It’s no secret that most prospective tenants are finding your properties through an internet search. However, there’s been a major spike in the amount of apartment hunters searching specifically via mobile devices.

According to a new ForRent.com survey, 84% of responding consumers are actively searching for apartments on a mobile device, compared with only 28% in 2013. This is largely due to the increase in mobile-friendliness of internet listing services, which 90% of users rely on to find an apartment. 

With 48% of users preferring to use mobile apps to look for apartments over using their computers, it's important to understand just what exactly they want to see via their mobile device. Overall, 80% of consumers rely on photos of properties and units to make a decision, while 26% saw video as a valuable tool. However, for mobile users specifically, 40% said they saw video as a valuable tool. Of mobile users, 82% said they reviewed floor plans on their phones. 

Apartment hunters are also now more likely to use social media sites in their search. Overall, 76% of consumers relied on ratings and reviews sites to evaluate a property, as well as 66% of specifically mobile users. Maybe more importantly, 49% stated receiving a reply to reviews made them feel a priority to staff. 

Also, 43% of consumers were likely or very likely to interact with an apartment community on social media, showing there's value for property managers to stay updated on best social media practices. While social media sites are still important, 40% of respondents still rely on old fashioned word-of-mouth reviews from friends, families, and neighbors. 

In this survey, 53.3% of respondents were between 18 and 34 years old, 32.2% were between 35 and 54 years old, and 14.5% were over 55-years-old. All respondents identified as either current or prospective renters before taking the survey.