Lease-Up Marketing for New Apartment Communities: A Plan for the First 90 Days
A new apartment community has one main job in its first months: fill units. Every month of vacancy costs rent, and owners and lenders are watching how fast the property leases.
A lease-up also starts with some disadvantages. There are no reviews yet, few photos of finished spaces, and often construction fencing out front. A clear plan helps your team make the most of the first 90 days.
Before opening: build the lead list
The best lease-ups start months before the first move-in.
Get a website and listing up early. Even a simple page with renderings, floor plans, expected pricing and a sign-up form starts collecting leads. Make sure it shows up on Google and on listing sites.
Put signs on the site. Construction fencing is free advertising space. A large banner with the community name, “Now Pre-Leasing” and a website or QR code turns daily traffic into leads.
Open a temporary leasing office. A trailer, a finished model unit or a nearby storefront gives prospects a place to stop in before the building is done.
Offer a pre-leasing incentive. Early signers take a chance on a building they can’t fully see yet. A reduced rate, a free month or a choice of units gives them a reason to commit.
Reach out to local employers. Hospitals, schools, offices and other large employers nearby have new hires who need housing. Offer a preferred-employer program.
Keep in touch with your list. Send construction updates, new photos and opening dates to everyone who signs up, so they don’t forget about you.
Days 1–30: Make the opening visible
Mark the entrance clearly. A new community is often unfamiliar to drivers, and it may not show up correctly on maps yet. Make sure the entrance is easy to find, with a readable sign and something tall and colorful that gets noticed from the road. (See How Apartment Communities Can Turn Drive-By Traffic Into Leasing Leads.)
Check your Google Business Profile. Make sure the map pin points to the leasing office entrance, and add your hours, phone number and photos.
Hold a grand opening. Invite your lead list, local businesses, employers and neighbors. Have staff ready to tour and an incentive for applying that day. (See Apartment Grand Opening Ideas That Don’t Blow the Budget.)
Take real photos and video. Replace renderings with photos of finished units and amenities as soon as they’re ready.
Follow up fast. New communities get a lot of curious visitors. Follow up the same day with every prospect who tours.
Days 31–60: Build momentum
Ask new residents for reviews. Your first residents are your best source of reviews. Ask soon after a smooth move-in.
Start a referral program. Offer a rent credit to residents who refer a friend who signs a lease.
Host a resident event. A simple welcome event helps new residents meet each other, and it shows prospects an active community.
Watch your lead sources. Track where tours and leases are coming from, and move budget toward the sources that are working.
Days 61–90: Adjust and keep going
Compare progress to the plan. How many leases have you signed against your monthly goal? If you’re behind, look at pricing, specials, follow-up speed and the traffic you’re getting before adding more advertising.
Look at which units are slow. If one floor plan or price point is lagging, adjust the special for those units instead of the whole building.
Refresh the entrance. Keep your signs, displays and specials looking current. Regular drivers stop noticing a message that never changes.
Plan the next phase. If the property opens in phases, start marketing the next one before the current phase is full.
A lease-up checklist
Before opening
- Website and listings live with a sign-up form
- Construction fencing banner with website or QR code
- Temporary leasing office or model unit
- Pre-leasing incentive set
- Employer outreach started
First 30 days
- Clear entrance sign and street-visible display
- Google Business Profile updated
- Grand opening held
- Real photos replace renderings
Days 31–90
- Review requests going out
- Referral program running
- Weekly tracking against leasing goals
- Specials adjusted for slow units
The bottom line
A strong lease-up starts before the building is finished. Build a lead list early, make the opening easy to see and find, follow up fast, and check your numbers every week so you can adjust while there’s still time.
Balloon Street Media is building durable outdoor balloon displays for apartment communities, including new properties in lease-up that need to be seen from the road. Join the list to hear when they launch.