How to Generate Leads for Apartments on a Budget

Attracting qualified leads for your apartment community doesn’t have to drain your marketing budget. With smart digital marketing strategies and a little creativity, you can increase your online presence and drive more interest in your property without overspending. Here’s how property managers can implement high-impact, low-cost marketing strategies to boost occupancy faster.

1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful (and free) tools for local SEO. Make sure your profile is fully optimized with high-quality photos, up-to-date contact information, and positive reviews. This increases your chances of ranking in local searches and appearing in front of potential renters actively looking for apartments in your area.

Encourage current residents to leave reviews highlighting their experiences. The more positive reviews your property has, the higher it will rank in search engine results, making it easier for prospects to find you. Additionally, regularly updating your profile with posts about community events, leasing specials, and new amenities keeps your listing fresh and engaging.

💡 Click here for 15 Google Profile Post ideas for your properties!

2. Leverage Free and Low-Cost Social Media Marketing

A strong social media presence is essential for engaging potential renters. Use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to highlight your community’s best features through virtual tours, resident testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content. Engaging video content and interactive live sessions help build relationships with prospects while maximizing your marketing efforts without heavy ad spend.

For example, hosting live Q&A sessions with your leasing agents can help answer common renter questions in real time. Short-form videos showcasing apartment interiors, amenities, and even “day in the life” content of a resident can boost engagement and drive inquiries. Take advantage of trending hashtags and challenges to increase visibility and make your content shareable.

💡 Click here for 5 social media strategies we're loving for 2025!

3. Start a Resident Referral Program

Turn your happy residents into your best marketers. Offer small incentives like rent discounts, gift cards, or community perks in exchange for referrals. Word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly powerful, increasing the chances of securing new leases while keeping acquisition costs low.

To make your referral program more enticing, promote it across multiple channels—emails, flyers, social media posts, and even community events. Consider tiered incentives, where residents who refer multiple friends receive bigger rewards. This approach keeps renters engaged and encourages ongoing participation.

4. Build a Robust Property Website

Your property website should do more than list floor plans and pricing—it should be a dynamic resource that adds value for potential renters. Create additional pages such as FAQs, neighborhood guides, resident testimonials, and special community incentives. This not only enhances user experience but also strengthens your search engine rankings through strategic content marketing.

A well-structured website with interactive elements like 3D virtual tours and chatbots improves visitor engagement. Adding SEO-friendly content like blog posts about apartment living tips, local events, and moving checklists helps your website rank higher in search engine results. The longer visitors stay on your site, the more likely they are to convert into leads.

5. Partner with Local Businesses

Collaboration is key to expanding your reach. Build relationships with local businesses like coffee shops, gyms, and restaurants to create cross-promotional opportunities. Offering exclusive discounts or hosting joint events can introduce your property to a wider audience and drive more foot traffic to your leasing office.

For example, partnering with a local gym to provide free trial memberships to new residents can be a huge selling point. Cross-promoting with businesses on social media, such as running a giveaway or tagging each other in posts, extends your visibility to potential renters already engaged with those businesses.

6. Utilize Video Content and Live Streaming

Video marketing is one of the most effective ways to showcase your community and engage potential renters. Use live streams on social media to host virtual tours, Q&A sessions, and behind-the-scenes looks at your property. High-quality, authentic video content builds trust and drives more engagement than static images alone.

Consider creating a weekly or monthly video series featuring different aspects of your property, such as highlighting resident events, interviewing staff members, or showcasing newly renovated units. Testimonials from current residents in video form can also have a significant impact on prospective renters' decision-making process.

7. Optimize Your Website for SEO

A well-optimized website is your best long-term lead generation asset. Use relevant keywords, fast-loading pages, and clear CTAs (Call-to-Actions) to guide visitors toward scheduling a tour or contacting your leasing team. Strong SEO practices ensure your property ranks higher in search engine results, bringing in more organic traffic.

To improve SEO, regularly update your website with fresh content, optimize images to load quickly, and ensure your site is mobile-friendly. Most renters browse for apartments on their phones, so a seamless mobile experience is crucial. Additionally, linking to reputable sources and using local SEO strategies—such as including neighborhood names in content—can further boost rankings.

8. Use Retargeting Ads for Cost-Effective Lead Generation

Paid advertising doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. Retargeting ads on social media and search engines allow you to re-engage visitors who have already interacted with your website. Since these ads specifically target users already familiar with your community, they often deliver higher conversion rates at a lower cost than traditional search ads.

For example, if a prospect visits your website but doesn’t fill out a contact form, retargeting ads can remind them about your property as they browse other sites or social media. Dynamic retargeting ads can even show them the specific floor plans they previously viewed, making it more likely they’ll return and take action.

9. Engage in Local Community Events

Get your property in front of potential renters by participating in local events. Sponsor or set up a booth at farmers' markets, festivals, or business networking events to build awareness and connect with prospects in person. Face-to-face engagement is an excellent way to build credibility and make a lasting impression.

Hosting events within your community, such as open houses, pet adoption days, or food truck nights, can also attract new prospects while strengthening relationships with current residents. The more visible and active your property is in the local scene, the more likely people are to remember it when searching for a new home.

10. Encourage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) can be a powerful marketing tool. Encourage current residents to share photos and videos of their apartments and tag your property on social media. Create a branded hashtag for your community and feature the best posts on your social channels.

This not only increases engagement but also provides authentic social proof for potential renters. Seeing real people enjoying their lives at your community builds trust and makes your property more appealing. To incentivize participation, run a monthly contest where residents who post with your hashtag have a chance to win a prize.

Ready to Jump Start Your Property's Lead Generation?

With the right marketing strategies in place, generating qualified leads doesn’t have to be expensive. By focusing on digital marketing, SEO, video content, and local partnerships, your property can attract more renters without overspending.

Want to streamline your apartment marketing even further? Let’s make it happen with smart, budget-friendly lead generation strategies that work!

Siobhan is the Head of Marketing at Repli. With over 10 years of digital marketing experience, Siobhan is dedicated to pushing boundaries and disrupting the industry by sharing insights on trends, technology, and best practices to help multifamily marketers thrive. When she's not creating content, she's often traveling with her family, filming k-pop dance covers, or exploring her favorite restaurants.