In the digital age of multifamily marketing, your online reputation is a multimillion-dollar asset that can’t be overlooked. From social media to review management, multifamily marketers are making online reputation an essential part of their advertising strategy.
Apartments.com’s 2025 advertising survey offers a glimpse into the marketing strategies of multifamily decision-makers across the country, including their top tools, goals, and challenges. Participants in the survey represented 16,000 properties and 1.6 million units.
Social media isn’t just for the largest properties
Social media marketing is often associated with apartment communities that have large budgets and hundreds of units.
And while it’s true that larger properties are more likely to maintain a social media channel, they’re not the only ones on social media.
Nearly 40 percent of properties with under 50 units report having a social media presence. Among properties with 100 or more units, 65 percent are on social media.
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can double as business listings, which provide renters with important contact information and can help properties rank higher in search. This can be especially valuable for properties with a smaller online footprint.
A social media presence can also build credibility among prospective residents — and foster community and loyalty among current residents.
Overall, 57 percent of multifamily respondents report that their property or brand maintains social media channels for current and prospective residents. A third (33 percent) report that their properties aren’t on social media, and 9 percent said they weren’t sure.
Weekly is the sweet spot
Social media presence isn’t a one-and-done event. It’s important to keep your social channels active on a regular basis. Recent activity, including posts, likes, shares, and comments, can improve your channel’s ranking in search and expand your reach to prospective residents.
How often do properties typically post new content to their social media channels? The majority of survey respondents, 65 percent, report posting at least once a week. This aligns with the best practices for social media marketing.
Not sure what to post on your social channels?
Erica Byrum, Apartments.com’s assistant vice president of social media, recommends posting a mix of content types, including company-centric posts, educational content, and employee-generated photos and videos.
For more inspiration, check out Erica’s top 21 ideas to keep your feed fresh.
Reputation must be proactively managed
In a challenging market characterized by high vacancy and limited rent growth, it’s no surprise that occupancy and conversion top the list of 2025 marketing goals. Nearly 80 percent of respondents cite meeting or exceeding occupancy goals as a top marketing goal for the year.
While reputation doesn’t rank quite as high on the list, a notable proportion of respondents identify reputation improvement as a top priority.
Nearly three in 10 multifamily decision-makers, or 29 percent, report that improving the reputation of their property or brand is a top marketing goal for the year, and 20 percent cite brand and reputation concerns as a major operational issue.
But even for properties where a negative reputation isn’t an active concern, reputation management remains part of the day-to-day strategy.
Half of respondents confirmed that they currently have a reputation management strategy in place. Less than a third (31 percent) confirmed having no such strategy, and an additional 19 percent said they weren’t sure.
Reputation is a key factor that affects renters’ interest in your community. A negative reputation can quickly drive renters away before they even reach out to your leasing team, while a positive reputation can encourage renters to move forward in the leasing process.
Given the importance of reputation, it’s no wonder that a plurality of properties report taking a proactive role in managing their reputation.
Ratings and reviews are unavoidable
Ratings and reviews are central to the buying process, whether consumers are shopping for a laptop or a place to rent. Nearly all renters — a whopping 98 percent — report that they care about properties’ online ratings and reviews, according to the latest Apartments.com renter survey.
While ratings and reviews in the multifamily industry aren’t as ubiquitous as renters would like, this reputational metric is extremely common.
An overwhelming majority of multifamily decision-makers — 84 percent — report that their properties or brands have online ratings and reviews. Only 10 percent don’t, and 7 percent of respondents are unsure.
Properties are managing reviews across multiple platforms, including Google and Yelp.
For better or worse, ratings and reviews are essential to a property’s online curb appeal. This can pose a challenge when ratings are negative.
One survey respondent, a regional manager responsible for over two dozen properties, noted “how easy it is for online reviews to ruin a company’s reputation.”
A negative reputation can outlast even change of management.
“Old reviews from prior bad management hamper our ability to get eyes on listings,” said a property manager with multiple properties of 50 to 99 units. “The ratings turn people off.”
Overall, just over half of respondents — 54 percent — said they’re satisfied with their current ratings and reviews.
Responding to reviews is an important way to neutralize the potential damage from negative comments. By replying to reviews, properties show that they’re listening to resident feedback and are willing to address issues. This can help restore renters’ trust and improve properties’ findability within search engines.
The overwhelming majority of multifamily decision-makers — 82 percent — confirmed their property or brand has a strategy in place to regularly respond to reviews. Only 14 percent said they don’t have a strategy to do so, and 4 percent said they weren’t sure.
Get support with social media and reputation management
Whether you’re looking to counteract negative reviews or build an active presence on social media, Apartments.com’s Social Media & Reputation Suite can give you personalized support. This service offers expert management of your social media channels with unique and branded content, along with review management to improve your community’s reputation.
Explore more marketing insights
Looking for more tools and tips about social media and online reputation? Check out these resources:
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