Multifamily housing companies share their top social media tips to attract, satisfy and retain residents.
Social media channels play a spectrum of ever-growing and ever-changing roles and purposes in the rental housing industry, from attracting residents in the first place, to communicating with and satisfying them during their lease terms, to prompting them to renew.
A cross-section of companies from across the country shared how they’re using social media in 2025 for these purposes, including which channels they post on the most, how often they do so and what sort of content and tone they strive to project.
Among the common themes: Lean into video even if it’s not a strong suit, emphasize quality over quantity, broadcast what’s fun about the community more so than informational content (although include some of that, too) and “know your audience.”
Dive into how these national and regional multifamily housing brands use social media to the fullest.
Fogelman Properties
Spokespeople: Tammy Yeargan, Senior Director, Brand Communication; Kimberly Williford, Marketing Communications Specialist
Scope: About 30,000 apartments, about 100 communities in 13 states
Industry Role(s): Acquisitions, property management, construction management
Channels used: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
Ideal pace of posting: Two to four times per week
Top tips for using social media:
- Lean into short-form video and authentic, day-in- the-life content, including some posted by residents
- Show prospective residents what lifestyle they can expect—profile a staff member, showcase the gym, talk about types of resident events
- For current residents, use calls-to-action to keep them updated, recap events and highlight people to build trust, encourage participation and earn renewals
- Give property teams some leeway in what to post but balance authenticity with professionalism to keep content on-brand
- Use social to humanize the brand
- Consistency matters more than perfection
Akara Living, LLC/Kenect
Spokesperson: Carroll VanHook-Weaver, Director of Leasing + Marketing
Scope: 1,200 units in three cities to date, another 4,000-5,000 planned in next three years
Industry Role(s): Furnished rentals, co-living/co-working/corporate group housing, mid- to long-term stay
Channels used: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business
Ideal pace of posting: Daily user-generated/organic posts, 4x/week edited content, 1x/month professional video or blog
Top tips for using social media:
- For prospective renters, use it as a touchpoint and to educate them—not a hard sell
- Use testimonials and keep content hyperlocal to make it humanizing and authentic
- For current residents, consider videos with “top maintenance hacks”—the company reduced work orders by 15% after learning that most residents prefer DIY to submitting requests
- Consider hiring an in-house videographer and buying high-quality audiovisual equipment
- Use analytics to break down when to post and then establish a schedule
- Keep it fun, short and real
Princeton Management
Spokesperson: Stephanie Linton, Director of Marketing
Scope: More than 24,000 units at 156 communities in 12 states.
Industry Role(s): Owner/manager, mainly conventional market with a “handful” each of affordable and student communities
Channels used: Facebook, Instagram, Google Business; TikTok might be next
Ideal pace of posting: Three times per day for corporate page, five to eight times per month for communities
Top tips for using social media:
- Engage, entertain and educate with everything from walk-through tours and resident testimonials for prospective renters, to tips on how to unclog a toilet for current residents
- Highlight not just what’s in the building but also the surrounding community
- Post announcements like when the pool will be opening to update residents—which can reduce calls to the office
- Remember: People like seeing themselves on social media, and everyone is on their phone looking at it
- Empower teams at the property level to manage their own pages
- Use it at the corporate level to humanize the company
- Research how people use social media and understand that it takes time and dedication to do it well
Cushman & Wakefield
Spokesperson: Amanda Maclin, Senior Managing Director, Strategic Services
Scope: 178,000 units in about 850 properties in 35 states plus Washington, D.C.
