In today’s multifamily marketing landscape, it’s not your imagination; traffic is down YoY. Whether you’re managing a stabilized affordable community in Texas, a lease-up luxury property in Los Angeles, or a student housing portfolio across Colorado, chances are you are seeing fewer clicks, lower inquiry volume, and rising cost-per-lead (CPL).
These YoY traffic declines are impacting properties of all types and in all markets, and they’re reshaping how marketers need to approach funnel strategy. With increased supply, affordability pressures, and shifting renter behaviors, it’s more important than ever to prioritize lead quality over quantity.
In this blog, we’ll explain why renter traffic is down across platforms like Google, Meta, and Display, how to adapt your digital strategy to stay competitive, and actionable takeaways to implement smarter full-funnel marketing. You’ll learn how to drive high-intent leads even in a slower season – using tools like Performance Max, audience targeting, and campaign automation.
Whether you’re filling new units or sustaining occupancy during a softer leasing season, this guide will help you navigate the downturn and convert fewer clicks into stronger conversions.
Digital Ad Traffic Is Down, But That Doesn’t Mean Your Leads Have to Be
Strategic marketing moves to stay competitive in a tougher digital landscape…
If you’ve noticed year-over-year (YoY) traffic slipping across your digital marketing channels, you’re not alone – and you’re not doing anything wrong. From privacy-driven changes to consumer behavior shifts and increased competition, many multifamily marketers are seeing fewer clicks, lower website sessions, and higher cost-per-lead (CPL) than in years past.
👉 CPL (Cost-per-lead) is the amount you pay to generate a lead, like a form submission, call, or tour request. It’s one of the most important bottom-line metrics in leasing performance. As CPL rises, marketing efficiency becomes even more critical.
But here’s the good news: fewer eyeballs doesn’t have to mean fewer leases. With a smarter, more strategic approach, you can make every dollar work harder, driving high-quality prospects and keeping your leasing goals on track.
What Factors Are Driving the Traffic Slowdown
Here are a few key factors contributing to the recent decline in traffic volume:
Market Oversupply
Markets like California, Colorado, Nevada, and Texas have seen a significant influx of new multifamily units since 2023. With more supply than demand, urgency among renters has softened, decreasing both digital engagement and tour volume.
Search Trends & Seasonality
Google Trends shows a continued drop in national search interest for “apartments near me.” This aligns with broader market indicators showing decreased renter urgency.
”Apartments for Rent” USA, Past 5 Years
According to Redfin, as of May 2025, less than half of newly built apartments are getting rented out within three months, one of the lowest absorption rates on record. With rental vacancy rates at 8.2% (the highest since early 2021) and asking rents declining in 28 of 44 major U.S. metros, renters have more options and less urgency to search, directly impacting digital engagement metrics.
Affordability & Mobility Pressures
More renters are choosing to renew, according to CRE Daily, naturally resulting in reduced inquiry volume. Even with increased budget allocation towards advertising, a smaller pool of active renters will still result in fewer clicks and inquiries, according to RentVision. This can translate to reduced user engagement (CTR).
👉 CTR (Click-through rate) is the percentage of people who click your ad after seeing it. It’s a signal of how relevant or compelling your ad is. Lower CTRs can lead to lower visibility and higher ad costs.
People are taking longer and interacting with more touchpoints before signing a lease, so it’s essential to maintain a consistent presence throughout their entire decision-making journey.
Rising Ad Costs & Platform Saturation
Competition is intensifying across Google, Meta, and other ad platforms. With more advertisers in the game, cost-per-click (CPC) is rising. CPCs in the real estate sector have jumped by 35% YoY… reflecting growing competition and reduced efficiency per dollar spent, according to Respage.
👉 CPC (Cost-per-click) refers to how much you pay for each click on your ad. As CPC rises, you need smarter targeting – not just more budget – to maintain performance.
Strategic Opportunities to Drive Quality Leads
Optimize for Funnel Coverage, Not Just Clicks
At Digible, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all tactics. A full-funnel approach – tailored to your property’s lifecycle stage – is essential. That means allocating budget smartly across awareness (YouTube, Audio, Native), consideration (Meta, Demand Gen, SEO), and conversion (Search, PMax) channels.
Double Down on Paid Search & PMax for Bottom-Funnel Wins
With Performance Max and Paid Search working together, you’re tapping into Google’s full ecosystem – Search, Display, Gmail, Maps, YouTube – and optimizing toward your actual conversions (calls, forms, applications). Call Tracking, in addition to Digible’s cutting-edge tool, Ad Optimizer, leverages advanced algorithms and PropTech integrations to efficiently manage budgets and deliver exceptional results for your paid campaigns, ensuring every dollar is measured and directed toward results.
Use Audience-Based Targeting, Not Just Location
Go beyond the limitations of neighborhood targeting – target renters by behavior, intent, and lease timing. Digible’s EL90 audience (renters whose leases expire in 90 days) and layered custom intent audiences in Google and Meta platforms allow precision targeting with purpose.
Let Data Guide the Way – Not Guesswork
Between Fiona Analytics, PropTech integrations, and proprietary renter simulations, Digible equips your strategy with real-time insights. Whether it’s tweaking copy based on floorplan availability or reallocating spend based on occupancy, your campaigns will adapt faster than traffic can fall.
Invest in Strategic Content That Converts
Traffic may be down, but renter curiosity isn’t. That’s why creative assets matter more than ever. Our Native Articles, Canvas Social Ads, and Organic Social strategies don’t just bring people to your site – they tell your story, showcase your community, and build trust before a prospect even schedules a tour.
