CHICAGO, IL - More Americans are conducting apartment searches in the first quarter of 2010 versus previous years. While the rental industry continues to face challenging times, Apartments.com has experienced unprecedented growth in Web site traffic and renter leads to advertisers January through March of this year. Compared to this same period in 2009, Apartments.com has received 11 percent more visits to the Web site, but more importantly has increased the number of email and telephone leads to its apartment community advertisers by nearly 20 percent.
"Our site performance in Q1 is a glimmer of good news for the rental industry," said Kevin Doyle, senior vice president and general manager of Apartments.com. "Over the past quarter, we have seen a significant spike in traffic and a 17% increase in both phone and email leads. This tells us that renters are doing more than just browsing. They are ready to rent and engaging the apartment communities listed on Apartments.com. Given this activity leading into peak rental season, it's more important than ever for apartment communities to increase exposure online where the majority of renters are conducting their apartment searches."
Typically, the peak season for the rental industry extends from April to August. However, activity levels from just the first three months of 2010 mirror that of peak rental season. In fact, Apartments.com recorded 5.1 million visits in March 2010, making it the second most visited month in the Web site's 12 year history. Previous record breaking traffic and lead months have occurred during the traditional peak rental season months of June and July.
In addition to searching online, it is apparent renters want easy access to listings on the go as Apartments.com has also seen record growth within its mobile sector. Compared to the first quarter of 2009, visits to Apartments.com via mobile devices increased 240 percent in 2010, and the number of consumers accessing apartment community information through text has more than doubled.
While it is not certain that this year-over-year trend will continue, the data suggests that consumers are in the market for a new apartment. This is further supported by national survey data fielded in December 2009 by Apartments.com, which revealed renters are planning to move earlier in the year. The survey reported a 16 percent increase in the number of renters saying they plan to move during the first quarter of 2010 over the same period in 2009, which is supported by the renter activity Apartments.com is currently experiencing on its Web site.
Apartments.com is the most visited national apartment Internet listing subscription service with more than 50,000 unique addresses representing more than three million rental units from managed properties, newspaper classifieds and for-rent-by-owner properties. With personalized searches, highly visual ads featuring "Walk Through Video," "Apartments.com Anywhere" mobile solutions, 360-degree virtual tours, professional photography, and comprehensive community listings, Apartments.com makes it possible for renters to access apartment rental inventory from across town or across the country. Leads from highly qualified ready-to-rent prospects are delivered to Apartments.com customers, increasing closure rates and decreasing the average cost of leasing an apartment. The Web site's foundation of solid partnerships with the local newspaper and television station Web sites of more than 1,000 newspaper affiliate and strategic partners across the country include Yahoo! Real Estate, AOL Real Estate, Univision, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. Apartments.com is a division of Chicago-based Classified Ventures, LLC. Additionally, Apartments.com owns and operates Apartment Home Living, a leading social media apartment Web site distinguished by a "live for fun" community experience, proprietary lifestyle matching and local living guides to help renters find their perfect place to live.
Source: Apartments.com