More than 92% of property managers plan to expand over the next two years, according to the latest Property Management Industry Report. Across the board, growth is the top priority for property managers moving into 2024 but, in a highly competitive market, how exactly do they plan to achieve it?
While fine tuning your business processes and adding new services can help, you’ll need to get in front of the right property owners and demonstrate your value to them, in order to see the impact you’re looking for.
Whether you have a mixed portfolio or you’re focused on a specific type of property, such as multifamily units or single-family homes, property management marketing technology can help you stand out from the pack and win new clients.
This guide will shed light on some of the most effective tools out there, what they’re capable of, and how to determine which ones give you the biggest edge.
What Are Property Management Marketing Tools?
Property management marketing tools can be the starting point for some of your most valuable business relationships. They can help you to find the right clients, showcase your value in a way that wins their business, and help you to nurture your partnership with them for years to come.
Whether it’s software to match property managers and owners based on their needs, a service that gives you insights on how to best spend your ad budget, or a website builder that makes it easy to highlight the best parts of your business, the right property management marketing tools showcase what’s actually valuable to you and the property owners you work with.
Through a blend of marketing automation, analytics, and digital engagement features, you can enhance your market presence and attract long-term clients.
Benefits of Using Property Management Marketing Tools
Using property management marketing tools brings several significant benefits that can enhance the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Here are some of those key advantages:
- Increased Visibility and Reach Online: The right tools can help you optimize online content for search engines and improve the visibility of your property listings online. This lets you reach a broader audience, attracting more potential tenants and property owners.
- Targeted Marketing Strategies: Advanced analytics capabilities allow you to analyze market trends and customer preferences more easily. You can then use this data to tailor marketing campaigns more effectively to the target audience, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates.
- Efficiency and Time Savings: Technology can also automate routine marketing tasks, such as planning and sending email campaigns, scheduling social media posts, and updating listings, saving you time and reducing your workload.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: Some property management marketing software can help you to create user-friendly websites and interactive content. This improves the online experience for potential and current tenants, making it easier for them to find relevant information, view property listings, and engage with your business.
- Consistent Branding: Using a few far-reaching, versatile tools can help you maintain consistent branding across all marketing materials and platforms. Consistent branding helps in building a strong, recognizable brand that resonates with your target audience.
- Measurable Results: The best software options provide detailed analytics and reports, helping you to understand what strategies are working and where to improve.
- Cost-Effectiveness: By optimizing marketing efforts and reducing the need for manual labor, property management marketing software can be an extremely cost-effective way to maximize the value you’re getting from your marketing budget.
Key Capabilities of Property Management Marketing Tools
Property management marketing tools cover an array of different capabilities, from building websites and an attractive brand to identifying potential clients in your market and the best ways to reach them. Some software specializes on just one or a few specific marketing tactics while others can become a centerpiece of your whole marketing strategy.
To cover your bases, make sure that your marketing toolkit includes all of the specific features below.
Property Management Websites
Property management websites are like a home base for your online presence. They serve as the primary online platform for showcasing properties, engaging with potential and current tenants, and conveying your company’s brand and services.
Websites often provide the first impression of a property management company to potential clients. A well-designed site can establish credibility and professionalism. They act as a central repository for information about available properties, services offered, company policies, and contact information, as well.
Website-building tools should help you create and maintain websites with these key features:
- Clear Navigation: Easy-to-use menus and clear categorization of information make for user-friendly navigation.
- High-Quality Images and Virtual Tours: Quality visuals of properties and virtual tours enhance the appeal of listings.
- Contact Information: Easily accessible contact details and online inquiry forms encourage potential clients to reach out.
- Search Functionality: An intuitive search feature helps visitors find properties that meet their specific criteria easily.
- Mobile Responsiveness: A mobile-friendly design supports accessibility and a good user experience on various devices.
- SEO Optimization: Implementing SEO best practices improves online visibility.
- Testimonials and Reviews: Showcasing client testimonials and reviews can build trust and credibility.
Networking
Even as technology continues to become more prevalent in the industry, networking is still indispensable. Through networking, property managers can raise their business profile, attract more clients, and stay abreast of industry trends and effective marketing strategies.
