18 Best Rental Marketing Ideas for Property Managers

18 Best Rental Marketing Ideas for Property Managers

As a property manager, there is a lot of pressure to stay ahead of the game when marketing your rentals. You have to be able to adapt to the ever-changing digital world and understand just how much your prospects are relying on a strong online presence when searching for a property. Staying on top of marketing trends helps you maximize your time and resources for the upcoming years. But finding the best rental marketing ideas for property managers can take a lot of time. We understand that staying trendy while trying to manage your property can keep your hands full. So, we’ve put together some of the best apartment marketing ideas that we’ve found to be essential for property managers.

1. Prioritizing Good Photography

If we said it once, we’ll say it again: professional photos are a must-have for any property. We live in the world of Instagram and Pinterest where whoever has the best photos wins the most likes or in this case – leads. The photo gallery is one of the most visited pages on an apartment site, but every page should be visually appealing and needs pictures that leave a good impression.

Check out our blog on the importance of professional photography for more information. High-quality photos of your property, wherever you can be found online, will help you generate a lot more leases in the long-run.

2. Floor Plans & Virtual Tours

It’s important for prospects to know what they are getting themselves into before they sign that lease. They need to be able to visualize what it’s going to be like in their new home. If photos are the number one way to do that, then floor plans are close number two.  Floor plans are the second-highest recommended update on apartment website, but keep in mind that the floor plan page is the most visited page on the website other than the home page.

While 3D tours have become quite common nowadays, full virtual reality (VR) tours still remain a unique and captivating experience. By offering prospective tenants the opportunity to virtually “walk” through an apartment using VR goggles, you can create an incredibly immersive experience that sets your property apart from the competition.

If you are looking to spice up your floor plan game we recommend looking into 3D floor plans. If you really want to amaze prospects, try dipping your toes into virtual tours.  This will give that prospect a way to view the property from the comfort of their own home! We have more information on 3D floor plans and wrote a guide to Matterport virtual tours, and a blog post on what virtual tours are!

3. Security – SSL

This isn’t an apartment marketing idea – its an apartment marketing must. We have been pushing for SSL’s since July 2019 and if you haven’t hopped on the bandwagon you are missing out. Back in July, Chrome started logging all http sites as insecure, which means that when someone tries visiting the site, they get an error stating the site is not secure and asking if they are sure they want to proceed.

Apartment websites need SSL’s so that residents feel confident paying rent and submitting requests online. When you do have a secure website with an SSL, then you will not only get an SEO boost and Google’s favoritism, but prospects will be able to submit forms and applications without worry. If you have questions about this feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help set it up!

4. Utilizing Social Media

Social media platforms have emerged as indispensable tools in the decision-making process for potential renters. A compelling study conducted by Sprout Social discovered that a striking 72% of consumers actively visit a property’s social media profiles before reaching a final rental decision. By diligently maintaining an active and alluring social media presence, you can effortlessly capture the undivided attention of your esteemed target audience and concurrently cultivate a genuine and close-knit sense of community surrounding your exquisite apartment complex.

By now we understand the importance of social media and the role it plays in our lives and our businesses. We live in a world run by social media where platforms like Instagram and Facebook are integral pieces for the success of properties.

We all know that good pictures of the property, correct contact information, and being active are important but here are a couple of trends we think you should try out during the new year. Videos and the use of “Stories” are on the up and up. Over 200 million Instagram users use Instagram Stories each month. We recommend hiring a company to run social media to maximize your efforts because social media is one of the best apartment marketing ideas for property managers this year. Check out our free social media guide for multifamily properties to get started!

Video content has emerged as a formidable marketing tool, particularly within the real estate industry. According to a captivating 2023 research by HubSpot, properties adorned with alluring video tours witness an astounding 403% surge in inquiries, a number that eclipses their video-less counterparts. Integrating these engaging video tours of your apartments into your marketing strategy can wield a profound and transformative influence on both lead generation and occupancy rates.

5. Local Events and Community Engagement

As a property manager, you’re used to hosting open houses and giving tours of your community, but often that’s where it ends: at the borders of your property. One great way to reach more quality prospects is to get involved in the larger community around you. Embracing the magic of local events and community engagement can work wonders for property managers like you who want to create a living space that draws in potential tenants craving a tight-knit community.

When you host open houses, partner with local businesses for refreshments, giveaways, prizes, or decorations. Or, take that a step further by hosting a community fair. Take the opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to building a strong and connected apartment community. Set up booths, showcase the property, offer engaging activities, and showcase the unique aspects of the neighborhood that surrounds you. Events like these strengthen your property’s reputation as a place that values community engagement and the resident experience.

