Social media delivers the most committed renters
Not the most leads, but the right leads
In multifamily marketing, quality often matters more than quantity when it comes to leads. Social media may not compete with channels like SEO or internet listing services (ILSs) for sheer volume, but the renters it brings in are among the most engaged and ready to take action.
A year-long study by REACH by RentCafe, covering 239,611 tours across 1,400 multifamily properties, found that 50% of all social media prospects booked a tour. This included both paid and organic social traffic. These are prospects who are not just browsing. They are showing up.
The study compared four core channels: SEO, PPC, ILS and social media, based on lead quality and conversion.
SEO generated the highest volume and consistently strong conversions.
PPC delivered fewer leads than SEO but with high intent and strong tour-to-lease rates.
ILS remained an important top-of-funnel driver for awareness and comparison shopping.
Social media produced lower traffic than other channels but delivered an unmatched booking rate, making it a critical complement to higher-volume sources.
While social media may not fill your CRM quickly, the renters it does attract are more likely to convert.
Derek Johnson, Team Lead at REACH by RentCafe, explained: "Similar to how you need multiple advertising channels, it is also important to offer multiple tour types to maximize performance. Guided tours are a great start, but when you add self-guided and virtual tours, you give more prospects the flexibility to schedule and ultimately move closer to the lease."
Social media fosters ongoing interaction between prospective renters and your brand. Prospects see your community’s visuals, amenities, and culture before they ever set foot on site. Over time, that engagement builds familiarity and trust.
Renters who engage with you on social media:
Already have a sense of your community’s personality
Have seen the spaces and amenities they care about most
Feel a stronger connection to your brand than those coming from purely transactional search results
This connection makes them more likely to take the next step and follow through with a tour
As Sarah Gencarella, vice resident of marketing at Olympus Property, explains:
“At Olympus Property, we see social media as more than just posts — it’s a long-term investment in building trust with both current and future residents. We put intentional time and energy into it, highlighting not only our communities but also the people who make them feel like home. By showing up consistently, we create stronger connections, so when someone reaches out through social media, they already know us and feel ready to take the next step.”
Impact of short-from videos
Social media is a visual environment, and short-form video performs especially well. According to Sprout Social, 78% of people prefer to learn about products through short videos. This means that when you post engaging visual content, you are delivering information in the way most renters prefer to receive it.
In multifamily, formats like virtual tours, short property highlight videos, and unit-level clips help renters imagine living in your space. These videos increase engagement and move prospects toward a decision more quickly.
Turning tours into social content with TourBuilder Clips
TourBuilder Clips transform virtual tours into 30 to 45 second MP4 videos and GIFs. Clips are delivered in both vertical format, which is ideal for platforms (like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Facebook Stories) and horizontal format (which works well for YouTube, websites, and presentations). You can also share each clip as a URL link, making it easy to post across any platform or send directly to prospects through email or text.
And the best part? It's already on your TourBuilder dashboard at no additional cost.
Accessing TourBuilder Clips is simple. In your TourBuilder dashboard, open your property and click the Share tab at the top. From the menu on the left, select Clips. You can then download your chosen clip or copy a URL to share instantly, with options for horizontal or vertical formats. With just one click, your virtual tour becomes share-ready content that extends your reach and drives more engagement.
Social media may not be your largest source of leads, but it can be one of your most valuable and cost-effective. It delivers highly committed renters at a fraction of the cost of other marketing channels. TourBuilder Clips can make social media even more powerful by providing ready-to-use, high-quality videos at no extra cost, giving you some of the best ROI in your marketing mix. With no added expense and minimal effort, you can turn online engagement into tours and signed leases.
It’s never been easier to meet renter expectations with media that converts.
With TourBuilder from LCP Media, your team gets scalable, unit-level content that doesn’t just look good — it performs.
Want to learn more?
Visit LCPMedia.com to see how we’re helping multifamily teams win more leases with smarter, stronger media.