The Missing Link Between Multifamily Marketing and Leasing Results

Multifamily marketing loves metrics. Dashboards look great. Reports get sent. Everyone nods. And then leasing wonders why nothing actually changed.

In this episode of Riffing with Reid, Reid Wicoff is joined by Digible Senior Account Manager and data-driven strategist Ian Hay to unpack an uncomfortable truth behind many underperforming campaigns. It is not the channels. It is not the budget. It is weak account management.

The conversation pulls back the curtain on what actually happens between strategy decks and leasing results, and why that middle ground is where marketing success is quietly won or lost.

Account Management Is the Backbone of Multifamily Marketing Performance

Reid frames account management as Digible’s signature not because it sounds nice, but because it is where strategy meets reality. Account managers connect digital activity to leasing goals, operational data, and real-world outcomes.

When that connection is missing, marketing turns into a digital silo. Numbers look healthy. Occupancy does not.

Metrics Do Not Matter Without Translation

Ian describes the account manager’s role as data translator. Clicks, impressions, and click-through-rates (CTRs) only matter if someone explains what they mean for renter intent and leasing velocity.

“These aren’t just clicks. These are prospective renters,” Ian explains. “Digital performance has to be framed in leasing terms, not platform jargon.”

Why Optimizing in a Digital Silo Breaks Everything

Strong CTRs and low cost-per-click (CPCs) mean very little if customer relationship management (CRM) data, leasing results, and occupancy trends tell a different story.

Ian stresses that digital data must be reconciled with operational reality. If leads are missing from the CRM, the issue is not always campaign performance. Sometimes it is tracking. Sometimes it is a process.

This is where account management earns its keep.

Attribution Is Still Broken in Multifamily Marketing

One of the most valuable parts of the episode tackles attribution blind spots. Ian explains how tracking parameters are often lost as renters navigate property websites, making paid search look worse on paper than it actually is.

Renters do not convert on one page. When tracking breaks, marketing teams optimize against incomplete information.

The New Renter Journey Is Reshaping Search

AI-driven search, long-tail queries, and zero-click results are changing how renters discover properties. Visibility now matters as much as clicks.

Ian points out that organic search and website content are critical in an AI-first world. If a property wants to show up in AI summaries, the website needs to answer renter questions clearly.

Why Media Mixes Are Shifting Up Funnel

Paid search is crowded, expensive, and increasingly difficult to differentiate. Ian makes the case for reallocating some budget toward upper-funnel channels like video, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.

Everyone bids on the same keywords. Not everyone tells a story.

Measuring TikTok Without Treating It Like Search

TikTok should not be judged like paid search. Ian outlines incrementality testing as the right framework.

Establish a baseline. Add TikTok. Measure lift across traffic, engagement, leads, and leases. The goal is understanding overall impact, not last-click attribution.

Transparency and AI Are Raising the Stakes

AI should enhance storytelling, not replace authenticity. Multifamily has always relied on future visuals through renderings, and AI simply accelerates that capability.

At the same time, total monthly leasing price transparency heading into 2026 will force marketers to sell value, not just base rent. 

As Ian notes, “Being transparent with your pricing might be a challenge for a marketer in the short run, but ultimately a win for the consumer and a long-term win for the marketer.”

The Bottom Line

Multifamily marketing does not fail because of bad channels or weak creative. It fails when no one connects digital performance to leasing reality.

Strong account management is not a bonus feature. It is the difference between marketing that looks good in a report and marketing that actually leases apartments.

If you want the full conversation, listen to this episode of Riffing with Reid:

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