Live Chat for Multifamily Leasing FAQ
Property Managers of apartment communities and management teams should be strongly considering Live Chat as part of their digital marketing and customer experience strategies. This article is a list of many of the common questions surrounding Live Chat for Multifamily, and should be helpful for learning some of the basic considerations. You can of course dive much deeper in our Multifamily Blog.
If you have a question that isn’t answered here, you can check our FAQ for Yardi Chat IQ - Or you can send us a message on our contact page and we’ll be happy to provide some details.
FAQ: Website Live Chat Services for Multifamily
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What is a website live chat service, and why is it important for an apartment community?
A website chat service allows property managers to communicate with current and prospective residents in real-time through the community’s website and other online channels. It’s important because it enhances customer service, improves response times, and provides a convenient way for residents to get answers to their questions.
Should we use live chat, a chatbot, or a combination of both?
It depends on your community’s needs. Live chat offers personalized, real-time interaction, while chatbots can handle routine inquiries 24/7. A combination can provide the best of both worlds, ensuring round-the-clock support and human interaction when needed.
How do we choose the right chat platform for our apartment community website?
Consider factors like ease of integration, customization options, data security, and whether the platform supports both live chat and chatbots. Look for a platform that integrates easily with your property management software. Here at Leasing Chat we provide our our propriety Live Chat Platform for Multifamily, but we also specialize in managing Yardi Chat IQ for existing Yardi customers.
Can the chat service handle maintenance requests?
Yes, many chat services can be integrated with your maintenance system, allowing residents to submit requests directly through the chat. Some platforms also allow for automated updates on the status of requests.
How is prospect and residents data secure when using Live Chat?
Yes and no. This if course depends on the chat system used, the way it’s integrated, and the way it’s used by leasing agents. Make sure to choose a chat platform that complies with data privacy laws (like GDPR), is setup over SSL, and offers encryption for chat data. Regularly review and update your privacy policies and ensure your staff is trained in data protection.
What are predefined responses, and why are they important?
Predefined responses are pre-written answers to common questions. They help streamline communication, provide consistent information, and improve response times, especially when using a chatbot. There are times when predefined responses are smart to use, and other times when they can inhibit the experience of a customer. It’s best to plan your chat interaction pathways with care, and be considerate of how it effects integration rates, interaction durations, and progress in the leasing sales funnel. Depending on the chat system in use, a Intelligence and Leasing Journey Data and Intelligence System can be very helpful, in conjunction with traditional websites analytics services.
How quickly should we respond to chat inquiries?
For live chat, engagement curtails quickly with slow initial responses. Our Multifamily Contact Center provides initial response times in the sub-30 second range. For in-house management, you should aim to within 1-2 minutes. If a chat request sits idle longer than 2 minutes there is a very high likelihood the prospect has already lost interest. If using a chatbot, ensure it can immediately acknowledge and address common inquiries, with more complex issues escalated promptly.
Can the chat service be used to communicate with prospective residents?
Absolutely. Live Chat on property websites and digital channels is primarily used for prospective residents. It is a powerful tool for answering questions from prospective residents, scheduling tours, and guiding them through the application process.
Is it possible to customize the chat service to match our community’s branding?
Yes, most chat platforms offer customization options for appearance, including colors, logos, and chat window design, so it aligns with your community’s branding. During our onboarding process we will step through all these options with you, and integrate the chat seamlessly into the existing website and company branding.
How can we use the chat service to make announcements to residents?
For certain items, yes, outgoing messages can be triggered to update prospects and residents about special incentives, upcoming events, and potential problems. However, SMS Text is generally a better option for broadcasting messages to all existing residents In our proprietary Live Chat Support Software, we integrate the chat system with SMS Text numbers for each property, so it’s easy to reach residents through text when needed.
Can the live chat service be used on mobile devices?
Yes, most chat services are mobile-friendly and can be accessed via smartphones and tablets, ensuring prospects and residents can connect with you wherever they are. In fact we find that about 40-50% of chat engagements are happening through mobile devices.
How do we handle inquiries that the chatbot cannot answer?
Set up an escalation process where the chatbot forwards complex questions to a live agent or creates a ticket for follow-up. Ensure there’s a smooth transition between the bot and human interaction. This is easier said than done, and does require dedicated staff for monitoring the chat system.
What are the costs associated with implementing a website chat service?
