The use of mobile technology is associated with improving the speed and efficiency of business processes. But new advancements in mobile technology do not always factor into property managers’ strategies to fill apartment vacancies. The status quo of traditional industry practices – paper-based advertising, online classifieds and Internet listing services sites – seems to be working just fine: Vacancy rates in many areas of the country are at an all-time low, according to a 2012 report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

However, even during times of stability, there are still benefits of being an early adapter of new mobile technologies. Providing tenants with instant information on their smartphones can give a property a competitive advantage in the marketplace, and enable savvy property managers to maximize their time and measure their results.

Improve the experience for prospective tenants
Property managers that use mobile platforms can upload available listings, including unit specifications and photos, within minutes, providing consumers with immediate access.

Using SMS- and GPS-based mobile technology, tenants can access real-time listing information the instant they walk or drive by a building. This allows them to quickly discover a unit and book a viewing appointment on their smartphone. No more playing phone tag to try to set that all-important appointment.

For time-starved tenants, most of whom do their property searching during the evenings and weekends, this easy access to information via mobile phone can also help a property stand out among the competition. As well, this whole notion of being “easy to do business with” can be a differentiator.

Streamline and upgrade listing content
Mobile technology allows property managers to manage listings across multiple platforms (smartphones, tablets and laptops) from one place. With the click of a button, managers can post and update listings as needed, with no special care or custom design required for the individual platforms.

Target more effectively
Property managers can gather analytics on how people are accessing a site or individual web pages (for example, via a smartphone). This information provides insight into which days of the week and hours of the day are best to post listings to maximize views via mobile technology. This data can then be used to eliminate classified sites or Internet listing services that may deliver views but fail to convert them into rentals.

David Polisi is the founder of Manaya, a mobile marketing platform for rental property managers. The platform aims to provide on-the-go access for tenants, while giving property managers the analytics to best determine their return on investment.