Moving a prospect from warm lead to happy resident takes time, persistence, creativity and — most importantly — preparation. While getting the lease signed can sometimes feel like sprinting a marathon, the more you prepare, the better you’re equipped for the long haul.

Try these 15 tips to cross the finish line, close your leases and find success all year long.

1. Reply immediately

We’re talking one to two minutes. You’ll be 40 percent more likely to engage a prospect than if you wait a day or longer to reply. Even waiting 30 minutes decreases your likelihood of making a connection to 10 percent.

2. Follow up

Don’t be afraid to follow up — more than a few times. Just because they didn’t respond to your first text doesn’t mean they’re not interested. Whether you do it via phone, email, Facebook Messenger or text, you need to follow up five times before you consider the lead worked. Make the conversation as productive as possible for both parties, and secure an appointment.

3. Sweat the small stuff

Before someone walks onto your property, make sure it’s in tiptop shape.

Walk the tour route. Clean up any trash, and remove any signs of wear and tear like scuff marks. Prepare the models, and stock your snack fridge with goodies. Keep sales materials in the models in case a prospective renter wants more information along the way.

Also, make sure your office and models smell like home. Keep a very subtle seasonal or fresh scent in your leasing office, depending on the time of year.

4. Nail your greeting, and share a plan

When someone walks into your office, stand up, shake hands and greet them. Introduce yourself, and always ask for their name. Offer them a water, tea or something else to drink. You’re setting the tone for the entire tour and community in this first interaction, so make sure it’s an incredible one. If a prospect feels uncomfortable or ignored, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle for the rest of the tour.

After introductions, let them know the plan for the tour and afterward. Tell them how many apartment homes you’re going to show them and the amenities you’ll visit, then finish up by letting them know you’ll bring them back to the leasing office to discuss next steps. A clear plan will lessen the likelihood of awkward moments or lulls in the momentum.

5. Remember details

If you talk with a prospect or gather key details from a form they submit, find a way to cite these during your initial greeting. Did they recently move from out of state? Do they have a dog named Pickles? Remembering a detail or two about your prospect can go a long way in making them feel special — and making your community stand out in their mind.

6. Ask permission

To show your prospects the right model(s), you need to understand them better — and you need them to trust you. Enter permission marketing.

Ask them questions starting with “May I ask ...” This helps break down their natural defenses, because you’re not assuming you have access to personal information — and you’re getting key information about what they’re looking for.

May I ask ...

• Why are you moving?
• What do you like about your current property?
• What don’t you like?
• What are you looking for in your new apartment?
• What price range are you looking to stay within?
• Are you familiar with the neighborhood?
• Do you work nearby?
• How soon do you want to move?
• Do you have a pet that will be joining you?
• What features are must-haves in your new apartment?

7. Track it

In your initial discussion or during the tour, ask where they heard about you or how they found out about your community. This will help you spend your marketing dollars in the right place.

8. Understand your community’s unique value

Every property has a unique value proposition. Be sure everyone in the leasing office knows what your community’s is, especially in a competitive rental market.

If you’re not the newest building, then what sets you apart? Write down these differentiators, develop scripts and practice discussing them. Don’t forget to use your resources! From market reports to notes from your previous conversations, be prepared to answer questions about your community and neighborhood, including proximity to the nearest grocery store or bar.

9. Up the hospitality

This is your time to shine! Open the door to the models, and let them enter the apartment first. Then, remain in control during the tour by encouraging your shoppers to enter different rooms. Give them the highlights, and encourage them to open the cabinets, drawers and even the fridge (which you can stock with treats and drinks).

10. Help shoppers visualize

Engage your prospects by helping them visualize the placement of their furniture. You want them to be able to genuinely feel and see what it would be like to live there.

Always carry a small measuring tape with you to show how their bed or TV will fit. This is your opportunity to paint their picture of home and turn this model from a dream into a reality. When the time is right, answer any questions or concerns. If your shoppers are having a private conversation, don’t interrupt.

11. Summarize what you’ve seen

After the tour, invite prospects back to the office, and offer them another drink or an opportunity to use the restroom. This is when you can return their driver’s license. When you do, also bring back copies of the floor plans they were most interested in and a brochure about your community.

12. Always be closing

Throughout your communications with your shoppers, be sure to summarize the wants and needs you have discussed — and how your community and a certain apartment home fulfills them. Practice potential closing strategies:

• The which close: Offer shoppers an either/or option to encourage minor commitment. “Would you rather be upstairs or on the ground floor?” This also works for making an appointment. “I have availability at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Which works better for you?”
• The summary close: Recap the benefits the prospect said are important. “Let’s summarize, Mrs. Smith: You said you wanted vaulted ceilings and the gray color scheme, and the large windows will work well for your plans. It’s available now, which works well for your schedule, don’t you think?”
• The “If I could, would you?” close: Use this close when they express specific, firm objections you can overcome, such as location, carpet or price. “It seems we have everything you want except new carpet. If I could convince my manager to put in new carpet, would you lease this unit today?”
• The incentive close: Give them a special that might not be available later. “We are offering a ‘look and lease’ special for anyone who leaves a deposit on their first visit. I can offer you half off the deposit if you lease right now — but today only.”
• The team close: This isn’t really a technique as much as just using the different experiences and perspectives of two people to work together. Different people will pick up on different buying signals and objections. Work as a team!

13. Prepare for objections

There will be more than a few! Remember that this is not a high-pressure sale. Don’t get offended by objections or take them personally. This is how a prospect signals they may need more or different information.

Try to be empathetic. Rent is typically the biggest expense in someone’s monthly budget, and moving is a stressful process. Practice your response for common objections. If you get pushback, restate the objection as a question so you can better understand it. Then, if possible, try to minimize it by stressing other relevant benefits.

Keep asking questions to better understand where the shopper is coming from and what the real objection is.

14. Practice

Make time to practice all aspects of your lead processing and tours. Partner up with someone from your team and role play. Try and view your community from many different points of view, and practice your responses to questions and objections.

15. Say thank you

Whatever the tour’s outcome, smile and let them know you appreciate their time. Ask if there are any concerns about the property. And no matter what, follow up with a handwritten note. Make it personal to stand out in their memory. If they’re not ready to lease yet, they may think of you in their next move.