How Property Owners Should Be Leveraging Social Media

By Dominique Swanson

Oct 08, 2024

Why Social Media Marketing is Crucial for Property Managers

1. You can reach a wider audience. Having a social media presence gives you access to a massive pool of potential tenants. Through organic and paid efforts, you are able to try to target people based on location, interests, and specific demographics. Just note: Because housing is one of four categories with special requirements around advertising, you will be limited in how you can target ads related to a rental property.
2. You can showcase the very best of your properties. Think of your social page as an online brochure to capture new renters. With the power of social media, you can highlight your properties and their best features in video content or high-quality images. Meet renters where they are by posting short- and long-form video tours of your property or photos of units as they become available.
3. You can engage and build relationships with potential renters. Social media isn’t just a place to meet renters; it’s a place to keep them. Just keep a few best practices in mind to ensure your content stands out. For one, Gen Z prefers entertaining, engaging, and quick-to-consume content — and they don’t want to feel like you are selling something to them. When creating visual content, think like a renter instead of an owner. What might a renter be interested in seeing on your page, even if they aren’t a potential customer? An exciting apartment tour or a neighborhood guide may go a longer way in helping you gain a following than a post focused solely on advertising a vacant unit.
4. It’s more cost effective than most traditional advertising. Compared to traditional advertising methods, social media advertising is budget friendly while still yielding great results in terms of conversion rates and brand awareness.

Types of Social Platforms

• Facebook: Ideal for creating targeted ads, joining housing groups, and listing your properties directly on Facebook Marketplace.
• Instagram: Great for showcasing your properties through photos, Reels, and Instagram Stories. Use hashtags to increase visibility and start posting things like local businesses near your property that tenants may be interested in, events you host, and your staff!
• TikTok: A fun way to reach younger audiences in real time with short, engaging videos of your rental spaces and staff. Pick a trending sound and start creating fun, relatable content that will pull viewers in.

How to Create Quality Content for Social Media

1. High-Quality Photos and Videos: Invest time in capturing bright, clear, and well-staged photos for your socials. Videos should be smooth, and lighting should highlight the space’s best features. Cohesiveness is key, especially on Instagram, so consider using a preset filter, the same fonts, and similar colors to make your brand stand out.
2. Virtual Tours and Walkthroughs: Offer virtual tours to provide a comprehensive view of the property. This is especially valuable for out-of-town renters who can't visit in person.
3. Success Stories/Testimonials: Share positive experiences from current or past tenants to build credibility and trust with potential renters.
4. Neighborhood Highlights: Showcase the surrounding neighborhood, nearby attractions, amenities, and lifestyle features to make your property more appealing.
5. Collaborate with Influencers or Local Businesses: Partnering with influencers or nearby businesses can help expand your reach and attract more followers

How to Post and Scheduling Posts

Using Paid Advertising on Social Media

• Facebook and Instagram Ads: Use these platforms to create targeted ads that reach people actively searching for rental properties in your area. These are created using each platforms ad management tools, and are targeted to a specific audience.
• Boosting Posts: If you have a post that’s performing well, consider boosting it to reach a larger audience. When you boost a post, you pay for it to reach a larger audience.
• Analyzing Ad Performance: Regularly check the analytics of your ads and boosted posts to understand which are performing well; if you see some posts are succeeding while others aren’t, adjust your strategy accordingly. A few engagement metrics to keep an eye on are click-through rates (CTR), impressions, reach, cost per click (or conversion), and likes, comments, saves, and shares.

How We Can Help You Leverage Social Media

The Bottom Line