How Quality Cell Phone Coverage Can Boost Renewals and New Leases

“As renters increasingly forgo landline phones and rely solely on cell phones, the quality of connectivity in an apartment can be a deciding factor in whether to renew or sign a lease.”

That was from the National Multifamily Housing Council, way back in 2014, and it has become even more true today. According to data provided by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of US households in 2018 use cell phones only – no landline. When you look at adults who are renting their home or apartment, that figure jumps to over 72%!

Countless online rental guides and blogs advise apartment-seekers to check the building’s cell signal strength and WiFi before signing a lease. Good cell service is considered as crucial as pricing, floor plan and location in terms of what to look for in a rental. And for good reasons:

Work — Many apartment dwellers use both company and personal devices to work from home so switching from a smartphone to a computer and vice versa needs to be seamless.

Security access — If your guest or pizza delivery guy has to call you to get buzzed into your building, you need a cell phone connection. You don’t want your Mom standing outside in the rain because she can’t reach you.

Emergencies — Obviously, you can’t dial 911 if you don’t have reliable cell phone coverage.

Everyday Life — work, friends, social networking, banking, shopping, and pretty much everything you do all day, every day, happens via your cell phone. And let’s not forget the cat videos that need to be streamed.

In exchange for best-in-class digital connectivity, tenants are willing to pay more in rent. In a study by WiredScore, rents rose along with Wired Certification levels, by an average of 6.9% per level.

This is why today’s building owners are wise to provide the best cell phone coverage possible to keep the tenants they have and offer a more enticing living space for potential tenants. ConnectedRE Magazine stated, “Often the most important reasons for deploying an in-building [wireless] solution are the marketing benefits of a truly ‘connected’ building.”

With 96% of millennials reporting their cell phones are the most important item used in their daily lives, a CBRE building offering reliable connectivity to consumers can be the difference between growing as a company and being outpaced by competitors.

Illuminati Labs can help you maximize your rent-earning potential with an in-building cellular enhancement system. We offer simple, affordable in-building solutions for every type and size of commercial property from 72-story residential high rises to million-square-foot hospital campuses. Our cellular enhancement systems capture ALL of the available voice/data/text signal from ALL of the carriers, bring the signal inside and distribute it throughout the entire building as needed, from rooftop to underground parking garages.

Let us run diagnostics on your building to discover what sort of coverage you’re getting now and how much your cellular connectivity – and your rents – can be improved.