What Happens After Yes?

In Part 1 of this series, I asked whether we're mystery shopping the wrong things. I challenged some of the traditional ways we measure leasing performance and asked whether checking every box on a mystery shop necessarily means someone created a great leasing experience.

But after I finished recording the podcast episode that started all of this, my mind went somewhere else. We spend a lot of time evaluating everything that happens before someone applies. Did we answer the phone? Did we respond to the lead? Did we discover their needs? Did we personalize the tour? Did we ask for the lease? Did we follow up?

Then something exciting happens. They say yes. They choose us. They complete the application.

That's where I started wondering: What happens to the experience after we get the yes?

The Sale Isn't Over When They Apply

Think about what we've asked this person to do before they reach the application. They've researched communities, compared pricing, looked at reviews, toured apartments and thought about commute times, amenities, floor plans and probably a dozen other things. Then, out of all their options, they picked us.

That's a pretty big moment, but they're not a resident yet.

There is this entire middle part of the journey between application and move-in that I don't think we pressure-test with nearly the same intensity as the leasing experience. Was the application process clear? Did they know what documents they needed? Did anyone confirm everything was received? Did they know when they should expect a decision? Did they have to call the office multiple times to find out what was happening?

I've heard plenty of stories about prospects having to chase the property for updates after applying, and that fascinates me. We can spend all this time making sure someone follows up with a prospect before they apply, then the prospect applies and suddenly they are the one following up with us.

Taking more than 24 hours to approve an application may not actually be the problem. There could be legitimate reasons for the wait.

Twenty-four hours waiting may not be a problem. Twenty-four hours wondering whether anyone is even working on your application is.

Those are two completely different experiences.

I Want the Domino's Pizza Tracker

Stay with me on this one.

When I order a pizza from Domino's, I don't have to keep calling the restaurant asking whether they received my order, whether they started making it or whether someone is bringing it to me. I can see where I am in the process. My order was received. It's being prepared. It's in the oven. It's out for delivery.

I'm waiting either way, but knowing what is happening changes the experience.

So why can't applying for an apartment have some of that same visibility? And no, I'm not suggesting we reduce someone's future home to ordering a pepperoni pizza. I'm talking about the expectation that I should know where I am in a process without having to chase someone for an update.

Imagine applying for an apartment and immediately knowing your application was received. Then you know whether your documents are complete. You know when your application is under review. When a decision is made, you know what happens next.

At no point should the prospect have to wonder, Do they need something from me? Did I do everything correctly? What's happening with my application?

Not Everything Needs a Human

This is also where I think we sometimes make the conversation too simple. We turn it into human versus automation and feel like we have to pick a side.

I don't think we do.

If my application was received, automate that confirmation. If all my required documents are there, tell me. If there is a clear next step I need to complete, technology can help make sure I know about it. Those are status updates, and automation can make those updates consistent and immediate.

But if something is missing, that's where I want a person to step in and help me solve the problem.

And when I'm approved? Call me.

We spent all this time convincing someone that this community could become their home. Why would we turn one of the most exciting moments in the process into another generic notification? Someone chose your community. They're getting ready to make it their home. Celebrate that with them.

The same applies when things don't go as planned. There are conversations that require explanation, empathy or problem-solving, and those shouldn't be reduced to another automated status update.

Once the approval conversation happens, automation can help again. Here's what you need to sign. Here's what you need to pay. Here's what we still need from you. Here's what to expect before move-in. Here's who to contact if you have questions.

The goal isn't to add more communication just for the sake of communicating. The goal is to remove uncertainty.

We're Still Selling Confidence

I think this is the piece I've been missing.

We treat the application like the finish line when it really isn't. The prospect may have chosen us, but between application and move-in we're still giving them reasons to feel confident, or not confident, about that decision.

Imagine having an incredible tour. The leasing professional listened to you, understood what you needed, found the right apartment and followed up. You're excited, so you apply that afternoon.

Then the office goes quiet.

You don't know whether your documents were received. You aren't sure how long approval should take. You call and leave a message. Maybe you call again. Eventually someone tells you they're looking into it.

Nothing about the apartment changed. The floor plan is still the same. The amenities are still the same. The price may even be the same.

The experience changed.

That's what makes this middle part of the journey so important. We're no longer just trying to earn someone's business. We're building confidence that choosing us was the right decision.

I've even heard stories where future residents learned on or near move-in day that the apartment they expected wasn't going to be the apartment they were moving into. Think about the amount of uncertainty that creates for someone who has already planned a move around the information we've given them.

At that point, the prospect shouldn't be responsible for figuring out whether the move is still going to work. We should be doing everything possible to communicate clearly, provide options and help navigate the situation.

Who Owns This Part of the Journey?

This is where I think our departmental thinking can get us into trouble.

Who owns the experience between application and move-in? Is it leasing? The community manager? Screening? Operations? Maybe a centralized team? The answer is going to depend on the organization.

But I don't think the prospect cares.

They aren't sitting at home thinking about which department owns their application. They just know nobody called them back.

That's why I'm becoming less interested in pressure-testing individual departments and more interested in pressure-testing the journey between them. The handoffs may actually be where some of our biggest opportunities are hiding.

Everybody can successfully complete their individual task and the customer can still have a terrible experience moving between those tasks.

So Let's Shop This Part

What would happen if we didn't stop the mystery shop after the tour? What if, sometimes, we followed the journey further?

How easy was the application? Was it clear what was required? Did communication continue? Did the prospect understand where they were in the process? Did they have to chase the property for information? Most importantly, did the excitement created during the leasing experience survive the application process?

I'm not even convinced we need to score it. I want to experience it.

That's the theme I keep coming back to throughout this series. We need to stop pressure-testing one moment and assuming the rest of the journey works. Follow the customer. See what they see. Experience the handoffs they experience. Find the friction before they have to tell us about it.

And Then We Hand Them the Keys

Let's say we nailed everything up to this point. The prospect had a great leasing experience. The application was easy. Communication was clear. Someone called with the good news that they were approved. The next steps were simple, and our future resident is excited.

Then move-in day arrives.

What happens when they actually receive the thing we've spent all this time selling them?

Is the apartment ready? Does anyone seem excited to welcome them? Do they know where the moving truck can go? Do they understand the move-in inspection? Can they reach someone when they need help? Or do we hand them the keys and send them on their way?

That's the next part of this journey I can't stop thinking about.

We worked really hard to get them to choose us. Now we have to deliver.

Part 3: You Sold the Experience. Did You Deliver It?