Workshops are great too! Imagine organizing events that help residents learn home improvement tricks, sustainable living hacks, or ways to grow the community. That’s the kind of dedication and care that gets people excited about living there.

Plan themed events throughout the year and make sure you get the word out. Send emails, post signs, and even use text reminders to let your tenants know what’s happening. Make sure to plan them at a time that makes sense to get the most engagement from your tenants. Think about events for certain holidays or the reopening of amenities like the pool. There’s always something you could be doing that fits with the season and gets your residents connecting with each other.

And don’t forget to shout about these events! Social media and local listings are your best friends here. Get creative with posts, share all the details, and make sure your visuals pop!

6. Eco-Friendly Initiatives

Eco-friendly initiatives are becoming more and more important in apartment marketing as the world becomes continually more environmentally conscious. It’s not always your first thought as a property manager, but more potential tenants are prioritizing eco-friendly living spaces when they look for their next apartment home, and you need to find ways to include them in your apartment marketing. Implementing and promoting eco-friendly initiatives aligns your property with sustainable practices and makes it a more attractive option for those tenants who value environmentally responsible living.

There are a variety of things you can try to make your property more sustainable and eco-friendly. Choose energy-efficient appliances for your apartments that reduce your carbon footprint and offer cost savings for tenants. Implement a recycling program with designated recycling areas and clear guidelines for waste separation to show prospects that you take recycling seriously. Create green spaces in the property or go a step further and xeriscape, for landscape that is not only beautiful, but conserves water.

When you take the time to implement these initiatives and make them a focal point in your marketing efforts, you not only attract potential tenants who prioritize sustainability but you also distinguish your property as a responsible and forward-thinking option in a competitive rental market.

7.  Voice Search

This year might not be “The Year of Voice Search” but the work you put in now will certainly pay off down the line. Almost 20% of all online searches are through Voice Search and that number will continue to climb. Within the next few years 75% of internet-connected devices, other than your laptop or smart phone, won’t have a search bar, which means they will rely heavily on voice search.

This is important because unlike a normal google search on a computer or phone, which gives us pages of results, voice search gives only one. You are going to want to get a leg up and start trying to understand this trend as it climbs or you might get left behind. Voice search is definitely an apartment marketing strategy that will only continue to grow in the years to come.

8.  Mobile Friendly

Most people look things up on their phone so when it comes down to the best apartment marketing strategies, a mobile friendly site is key. Mobile sites are faster when looked up on a mobile device and rank better on Google than sites that aren’t optimized for mobile phones. This is huge for apartment websites.

Imagine you are looking for an apartment and you decide to look up ones nearby on your phone. Now imagine that you click on a link and it takes longer than 15 seconds to load. At first glance you might not think that’s a long time but it really is. The average person expects a website to load in about 2-3 seconds. Any longer than 5-10 seconds the user starts to notice the delay and will most often back out to find a faster page. Make sure that your site is fast and easy to use for mobile users!

It also helps to have a mobile-friendly site because it looks better when viewed on a phone. If your website has a lot of text, when someone looks it up on their phone it can look like a huge wall of text if the page hasn’t been optimized for mobile viewing. Prospects aren’t likely to scroll through the whole page to find what they are looking for if it takes too long. Make sure text is brief or has a “read more” option and that pictures will look nice and fit on a small screen.

You’ve spent so much time getting quality photos and content, you don’t want that worked to be hindered simply because you didn’t optimize it for mobile phones. Think about where your prospects are searching and make it as easy and clean a process as possible for them.

9. Artificial Intelligence – Chatbots

Nothing scares us more than a hostile robot invasion, but this AI takeover has actually solidified itself as a true resource when it comes to apartment marketing. As technology has progressed it has continually improved the quality of our lives and our websites. Chatbots are no exception. They are computer programs with integrated AI that can have a conversation with a prospect and respond to the most frequently asked questions. It’s essentially a customer service representative that lives on your website 24/7.

Prospects can ask the chatbot questions and it will respond with correct information, which can take a lot of the busy work off of your hands so that you and your team can optimize your time in other ways. Easy to install and cost effective, this is definitely one of the best apartment marketing ideas to delve into this year. Check out this video of Blake Morgan explaining Chatbots and how useful they can be!

10. Local Listings & Citations

Location, location, location. Where you are located plays a massive role in online searches because the Google algorithm prioritizes location and will continue to do so for years to come. This means that SEO efforts should be focused on where you are located so people in your area searching for apartments will be able to find you easily.

