Maximizing renters’ experience at every stage of the multifamily leasing funnel
How do renters find you, and how do you capture their attention once they do? Understanding how to connect with renters at every stage of the multifamily leasing funnel will help you focus on the activities with the most impact.
What is the multifamily leasing funnel?
In 2025, an additional 898,000 households contributed to rental market growth. That’s a deluge of renters who might be looking for just the right fit in your multifamily community.
If you create the right funnel, you will guide renters to your website and then to your doorstep in a process that includes:
- Research/discovery. Renters will use AI, search engines, apartment listing sites, referrals from friends, map searches, social media and review sites to narrow down their list of apartment communities.
- Scheduling. With a short list in hand, they will then reach out to a number of properties to ask for more information and, ideally, schedule a tour online or in-person.
- First impressions. Whether they meet your leasing team online or live, first impressions matter a lot. Many leasing funnels end at this stage, so it pays to get this step right.
- Application. Once your community makes it past the tour and satisfies the renter’s needs, they submit an application.
- Signed lease. Congratulations! Now, it’s your job to create a memorable and meaningful experience for the entire duration of their stay with you.
This multifamily services company illustrates the importance of this funnel:
“Many property managers focus heavily on occupancy rates and rent pricing, but a poorly optimized leasing funnel can quietly reduce revenue.
Consider this example:
5,000 monthly website visitors
2% convert to leads → 100 leads
30% schedule tours → 30 tours
30% apply → 9 applications
70% close → 6 leases”
Along the way, it’s your job to show these renters that your community meets all their needs, from location and space to amenities and a sense of belonging. It’s a big job, but the right branding and marketing strategy will do most of the heavy lifting.
Your assets should work for you
What do you have working in your favor before a prospective renter ever hits the “contact” button?
- The property itself. The vast majority of renters will find you online, but many will first see you when driving their target neighborhood or visiting friends. Make everything outside fresh, clean, well kept and distinctive. Your signage, lighting and landscaping need to make a great first impression.
- Online presence. Sure, you have a website, but does it make it easy for renters to find what they need and schedule a tour with ease? Do you also present well on social media, review and listing sites?
- A great story. A multifamily community means home, belonging, joy, safety, comfort and so much more to the people who live there. Do your branding and marketing tell that important story in an authentic way?
- Your team. Team members who understand your brand story and the importance of the resident experience will help establish a renter or resident relationship based on community and trust. Prepare them well.
Multifamily Insider highlights the importance of getting your brand story right, saying:
“…a consistent and memorable brand identity is far more than an aesthetic choice—it’s essential for driving leasing success. It shapes perceptions, builds trust, and plays a direct role in converting prospects into residents. If your brand already feels inconsistent, outdated, or fails to connect emotionally, it’s time to rethink your approach.”
Think of everything and everyone as an opportunity to show renters that they have found “the one.” No love connections promised, but they should adore their new multifamily home. From the rose bush out front to Rose at the front desk, literally every element and person in your community can make the difference toward a signed lease or a renewal.
Getting to the tour
As illustrated in the example above, website views don’t mean much until they result in a “schedule a tour” click. Making a good impression and a truly authentic connection online and in your marketing materials encourages prospects to take that next step.
Do not skimp here. In the modern age, lack of compelling visuals or videos or poorly executed design will hurt you.
Lease Engine urges properties to update visual and video assets frequently and offers this advice:
“Publish fresh visuals weekly—cover, team, amenities, and short videos. Upload high-quality photos that reflect seasonality and lifestyle: lobby arrival, fitness center, pet areas, rooftops, and nearby landmarks. Use a compelling cover image and add 15–30 second vertical videos that show tours, amenity moments, or neighborhood highlights. Avoid stock; name files clearly, and aim for a steady cadence (e.g., 3–5 new assets per month) to keep engagement signals strong.”
The strategies you employ during a renter’s research and discovery phase can bring the right people to your door. If you have done your legwork right, the prospects who hit the “schedule” button already feel connected to your brand and your property in some way. You have already met a number of their needs by this point.
Making a good impression and authentic connection
A small percentage of website viewers make it to the tour stage, and you need to make every tour count. An even smaller percentage submit an application or sign a lease. That means that every single personal interaction with a prospect or resident needs to support their ongoing experience and their relationship with your community.
Your commitment to responsive resident service and communication, in addition to creating a sense of belonging, will solidify each resident’s loyalty and probability of renewing a lease.
We can help you employ all the right strategies in your multifamily branding and marketing. Reach out to learn more about our collaborative and human-centered approach to multifamily design, branding and marketing.