Costs vary depending on the platform, the features chosen, and whether you use live agents. Consider platform fees, integration costs, and any additional staffing needs. If everything is to be done in house these costs are generally higher. Our onboarding and integrations is affordable and baked into the monthly service rates, which can make things simple and transparent. If using Yardi’s Chat IQ system, software rates will be negotiated with Yardi and will depend on portfolio size, and our onboarding fees as part of the Yardi Chat IQ system are minimal. For full pricing details, get a quote.
How can we track the performance of the chat service?
To properly track performance of Live Chat as it relates the outcome of prospect leads (leases signed, denials, etc), there are a few analytics systems needed. Most Live Chat software systems provide analytics tools to monitor metrics like response times, resolution rates, chat volume, and satisfaction ratings. Most property management systems provide analytics tools to monitor metrics like applications, occupancy and renewals. And most website analytics systems track metrics like website visits, duration, and traffic source. However, unless you are using a Leasing Intelligence System to tie all these metrics together into single dashboards and reports, it can be difficult to draw conclusions across all these different systems.
Is it possible to collect feedback from residents through the chat service?
Yes, we recommend both automated surveys and manually triggered surveys depending on the interaction and circumstances. There are several ways to implement this, and it can be very helpful when assessing the utility of the chat system.
Can we integrate a Live Chat service with our CRM or Property Management Software?
Yes, the right Live Chat software can be integrated directly with CRM and PMS systems. It does depend on which systems are already in use, and some Live Chat software systems have more integrations and connections available than others. In the case of Leasing Chat - we can integrate and work within any existing CRM and PMS software stack.
What are the peak hours for chat activity, and how should we staff accordingly?
One of the most important reasons for using a Live Chat system is it allows for connection between properties and prospects outside of leasing office hours. We find that about 50% of all our prospect engagements occur outside of the normal working hours of property staff. By providing Live Chat as a communications channel for prospects and residents, you can now capture those 50% of interested prospects who were previously left to wait. You can staff in-house for these extended hours, or outsource staffing to a multifamily contact center (like ours!), or use a fully automated multifamily property chatbot system. If you’d like some assistance determining what path might be best for you, [please contact us](/contact/ and we will be happy to provide some guidance.
How do we train staff to use the chat service effectively?
Training can be a complex process, and is a job that never really ends in any finite way. When Live Chat is integrated into a leasing workflow, it is an ever-changing and ever-evolving system. There will be continuous ways to improve both the technical aspects of the system, and the effectiveness of the communication and data capture provided by the remote leasing agents. Provide training on the chat platform’s features, best practices for online communication, and customer service skills. Regularly update training as new features are added or the community needs change. And continuously monitor the engagement and analytics of the system to find room for improvement. One of the benefits of using a Live Chat Contact Center like Leasing Chat, is we take care of all of this for the properties and management companies we serve. Live Chat is our job, and we do it well, and constantly work to improve the quality of service we offer prospects and residents.
Can the chat service help reduce the volume of phone calls and emails?
Yes, by providing quick answers to common questions and handling routine requests, the chat service can significantly reduce the number of phone calls and emails, freeing up staff for other tasks.
What kind of questions can live chat answer?
This depends heavily on the way in which Live Chat is being managed and used within the organization. If incoming Live Chat messages are being managed directly by property offices than they can answer every question an onsite Leasing Consultant can answer. However, this setup is often fraught with complications around response times, training, and technical difficulties.
If a multifamily chatbot is being used to respond to incoming Live Chat messages, it can generally answer basic questions surrounding availability, application requirements, amenities, and other simple data points. This is dependent on PMS and CRM integrations, and can often have difficulty with more nuanced or non-specific questions. It is also generally not good at Lead Capture compared to human-to-human interactions.
In between these two is a hybrid system like our multifamily contact center which uses live leasing agents to handle all incoming chats, and is supported through chatbot technology in smart and effective ways to improve efficiency and response times.
Is live chat available 24/7?
This is entirely up to how a property chooses to utilize Live Chat. Here at Leasing Chat we provide 24/7 coverage for incoming chats and calls, utilizing extended hours for live chat (effectively doubling the hours your property office is open each week). And we combine this with intelligent and strategic use of AI chatbots for middle-of-the-night coverage as well, and peak hour support.
In general it is very difficult for in-house teams to manage 24/7 coverage, so it’s often best done through a contracted multifamily call center.
How does live chat capture leads?
