You know the multifamily market is competitive, which is why you don't stop marketing after leasing season. Here's some tips on how to keep your marketing going during the off-season.

Make your multifamily marketing efforts pay off

The off-season is a great time to look back over the year and identify marketing strategies that worked and ones that need revising. Which online advertising platforms deliver the best ROI? Should you allocate more budget there? When’s the last time you looked at the competition? Be ruthless when analyzing your numbers ⁠— what you find not only affects your activities for the rest of the year but also where you decide to spend your money and efforts next year.

Revisit who your target renter is

Take time during the leasing off-season to update your renter persona so your marketing message resonates with the renters you want to attract to your community.

Refresh your online presence

Update your website with new photos, unit availability, rejuvenated listings, office hours and contact information. 

Follow up with all leads

Respond to leads quickly and connect with them on a personal level: Don’t send them back to your website when they’ve already reached out online, and follow up multiple times to keep the relationship going. Giving prospective renters a great experience can make all the difference in whether or not they schedule an appointment.

And don’t forget old leads. Perhaps they signed month-to-month leases elsewhere while they became familiar with the area, or maybe they’re unhappy with where they wound up and are looking for a better place to live. Following up with these leads costs very little in return for a potentially big payoff.

Take another look at your incentives

Do you allow flexible lease terms or move-in dates for your community? If so, include them in your online ads to attract more prospective renters. Look at promotions and special offers you can run in the off-season. Framing time-limited and exclusive incentives around holiday marketing messages can be an effective way to reach renters.

Make repairs and enhancements to your multifamily community

The off-season is an ideal time to tackle repairs and renovations. When cooler weather drives people inside, you can finish any exterior updates.

Does your model unit still look modern and inviting? If it’s a little dated, the apartment leasing off-season is the perfect opportunity to give it an appealing new look.

Signage is often the first thing residents and prospective renters see when they enter the community. If you have missing or damaged signs, use the slow season to repair them.

Focus groups and surveys

What do residents love about your community? What would they change? Consider conducting focus groups or surveys during the off-season to learn more about your residents, what makes them stay, what makes them leave and what might attract more prospective renters.

Do some administrative housekeeping

Finish the tasks that got put off during spring and summer: filing, software updates, deep cleaning the sales office, vendor research, annual reviews, etc.

Include resident-retention activities

Happy renters are more likely to renew their leases and make referrals. Take advantage of the apartment leasing off-season by shoring up your resident-appreciation program. 

Events

Fall and winter — with their holidays and pro-sports spectacles — are ideal seasons to host gatherings as part of your strategy to retain residents. 

Reviews

Anytime is a good time to get more reviews, but the off-season allows you to focus more on your reputation management, which includes responding to all reviews.

As a multifamily professional, you know moves don't just happen in the spring and summer. Events like changes in career, the start of school, holidays and even agreeable weather make renters search for homes all year. That’s why it’s important to market your multifamily property in every season.