Industry Role(s): Third-party management on behalf of more than 200 clients
Channels used: Facebook and Instagram primarily; some presence on TikTok and Snapchat
Ideal pace of posting: Three times per week
Top tips for using social media:
- Work closely with onsite teams; allow them to post, but monitor closely
- Consider using artificial intelligence platforms, but definitely review those results, too
- Include content about the community but also the surrounding neighborhood—a new bar/yoga studio that’s opening, say, or a taco restaurant offering a Tuesday discount for residents
- Show the sense of community and give residents a chance to see themselves—don’t use social media for “sales, sales, sales”
- Video content gets more engagement than still photos
- The more engagement, the higher the search results ranking
- Don’t be afraid to try different things—for example, sometimes the videos that get the most engagement are not those that are shot professionally, so don’t worry too much about whether “you’re good at video”
Hunington Residential
Spokesperson(s): Kate Good, Partner, Multifamily Development and Operations
Scope: 2,500 units built in seven properties, 1,500 managed in four, another 1,200 to come—all in Texas.
Industry Role(s): Merchant builder that constructs, stabilizes and sells
Channels used: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google Business
Ideal pace of posting: Early and often throughout the construction and lease-up stage
Top tips for using social media:
- While building, populate with all stages of the construction phase. This builds excitement. And prioritize entertainment and humor
- Advertise and then recap resident activities, so residents can see themselves and prospects can virtually experience living at the community
- Onsite teams can be great content creators but need guidance and supervision at first; creators at HPI start with a 90-day period in which posts require approval
- Podcast studios built as an amenity can be used for content creation and editing
- Don’t judge success solely based on likes and comments; there are always lurkers, which can make reach harder to precisely quantify
Towne Properties
Spokesperson: Karen Zapkowski, Marketing Strategist
Scope: About 18,750 units at 110 buildings in four states
Industry Role(s): Owner and operator; also has condos, HOAs and a development company
Channels used: Facebook and Instagram mostly; TikTok for certain locations
Ideal pace of posting: Three to five times per week
Top tips for using social media:
- Shoot for an 80/20 ratio of fun content that shows off the community lifestyle vis-à-vis informational content about floorplans and lease renewals
- Resident-generated content provides authenticity and psychological impact—seeing them at the dog park or bar down the street resonates with prospective residents
- To find those resident creators, determine who’s following the company and community most closely
- Resident events like a pool opening party are good to blast out for them to see themselves, feel like they’re part of a community and want to renew their leases
- Individual communities should cohesively hone their brands and what they want to portray about themselves
- Video content works well, but lean into quality over quantity
- Watch what other companies and communities are doing and follow trends
RPM Living
Spokesperson: Katrina Harrison, Senior Director of Marketing Services
Scope: 218,000 units in 920 communities in 31 states
Industry Role(s): Primarily third-party management
Channels used: Instagram and Facebook mostly but also Google
Ideal pace of posting: Two to three times per week for Instagram/Facebook, once per week for Google
Top tips for using social media:
- Focus on quality over quantity
- Regarding prospective residents, help them understand what it’s like to live there
- Operations and property marketing teams need to collaborate to determine how best to tailor content
- Knowing demographics and psychographics is key to determining types of content to attract and retain residents; if a property has lots of families, for example, school-related themes draw attention
- Use video to show an authentic resident point of view, and pull still photos into a motion-graphic slide show that tells a story
Study Traces Path ‘From Clicks to Keys’
J Turner Research released a report in May, “From Clicks to Keys,” that focuses on social media’s role in apartment searches.
The report notes that while older demographics still respond to more traditional marketing methods, social media plays a vital role in apartment hunting, especially for Millennials and Gen Z—and even many Boomers and Gen X turn to Facebook as a search tool.
Older generations are more focused on practical information like rental rates and property conditions, the report says, while younger groups—more likely to be on visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok—more often examine aesthetics, experiences and atmosphere. And everyone looks for authenticity in both information about pricing and amenities as well as real-life resident experiences.
“Beyond attracting prospects, social media offers significant opportunities to enhance resident satisfaction,” according to the report. “Proactive communication, timely maintenance updates, local neighborhood guides, and resident event information contribute to a positive living experience and foster a sense of community. A strategic social media presence allows property managers to build stronger relationships, address concerns effectively, and cultivate a thriving online community.”
Ed Finkel is a freelance writer based in Chicago.