Using the users location, Google can narrow down their search results to a finite area instead of pulling up anything and everything that has the keywords they are searching for. If someone searches “apartments” it won’t bring up every single apartment online. It’s going to show the most relevant search results by highlighting apartments in their area. You help Google out by using keywords that specify your location, so it knows when to show your site in search results and where you should rank.

All of this means that optimizing local listing are more important than ever and will continue to be one of the best things to prioritize in your marketing plan. Yelp, Facebook, and Google My Business are by far the most important places to list your business, but utilizing the smaller or more local listing sites can also have an impact on your online presence.

11. Resident Referrals

When we say “The Best Apartment Marketing Ideas,” we mean the best apartment marketing ideas – not the newest. When it’s all said and done we know that one of the most effective forms of marketing in the past is word of mouth, and that hasn’t changed.  This is where resident referrals come in.

When you give happy residents an incentive for helping their friends and family become their neighbors, you are going to be successful. Everyone wants to live around people they love and to be rewarded by doing so is just icing on the cake, making everyone involved happy.

Figuring out what kind of reward is best is the tricky thing here and we recommend trying a few different ideas for resident referrals to find out what works best for your property! Not sure where to start? Consider discounts, gift cards, or free services for residents who provide you with a successful referral. Let us know what you do for your resident referral programs below!

12. The Role of Reviews and Testimonials

It’s no secret that reviews are a go-to resource for potential tenants. They want to know about the experience of current and past tenants before they make a decision. Positive reviews can make a huge difference in attracting the tenants you’re looking for. They boost your reputation and help your prospects see how you take care of your renters.

As a property manager, you need to make sure you are responding to reviews in a timely manner. Google My Business and Yelp are where people go to talk about their experience with their apartment complex. If they are happy, that will help your property immensely. If not, they will go there to vent and that can be very damaging to your reputation.

Positive reviews act as proof that your property is the real deal and that people actually enjoy living there. They can also help boost your rankings in search results. The more good reviews you have, the more likely your complex will show up at the top of search results when potential renters search for apartments in your area.

No matter the tone of the review, respond as soon as possible. It’s best to respond within 24 hours if you can. Even if the review is negative, this shows you are engaged with your renters and are trying to make things right with them.

But how do you get those great reviews in the first place? Be proactive! Reach out to your satisfied tenants and ask them to share their thoughts. Shoot them an email or have a friendly chat in person to show you genuinely care about their feedback.

Focus on doing your best customer service and being there for your tenants so that they will want to write a review. When you resolve an issue for them, use that opportunity to ask them for a review. Don’t push, but give them an opportunity while they are happy and your quality service is on their mind.

You can also offer small incentives like discounts or gift cards to help motivate your tenants to share their experiences. But remember, it’s an honest review you’r looking for, so don’t go to far with bribes and don’t push reviews so much your tenants feel like that is your only motivation for helping them out, because it shouldn’t be. Help them see they are your first priority and you’ll be sure to turn those happy residents into your best marketing advocates!

13. Texting

In an eye-opening survey recently came out that 98% of text messages are opened within 3 hours, as compared to a lowly 20% of emails opened. And of those 20% of emails opened, even less were responded to. While texting is shown to be more effective over email and paper communications, it is important how it is used.

One study showed that texting services were most effective when the business had already met and/or interacted with the text receiver. This is great news for property managers because you already know your residents and can use texting to not only communicate important information, but strengthen your rapport. Texting is easy, it’s effective, and it needs to be one of your primary marketing strategies. Trust us. Your digital marketing strategy will thank us!

14. Email Marketing

When it comes to email marketing, we all know open rates can be a challenge, but there is a lot more to email marketing than that. With some advanced strategies, you can build a well-crafted email campaign that has a potential to make an impact and drive engagement.

One of the key approaches to improve the effectiveness of your campaigns is segmentation. When you segment your email list based on location, interests, or rental preferences, you can send targeted content to specific groups of prospects. Relevant content like this feels more personalized and makes it more likely that those on your email list will engage with your emails. They get information that aligns with their needs and you get a more solid lead.

Crafting marketing messages that cater to individual preferences can significantly boost engagement rates. According to a study by Segment, a remarkable 71% of consumers express a preference for personalized experiences. When promoting apartments, incorporating tailored email campaigns, virtual tours, and content based on user behavior can yield more effective lead generation and higher conversion rates.

Personalization can go even further. You can customize the email content for each individual recipient. Set up emails to use their name or make a point to talk about your past interactions. When you make an email seem tailor-made for them, it builds trust, they feel seen, and you strengthen your rapport.

