Student Housing Business is the voice of the student housing industry.
Issue link: https://studenthousingbusiness.epubxp.com/i/564824
SMARTER OPERATIONS STUDENT HOUSING BUSINESS .COM JULY/AUGUST 2015 85 texts within 15 minutes, we also ofer a Text-a-resident/Text-a- prospect product that enables communities to cost-efectively reach their residents and pros- pects," Paz says. For EdR, mobile communica- tion — whether it's texts, apps or mobile-friendly web design — is at the core of their mar- keting strategy because they understand who they are trying to reach. "Our market is using smartphone technology all day every day," Casey says. "EdR residents receive community news via text. They renew, pay rent and request maintenance services easily through online portals, which are mobile com- patible. They can reserve ame- nities online through mobile devices via our custom-built iReserve tool." Cardinal Group agrees that to reach students, you have to go to where they live and operate, which is on mobile. "Every new method we employ to reach our demographic revolves around one central strategy: Convenience for prospec- tive and existing residents," Huereque says. "The easier it is to correspond and interact with our team, the higher likelihood that we will receive a high vol- ume of engagement. Everything from scheduling a tour to sub- mitting a work order for repair should be fast, convenient, and accommodating to the needs of our audience." So, what's next for mobile when it comes to student housing? "One thing we have noticed is students are using currency apps that allow them to send money to their friends' bank accounts," Davis says. "This is a generation that will fully embrace their phone as their wallet in the very near future." To leverage this trend, IRIO is looking into a Text-2-Pay plat- form that would allow residents to pay their rent via text mes- sage. Additionally, the compa- ny is getting ready to launch MMS, which will allow student housing operators to add pic- tures, audio clips and videos within their text messages. Video is also one of the ways EdR is looking to evolve its mobile reach. "We are focusing on providing additional oppor- tunities for our onsite teams to showcase their active com- munities through video con- tent," Casey says. "Video is a powerful visual and we want to showcase the resident experi- ence at our properties through all available online advertising channels." Casey adds, "There is a lot of experimenting going on, which is exciting because it's driving innovation and trends across all industries." SHB Kaba ADS Americas 2941 Indiana Avenue Winston-Salem, NC 27105 USA 1.800.849.8324 kaba-adsamericas.com Kaba InSync and 79 Series locks are the top choices for privatized student housing property managers seeking advanced options for managing keys, simplifying operations, and enhancing security. A Kaba system can provide superior access control using RFID credentials, including electronic keys, keycards, wristbands, and fobs. Without mechanical keys to manage or rekeying cylinders, semester turns become more efficient and cost effective. A centrally-managed system minimizes liability and ensures student security with 100% accountability. To learn how properties can make the grade with Kaba solutions that are Tops in Their Class, visit us at: www.kaba-adsamericas.com/psh Tops in Their Class