7 Actionable Strategies to Navigate the Downturn
To help fill the marketing funnel with high-quality prospects and stay competitive in the current landscape, here are a few key areas to consider:
1) Budget Alignment
As competition intensifies and CPC rises, underfunded campaigns risk losing visibility during critical leasing windows. Increasing spend in strategic markets can help:
- Regain lost impression share due to budget constraints
👉 Lost Impression Share Due to Budget refers to the percentage of times your ads could have shown but didn’t, simply because your budget ran out. Your property may be missing out on qualified traffic even when renters are actively searching.
- Improve reach and frequency during peak demand periods
- Offset rising CPL and support tour volume goals
Recommendation: Revisit your 2025 budgets to ensure alignment with market dynamics and campaign goals, especially in high-competition metros or lease-up communities.
2) Funnel-Focused Media Mix
To reach renters at every stage of their journey, Digible offers a full-funnel strategy tailored to your property type, location, and lifecycle phase:
Recommendation: Evaluate your current media spend across the funnel and reallocate to underutilized or underperforming stages. A healthy mix ensures you’re reaching renters before, during, and after they start searching.
3) SEO Expansion
Strong SEO supports organic visibility on Google Search and Maps for terms like “apartments near me.” This is especially valuable for stabilized properties and lease-ups in competitive submarkets.
Benefits:
- Capture renters earlier in the decision-making journey
- Support Google Business Profile (GBP) visibility for hyperlocal search
- Lower long-term dependence on paid media
- Build sustainable visibility that compounds over time
👉 GBP is your property’s business listing on Google. Optimizing this helps you show up for local search queries and drive calls, direction requests, and website visits organically.
Recommendation: Prioritize ongoing SEO optimizations, including metadata, GBP management, and hyperlocal content creation. As a long-term strategy, SEO offers compounding returns and helps properties remain competitive without constantly increasing ad spend. Digible continuously evolves our SEO approach to keep pace with the changing search landscape, including the growing influence of AI Overviews (AIO) and generative engine optimization (GEO). Our team actively monitors search trends and adapts content strategies to ensure your property remains visible and relevant.
4) Paid Social Optimization
Social ads on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) drive both awareness and engagement. Retargeting users who interacted with your ads or website can nurture mid-funnel prospects.
Ad types include:
- Canvas Ads: Tell a visual story about your property inside the platform
- Lead-Gen Ads: Collect renter info directly from the ad
- Carousel & Video Ads: Showcase amenities and floorplans
Recommendation: Revisit current strategy and performance. If previous social campaigns underperformed, now is a great time to refine and relaunch.
5) Native Articles & Display
Sponsored articles placed on major local news and lifestyle sites increase visibility and trust. These are ideal for:
- Lease-ups
- Properties with renovations or new branding
- Ultra-luxury assets that need storytelling
Recommendation: Run for 90 days with fresh content each quarter. Native Display supports mid-funnel conversion with clickable, retargeting-enabled formats.
6) Audio & YouTube Video Ads
Audio and video ads are high-impact awareness tools that work especially well for properties with standout amenities or strong lifestyle appeal. Platforms like Spotify and YouTube help you reach renters earlier in their journey while reinforcing your property’s unique brand.
- Programmatic Audio builds brand recall with minimal competition
- YouTube drives lifestyle engagement with short-form video ads
- Great for differentiating your property with USPs (unique selling points) like pet amenities, coworking space, or top-rated walkability
Recommendation: Launch campaigns with property-specific footage or Digible-provided voiceovers and scriptwriting support.
7) Email Marketing
Direct-to-inbox messaging is ideal for promoting:
- Limited-time specials
- Unique amenities or floorplans
- Rebrand announcements
👉 Email is one of the most underutilized tools in multifamily. With targeted prospect lists and clear calls-to-action, it’s a fast and efficient way to boost site traffic and generate tours.
Key Takeaways for Multifamily Marketers
YoY traffic declines across channels aren’t a death sentence; they’re a wake-up call. Today’s most successful multifamily marketers are those who:
✅ Shift from volume to value
✅ Rethink funnel strategy based on occupancy and availability
✅ Let automation and analytics do the heavy lifting
✅ Diversify formats to meet renters where they are
The key is recognizing that fewer clicks don’t have to mean fewer leases. With a smarter, more strategic approach, you can make every marketing dollar work harder, driving high-quality prospects and keeping your leasing goals on track even in challenging market conditions.
Strategy > More Clicks
This 2025 renter funnel reset requires a fundamental shift in how multifamily marketers approach digital strategy. By focusing on quality over quantity, implementing data-driven decision making, and leveraging the full spectrum of digital marketing channels, properties can not only survive but thrive in this new landscape.
Success in this environment demands a comprehensive understanding of your target audience, strategic budget allocation across the entire marketing funnel, and the agility to adapt quickly to changing market conditions. Just as critical is the consistent flow of information from onsite teams to your marketing partners at Digible. Onsite insights around leasing trends, lead quality, traffic sources, and resident feedback allow us to optimize campaigns more effectively, respond faster to changes on the ground, and ensure your strategy aligns with real-time leasing priorities.
The properties that embrace this strategic approach – grounded in collaboration and communication – will emerge stronger and more competitive.
Ready to Transform Your Marketing Strategy?
Don’t let traffic declines derail your leasing goals.
Partner with experts who understand the evolving multifamily landscape and can help you implement proven strategies that drive results.
At Digible, we’re not just navigating this shift; we’re helping our clients thrive through it. Contact us today to learn how we can help you navigate this renter funnel reset and turn fewer clicks into better conversions.
Let’s turn fewer clicks into better conversions.👉 Learn more at digible.com or reach out to your Digible team member!
