Apartment Complex Marketing (renters)

[SFAGENT1337]

Hello, i am new to this website and just wanting to get some outside opinions and stories to implement with my marketing and sales techniques.

Anyway... i've just moved to a new state... new office... new systems... etc. and i'm trying to get back on my feet so i can earn this salary they have given me to transfer.

Apartments were always a strong source for renters insurance... which as many of my State Farm affiliates know, is also one of the easiest products to multi line.

Here in Maryland where i am now it seems that most of the apartments already are working with companies. Which is why i come here.

1) What are the rules that State Farm has limiting referrals and marketing techniques with apartment managers not just complexs?
2) What type of General contract do Apartment Management companies enter into with companies like Brethen and First American to recieve all of there Renters Insurance referrals?
3) What are some other techniques or stories that people are using to get the renters insurance referrals and relationships established with the Apartment managers?

Thanks in advance for your time

And i am a sales/marketing rep for my office not the actual agent

 

[lifesettlementadvisor]

I've never sold renters insurance...is there any money in it? or do you have to write 1000s of apps to see a profit?

 

[Soaringagent]

There isn't much commission in Renters Insurance, but if you can cross-sell auto or health, then it might be a good source.

 

[Slim]

Soaring Agent,

I'm new here and don't have your posted message in front of me but will hopefully give you some sound marketing advise for your Apartment dilemma (marketing renter's insurance and getting referrals from apartment managers/leasing agents). Hopefully others may profit from it also .

1) I suggest you do not concern yourself with the company rules when crafting your plan of attack. I suggest you fill up the tank with notes and information and facts and figures and offers and benefits and sales material and anything else you could get your hands on. Organize it and start picking out what you like . Set deadlines.

Weed out what is against the rules later before breaking the rules (if breaking them is to to your detriment or to company or agent detriment) .
Some rules are made to be broken by some people in some circumstances.
Remember, you can always ask for forgiveness but if you ask permission, you may not even have the opportunity to test your plan.

Use your own judgement. Since you are not an agent , you are virtually in the clear.
After all you don't have a license to lose, right?
You seek to increase company and agent bottom line , right? I believe you are the one with most leniency on your side. USE IT.

2) As for the normal structure of referral agreement , do your research for the area. Ask your own agents. It is probably a mutually beneficial agreement. You may uncover a lot of pre-existing relationships already in force.

3) Put your research in the mix and again, do not worry with the limitations. People will do business with people they like. If you start off trying to break the bank , good for you but remember marketing tasks usually do not pay off immediately.

At least you have salary to get your plan together.

4) Start crafting a letter of introduction to your decision makers who let you in a complex. Your company probably already has plenty of material for starting your task .

Craft some messages to the renters also and let your renters show support for your endeavor . Run a poll or do survey research. Get residents and employees involved with your process. If a certain method is new or old , it doesn't matter. What matters is results.

5) Remember you may not get a lot of people to sign on initially , you probably have to touch base with the same target over and over.

6) Pick a goal of a certain mileage radius and work 100 apartments complexes or less and try to get response. Your area may be experiencing tremendous growth in renters and loss in single family dwellings (traditional houses).

7) Make relationships with your agents in area and fight for them and work for them and they will support you more than you can imagine if they believe you are sincere and have potential.
If they see the profit for their agency and know the need to diversify then you can easily and quickly make more success than otherwise.

8) Use direct mail , telephone, post-card, internet, email, classifieds , trade journals etc. to start.

Put an approach together to introduce yourself.

Let people know you are with excellent company and why you transferred and build yourself as an expert in helping your agents build relations with and serve the community. Let people know you have excellent product and history and claims agents and multiple lines ,etc.

Start off with a focused approach and build in a shotgun approach.
Learn what your market wants and build your message around it.
If your company hired you and transferred you for the sales and marketing position it seems they trust you enough to get it done.

9) In my opinion these basics of research, deadline to implement initial steps , action to carry out plan , and multi-step process of building relationships and getting results will take you far.

