QR Codes Soared During COVID-19, Why Should Multifamily Properties Keep Them?

QR codes have been around for almost 20 years, long before the pandemic. But the real estate industry had not taken advantage of them just yet. During a challenging time, QR codes proved to be a reliable digital tool that provided a contact-free experience. 

The real estate industry was not prepared to pivot as quickly as they had to when the pandemic put all their marketing efforts into question, but the multifamily sector found that the use of QR codes would help attract prospects, offer information about events and invite residents to write reviews. 

Because of the impact QR codes had during the pandemic, the multifamily industry has found that they are here to stay.

Is There Different Types of QR Codes?

There are two types of QR codes that you can create.

Static or Dynamic.

A Static QR code redirects you to a specific URL or information. These are not trackable or editable. So if you are using these the URL cannot be changed along the way.

A Dynamic QR code allows you to change or re-target your URL or information to a different landing page after the QR has been printed or displayed for people to scan. Dynamic QR codes also allow for tracking the data of the scans.

Fifty percent of buyers find new homes online and because of that the real estate industry has adapted the use of QR codes. So what benefits do they provide and how can you use them?

No Third-Party Involved

One of the benefits QR codes have is they don’t require a third party app to use them. Technology has made it simple and efficient to just open up your camera and point it at a QR code to trigger an action. 

All types of industries use QR codes: retail, marketing and logistics. The real estate sector found that by embracing the QR code they can turn a lawn sign, business card or billboard into a website with just one image. When you scan the code through your mobile phone camera, the website, text, phone number or whatever the code is linked to simply just appears. 

Easy To Reach Prospects

With self-guided tours now the norm within multifamily and real estate in general, properties can use display frames with the QR code directing them to “scan me” for more information, whether that be amenities, real-time availability or pricing. 

It makes it easy for prospects to get the information they need quickly. If the leasing agent isn’t immediately available to answer questions along the way, future residents can feel more secure with QR codes providing the information they are seeking. 

The convenient thing about QR codes is a marketing team can create them in just a few minutes. Some generators even give the option of customizing your QR code to your brand with your logo and brand colors. 

Driving Traffic

QR codes can be a great way to boost traffic to your social media channels. When prospects see a QR code on your brochure or along the way through a self-guided tour scanning it can lead them to your social channels. 

The benefit of this is it can help to retarget buyers that did not convert. Dynamic QR codes are edible, trackable and help in scheduling campaigns. Every time someone scans your code you can direct them to your social media or website driving more traffic to those locations to learn more about your property. 

When using a dynamic QR code for a campaign and analytics you can even integrate them with Google Analytics. 

With over 90 percent of people being on the internet and your audience researching you through their phones, directing prospects to your website can be efficient for people trying to research you. 

Where Can You Use Your QR Code?

Business Cards

Leasing agents and property managers have business cards they hand out to prospects throughout the process. Whether that is coming to the leasing office to ask questions, they were taken on a tour or even after the tour so they can contact them with any questions regarding the property. 

33 percent of home buyers find the homes they buy from real estate agents. Providing a QR code can make your business card look cleaner and it can provide even more information than a small business card is able to. 

Posters

Communities usually have “leasing now” signs or posters posted around the community or outside the property to get their prospective buyer’s attention. Wherever the poster is, adding a QR code can help it stand out among all the other posters that are drawing renters to lease from them. The QR code can include information like the location of the property, an image of the property and pricing. 

Direct Link To Video

Maybe in your leasing office you have some type of signage or a brochure that you have handed out at events. Do you also have a virtual tour that’s on your website?

Why not put a QR code on any of your marketing materials that links to that virtual tour. 

85 percent of buyers and sellers want to work with agents that use video in their property promotions. Integrating video into your marketing strategy or giving more visibility to your virtual tour raises your chances of getting your property to sign more leases. 

How To Draw More Clients To Your Real Estate Using QR Codes

Generating Leads

QR codes should be part of your daily marketing strategy. Using QR codes along with your lead generation tactics is an effective way to determine qualified leads. Leasing agents can use the QR code to help attract more leads and track what sales are coming in through those QR codes.

Add Photos Of Your Property 

Homes with high-quality photos sell 32 percent faster than those without. While some images may take time to load for your audience QR codes offer a great solution, image QR codes. 

Image QR codes are just like regular QR codes, but these are specifically designed to link to an image. It makes it easy for your prospects to scan the code and an image can pop right up on their phone screen. This saves them from spending time trying to find specific images.

Create A Mobile Friendly Landing Page 

Maybe your property is still in construction and you are preparing for an exciting lease-up. One way QR codes can help is to create a mobile friendly landing page about the specifics of your property and the lease-up and have your QR code directed to that landing page. The number of mobile users is predicted to increase to 7.4 billion users by 2025. If your website isn’t already mobile friendly it absolutely needs to be.

What Are The Benefits?

High Conversion Rate

QR codes purpose is to redirect users to the website. This allows for leasing agents to take sales leads and turn them into paying customers. More direction to your website, allows for a higher conversion rate. 

Economical And Efficient

One of the best benefits of QR codes is the cost. If you are going for just a static QR code without any branding they won’t cost you a thing to make. The expense comes in when you want your QR code printed on a brochure, flyer or some other marketing material. With dynamic QR codes after printing them they can still be edited to link to different things, which makes them a cost effective marketing tool.

QR codes are part of the future or digital marketing and they are here to stay. With technology being a constant in our lives and only growing to be a bigger part of it, now is the time to incorporate QR codes into your marketing strategy.

Did you know Panoskin includes a free QR code generator for each tour? Talk with our sales team today to learn more.

LCP360 is a National Digital Marketing company located in Chicago specializing in photography, virtual tours, 3D renderings, video animations, virtual staging, and floor plans. LCP360 offers multifamily, senior living, and many other real estate industries a creative and innovative way to showcase space. By combining the best technologies from web marketing and panoramic photography, LCP360 has developed a best-in-class virtual tour web application that lets renters virtually tour a property from any location