcard offers
great tools to design your cards, mail them out, design
target lists and more. Plus, they have great pricing
starting as low as $200! Definitely a good way to get
your feet wet to make sure direct mail works for your
company. 800-959-8365 |
|
Net Mystery Shopper – Call tracking service for advertising
This great service helps properties understand how their personnel are responding to internet leads. Started by an industry trail blazer and now managed by a well respected apartment industry internet team, this service provides mystery shopping services via the web or telephone. So many internet leads are never responded to. Even more receive ineffective “auto-responder” e-mails and no personal communication. Do you know if any leads are slipping through the cracks at your communities? Invest in a little mystery for your company today. 888.678.3869 |
|
Online Print House – Inexpensive digital printer
This is another great printing resource to consider for business cards, small brochures, envelopes, labels and more. They have easy ways to order and quick turnaround time on full-color print jobs. 866.323.2400 |
|
Patrick Davis Communications – Public relations, branding and image management for large companies
A number of property management companies have gotten on the branding band-wagon, and a management company considering this needs a professional company with extensive experience in branding and public relations. I highly recommend the work and creative folks at Patrick Davis Communications. 314-436-9333 |
|
PrintingForLess.com – Online full-service print shop
This is an amazing operation based in a small town in Montana, but delivering high-end printed materials to companies worldwide. Easy to work with and very professional, they are focused on getting your print job done quickly and with the highest quality and customer service. From business cards to brochures, media kits to signage, they will see you through to a successful job. 800.930.6040
|
|
Property Link – Online data manager
Spending your valuable time going from website to website just isn’t effective in today’s fast paced environment. This service allows you to send data to any and all marketing sources, the different internet and apartment publications you depend on for accuracy! This is a next-generation web application designed specifically for individuals involved in the online marketing of apartment communities. 877.410.0569
|
|
VaultWare – Realty Data Trust
From the mind of Mike Mueller, this great company with an unfortunate name employs cutting-edge technology to make online advertising work better and smarter for communities and management companies. The VaultWare online leasing solution helps you effectively reach your online customers and convert more leads into leases. It can update your rents automatically on the major rental search sites and provide “real time” availability information to prospects looking to lease, and begin the leasing process through application, reservation and approval. It is integrated with most of the major online ILS’ and can work with your existing property software. 480.905.3670
|
|