Live chat captures leads by collecting contact information from prospective residents during chat interactions on the property websites. This is best done through conversation and gathering pieces of data little by little as part of a conversation pathway. The same Lead Capture data can be gathered through forms and automated chatbots, but the success rates are much lower this way. Having a well tuned conversation pathway, and experienced live chat leasing agents are an essential part of having good Lead Capture through property website live chat systems.
Can live chat escalate complex inquiries to a live agent?
Yes, if a chatbot is being used, it can escalate the conversation to a live agent when it encounters a question it cannot answer. Some systems are better than others at this, some systems have flexibility in the threshold they use to determine when to escalate. However, it’s important to note, that “escalating” to a live agent generally means the chatbot has been ineffective, and the customer is already having a frustrating experience. It’s better to mitigate this issue up front by minimizing the number of direct interactions prospects are having with an automated system.
It’s worth noting that Yardi Chat IQ is often poorly implemented at a property level, and the escalation process is rarely smooth and effective for prospects. If you are using Yardi Chat IQ as an automated solution for your properties, contact us and we’ll be happy to help you understand the best way to use it. Yardi Chat IQ can be massively more effective when used in conjunction with a multifamily Yardi contact center like ours.
How customizable is live chat?
Live chat solutions are highly customizable, allowing you to tailor the chat interface, script, and responses to match your community’s branding and unique needs.
Does live chat support multiple languages?
Many live chat platforms offer multi-language support. Some are better at this than others. It’s important to note, that even if an AI Chatbot has multilingual supports, it’s extremely important to have in-house expertise in the languages you allow the bot to operate in, because otherwise you will have no way to assess what it is actually saying or the way in which it’s being said. This can make it very difficult to improve or adjust the chatbot, design conversation pathways, or for onsite leasing agents to effectively follow up with those prospects and respond to them. If you are looking for a multilingual centralized leasing center, Leasing Chat has you covered. We make it easier to communicate with a diverse audience.
Is live chat compliant with fair housing regulations?
YES! Tax credit compliance and fair housing regulations for multifamily properties are areas where Live Chat can be very effective. One of the biggest issues facing properties with tax credit units is making sure prospects understand the requirements are and supported while determining if they meet those requirements. This requires takes longer conversations to share information and work with prospects on a personal level. This times time, patience, and often the sharing of documentation. All of these can be handled well over live chat, and our live chat leasing agents are well trained in the needs and requirements of these properties. In general automated AI Chatbots do not serve these properties well (currently).
What ongoing maintenance is required for live chat?
From a technical perspective - a Live Chat integration will periodically need updates and technical support. Websites, Live Chat Software, and CRM/PMS systems are continually changing and may require server updates, script updates, or integration updates from time to time. For the most part these needs are minimal, and are dependent on the systems a property is using. Regular monitoring and updating is a necessary part of using these technologies and services.
What happens if live chat provides an incorrect or incomplete answer?
This is a great question, and the answer defines the difference between a basic live chat installation, and a professionally run, continuously improving and monitored live chat service. No matter what chat service you use and who is responding to customer questions, there will inevitably be problems. These problems might be inaccuracies, they might be mistakes, and they might be misunderstandings. To effectively run a live chat support service for your prospects and residents it is vitally important to constantly monitor the interactions, analyze how closely those interactions match with the conversational targets and goals, and determine how the conversational pathways can be improved to limit and reduce the issues.
Please read our blog post about the Continuous Improvement Cycle and how it applies to live chat in the multifamily space. If you are having problems with your current multifamily live chat support system, get in touch with us and we can advise on some considerations to make.
What kind of support is available for live chat?
Most live chat providers offer support through setup assistance, training, and ongoing technical support. Sometimes this is included as part of an annual commitment. Sometimes this work can be done in house if you have a technical team to manage it. In our case at Leasing Chat, we handle all of this for our clients, and we make it easy for operations teams to include extended hours live chat customer support across entire portfolios.
How do we know if live chat is right for our community?
Consider your community’s needs, the volume of resident inquiries, and your current staffing levels. Also consider the importance of a digital presence, and the current state of your digital marketing strategy. If you’re looking to enhance efficiency, provide 24/7 support, and improve lead capture, live chat could be a valuable addition.
For most properties over 50 units, Live Chat Leasing Support can provide many benefits, and can not only improve the customer experience, it can capture more leads, improve occupancy, lead to higher resident satisfaction, AND it can even save money by reducing the need for additional staff and regional/floating agents.