NEW ORLEANS, LA – With over 1.5 billion daily searches performed on Facebook and over 2 billion daily searches on Twitter, social search is quickly  gaining ground to the over 3.5 billion daily searches performed Google. With those astounding statistics, it’s now more vital than ever  to optimize your social media profiles so that your prospective residents have the ability to find your community on search engines as well as social platforms.

Not all social media platforms are a excellent fit for the multifamily industry, but you can start with claiming and optimizing your profiles for the huge three: Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Once you claim your profiles, you must provide as much information as you can. Make sure your business name, address, phone number, and links to your website are consistent across all of the platforms and match the information on your website. Also, you need to choose the most appropriate categories for your Facebook page and Google+.

Kerry W. Kirby, CEO of 365 Connect, a leading provider of award-winning marketing, leasing, and resident technology platforms for the multifamily housing industry clarified, “NAP (name, address, and phone number) consistency is critical across all of your social media channels. It is vital to look at your community’s website as the hub of all relevant information while regarding your social media pages as your distribution system for that information. You can maximize the impact of your social outreach through integrating your social media channels to your website.”

Once you achieve NAP consistency, you will want to write enticing descriptions for each of your social profiles, using relevant keywords. A thorough understanding of your prospects and the market will come in handy. Reckon of words that people may be using to search for your community and make sure to use  them throughout your description. If you need some thoughts, you can use a tool like Google Keyword Planner for keyword research. On Twitter, you have the ability to hashtag your keywords in your profile, giving your community’s profile a boost when people are using the keywords in their search terms.

“Well written content is key when optimizing your social media pages. It is vital to make content that speaks to your end user. After you make this quality content, it is also vital to inform both the end user and search engines that you are an apartment community. Without clear content describing what your community provides, you can easily end up indexed in the incorrect category,” Kirby elaborated.

Next, be sure to add as many branded photos as you can. The more pictures you upload, the better. You must focus on the quality of the images. You can upload hundreds of pictures, but if they aren’t appealing or compelling, prospective residents will not be impressed. Place your best foot forward, and whenever it is possible include several interior and exterior photos of your community. Adding photos of your management and leasing team to Facebook and Google+ would also be a fantastic thought.

But, the most vital step in optimizing  your social profiles is  having your business verified on Google+ and Facebook. Having a verified Google My Business account (Google’s dashboard for business) is crucial to local SEO and will have a direct impact on your property’s rankings in local search. This verification proves that you are the rightful owner of your community’s Google+ Business Page and will increase your trustworthiness with the search engine as well as on Google+, making it simpler for your community to appear in search results. On Facebook, the verification seal also imparts credibility and boosts your chances of showing up in  prospects’ search results and feeds.”

Kirby concluded, “The fact remains that social media has impacted your community’s organic reach and will continue to do so. The key to having a viable search marketing strategy is to determine whether or not it functions synergistically with a strategic social strategy. The first step in providing your community with the boost it needs to compete on Google and in the search results of well loved social platforms is a robust and complete social profile.”

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BOSTON, MA – WinnCompanies, an award-winning multifamily property development and management company, announced that WinnResidential has brought 48 California properties totaling 4,420 apartments into its property management portfolio on behalf of Highridge Costa Investors (HCI).

To ensure a smooth transition for residential operations, the management takeover was completed in three phases over a period of six months, absorbing properties in and around Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Merced, San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento.

“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with the world-class owner at HCI and to have completed the ambitious transition of a portfolio that stretches across nearly 400 miles,” said Deirdre Kuring, president of WinnResidential. “Our goal is to exceed expectations for adding value to these properties and improving the quality of life for our residents.” 

Based in Gardena, CA, Highridge Costa Housing Partners and Highridge Costa Investors specialize in the development, financing, construction and asset management of affordable and mixed-income housing for families and seniors utilizing low-income housing tax credits, as well as other types of public and private financing. HCI ranks 48th on the National Multi Housing Council’s (NMHC) list of the nation’s largest apartment owners and managers.

“We have been delighted with the quality of property management services WinnResidential has provided to our company and the residents of our six apartment communities in Arizona and look forward to their increased involvement with us now in California,” said Michael M. Snowdon, Vice President of Asset Management for HCI. “Their strong passion for achieving excellence mirrors that of our company.”

The HCI assets now being managed by WinnResidential in California are income-restricted LIHTC communities. More than 100 people were hired to cover the 48 sites, including two new senior property managers and additional human resources, financial and compliance staff, and regional maintenance supervisors.

WinnResidential, which manages a national portfolio of more than 98,000 units at 570 properties, won the right to manage the California portfolio following two years of strong residential satisfaction and successful financial management of six HCI properties in Arizona.

In California, WinnResidential manages 91 residential properties in totaling 9,100 apartments in every category, from market rate units to public housing. In addition, Winn Residential Military Housing Services manages 613 units of privatized military housing at Los Angeles Air Force Base in San Pedro as part of a joint venture with Lendlease.

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CHICAGO, IL – Lowe Enterprises Investors, in joint venture with an investment client, has bought the 210-unit Fairways of Naperville apartment community in an off-market transaction. Located at 970 Fairway Drive in Naperville, IL, 30 miles west of Chicago, the 17-acre garden style property includes thirteen two-tale residential buildings as well as a clubhouse, fitness center and on-site leasing office.

“The Fairways of Naperville is ideally located for employees working along the renowned Illinois Technology Corridor on Interstate 88, as well as Chicago commuters desiring a quieter lifestyle outside of the city,” said Andy Sands, managing director of Lowe Enterprises Investors. “This is an exceptional property that has not been renovated since it was built in 1986. We plot to substantially refurbish and modernize the units and facilities and enhance the resident amenities, to reposition it in this strong leasing market that has a very low vacancy rate and high demand.”

Built in 1986, Fairways of Naperville offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom units all with balcony or patio and washer/dryer. The units and common areas have not been renovated since opening. Approximately $4 million will be invested in a comprehensive capital improvement program that includes adding a dog park and barbeque grills to the property’s abundant outdoor park-like gathering spaces while updating the existing facilities including the clubhouse, swimming pool and deck, fitness center, tennis courts as well as refreshing the landscaping and building exteriors. Unit interiors will be substantially transformed in a contemporary design scheme and color palette with new carpet and flooring, new appliances, upgraded kitchen and bathroom cabinets and countertops, new doors, fixtures and paint.

The Fairways at Naperville is located near both Route 59 and Route 34 and is walking distance to the Route 59 Metra station on the BNSF Line, offering express service to downtown Chicago in as small as 35 minutes. Naperville boasts a top-rated school district, proximity to multiple major employment centers and a vast variety of retail and entertainment venues.

LEI’s acquisition team was led by Andy Sands. Greystar has been retained to provide property management services. Pete Evans of Moran & Co. represented the seller, Naperville Housing Partners Limited Partnership.

The transaction is the latest in LEI’s active expansion of its multifamily investment portfolio in select markets across the country. In the greater Chicago area, the firm’s portfolio includes the 612-unit Bourbon Square apartment property in Palatine, IL bought in late 2014. The firm’s most recent acquisitions include the 264-unit Hawthorne at Bridford apartment community in Greensboro, NC and the Hamilton Ridge Apartments, a 178-unit apartment community in Raleigh, North Carolina. LEI is also a joint venture partner on The Gramercy apartments, a 203-unit community being developed in the Glenwood South area of Raleigh. LEI continues to seek multifamily and commercial acquisition and development opportunities nationwide.

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