A Guide to Searching for Your New Apartment Home. 

When you’re looking for a new apartment home, you will likely have a list of must have’s and a list of things you would like or wouldn’t like. Is good customer service on your list of Must Have’s? Before you get lost in the bells and whistles being presented to you, take some time to tour the community, engage with the office staff, ask questions, and read reviews. 

When you’re looking for an apartment, how much do you take reviews into account? We are living in a world where reviews are everything. As a society, we’re quicker to listen to a stranger’s feedback or review than the brand itself. Brands are (obviously) going to share with you what makes them the greatest, why people love them, and why you should love them too. Customers on the other hand are going to share their experience with you. They will tell you how well a brand served their needs or how well they handled conflict or complaints. And while there are some people out there who like to complain for the sake of complaining, for the most part, you can look at a brand’s overall rating to get a good sense of how well they live up to their customer’s standards

Let’s take Susie for example. Susie is moving to Atlanta for a new job in Peachtree City  and has settled on living in the coveted Buckhead area. She likes that the area is walkable, close to public transit for times when she doesn’t want to drive, and has lots of great shopping and restaurants. 

After a bit of time researching, Susie narrows here list down to touring Tuscany at Lindbergh, Avana on Main, and Sorelle Apartments.  On her must have list is that each community is within walking distance to lots of restaurants and public transit, and they each have nice interiors. 

1. Tuscany at Lindbergh: Susie calls to reserve an appointment. She is greeted by a lovely agent who makes notes of all of her must have’s and sets her appointment. When she arrives, the staff greets her by name. Susie is already feeling the good vibes from this place. She is offered a drink and invited to take a tour of the community. She tours the community and makes note of the shaded pool, SMARTPACKAGE locker station for collecting resident packages, and the fact that each apartment includes a washer and dryer. The Better Living Consultant also shares with her about how they are Top Rated on Apartment Ratings and pride themselves in offering a stellar Customer Experience. They even have a WOW Resident Program that gives back to residents in unique ways to celebrate special occasions or milestones. She’s never heard of anything like that before. She also likes that they allow up to 3 pets! She hasn’t seen anything like that either. 
2. Avana on Main: Susie calls to schedule an appointment. The person she speaks with doesn’t spend a whole lot of time getting to know her needs. Rather he invites her to come to the community for a tour to see for herself. When she arrives for her tour, she is immediately drawn to how close Avana is to restaurants and shopping within walking distance. And the metro stop is right across the street. Like Tuscany they include a washer and dryer which she likes. And she is drawn to the Zen garden that’s different from any community she’s seen. She doesn’t hear anything about community reviews. And when she asks the leasing agent how people like living there, he simply responds, “They love it!” 
3. Sorelle: After visiting Tuscany at Lindbergh, Susie happens upon Sorelle Apartments. She doesn’t call to make an appointment and decides to just walk in. Agents seem to be busy when she arrives so she takes a seat. After about 3-4 minutes, a leasing agent comes to greet her. She asks what Susie is looking for and agrees to take her on a tour. The tour is okay, but nothing to write home about. She likes that like the other 2 communities, washers and dryers are included. And they have a pet run which would be cool for when she gets a dog. She asks about reviews and the agent skirts the question a little. She leaves, unimpressed. 

After visiting, Susie gets out her comparison list. She’s narrowed it down to Tuscany at Lindbergh and Avana on Main. While Avana on Main is closer to public transit and more restaurants, she can’t shake that they’re not Top Rated on Apartment Ratings. Reviews don’t seem to be a big emphasis for them. Tuscany at Lindbergh on the other hand prides itself in having awesome reviews and sticking by their motto, “It may not be our fault, but it is our problem.” She can tell that they take any problems or issues arise very seriously. And not just the apartment community, but the management company as well (Venterra Realty). In fact, while touring Tuscany at Lindbergh, she learned that 100% of Venterra’s communities are Top Rated on Apartment Ratings. 

When Susie started her search, being close to public transit and restaurants within walking distance are top of her must have list. After touring Tuscany at Lindbergh, she learned that reviews are an important factor to consider when looking for a new home. After spending some time reading reviews from the various communities and talking with each of the leasing agents, Susie settles on Tuscany at Lindbergh. No one rivals them in terms of reviews or customer experience. 

So wherever you are in your apartment search, whether moving to a new state or switching apartment communities to be closer to your work, add stellar reviews to your list of Must Have’s.  

1. Consider how you’re treated from you first interaction on the phone to the first time you step foot in the community.
2. Pay attention to how the staff interacts with one another and how the maintenance team reacts when you pass them. Do they wave and acknowledge you?
3. Watch how residents interact with one another. What is the vibe like in the office and common spaces (pool, fitness center, etc)? 
4. Ask the staff about reviews and do your own research. Visit sites like Apartment Ratings and Google to see what residents are saying about living there. How well does the community handle issues when they arise? 
5. Compare each community based on these other areas. Pick the one that feels the most at home in your body. Trust your instincts and be secure in your choice.