Bring ESG Marketing to Your Apartment Community
“Being green is vital to the younger generation as 82% of renters said it was an important factor in deciding their next apartment home.” — NAA Snippet from Grubb Properties’ second annual State of the Young Renter Survey.
Sustainability and community responsibility are becoming key factors for many renters when choosing a home. Highlighting your community’s ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) features can position your property as a modern, forward-thinking place to live. Showcasing these features helps prospects connect with your values and see how living at your community contributes to a better planet and quality of life.
Why It Matters:
Renters, especially Millennials and Gen Z, increasingly prioritize eco-friendly and socially responsible practices. By emphasizing your ESG features, you can appeal to these prospects while differentiating your property in a competitive market. Beyond attracting new residents, ESG initiatives help retain current ones by building trust and pride in their community.
How to Do It:
Customize Your ESG Flyer: Highlight specific features like energy-efficient appliances, recycling programs, or renewable energy usage.
Use Data and Visuals: Include stats such as energy saved annually or the percentage of recycled materials used. Pair this with images of green spaces or eco-friendly amenities.
Incorporate Into Tours and Follow-Ups: Highlight ESG elements like drought-resistant landscaping or energy-efficient lighting during tours. Follow up with prospects by sending the ESG flyer, noting how these features improve their living experience.
What is esg?
ESG is a set of criteria used to evaluate the sustainability and social impact of a business. When a company does these things well, it can be good for the environment, people, and the company itself.
As apartment marketers, it’s our job to explain things to our teams in an easy-to-understand way.
So here is a simple way to think of ESG:
Environmental = Taking care of the planet
Social = Taking care of people
Governance = Taking care of business
How ESG Marketing Benefits Your Community
Attract Eco-Conscious Renters
Today’s renters, especially Millennials and Gen Z, prioritize sustainability. According to a Nielsen report, 73% of global consumers are willing to change their habits to reduce environmental impact.
Market features like energy-efficient appliances, LED lighting, and smart thermostats to appeal to sustainability-minded prospects.
Enhance Resident Retention and Engagement
Hosting ESG-related resident events fosters community involvement. Consider organizing a recycling challenge, community garden, or sustainable living workshop.
Studies show that residents are more likely to renew their lease if they feel their community aligns with their values.
Improve Property Reputation and Marketability
Apartments that integrate ESG initiatives can differentiate themselves in a crowded market.
A well-documented sustainability strategy can be a strong selling point for property management companies and investors.
ESG Marketing Designs
Click below to Customize in Canva
Directions for Using Your Canva Template to Market Your ESG features
1. Customize the Template
Open the Canva template and personalize it with details specific to your community, such as:
Your property’s name and logo.
Your ESG amenities.
Specific messaging that resonates with the target audience (e.g., “Our community is nearby parks, farmers’ markets, and public transit—making it easier to live green every day.).
Pro Tip: Modify the colors to match your branding colors.
2. Prepare Materials for Delivery
Print your customized flyer on high-quality paper for a polished look.
Pair the flyer with a branded goodie basket or small giveaway (e.g., snacks, pollinator seeds, reusable produce bags, beeswax food wrap, etc).
3. Make the Delivery Personal
Introduce yourself and your community with a warm, friendly tone.
Mention the purpose of your visit: “We wanted to share information about our apartment homes with our neighbors. We’re excited to share how our sustainability initiatives can benefit your employees/customers and support a greener future for our neighborhood!
Ask if you can leave the flyers and goodies in their break room, staff lounge, or other common areas.
4. Follow Up
After the visit, send a follow-up email or call to the point of contact you met.
Reiterate your appreciation for their time.
Restate your sustainability features and encourage them to share the flyer with their employees/customers.
Provide a simple way to get in touch or learn more (e.g., website link, QR code, or direct contact info).
ESG Apartment Marketing: The Pitfalls and The Payoffs
There are a few things to be aware of when weaving ESG into your marketing campaign for your apartment community or management company.
The first is to make sure that you are highlighting true ESG initiatives. There has been a lot of negative backlash (check out TikTok) on “greenwashing” or using ESG as solely a way to “catfish” prospects.
Second, residents want easy. Period. Being sustainable should be something that is woven into their routine with a few extras that make it feel real. They can feel good and do good without having to do much. If you make ESG initiatives complicated or expensive, residents are likely to opt out.
Third, we can share ESG stats all day long, but it’s up to us as marketers to make them mean something to prospective residents.
Energy-efficient appliances can save residents up to 30% on their energy bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Implementing water-saving fixtures and systems can save residents up to $350 per year on their water bills, according to the EPA's WaterSense program.
Access to community gardens or other green spaces can lead to improved mental health outcomes for residents, according to a study by the University of Sheffield.
This is where we pull at the HEARTSTRINGS or PURSESTRINGS.
What does that 30% in monthly savings or the $350 translate to for them? Experiences? Savings to help them reach their goals? We use smart taglines with powerful images to bring the stats to life.
