Positioning Your Open Inventory – There is No “Bad View” in a Life Plan Community
In many of our client communities, the hardest point of sales is getting the community from 80% occupied to 100% occupied - those last units to sell are likely those that have less than desirable locations or views, and often customers would rather wait for their ideal unit to become available.
What is the best way to position vacant inventory?
Start with the idea that there are no “bad views” in your community. If you consider a stack of units in a high-rise building, there are likely stacks that have higher occupancy than others. Consider inviting a resident who is living in one of those “less-desirable” stacks to your next sales meeting. Find out what they love about their apartment, and what they don't love. How can we better tell the story of a vacant apartment to your prospective customer?
Use your current residents to gain the perspective of a prospect. Offer an internal Tour of Homes so your current residents can see what’s available, offer insights you and your team may not think of, and have a picture in their minds of the open units they could potentially recommend to any friends they know considering a move.
Think about any pros and cons your residents might think of when looking at the unit. How can you reframe any cons to present them in a better light? Brainstorm all of the pros you, your team, and your residents can think of about the unit and make sure you highlight all the best things about the unit on any tours or when talking to prospects.
Add these onto the sales work you already do that highlights the community as a whole and all of the amenities you offer. Use those selling points to support the unit specific ones, creating an offer that’s just too good to turn down.
Learning how our residents truly use their homes is key to selling that apartment to a future resident.
Keep in mind — an empty apartment only makes a poor view, maintenance issues and dirty windows more obvious. Invest time in staging the apartment so that you can put forth the best first impression. Once the apartment is staged, meet your prospect in the apartment for coffee and really sit in the space. Consider installing a “wow” fridge to really make the place delight your customer.
The greatest gift that a prospective resident receives when they move to a Life Plan community is not the perfect view, it is the promise of the Life Plan contract. Giving your prospects peace knowing that their health needs are going to be cared for provides better value than any other view. This is where sales teams need to be trained to move away from the real estate decision and move toward the future life that the resident hopes to live.
Remember that discovery questions about future goals and plans are key to supporting this prospect through this difficult decision. No water view can outshine the authentic, trusting relationship that you build with your prospect.
Do you want some more guidance on how to plan a Tour of Homes or similar event? We’d love to help your community reach its occupancy goals. Schedule a 30-minute meeting to talk about how we can help here!
