Multifamily Marketing in a Digital-First World: 5 Strategies That Work

The way renters find their next apartment has fundamentally changed. Virtual tours have become standard. Online reviews influence decisions as much as in-person visits. And prospects often narrow down their options before ever contacting a leasing office.

For multifamily property managers and owners, this means adapting your marketing to a digital-first reality. The properties that embrace this shift are filling vacancies faster and building waitlists. Those that don't are struggling with longer lease-up periods and higher vacancy costs.

Here are five digital marketing strategies that are working for multifamily properties right now.

Strategy #1: Google Business Profile Optimization

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is often the first thing prospects see when they search for apartments in your area. It appears in map results, shows your photos and reviews, and provides key information before anyone visits your website.

Yet many properties treat GBP as an afterthought — claiming the listing and forgetting about it.

What top-performing properties do differently:

Complete every field. Hours, amenities, services, attributes — fill in everything. Google rewards complete profiles with better visibility.

Add photos weekly. Properties with active photo uploads rank better and get more engagement. Post photos of:

• Apartment interiors (staged units)
• Amenities (pool, gym, common areas)
• Building exterior and grounds
• Community events
• Seasonal decorations

Use Google Posts. Publish weekly updates about available units, special offers, community events, or neighborhood highlights. Posts keep your listing fresh and give prospects more reasons to engage.

Manage Q&A proactively. Google lets anyone ask questions on your listing. Monitor this and answer promptly. Better yet, add your own common questions and answers to control the narrative.

Track insights. GBP provides data on how people find and interact with your listing. Use this to understand what's working and what to improve.

Strategy #2: Virtual Tours and Video Content

COVID accelerated virtual touring out of necessity. But even now, prospects expect virtual options — not as a replacement for in-person visits, but as part of the research process.

Why it matters:

Prospects want to eliminate unsuitable properties before investing time in visits. A virtual tour lets them verify that the unit layout, finishes, and amenities match their needs. Properties without virtual tours get skipped.

Video also performs exceptionally well on social media and in ads. Moving images capture attention in ways static photos can't.

Implementation approaches:

3D virtual tours (Matterport, etc.): Interactive walkthroughs that let prospects explore at their own pace. Best for leasing pages where people are seriously evaluating.

Video walkthroughs: Recorded tours with narration highlighting features. Great for social media, YouTube, and ads. More personal than 3D tours.

Drone footage: Aerial views showing the property, neighborhood, and proximity to points of interest. Effective for lifestyle positioning.

Resident testimonial videos: Short clips of current residents talking about their experience. Powerful social proof that builds trust.

Tips for effective video:

• Keep tours under 3 minutes (shorter for social)
• Show realistic lighting — overly bright or dark video feels deceptive
• Include neighborhood context, not just interior shots
• Update videos when you renovate or change finishes

Strategy #3: Paid Social for Awareness and Lead Generation

Paid social media advertising — especially on Facebook and Instagram — is a powerful channel for multifamily. Unlike search ads (which capture people actively looking), social ads reach people before they start searching.

This is valuable for multifamily because:

• Leases end on schedules. You can target people whose leases are likely expiring.
• Moving decisions involve research. Planting awareness early influences later choices.
• Visual content performs well. Apartments photograph well, making social ideal.

Targeting strategies that work:

Life events: Facebook lets you target people who recently moved, got engaged, or had other life changes that often precede apartment searches.

Lease timeline targeting: Target people who moved into apartments in your area 10-12 months ago (lease renewal decision time).

Competitor targeting: Target people interested in competing properties or neighborhoods.

Lookalike audiences: Upload your current resident list and let Facebook find similar people.

Ad formats that perform:

Carousel ads: Show multiple images — different floor plans, amenities, lifestyle shots — in a swipeable format.

Video ads: Tour videos or lifestyle content that stops scrollers.

Lead form ads: Capture information directly in Facebook for high-volume lead generation. Works well for "schedule a tour" offers.

Budget guidance:

Start with $1,500-3,000/month for a single property. Allocate roughly 70% to prospecting (reaching new people) and 30% to retargeting (people who've visited your website or engaged with content).

Strategy #4: ILS Optimization and Review Management

Internet Listing Services (ILS) like Apartments.com, Zillow, and Rent.com remain major traffic sources for multifamily. But simply having a listing isn't enough — you need to optimize it.

ILS optimization tactics:

Complete and accurate listings: Fill in every field. Inaccurate information (wrong pricing, outdated photos, missing amenities) frustrates prospects and damages trust.

Quality photos: Use professional photography, not phone pictures. Include at least 15-20 images covering units, amenities, and exterior.

Frequent updates: Update availability regularly. Nothing frustrates prospects more than inquiring about a unit that's already leased.

Respond quickly: ILS platforms track response time. Faster responses improve your ranking and convert more leads.

Review management (critical):

Reviews on ILS platforms and Google directly influence leasing decisions. Prospects read them carefully.

Generate reviews systematically: Ask happy residents to leave reviews. Make it easy with direct links. The best time to ask is right after you've resolved an issue or provided great service.

Respond to every review: Positive or negative, respond professionally. Thank positive reviewers. Address negative reviews promptly and offer to resolve issues.

Don't ignore negative reviews: A thoughtful response to criticism can actually build trust. It shows you take feedback seriously.

Strategy #5: Retargeting Past Website Visitors

Here's a common scenario: A prospect visits your website, browses floor plans, maybe even checks availability. Then they leave to compare other options. A week later, they've forgotten about your property entirely.

Retargeting prevents this. By showing ads to people who've already visited your website, you stay top of mind during their decision process.

How retargeting works:

A tracking pixel on your website identifies visitors. You then show those visitors ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google Display Network, and other platforms as they browse the web.

Effective retargeting strategies:

Urgency messaging: "Still looking for your new home? Only 3 units left at [Property Name]."

Specific unit retargeting: If someone viewed 2-bedroom floor plans, show them ads featuring 2-bedroom availability.

Special offers: Target website visitors with move-in specials they may not have seen.

Virtual tour reminders: "Take a virtual tour of [Property] from anywhere."

Testimonials: Show resident reviews to build trust with prospects who are evaluating options.

Timing considerations:

Most apartment searches take 30-60 days. Set your retargeting window accordingly. Don't waste budget showing ads to someone who visited once six months ago.

Frequency matters too. Showing the same ad 50 times annoys people. Cap frequency at 3-5 impressions per week per person.

Measuring Success: KPIs That Matter

Digital marketing generates data. Focus on the metrics that actually indicate performance:

Top-of-funnel metrics:

• Website traffic (by source)
• Cost per click (CPC)
• Ad impressions and reach

Mid-funnel metrics:

• Leads generated
• Cost per lead (CPL)
• Lead-to-tour conversion rate

Bottom-funnel metrics:

• Tours scheduled
• Tour-to-application rate
• Cost per lease

The metric that matters most: Cost per lease. Calculate total marketing spend divided by leases signed. This tells you whether your marketing is profitable.

Industry benchmarks vary by market, but a cost per lease under $300-500 is generally strong for digital channels. Compare this to your vacancy cost — every month a unit sits empty costs you far more than effective marketing.

The Bottom Line

Digital marketing for multifamily isn't optional anymore. Prospects expect virtual tours, research properties online before visiting, and make decisions based on reviews and online presence.

The properties that invest in these five strategies — Google Business Profile, video content, paid social, ILS optimization, and retargeting — fill vacancies faster and command stronger rents.

Start with whichever strategy addresses your biggest gap. For most properties, that's either Google Business Profile (quick wins) or paid social (scalable lead generation).