Focusing on ESG initiatives is well worth the effort. Beyond the benefits to the environment, this is a great way to stack the marketing deck in our favor. Just as being pet-friendly and offering fitness-friendly amenities expands our pool of potential renters, real ESG initiatives and events help us align with demographics that value that.
If you feel you don’t know where to start with ESG initiatives, keep reading. We’ve outlined a ton of ideas below.
Sustainable Resident Event Ideas for your community
The events below are a great way to showcase sustainable living at your apartment community.
1. Host an Eco-Friendly Resident Event
Organize a community cleanup, plant trees, or start a community garden.
Provide recycling bins and educate residents on proper recycling practices.
2. Showcase Energy-Efficient Features
Highlight smart home technology, energy-efficient appliances, and water-saving fixtures in your marketing materials.
Use statistics like: "Energy-efficient appliances can save residents up to 30% on their energy bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy."
3. Promote Green Transportation Options
Encourage bike-sharing programs or offer designated bike storage areas.
Highlight nearby public transit options and offer incentives for residents who use them.
4. Collaborate with Local Sustainable Businesses
Partner with eco-friendly brands for resident giveaways.
Support local farmers by hosting a farmers' market on-site.
5. Implement a Donation or Swap Program
Set up a donation area for unwanted clothes, furniture, and electronics.
Organize a resident swap event where neighbors can trade items instead of discarding them.
Sustainable Events
Click below to Customize in Canva
Practical ways to apply esg to your community?
Host Sustainability Events: Host sustainability events such as recycling drives, community gardens, and energy conservation programs to promote the ESG features of the apartment community.
Highlight Green Spaces: Highlight the green spaces available within and near the community. Emphasize how these spaces can reduce stress and enhance the well-being of residents.
Showcase Sustainable Materials: Showcase the use of sustainable materials in construction, furniture, and amenities. Demonstrate how they contribute to the community's ESG features.
Use Social Media: Use social media to share your sustainability story, including posts on energy-efficient lighting, recycling initiatives, and water conservation measures.
Create Infographics: Create infographics to illustrate how the community is reducing its carbon footprint through initiatives such as rooftop solar panels, green roofs, and electric vehicle charging stations.
Host Tours: Host tours that highlight the ESG features of the community, such as low-flow faucets, energy-efficient appliances, and green roofs.
Offer Rewards: Offer rewards such as discounts or other incentives for residents who adopt environmentally sustainable practices within their apartments.
Collaborate with Local Organizations: Partner with local environmental organizations to host sustainability events, green drives, and other community initiatives that promote the ESG features of the community.
Provide Resources: Provide residents with resources such as recycling guides, sustainable living tips, and information on local public transportation options to encourage environmentally friendly behavior.
Aligning your events & appreciation to what really matters to your residents
When you align your events with your residents' values and interests, it creates a sense of shared purpose. Residents who care about sustainability or environmental responsibility will feel more engaged and connected to their community. This leads to stronger relationships and a sense of belonging, which can improve resident retention and satisfaction.
1. Boosting Resident Happiness
Offering events that reflect residents' values shows you care about what matters to them. By focusing on eco-friendly initiatives or sustainable living, you're meeting a growing demand for environmentally-conscious lifestyles.
2. Promoting a Healthier and Sustainable Lifestyle
When you provide opportunities for residents to get involved in green initiatives, you empower them to live more sustainably. Community gardens, recycling drives, and energy-saving challenges encourage residents to adopt more eco-conscious habits, which positively impacts both their lifestyle and the environment.
3. Aligning with Broader Trends and Expectations
The modern resident is increasingly focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ESG initiatives. By offering events that resonate with these values, you position your property as one that is forward-thinking and in tune with global trends. This can help attract residents who prioritize sustainability and want to live in a community that reflects their values.
4. marketing Differentiation
In a competitive rental market, unique and meaningful events can set your community apart. Catering to what your residents care about makes your property stand out and shows you're in tune with modern concerns. This not only appeals to residents but also makes for great marketing content—posting about your sustainability efforts will resonate with both current and prospective residents.
Bullet-Point Feature Cheat Sheet:
Smoke-free / air quality
Energy-efficient appliances
Water conservation: Low-flow toilets, faucets, and smart irrigation systems to conserve water
LED & sensor lighting
Sustainable building materials – LEED-certified buildings, non-toxic paints, and eco-friendly insulation
Bike shares, storage & repair stations
Gardens and green spaces
Biodiversity landscaping
Recycling and composting
Public transit incentives
EV car charging stations
Solar panels & renewable energy integration
Community engagement programs – Volunteering opportunities, donation drives, and educational workshops
Smart home technology
Sustainable art installations
Wellness-focused amenities
Transparent sustainability reporting
Diversity & inclusion initiatives: Fair housing practices, multilingual communication, and inclusive community events