10) Focus on what client wants.
Apartment owners leasors, managers, etc. may or may not already have licensed personnel in complex.
The attainment of exclusive contract, in my opinion should come as a result of your doing things right and building trust that allows you to naturally bring up your company desire.

If complex wants a new or replacement agreement, they should eventually let you or your company know because they are impressed with your ability to keep the renters happy and because you work within their parameters and you get their kind words and gestures because they genuinely believe in what you offer and can do for their residents.

11)Make sure whatever you do is not boring!

12) This quick list may be too simple or too wordy , but it will work. For anybody who uses it.
Most people do not use these principles but the ones who do are set apart as leaders in the field.

13) Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

14) By now you should have a lot of research complete and you should have alot of ideas , some of which may or may not agree with this list.

15) Use your confidence the company has in you and build your support network to make and carry out your plan. Stay positive and build momentum.

Best,
Slim

 

[Slim]

Soaring Agent,

I'm new here and don't have your posted message in front of me but will hopefully give you some sound marketing advise for your Apartment dilemma (marketing renter's insurance and getting referrals from apartment managers/leasing agents). Hopefully others may profit from it also .

1) I suggest you do not concern yourself with the company rules when crafting your plan of attack. I suggest you fill up the tank with notes of information , facts , figures , offers , benefits ,sales material and anything else you can get your hands on. Organize it and start picking out what you like . Set deadlines.

Weed out what is against the rules later before breaking the rules (if breaking them is to to your detriment or to company or agent detriment) .
Some rules are made to be broken by some people in some circumstances.
Remember, you can always ask for forgiveness but if you ask permission, you may not even have the opportunity to test your plan.

Use your own judgement. Since you are not an agent , you are virtually in the clear.
After all you don't have a license to lose, right?
You seek to increase company and agent bottom line , right? I believe you are the one with most leniency on your side. USE IT.

2) As for the normal structure of referral agreement , do your research for the area. Ask your own agents. It is probably a mutually beneficial agreement. You may uncover a lot of pre-existing relationships already in force.

3) Put your research in the mix and again, do not worry with the limitations. People will do business with people they like. If you start off trying to break the bank , good for you but remember marketing tasks usually do not pay off immediately.

At least you have salary to get your plan together.

4) Start crafting a letter of introduction to your decision makers who let you in a complex. Your company probably already has plenty of material for starting your task .

Craft some messages to the renters also and let your renters show support for your endeavor . Run a poll or do survey research. Get residents and employees involved with your process. If a certain method is new or old , it doesn't matter. What matters is results.

5) Remember you may not get a lot of people to sign on initially , you probably have to touch base with the same target over and over.

6) Pick a goal of a certain mileage radius and work 100 apartments complexes or less and try to get response. Your area may be experiencing tremendous growth in renters and loss in single family dwellings (traditional houses).

7) Make relationships with your agents in area and fight for them and work for them and they will support you more than you can imagine if they believe you are sincere and have potential.
If they see the profit for their agency and know the need to diversify then you can easily and quickly make more success than otherwise.

8) Use direct mail , telephone, post-card, internet, email, classifieds , trade journals etc. to start.

Put an approach together to introduce yourself.

Let people know you are with excellent company and why you transferred and build yourself as an expert in helping your agents build relations with and serve the community. Let people know you have excellent product and history and claims agents and multiple lines ,etc.

Start off with a focused approach and build in a shotgun approach.
Learn what your market wants and build your message around it.
If your company hired you and transferred you for the sales and marketing position it seems they trust you enough to get it done.

9) In my opinion these basics of research, deadline to implement initial steps , action to carry out plan , and multi-step process of building relationships and getting results will take you far.

10) Focus on what client wants.
Apartment owners leasors, managers, etc. may or may not already have licensed personnel in complex.
The attainment of exclusive contract, in my opinion should come as a result of your doing things right and building trust that allows you to naturally bring up your company desire.

If a complex wants a new or replacement agreement, they should eventually let you or your company know because they are impressed with your ability to keep the renters happy and because you work within their parameters and you get their kind words and gestures because they genuinely believe in what you offer and can do for their residents.

11)Make sure whatever you do is not boring!