You shouldn’t think of face-to-face networking and customer acquisition as entirely separate from your digital marketing strategy. In fact, technology can even enhance your networking efforts.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools within property management marketing software, for example, can help manage and grow network contacts. These tools can track interactions, preferences, and the history of relationships, making follow-ups more personalized and effective.
Automation tools can streamline communication with network contacts, as well, making consistent engagement easier and keeping the business top-of-mind among peers and potential clients. You can also direct owners to your company’s website, which showcases the value of your services and gets visitors one step closer to becoming your clients.
Analytics and Insights
Every property management company needs their own marketing strategy—and that changes over time. Marketing analytics tools let you track and optimize the performance of various marketing initiatives, from online advertising campaigns to email marketing efforts.
The right tools should help you to reallocate resources to the most effective channels and tweak messages for better engagement.
Some examples of key metrics and data points that property management marketing software can capture include:
- Website Traffic: Understanding the volume, source, and behavior of website visitors. This includes which pages are most visited and how long visitors stay on the site
- Lead Generation: Tracking the number of leads generated through different channels, such as website forms, social media, or advertising campaigns
- Conversion Rates: Measuring how many of the leads are converted into clients or take a desired action, such as filling out a contact form or signing a lease
- Return on Investment (ROI): Calculating the ROI of different marketing campaigns to determine their financial efficiency and impact on the bottom line
- Customer Engagement: Metrics on how customers are interacting with the content, including email open rates, social media engagement, and response rates
- Demographic Data: Insights into the demographics of the audience, which can help in tailoring marketing messages more effectively
- Feedback and Reviews: Analysis of customer feedback and reviews to gauge satisfaction and areas for improvement
Digital Advertising Tools
Digital advertising tools give you access to a range of platforms and strategies to reach potential clients and generate leads. Platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads are particularly effective due to their extensive reach and advanced targeting capabilities.
Google Ads allows property management companies to appear at the top of search results when potential clients search for relevant keywords. This visibility helps attract owners who are actively seeking property management services. Paired with sophisticated targeting options based on location, search history, and user behavior, you’ll be able to show ads to relevant audiences.
Google also provides detailed analytics to track the performance of ads, including click-through rates and conversion rates, that allow for ongoing optimization. You can use this data for remarketing efforts, too, targeting individuals who have previously interacted with your website or services, which can increase conversion rates.
Facebook Ads excel in demographic targeting, allowing property managers to target ads based on age, location, interests, and more. This is particularly useful for reaching specific groups, such as potential property investors in a certain area.
With Facebook’s integrated messaging system, potential clients can contact property managers directly from the ad, streamlining the lead generation process.
Facebook is particularly effective to build a community around your brand, using Groups to foster trust and long-term relationships with clients.
Instagram Ads, known for their high engagement rates, let you showcase properties through eye-catching imagery and stories. You can collaborate with influencers in the real estate or local community niches to expand reach and add credibility to your offerings.
Instagram Stories, meanwhile, offer a dynamic way to present properties, share testimonials, and run limited-time offers, with the added benefit of direct message interactions.
By including relevant hashtags in these campaigns, you can increase the visibility of posts to users interested in property management or local real estate.
How to Choose the Best Property Management Marketing Tools for Your Business
With all these capabilities to consider and no shortage of software out there, how do you choose the right tools for your business? To narrow down your options, take this three-step approach:
- Identify your pain points and goals.
- Compare the features of different solutions.
- Determine how cost-effective and scalable each tool is.
The first step is something you’ll largely need to determine on your own. Steps 2 and 3, however, are exactly what this guide is for. We’ll take a look at each step below. Then, for each of the solutions in our list, we’ll detail specific features and what you can expect to pay for them.
Consider Your Needs and Goals
When evaluating your needs and goals for property management marketing software, there are some key aspects to keep in mind:
- Types of Properties Managed: The variety of properties you manage (residential, commercial, vacation rentals, etc.) will dictate the features you need. Different property types may require unique marketing approaches and functionalities. Consider the size of your portfolio, as well. Whether it’s a few units or several large buildings, its size will determine how scalable and sophisticated the software’s features should be.
