5 Ways To Get the Most of Your Referrals
Low Occupancy? Short-Staffed? Put Your Residents to Work.
When occupancy is dipping or your team is stretched thin, your residents can be your best leasing assistants. Here’s how to keep your referral program front and center so it actually works:
1. Make it Impossible to Miss
Post bandit signs around the property.
Hang flyers in high-traffic areas like mailrooms, gyms, and elevators. Check out our favorites HERE.
Keep them where residents can’t ignore them—think coffee bars and package rooms.
2. Create a “Referral Automation Station”
Set up small, always-on referral displays in your most visited spots—coffee station, package room, fitness center, pool area. See how to set one up HERE.
Keep referral cards + pens there year-round so residents can grab one anytime.
Add a small acrylic stand with the flyer to event sign-in tables so you never miss a chance to promote.
3. Celebrate & Hand Off
When you’re already interacting with residents—anniversaries, birthdays, maintenance follow-ups, delivering treats—always include a referral card.
If you deliver food to a resident who works at a preferred employer, ask to leave a basket of goodies with referral flyers in their breakroom.
Acknowledge their milestone, then slide in the “If you know someone who’d love living here…” moment.
4. Go Social, but Keep it Fresh
Post prompts like:
“Who would you want to live next door?”
“Who’s your balcony wine buddy?”
“Who would you trust to dog sit your pup if they lived next door?”
Rotate prompts seasonally (BBQ buddy in summer, holiday cookie swap in winter).
Click to Download These Social Prompts:
5. Capture Referrals at Move-Ins & Move-Outs
New Move-Ins: Slip a referral card into every welcome packet with a note:
“Love your new place? Share it! If a friend moves in, you get [bonus].”
Move-Outs: Hand departing residents a playful “Who Gets Your Spot?” card with the same incentive.
Both moments are perfect for getting residents to think about who they know that would be a great neighbor.
Move In Referral
Move out Referral
Bottom line:
If residents don’t see your referral program weekly, they won’t think about it when their friend mentions moving. Keep it visible, keep it fresh and fun, and watch it work.