Automation is even better because it is the quickest way to make your life easier as you do email marketing. It can take care of so much for you. You can set up automated email sequences that are triggered by certain actions or events (like when someone signs up or asks for more information). This way, you get to keep the conversation going with potential residents without having to do it all manually. With automation, you can nurture the relationship from the very beginning.

On top of that, focus on the details. Make subject lines short, catchy, and intriguing to pique your prospects’ curiosity. Design emails with high-quality photos and beautiful graphics that make them stand out. Keep call-to-action buttons clear and give them several opportunities to engage with you!

15. Blogging

When it comes to the best apartment marketing ideas for property managers we absolutely can’t leave out blogging. Did you know that businesses that blog receive up to 67% more leads than those who don’t? There’s a reason why digital marketers say “content is king.” By creating a blog (and updating it regularly), your apartment name is collecting backlinks, you’re creating more digital content, and you’re getting your name out on the Internet.

Blogging gives you more credibility and authority with Google and other search engines, helping you to rank higher in results pages. We understand that writing and maintaining a blog can be a lot of work and can become hard to manage so we threw together some tips and tricks to help get you started. Check out our 5 Blogging Tips for Apartment Websites or reach out to us to build an optimized blog just for your property!

Dive into hyper-local content. Instead of just blogging about general apartment living tips, write about local events, businesses, or landmarks near your property. This not only boosts SEO for local searches but also showcases your property’s connection to the community.

16. Incorporating User-Generated Content

User-generated content can be a magical part of apartment marketing! It lets your current tenants be the stars as they show off their real experiences at your property. User-generated content, such as authentic tenant reviews, photos, and testimonials, plays a significant role in building trust among potential renters. According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal in 2022, 78% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Whether it’s awesome photos or heartwarming stories, UGC gives potential tenants a taste of what life is really like in your apartment complex. It’s totally authentic, and that’s what makes it so powerful in attracting new leads. What could be better for building trust with prospective tenants than the lived experience of current ones?

UGC adds a personal touch that regular marketing strategies can’t compete with. When people see residents having a great time in your property, it creates a special connection. They can see it’s not just a place to live, but it’s a home and a community.

To get your tenants on board, make sure they feel comfortable sharing their experiences. Engage with them on social media, through emails, or during community events. Show genuine interest in their stories and make them feel like they’re part of a big family. You can even run contests or campaigns that encourage them to participate. Offer fun incentives like rent discounts or gift cards for the best submissions.

When you have that amazing content from your tenants, showcase it on your website, social media profiles, and marketing materials. You can even give prospects a sneak peek into life at your property by creating a special section highlighting the UGC. Let potentials dive into those real-life experiences and see where it takes them. UGC is also perfect for spicing up your email campaigns. Let those heartwarming stories and fantastic photos do the talking and make potential tenants fall in love with your property.

17. Data Analytics for Apartment Marketing

For apartment marketing, data analytics is an impressive tool. Property managers can use that data to make more educated decisions for better outcomes. They can learn how prospective tenants interact with their website and marketing initiatives and gain valuable insight into what their prospects want and need.

It’s key to keep track of website visits. Managers like you can highlight the unique selling points of the property by identifying which features or amenities appeal to prospective tenants. Find out how often prospects visit your site, which pages they visit, which ones they stay on the longest, and how often they contact you. You can get a good idea of what information is most important to them and what might be missing when you take a look at your website activity.

Another important statistic to keep an eye on is conversion rates. They help you know if your calls-to-action are working and give you an idea of the overall performance of your website. When you understand what is working and what isn’t, you can work on improving your lead-generating tactics.

Analyzing marketing campaigns using tools like Google Analytics and social media insights will help you target the right audience and learn to use your resources more efficiently. On top of that, CRM software can help you organize and analyze data related to your leads and tenants, so you can make the most of it. Effective lead nurturing and tenant retention are two of the most important parts of a property manager’s job and data analytics will help you do both much better.

18. Market Apartments – Apartment Marketing Ideas for Property Managers and more!

The name says it all. At Market Apartments we are well versed in everything marketing, especially when it comes to apartments. In fact, it’s our specialty. And as a busy property manager, sometimes the best solution is the simplest: working with a marketing partner.

We help properties get found online, generate more qualified leads, convert leads into new clients, track marketing sources, build their local web presence, and optimize their performance with analytics. Whether you need us to build a website, increase your online presence, or manage your local listings, we can do all that and more with the efficiency and professionalism you’re looking for. Check out our marketing services to see if we are the right match for you!

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Categorised in: Apartment Marketing, For Property Managers

This post was written by Chandra Lloyd

Chandra Lloyd is a writer for Market Apts with a focus on SEO copywriting and digital marketing for multifamily housing.