12) This quick list may be too simple or too wordy , but it will work. For anybody who uses it.
Most people do not use these principles but the ones who do are set apart as leaders in the field.

13) Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

14) By now you should have a lot of research complete and you should have alot of ideas , some of which may or may not agree with this list.

15) Use your confidence the company has in you and build your support network to make and carry out your plan. Stay positive and build momentum.

Best,
Slim

 

[fastrack1]

Soaring Agent,

1) I suggest you do not concern yourself with the company rules when crafting your plan of attack.

Weed out what is against the rules later before breaking the rules (if breaking them is to to your detriment or to company or agent detriment) .
Some rules are made to be broken by some people in some circumstances.
Remember, you can always ask for forgiveness but if you ask permission, you may not even have the opportunity to test your plan.

Use your own judgement. Since you are not an agent , you are virtually in the clear.
After all you don't have a license to lose, right?
You seek to increase company and agent bottom line , right? I believe you are the one with most leniency on your side. USE IT.

Wow! See you in court someday. I'm glad you don't work for me.

People will do business with people they like.

Good advice. Our apartment managers like us, so they send us business.

4) Start crafting a letter of introduction to your decision makers who let you in a complex. Your company probably already has plenty of material for starting your task.

I'd recommend that you consistently visiting the complexes, instead of sending letters that no one reads.

Craft some messages to the renters also and let your renters show support for your endeavor . Run a poll or do survey research. Get residents and employees involved with your process. If a certain method is new or old , it doesn't matter. What matters is results.

You will have a hard time getting the complexes to allow you access directly to their renters to do this. You usually have to go through the manager, which by the way, changes about every six months and is usually a lady under the age of 30.

5) Remember you may not get a lot of people to sign on initially , you probably have to touch base with the same target over and over.

Ditto.....

6) Pick a goal of a certain mileage radius and work 100 apartments complexes or less and try to get response. Your area may be experiencing tremendous growth in renters and loss in single family dwellings (traditional houses).

Ditto.....

7) Make relationships with your agents in area and fight for them and work for them and they will support you more than you can imagine if they believe you are sincere and have potential.
If they see the profit for their agency and know the need to diversify then you can easily and quickly make more success than otherwise.

Starting to wax eloquent over renters insurance....

8) Use direct mail , telephone, post-card, internet, email, classifieds , trade journals etc. to start.

Not worth all the money for renters insurance. Just consistently visit the apartment managers and get them to include your flyers or info in all their new member packages. You don't make enough money on renters to justify all this additional cost (particularly with SF).

Put an approach together to introduce yourself.

Very important!!!

12) This quick list may be too simple or too wordy , but it will work. For anybody who uses it.
Most people do not use these principles but the ones who do are set apart as leaders in the field.

Definitely too wordy....are we still talking about renter's insurance?

13) Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

Thanks.......


Also curious if you are not the agent, why is your username SFAGENT1337? If that is the agent code, couldn't we figure out exactly who you work for and who you are? Just wondering???

 

[Slim]

Thanks for the critique fasttrack1 .

Slim

 

[1manshow]

We tried marketing to renters several years ago and decided it had no positive ROI...until.... we started marketing to the complex owners and insuring their buildings. We showed them how we could get them a 20% discount if their lease required their tenants to carry insurance and name them as certificate holder/additional insureds. We drafted a letter for the owner to distribute to the tenants and suggested they purchase from "their agent" for a seamless communication pipeline. Amazing results !

Good luck in your efforts.

 

[saieddie]

Thats a great idea. I'm going to have to add that to my marketing now. Usually, renters suck up your time and resources, but getting the complexes might make it profitable.

 

[xrac]

We tried marketing to renters several years ago and decided it had no positive ROI...until.... we started marketing to the complex owners and insuring their buildings. We showed them how we could get them a 20% discount if their lease required their tenants to carry insurance and name them as certificate holder/additional insureds. We drafted a letter for the owner to distribute to the tenants and suggested they purchase from "their agent" for a seamless communication pipeline. Amazing results !

Good luck in your efforts.

That is the type of creative thinking that it takes! Thanks!