Resident Communication: Mass Texting for Property Managers
Mass texting is a simple, easily integrable communication tool that can transform staff–tenant interactions in residential properties.
Since 90% of text messages are read within three minutes of being received, it makes sense to send mass text messages to residents. Oftentimes, great communication is great customer service, so a mass-texting service can help your bottom line.
For property-management companies, this can streamline operations across all the assets in the portfolio.
Meanwhile, it can enhance overall community experience and enhance communication channels between staff members. It also saves time for team members in the long term, as mass text messaging services can quickly communicate information to residents. Some services, such as HelloSpoke’s mass-texting service, can communicate across language barriers through A.I.-powered translations.
The Communication Challenge in Property Management
Traditional communication methods like email, phone calls, and physical notices are still crucial for many resident communications.
Obviously, face-to-face communication is out of the question when it comes to getting as many residents as possible to pay attention to a message. A multifamily property has many people to reach.
As you are likely aware, there are many resident-communication products and services.
However, each has its limitations: emails can get lost in crowded inboxes, phone calls may go unanswered, and paper notices can be easily overlooked or misplaced.
Though much of the time the traditional methods get the job done, there are certainly cases, such as in emergencies or property-wide maintenance work, where a property’s residents need instant, convenient, and direct communication. Mass texting delivers exactly that.
Why Texting Works
Texting is the happy middle ground between emailing, which for some people does not feel as urgent as a text, and a phone call, which may feel more urgent than a text but can be inconvenient in certain contexts.
Another benefit of texting is that people can at a glance see whatever information needs to be seen. With a phone call, you need to answer or listen to the voicemail to learn the crucial information.
Worth mentioning is that A.I. voicemail transcriptions are becoming more common as features on smartphones. Still, the point remains that mass texting is ultimately preferable in getting a message out to a lot of people with the highest likelihood that those people will get the message, so to speak.
The Multiple Benefits of Mass Texting
Instant Emergency Notifications
Property-wide emergencies demand immediate attention.
Whether it’s a burst pipe, power outage, or urgent maintenance issue, mass texting ensures that every resident with a text-receiving device gets critical information.
Property managers can quickly notify residents with:
- Immediate alerts about water shut-offs that could disrupt daily life
- Safety warnings during extreme weather events
- Urgent maintenance updates that require resident action
- Important security-related communications.
Texting residents simultaneously provides peace of mind and ensures they have the same critical information at the same time. And with multilingual mass texting, you can ensure that all of your residents get that information in the language they best understand.
Streamlined Rent Reminders and Billing
Property managers can also use mass texting to help reduce the amount of late rent payments.
That’s because friendly payment reminders sent via text could have a higher likelihood of being read.
After all, a paper notice may go unnoticed among the bills and ads in the mail, or be misplaced. Whereas most people keep their phone in their pocket, purse, or just near them much of the time.
Though residents can read emails on their phones, it is more usual for an email to go unseen in the inbox, than a text to go unread. Forbes reports that consumers are 35x more likely to see a brand’s text than an email. If you need more evidence of this, just compare the amount of unread emails in your inbox with the amount of unread texts you have.
Texts can include convenient links to online payment portals, confirm receipt of payments, and share important billing deadlines.
This approach provides residents with convenient, immediate access to billing information. The result is improved cash flow for the property and a more streamlined billing process for residents.
Community Building and Engagement
Messages on bulletin boards and newsletters can reach even more residents through mass text messaging.
Property managers may use mass texting to:
- Announce upcoming community events
- Share local neighborhood updates that might be of interest to residents
- Promote resident activities that encourage social interaction
- Conduct quick surveys about potential community improvements.
Maintenance and Repair Coordination
Coordinating maintenance through mass texting involves real-time transparent communication about repair and maintenance activities, including one-to-one texts about maintenance schedules and requests for specific access instructions.
This approach dramatically reduces confusion, minimizes unnecessary phone calls, and keeps residents informed throughout the entire maintenance process.
Residents feel more respected and informed, while property managers can operate with increased efficiency.
Cost-Effective Communication
By adopting text messaging, property managers can reduce printing costs from physical notices, spend less making phone calls, minimize potential miscommunication expenses, and reduce paper waste.
The efficiency of instant direct communication translates to reduced labor costs and improved operational productivity.
Environmental considerations also come into play as digital communication significantly reduces the property’s carbon footprint.
Best Practices for Effective Mass Texting
Obtain Permission from Residents
Provide transparent opt-in mechanisms that clearly explain the type of communications residents will receive.
Equally important is offering simple opt-out options.
Compliance with telecommunications regulations isn’t just legal protection—it’s about maintaining trust from residents about communication preferences.
Keep Messages Concise and Clear
Effective text messages use simple straightforward language that conveys information quickly and clearly. That especially matters in the case of multilingual translation, where you want to ensure that the message is still clear after crossing a language barrier.
Follow the rule of journalism: don’t bury the lede. If there is an emergency, specify that there is an emergency right away. A well-written mass text will give readers a clear picture from the text preview on an unopened screen.
Overall, a mass text should include only essential information and provide clear action items when necessary. The goal is immediate comprehension, not confusion.
Timing Matters
Strategic timing is crucial in mass texting. Managers should avoid sending non-urgent messages (e.g., regular rent reminders) during early morning or late evening hours that might disrupt residents’ personal time.
Pretend that the text message is a knock on the door—what time would be appropriate to knock and relay the message?
Consideration of different time zones becomes important for property managers with assets across time zones. Understanding and respecting typical resident schedules ensures that communications are received positively.
HelloSpoke Makes Mass Texting Easy to Implement
We know that many property-management companies can be hesitant to implement new technology because of challenges in transitioning.
HelloSpoke’s implementation of multilingual mass texting for property-management companies is quick and easy.
We can even provide training to staff to further smooth the transition to mass texting.
The Future of Resident Communication
We here at HelloSpoke believe that mass texting is more than just a communication tool. It can be a strategic approach to building communities that communicate.
Property managers that embrace this technology position themselves as modern, resident-centric organizations that prioritize convenience, transparency, and engagement for residents and staff alike.
A New Communication Paradigm
By providing instant, direct, and convenient communication, property managers can enhance satisfaction, improve operational efficiency, and create more connected communities.
The message is clear: it’s time to text your way to better resident relations.
Since so many property managers have their residents’ mobile-phone numbers already in property-management systems, HelloSpoke can readily sync this data with our service. In other words, you do not need to manually create a contact list for our integration.
Overall, mass text messaging’s benefits can lead to customer satisfaction (meaning, happy tenants), which in turn can lead to lease renewals.
Ready to transform your property’s communication strategy? Explore HelloSpoke’s multilingual mass-texting solutions and take the first step toward engaged, informed residents.