The number of ads consumers are exposed to has skyrocketed in recent years. Today, it’s about 10,000 brand messages each day. It’s no longer possible to break through the clutter by refining your current strategy. It’s time for a whole new approach.

That was the upshot of the presentation given by Greg Schwartz, Zillow Group’s president of media and marketplaces, at the 2018 Multifamily Forum. Here are three key takeaways from Greg’s talk:

In today’s digital age, we are humans in a world of machines. Consumers have a plethora of resources at their fingertips. To be a consumer’s primary resource, you have to cater to their needs on an individual level. Surprisingly, a robotic approach — big data and machine learning — fuels personalization. But it allows marketers to be more human with their customers, not less.

The primary conversion method in multifamily has been the phone call. But in the digital age of robocalls, customers want to protect their privacy. It’s likely phone calls as a channel will disappear in a year and be replaced with texting: a virtual, more anonymous communication that gives customers the control. At Zillow Group, we are dedicated to understanding our consumers so we know how to communicate most effectively.

For years, marketers have used leads to measure and define success. However, this is not how renters see it. Renters define success based on the outcome: a great experience and a great rental unit. Zillow Group is committed to making an investment in renters to ensure they have a positive experience as they search for a new home.