Start Here: Outreach Marketing
WHAT IS OUTREACH MARKETING?
Outreach is about getting out from behind the desk and bringing your community to life in the local neighborhood. It’s the art of creating genuine, face-to-face connections that build awareness, trust, and long-term relationships.
Outreach is simply connecting your community with the community around you…one friendly conversation at a time.
Here are a few examples of what good outreach looks like in action:
Stopping by a hospital or clinic with snacks and flyers, introducing yourself to HR or nurse managers, and offering preferred pricing for medical staff.
Visiting local schools to deliver teacher appreciation goodies and sharing how your community supports educators.
Partnering with a nearby gym or fitness studio to host a resident wellness event or cross-promo giveaway.
WHY OUTREACH?
Outreach takes time and a tremendous amount of effort. So is it really worth it?
YES…now more than ever it’s worth your effort.
In a world where everything’s digital, in-person connection stands out more than ever. People crave authenticity and warmth, especially in industries built on trust and service. Outreach gives your community a human voice again.
It builds trust faster. Research from the Event Marketing Institute found that 85% of people are more likely to do business after a face-to-face experience. For apartment communities, that moment of connection turns a name on a flyer into a real, local impression.
It cuts through digital fatigue. The average person sees more than 6,000 ads a day. A friendly, in-person visit breaks that pattern. It feels personal, not promotional — and that’s what people remember.
Building rapport is more powerful when someone can put a face to the (brand) name. When we go visit local businesses, they start to associate us with our community. We go from a faceless brand to a personal connection.
It opens doors you can’t get from a screen. You never know who you’ll meet. The HR manager who oversees employee housing, the barista who’s looking for her first apartment, or the teacher who invites you to her school event.
It strengthens local partnerships. In-person introductions lay the foundation for meaningful cross-promotions and employer relationships. Emails can follow, but people say yes to the faces they remember.
Marketing is a numbers game. Increased marketing equals more prospects and more prospects allow us more opportunities to close. If we follow that logic, more opportunities to close leads to higher occupancy. And we all know the benefit of that!
“You can’t lease to people who don’t know you’re there. Every introduction, every handshake, and every conversation creates a future resident, referral, or partner. Visibility builds momentum! ”
Realistic Expectations: Results Take Time
Think of it as spreading little seeds in a garden. They're not all going to take root, they're not all going to sprout, but some will. And some will at different times of the year.
Side note: That’s one of my favorite things about my real garden — every year, surprise plants pop up from seeds I planted months or even years before. Sometimes the conditions just weren’t right back then, but later they were. Outreach works the same way. You might meet someone today who doesn’t need an apartment yet — but when the timing’s right, they’ll remember you.
Takeaway: Keep planting, friend.
Keep your community’s name and story out there, and keep building those little connections whenever you can.
The more people who know about your community, the less you’ll find yourself scrambling when things slow down. Outreach keeps momentum steady so you’re not stuck in emergency mode when occupancy dips. It’s what separates the communities that stay consistent from the ones constantly playing catch-up.
<<<APARTMENT MARKETING TIPS pdf download
INCLUDES:
WHERE TO OUTREACH
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR TEAM
WHAT TO SAY TIPS
APARTMENT MARKETING CANVA DESIGN