Call me old, but give me a phone call...texting and Facebook ugh!

[Anna Buffkin]

I not really old.  At least I don't think so, but I hate that every year more and more people are using text or Facebook Messenger as their main form of communication.  Having a vacant unit this time of year is bad enough without having to get 40 Facebook messages regarding interest.  Its so easy for people to just click interested and turn out to be tire kickers or woefully under qualified despite my qualification listed in the ad. I leave them a message summarizing the listing and end with "call me if you are still interested at  [ cell number]. Anna".  

I self manage and am usually good at picking tenants.  To me it's as much of an art as it is a science.  Yes you look at their qualifications, but the person to person conversation gut feeling has only really led me wrong once.  Also, no I don't discriminate against protected classes in the process before anyone worries. 

Am I living in the past expecting to conduct business by phone?  Any advice or thoughts.

[Matthew Olszak]

Originally posted by @Anna Buffkin:

I not really old.  At least I don't think so, but I hate that every year more and more people are using text or Facebook Messenger as their main form of communication.  Having a vacant unit this time of year is bad enough without having to get 40 Facebook messages regarding interest.  Its so easy for people to just click interested and turn out to be tire kickers or woefully under qualified despite my qualification listed in the ad. I leave them a message summarizing the listing and end with "call me if you are still interested at  [ cell number]. Anna".  

I self manage and am usually good at picking tenants.  To me it's as much of an art as it is a science.  Yes you look at their qualifications, but the person to person conversation gut feeling has only really led me wrong once.  Also, no I don't discriminate against protected classes in the process before anyone worries. 

Am I living in the past expecting to conduct business by phone?  Any advice or thoughts.

Embrace the efficiency of messaging. Deep inside I hate hate hate getting calls about rentals (although I do answer them every time). Its so much easier to just text a copy of my standard information in response instead: "2BR/1BA $800 + deposit, no evictions, bills not included, showings this Saturday 1pm-5pm". That takes seconds vs. a full conversation about the basics, then they go into a spiel about why they are moving, etc. Or what happens most of the time is I have to call back because I'm busy with a client, and even 10 minutes later I hear, "Wait, which apartment is this again?" Ugh. Here in the near future, I plan on subscribing to a text-for-info service so I don't even have to reply.

Also, a super-plus of being messaged on Facebook is you immediately see their profile to help vet them. Same goes with text - most people use their cell phone number in their facebook profile, so when they text you can easily look up who it is you were talking to.