- Target Audience: Understand the demographics of your target audience, including age, income level, and preferences. This insight will help you choose software that can tailor marketing efforts to your audience’s specific needs and behaviors.The location of your properties influences the marketing channels most effective for your audience, as well.
- Marketing Strategies: Evaluate your current marketing strategies to identify what’s working and where improvements are needed. This assessment will guide you in selecting software with strengths in areas where your current approach may be lacking. Without marketing analytics software already in place, this might take some extra effort your first time around, but it will only become easier once you have the right tools in place after this initial assessment. From this baseline, consider your future marketing plans, such as expanding into new markets or increasing digital marketing efforts. The software should be able to accommodate these future needs.
Working through these considerations will give you an accurate view of your business and where you plan to take it in the months and years ahead. The goal is to select a solution that not only meets your current needs but also aligns with your long-term growth and marketing strategies.
Analyze Features and Functionalities of Different Solutions
Aside from capabilities such as website creation, analytics and insights, networking, and digital advertising, the software you choose should have a few additional functionalities. These include the following:
- Integration With Existing Tools: The new software should integrate seamlessly with your current property management systems to create a smooth workflow.
- A Stellar User Experience: Consider the ease of use of the software. It should be user-friendly and require minimal training for your team.
- Reliable Customer Support: Evaluate the level of customer support offered. Good support helps you get the most out of the software.
- Compliance and Security Features: Check that the software complies with any relevant industry regulations and standards, especially concerning data security and privacy.
Note the Cost Efficiency & Scalability of the Tool
From the outset, you should determine your budget for marketing software. This is the starting point to find a balance between the cost of the software and the features it offers.
Be sure that the software addresses your company’s marketing needs effectively without overspending. This balance supports positive ROI and long-term financial sustainability.
Automating routine tasks is one clear sign that software will be cost efficient and save you time. The software should offer tailored features that directly address your needs, while actively letting you track ROI through data and analytics.
As a property management business grows, its marketing needs will evolve. The property management marketing tools you choose should be flexible enough to adapt to these changing requirements, whether it’s managing a larger portfolio, targeting new markets, or employing more advanced marketing strategies. This is where integration with other marketing technology becomes important.
The 6 Best Property Management Marketing Tools in 2024
Now that you know what features to look out for and how to frame them using your business priorities, here’s our list of 6 of the best property management marketing tools and what you can expect from each:
1. Buildium: Best Comprehensive Property Management Software
Buildium’s® industry-leading platform is purpose-built for the property managers, with tools that cater to every size portfolio and an array of property types, including single-family, multifamily, community associations,, student housing and commercial buildings. That same level of flexibility extends to marketing features, such as a custom website builder and analytics to guide your outreach and growth strategy.
In addition to its own tools, Buildium also has a partner ecosystem. Buildium Marketplace includes integrations with All Property Management®, Goodjuju® and Upkeep Media®. These solutions offer top-tier website creation and marketing tools that we’ll talk about in more detail further down in our list.
Features
With Buildium, you’ll have access to a full suite of property management technology that helps you stay efficient while finding new clients to grow your portfolio. This spans everything from accounting to resident communication.
Buildium’s business performance tools keep you in the know about where your business is succeeding and areas that need more of your attention. You’ll have data at the ready to help demonstrate the value of your services to potential clients, budget your resources, and guide your marketing strategy.
The data accessible through Buildium also keeps your current clients aware of how their properties are performing and how your services earn them revenue, all of which helps with owner retention.
The Owner Portal takes these benefits a step further, giving you a channel to share reports with owners, who can access all the details they need anytime, without extra effort for your team. It can be a major selling point when pitching new clients.
Buildium also offers website templates that you can customize to your brand. Add company details and all your available listings, so you can get a headstart on enhancing your digital presence.
Pricing
Buildium offers three pricing tiers, all of which include:
- Accounting
- Maintenance Task Management
- Violations
- Online Portals
- Resident & Board Member Communications
Each of the three tiers is designed to meet your overall business and property management needs alongside your targeted marketing efforts:
Essential: Starts at $55/month and includes Buildium’s core features, including accounting and task management tools.
Growth: Starts at $174/month and includes reduced incoming ACH fees, unlimited eSignatures, and actionable insights in Analytics Hub.
