DENVER, CO - UDR, Inc. today announced that it has launched the multifamily apartment home industry's first website on MySpace, a leading social networking website. The Company launched the site to extend its marketing reach to millions of new prospects and to generate incremental apartment search traffic for its communities. Social networking sites are used by millions of people on a daily basis; in fact, MySpace reported more than 117 million unique visitors for the month of June alone. A recent Insight Report from MarketTools indicates that nearly 70 percent of adults in the United States access social media, and 47 percent of those surveyed report that social media sites have a direct impact on purchase decisions.
"The potential benefits of online marketing in this social space aretoo numerous for us to sit back and wait for others to go after this market segment,"said Jerry Davis, Senior Vice President of Operations, UDR. "We believe our MySpace presence will help us connect with prospects, generate low-cost website traffic, increase awareness of our apartment home communities, and build and grow a socialcommunity around the UDR brand."
Features of the UDR MySpace website include: Robust apartment search capabilities that include Google mapping and real-time information on apartment availability, rent and amenities; UDR apartment videos; FlickR.com photo feed that presents UDR apartment-related photography; and opportunities to build a social community via Add a Friend, Forward to a Friend and Add to Group capabilities.
"We also plan to expand UDR's visibility in other social media sites, such as Digg, Twitter and Facebook," Davis added. "We want to be wherever our target prospects are, and we want to be there first."
UDR, Inc. (NYSE:UDR), an S&P 400 company, is a leading multifamily real estate investment trust (REIT) with a demonstrated performance history of delivering superior and dependable returns by successfully managing, buying, selling, developing and redeveloping attractive real estate properties in targeted U.S. markets. For over 35 years, UDR has delivered long-term value to shareholders, the best standard of service to residents, and the highest quality experience for associates. Additional information can be found on the Company's website at www.udr.com.
Source: Business Wire