Pets are family, and pet-friendly multifamily sells
Clients ask us all the time what we think of branded pet amenities. Bottom line? Pet-friendly multifamily communities stand out from the pack (pun intended), and we encourage our clients to consider the benefits of opening their doors to furry, feathered and scaled friends.
Gone are the days when “allows dogs” ranked as a lowly check-box on an apartment search. Now, multifamily properties place Fido and Fifi front and center in ad campaigns, on billboards and even in model apartments. The communities that do it well earn a reputation for taking great care of all residents – human and otherwise.
Here’s what you should know about creating a pet-friendly community:
Pets as part of lifestyle
When marketing to potential renters, it helps to understand their motivations. They are not simply seeking space for a reasonable price: Renters want a certain lifestyle. For more than 70 percent of them, according to an Apartments.com survey, that includes pets. That is a huge number of potential renters who might not look twice at your property if you don’t welcome, or even cater to, animals.
Inherent pet-friendly features
Not all properties need to add pet-specific amenities. If your property includes nice landscaping and green areas already, you can market those features as prime pet spaces. You can also feature nearby parks, trails or dog parks in your marketing materials.
Again, think of a pet owner’s lifestyle. If your marketing speaks to that aspect of their day-to-day life, you are one step closer to filling a vacant home.
A new level of pet-friendly amenities
For other properties, catering to pets in unique ways can help them stand out from the crowd. A dog park in an urban high-rise, for example, might be hard to come by. If renters can have the best of both worlds – a city-center home plus a place for their dogs to play – that can make one property an obvious choice over others.
On-site dog parks are just one of many options for attracting pet owners. Other ideas, from simple to over-the-top, include:
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Partnerships with local pet stores, veterinarians and other pet services
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On-site grooming, pet boutique or even a high-end pet spa
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Doggie daycare
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Pet-sitting service
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Dog-walking service
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Events for pets and their owners
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Pet concierge
Allowing pets, and offering pet-friendly amenities, means you can open up your pool of potential renters. It also means you can generate more revenue per square foot with pet rents and add-on services. For many multifamily properties, welcoming pets with open arms makes financial sense. For others, it becomes a deep part of their culture to view animals as important family members.
To learn more about how Apres Creative can help your multifamily brand shine, contact us today.
