6 Reasons Your Facebook & Instagram Apartment Ads Aren't Converting

1. Do You Know Your Residents?

Sometimes, a simple demographics report can make a huge difference. 

Pull a report from your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that gives you insights about your renters. Once you have this information, you’ll be better equipped to understand your audience (prospects) and what it takes to actually reach them. 

If you’re showing ads outside your prime leasing area, including homeowners instead of renters, and not letting Meta’s conversion algorithm do its job and optimize delivery, you’re going to struggle to reach the right people. 

Start by reviewing your leasing radius. Typically, you’ll stay within five to fifteen miles from your location. Also, optimize your campaigns for leads or conversions (not web traffic) and be sure to exclude current residents whenever possible. 

Remember: You must adhere to both Fair Housing and Facebook Special Ad Category rules. Before creating ads, make sure you check out Facebook’s detailed policy breakdown. 

2. They’re Just Not That Into You

Hate to break it to you, but ain’t nobody got time for your “luxury apartments” or “now leasing” messaging. 

When thinking about your ads, ask yourself: Why my community and why now?

The more compelling the ad, the more likely a renter is to take action. For example:

• One Month Free
• Move In by [Date] and Save Up To [dollar amount]
• [Floor Plan] Starting From [dollar amount]
• Tour Today, Move In Next Week
• Pet-Friendly Apartments with No Weight Limits

Remember: Your current residents might be talking about you behind your back. One month free isn’t enough to fix a bad reputation. If your ratings/reviews are bad, your prospect is probably going to live elsewhere. If your current residents are happy, ask them to share their experience, because your review metrics really do matter. 

3. Your Pictures (Might) Suck

A lot of money goes into amenities and landscaping, and it may be tempting to display dozens and dozens of photos of those particular areas, but your pool and zen garden aren’t what attracts your renters. 

Empty apartment photos that honestly look kind of sad and pictures of exterior buildings (bricks, siding, and windows, oh, my!) are boring. In reality, these are some of the lowest-performing assets so limit them if you can.

Renters want to imagine what it is like to live there, and you can help them do that by creating ads that include:

• Walk-through videos of actual apartments
• Pet-friendly amenities
• Drone footage of the property
• Vertical video designed for Reels and Stories

Remember: Videos outperform pictures. If the video is immersive and interesting, prospects will be engaged longer. Also, ad fatigue is real. Switch up your ads often and review the data to see what types of media/content are actually converting.

4. Bad Landing Pages = Sad Prospects

Let’s say your ad sends your prospect to your website . . .

. . . you might lose them entirely. 

If your website loads slowly or offers a poor mobile experience, your prospect will bounce fast. Or, if your renter has to hunt for floor plans and pricing, fill out a long contact form, or manually dial your number, they’ll also (most likely) lose interest and move on to the next place. 

The ideal landing page allows prospective residents to quickly:

• View pricing and availability (1 click or 0 is ideal)
• Schedule a tour (without having to call)
• Contact the leasing office (email or phone without hassle)

Remember: Your renters are human and just as impatient as everyone else. This is why simplified and informative landing pages are the best way to get leads to convert. 

5. Answer Fast & Follow Up

Missing calls can mean the difference between a lease and a lost prospect. 

And hey, we get it. You can’t answer the phone every single time it rings. You’ve got tours to do, emails to check, rent to post, packages to accept, maintenance requests to follow up on, and maybe you’ll be able to squeeze lunch in today.

But renters don’t think about that. They’re stressed about finding an apartment, and oftentimes, the first team to respond is the team that gets the tour. 

If you’re taking hours (or days) to respond to voicemails, not following up with custom emails and/or texts, and missing calls, you’ve got a serious problem on your hands. 

Remember: We’re not here to tell you how to run your office. What we can urge you to do is follow up fast (within 5-15 minutes) because the faster you follow up, the better the odds of getting that lease! 

6. Bonus Round

So, why are you better than the place down the street? 

Are your rents lower? Is your pricing transparent and listed on your website? Are you offering promotions? Concessions? 

Do you have a better Google rating? How close are you to major employers? Do you allow 80-pound dogs? 

Are your calls-to-action weaker than a newborn kitten, or do they actually encourage people to call?

These are just some of the questions prospects are asking themselves. 

And honestly, you should be asking yourself the same questions about your community and the competition, because as they say, knowledge is power. 

Remember: Competition is fierce, so you’ll have to be fiercer. If your community has a Competitive Analysis (aka a Comp Study), be sure to learn the information and keep it up-to-date.

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