Premium: Starts at $375/month for property managers who want to automate their workflows. It includes everything in Growth, unlimited incoming ACH (fees waived), plus access to Buildium’s Open API and Priority Support.
2. All Property Management: Find Your Ideal Clients Effortlessly
Staying proactive in finding new clients doesn’t always translate to hours of extra time and effort. With All Property Management® you can get your business in front of an array of property owners looking for your services in just a few basic steps.
All Property Management is a site that helps landlords and property owners find local property managers (like you) with the experience and service offerings they’re looking for. As a property manager, all you have to do is join the network and you’ll be delivered qualified leads without any additional searching or outreach on your part.
Features
Once you’ve signed up with All Property Management, you’ll be added to a list of preferred businesses. From there, potential clients can find you by using a search tool with a map to reach out to you in four steps:
- Search by property type and zip code.
- Review the list of search results.
- Compare and contrast property manager quotes.
- Contact you and discuss specific property management needs.
Pricing
Joining the network is free and does not involve any term contracts, set-up fees, or monthly fees. As a user you pay for each qualified lead and let All Property Management do the heavy lifting.
3. Goodjuju: Intuitive Website- and Blog-Building Tools
Goodjuju® offers specialized services that focus on building professional websites, optimizing your content for search engines, and strengthening your online presence. While they can support your overall marketing strategy, one of their most valuable services is managing the entire process of website development, from deciding on initial design elements to helping your pages rank for relevant searches.
This expertise is particularly useful if SEO and website building isn’t at the top of your skillset.
Goodjuju’s boutique-level service, means you’ll get personalized strategies to create a site that sets you apart from competitors and converts property owners that visit your landing pages, blog posts, and other content, into new clients. Their websites are responsive, secure, and tailor-made to fit your needs.
A website set up by Goodjuju also fully integrates with Buildium’s rental listing, rental application, tenant portal, and owner portal.
Features
Goodjuju’s primary focus is website design using a customizable platform with templates, brand integration, and lead generation built in. The company also offers:
- Local SEO to help property managers increase online exposure with effective search engine optimization and marketing ideas.
- Reputation management, complete with proactive advice, continual monitoring, and an automated review process.
- Support for Google Ads to gain relevant search traffic and capture targeted property management leads.
Pricing
Pricing details are not available on Goodjuju’s website, because their plans are based on the type and level of competition in your market and the services you want to include. You can sign up for a free assessment to get a better idea of specific pricing and the benefits you can expect.
4. Upkeep Media: Software for More Effective Marketing Campaigns
Upkeep Media® is a comprehensive property management online marketing service that offers website development, content marketing, SEO, and support for paid ads.
The service takes a well-rounded look at your entire brand presence to find ways to improve your overall marketing efforts and create specific campaigns to help you meet your goals. These custom-tailored digital marketing campaigns are designed with your particular needs, local market, and main competitors in mind.
You can implement strategies Upkeep Media creates across your entire business more easily, thanks to a seamless integration with Buildium’s broader suite of property management tools.
Features
The main areas Upkeep Media benefits your business are:
- Facebook Ads and Google Adwords to drive more leads on relevant channels and drive immediate results.
- Website design to create user-friendly sites, drive web traffic, advertise available listings, and capture data.
- SEO support to rank higher on Google and get more eyes onto your site.
- Reputation management to receive more tenant applications, boost SEO, and improve customer relationships.
- Marketing campaigns that pull together some or all of the elements above into an actionable game plan for your business.
Pricing
Upkeep Media’s services are fully customized, which means you’ll need to speak with their team to get specific pricing information. You can schedule a free 30-minute strategy session call by signing up on their website
5. LeadSimple: A CRM Platform that Turns Networking into New Clients
LeadSimple® is a purpose-built customer relationship management (CRM) platform specifically designed for property managers. It acts as a hub for your operations, sales, and all your important workflows, which makes managing leads and converting them into clients easier than ever.
Several of LeadSimple’s features include automation that speeds up routine tasks and stores a digital record of your leads. This record acts as a single source of truth for your sales efforts, so even if your staff and team roles and responsibilities change, lead generation won’t suffer.
