Apartment Lease-Up Marketing: What to Do Before, During and After Opening
Apartment lease up marketing works best as three phases with different jobs: build demand and a clean Google presence before opening, convert tours and earn genuine reviews once residents move in, then shift spending from paid to owned visibility as the community stabilizes. Most lease up trouble I see comes from running one plan the whole way through.
This is the plan I would want if I owned the building. It does not promise a timeline, because that depends on your market, your pricing and what the community down the street is offering this week.
What should happen before an apartment community opens?
Before opening, the job is to give renters and Google one accurate place to learn about the community and one easy way to raise their hand. That means a live website with real floor plans and an interest list, a Google Business Profile set up under Google's rules for future openings, and a weekly read of competing prices and concessions.
Website and interest list first
The website should go live as soon as you have floor plans, an address and a leasing contact. It does not need to be finished. It needs to state what is known, mark what is not, and offer an interest list form that asks only what the leasing team will actually use. Then decide who answers each signup, and how fast. An interest list nobody follows up with is a spreadsheet.
Google Business Profile timing and rules
Google has specific rules for businesses that have not opened yet. Google says you can enter an opening date up to one year in the future, that only the month and year are required, and that once you verify, the profile shows on Google 90 days before that date. Google also advises setting the future opening date before you verify, so the business does not appear open early. That matters for operators who verify in bulk, since those profiles can be verified right away.
The profile should represent the leasing office. Google's eligibility guidelines list vacant apartments and other rental properties as ineligible, while sales or leasing offices are eligible for verification. In practice, the address, hours and phone number should be the ones a renter will meet when they show up.
Pricing and concession monitoring
Your first pricing decision sets the tone for every ad and every tour. Track what competing new communities advertise each week, including concessions, and note when they change. A move from a small offer to a large one tells you something about their traffic. We wrote more on this in why concessions are a signal.
AI search deserves its own preparation before opening, which we covered in how new apartment communities get found by AI before they open. I will not repeat it here.
What matters most when an apartment community opens?
At opening, the job changes from collecting interest to converting it. Every tour should be easy to book, every inquiry should get a fast human answer, and every new resident should be asked for an honest review in the same way. Those first reviews give Google and renters something to judge a brand new building by.
Tours
Make the tour the easiest action on every page and on the Google profile. Offer the formats your team can staff well, whether in person, self guided or virtual, and keep the booking link consistent everywhere. Then watch where tours actually come from rather than where you assume they come from.
Reviews from first residents
A new community starts with almost no reviews, and Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking. The rules for asking are strict. Google's content policy prohibits offering incentives, such as discounts or free goods, in exchange for reviews, and it prohibits selectively asking only customers you expect to be positive. A rent credit for a five star review breaks those rules. Ask every resident after move in, reply to every review, and treat negative ones as early warnings.
Maps
Google names relevance, distance and prominence as the main local ranking factors, and says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. A new building has little prominence yet, so check where you appear across your trade area, not just from the leasing office. Our post on how operators win in Google Maps goes deeper.
How should marketing change as the community stabilizes?
As occupancy builds, marketing should move from buying attention to owning it. Paid search fills the early gap because organic and Maps presence take time to earn. As reviews, an accurate profile and clear website answers build, the ad budget can narrow toward the specific homes still open instead of running at launch levels indefinitely.
I would plan that shift from the start, with a written point where you review it, rather than waiting for someone to notice the ad bill. A lease up that ends as dependent on ads as it began has missed part of the point. This is the thinking behind LocalLift, our weekly program for Google, Maps and AI visibility: build the presence that keeps working after the launch budget ends.
Reporting should change too. A lease up report is about pace and sources. A stabilized report is about renewals, unbranded visibility and cost per lease over time. Every number should state its period, and the report should say what changed and what is next.
What should you do and measure in each phase?
Before opening, launch the website, interest list and Google profile and watch competitor pricing. At opening, focus on tours and honest reviews from first residents. During stabilization, narrow paid spending and report on owned visibility. Each phase needs its own measures, laid out below on one page.
| Phase | What to do | What to measure |
|---|---|---|
| Pre leasing | Launch the website and interest list. Set the Google opening date, then verify the leasing office. Track competitor pricing and concessions weekly. | Interest list signups, response time, competitor offers by week |
| Opening | Make tours easy to book. Ask every new resident for an honest review. Check Maps visibility across the trade area. | Tours by source, review count and replies, Maps coverage |
| Stabilization | Narrow paid spending to homes still open. Keep the profile and website answers current. Move to a steady weekly report. | Unbranded search appearances, profile actions, cost per lease, renewals |
Treat profile numbers carefully. A Call button tap is a tap, not proof a conversation happened, and one strong week is not a trend.
Questions we hear
When should a new apartment community create its Google Business Profile?
Google lets a business enter an opening date up to one year ahead, and the profile shows on Google 90 days before that date once verified. Set the opening date before you verify, and list the staffed leasing office, which Google treats as eligible.
Can a lease up ask its first residents for Google reviews?
Yes. Google allows businesses to ask for reviews that reflect a genuine experience. It prohibits incentives such as rent credits or gifts in exchange for reviews, and it prohibits asking only happy residents. Ask every new resident the same way.
Should paid search run for the whole lease up?
Paid search is usually the fastest way to appear for unbranded searches early, since Google says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. Plan from the start for the budget to narrow as reviews and organic visibility build.
What should owners measure during a lease up?
Measure interest list growth and response time before opening, tours and the source of each tour after opening, and how often the community appears for searches that do not include its name. Each number should state the period it covers.
How long does a lease up take?
It depends on the market, the number of homes, pricing and what competing communities are offering. Be cautious of any plan that promises a fixed timeline. Ask instead what you will measure each week and what would change the plan.
Planning a lease up or already in one? Talk to us and we will walk through where your community stands in each phase.
