More leads must mean better marketing…right?

Not necessarily.

In Part 2 of The Property Playbook’s Multifamily Marketing Mini-Series, Rory Anderson and marketing strategist Derek Miller tackle one of the most closely watched numbers in apartment marketing: lead volume.

The problem? A marketing report showing hundreds of leads can look impressive—but those numbers don't mean much if the leads never become tours, applications, leases, and ultimately revenue.

Derek explains why multifamily teams need to look beyond traffic counts and start asking a better question: Are we generating the right traffic?

The conversation explores the difference between high- and low-quality traffic, why prospects from different lead sources may be at completely different stages of the customer journey, and why a seemingly “unqualified” lead may simply be an uneducated lead who needs a different sales approach.

Rory and Derek also break down which metrics may tell you more than raw lead volume—including scheduled tours, shows, applications, and conversion rates. If one property turns seven out of ten tours into applications while another converts only one, generating more leads may not be the answer. The real opportunity may be hiding somewhere inside the leasing experience.

And what happens when the onsite team says, “It’s just slow”?

Before increasing ad spend, Derek recommends looking at the data. Is traffic actually down? Are prospects seeing the property but not clicking? Is pricing out of line with competitors? Are new lease-ups offering aggressive concessions? Or is it time for the onsite team to get back to boots-on-the-ground marketing through resident referrals, preferred employers, outreach, and local relationships?

The takeaway: The goal isn't to generate the most leads. It's to generate the right opportunities—and convert them.

If you work in multifamily marketing, property management, leasing, operations, or asset management, this episode will challenge you to look beyond the top-line numbers and connect your marketing activity to the metrics that actually matter: tours, applications, leases, revenue, and NOI.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to The Property Playbook for the rest of our Multifamily Marketing Mini-Series.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Traffic Quality: The Right Leads Matter

00:30 Welcome to Season Two

00:30 Understanding the Marketing Funnel

00:30 The Importance of Lead Quality

00:30 Defining the Apartment Marketing Funnel

00:30 Identifying Funnel Leaks

00:30 Metrics for Struggling Properties

00:30 Improving Conversions with Human Touch

00:30 The Importance of Human Connection in Sales

00:30 Understanding Lead Quality vs. Quantity

00:30 Traffic Quality: The Right Leads Matter

11:59 Empowering On-Site Teams for Better Results

TO CONTACT OUR GUEST:

DEREK MILLER

KEYWORDS: Multifamily marketing, apartment marketing, lead quality, multifamily lead generation, apartment lead generation, leasing conversion, multifamily leasing, property management marketing, apartment marketing strategy, leasing performance