What I Learned at AIM 2018

This was my first year attending Apartment Internet Marketing (AIM) Conference 2018, and what an experience! First and foremost, a large thank you to my company and supervisor for allowing me the opportunity to attend—this trip was not cheap. Based in sunny Huntington Beach, California, the two-day conference relayed all the need-to-know innovation in the marketing world, specifically the Multifamily industry. When I wasn’t dining at elegant waterfront restaurants or networking around a courtyard fire pit, I was sitting front row of speaking sessions intended to teach me the marketing ways of the future. The term “geeking out” is the only possible description I can express when referring to my excitement. I felt like a kid on the first day of school—those crazy kids that actually liked to learn— who showed up early, notebook open, ready to fire their hand in the air at the first opportunity. I regularly, lovingly, referred to this trip as my “work vacation” because none of this felt like work. Two days and 5 pages of notes later, I narrowed down my takeaways.

In short, the future is here, and the future is tech.

Duh…we already knew that, Abby. But never have we seen technology to this degree in the Multifamily world. Gone are the days of 2D floor plans and in-person tours. Sure, these things still exist. And they will for many years to come. But the great thing is you’re no longer limited to these options.

Let’s break down the 3 most current and important tech features:

Virtual Reality

You’ve seen the headsets; you likely even purchased one for your nephew, tried it out, and either loved or hated the experience. (Those haunted houses or roller coasters can be kinda scary). Leveraging this technology was a no-brainer for apartment sellers. If I can virtually tour Jurassic Park, why can’t I virtually tour an apartment 1,000 miles away? Insert VR. The key now is understanding how to make it work for your company, property and people.

Augmented Reality

Sports fans have had the luxury of this since 1998. That’s right, while we may be experiencing AR for what seems like the first time, this was initially seen by the masses in the subtlest of ways. The 1st and Ten Line computer system was first broadcast by Sportvision, casting the first virtual yellow first-down marker during a live NFL game. Fast forward 20 years and we can now utilize AR to strategically place furniture in an empty apartment, allowing prospective renters to visualize their future home.

Chatbots

Artificial Intelligence is something you either fear or embrace. But you’d be a fool to fear it. Push those images of rogue robots out of your mind because I don’t believe that is the direction we’re heading. At least not any time soon. AI can enrich your work life and make mundane, tedious tasks more manageable. Take Chatbots for instance: the Facebook messenger app now works with smart technology to auto-generate responses to prospective resident inquiries, such as a quote for rent or the number of available 1-bedroom units. It has the capability to actually read the question and answer it, so you don’t have to. It by no means replaces the customer interaction/relationship, but frees up your time from answering the same old questions over and over again.

While these are the 3 main takeaways from the conference, I can say with confidence it doesn’t even cover the amount of information I obtained. I was fortunate enough to engage with many other marketing professionals and learn from their experiences, while corralling the endless tips and tricks of the trade in the speaking sessions. It truly was inspiring and exciting to learn the future of marketing and what lies ahead. It will be ever-changing and difficult to keep up, but who wants to stay on that hamster wheel anyway?