You can create customer profiles for your existing clients and coordinate outreach to prospects all using the LeadSimple platform. With a Buildium integration, you’ll also be able to sync your data automatically between the two platforms and have an undisturbed workflow for all your property management operations.
Features
LeadSimple’s CRM platform allows you to:
- automate your sales and lead nurturing
- use pre-made templates to help close deals faster
- forecast, measure, and hit your targets with a full view of your leads and their individual needs
- access a workflow process tool to systemize all your tasks and projects in one place
- share all updates, tasks, and deadlines automatically
- use a client communication portal that stores all your emails in one place
- view sales tasks, lead details and workflows from anywhere with the LeadSimple mobile app
Pricing
LeadSimple currently offers two pricing options; Growth/CRM and Operations.
Growth/CRM is intended specifically for sales functions and starts at $99 per month. The plan covers:
- Two users ($30 per additional)
- One pipeline ($30 per additional)
- Every additional phone number is $4 per month
- 5 cents per minute for phone calls after the first 250 minutes
- 2.5 cents per text sent
The Operations plan is designed for larger companies with features for their whole business, both sales and operations. It has fewer restrictions than the Growth plan and begins at $1.35 per door per month with a minimum base price of $200 (150 doors included). The plan gives you access to:
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited pipelines
- Unlimited process types
- $4 per month per texting phone number
- 5 cents per call minute after the first 500 minutes
- 2.5 cents per text
- Process management module
- Property management software integrations (integrated with Buildium)
LeadSimple currently offers a 14-day free trial to help you get started.
6. Steady: Owner Benefits Packages That Help Your Business Stand Out
Steady® is a solution that offers benefits packages and rent protection options to owners. It also equips them with tailored insights through legislative updates and quarterly reports on the rental market to help with business decisionmaking.
While less of a direct marketing tool than some of the other options on this list, a Steady owner benefits packages can give you that extra edge to attract owners to your property management company.
Offering market insights and the peace of mind that comes with a rent protection program as part of your services sends a powerful message to potential clients: you’ve got their back from day one and partnering with you will let them not just protect, but also grow their investment over time.
Steady’s services are designed specifically for property managers in the single-family rental market. The owner benefit packages have three main benefits for property owners. They:
- Remove risk with rental protection and a Rent Advance™ program, providing owners with up to 12 months of rent entirely up front, in a non-recourse transaction.
- Boost profits with market and asset reports that help owners and property managers collaborate on new investments and business decisions.
- Save time by providing the relevant insights to keep owners informed of legislative changes, comparable rental transactions, and other important details.
By integrating with Buildium, Steady automates the entire workflow related to owner benefit packages, so your team won’t have to spend time facilitating any of these services.
Features
The Steady Owner Benefit Package™ includes:
- Rent Protection, giving owners up to two months of rental payments if a tenant defaults on their payments, which protects both owners and property managers from lost revenue.
- Rent Advance™ that lets owners access up to 12 months of rent up front, effectively unlocking a new source of liquidity and removing risks associated with tenant repayment.
- Legal and Re-Tenanting Expense Shield that activates if a tenant defaults on rent, giving owners up to $1,000 toward the listing of a rental unit, legal costs of an eviction, or other legal action.
- Quarterly market and asset reports that include a breakdown of data on the specific unit and the real estate market.
- Real-time legislative updates on relevant laws and regulations affecting rental properties and property owners.
Pricing
Steady does not list general pricing details on their site. You’ll need to reach out and provide the number of doors you manage along with additional information to get a quote.
Start Building Your Toolkit of Property Management Marketing Software
In your search for the best property management marketing tools, consider the framework laid out in the first half of this guide and how the solutions listed above align with your goals.
Ultimately, the best software for you depends on your budget and goals, but any of the options on this list can set you up for success in the specific areas they focus on.
If you’re looking to enhance your overall marketing efforts, with room to add on other technology as your strategy evolves, we recommend starting with Buildium. It’s a platform that supports your entire property management business and integrates with targeted marketing solutions such as Upkeep Media and Goodjuju.
Buildium also offers a free 14-day trial, no credit card required. The trial gives you a risk-free way to start reaching more potential clients and build your portfolio with a brand that inspires trust and loyalty.
