FAQ

General Questions

Q: Who is Apartments.com?
A: Apartments.com is a national online apartment search and relocation resource distinguished by highly customized searches, superior visual ads and partnerships with the local newspapers and television station Web sites of more than 180 affiliates nationwide!
Apartments.com gives users the ability to do the following:

• Search apartment listings by location, price, size and over 25 amenities
• Instantly contact the property management company
• View daily updated apartment and classified ad listings for apartments
• View photos, floor plans and take a virtual tour
• Post a rental listing by creating a custom advertisment

Apartments.com is a destination for consumers; it provides users with the tools, resources and the most pertinent information available to make all renting decisions - including the ability not only to select an apartment, but also find information they will need to move through the site's MovingCenter.com, as well as useful renter lifestyle information at Living.Apartments.com

Q: What is the Apartments.com Affiliate Program?
A: The Apartments.com Affiliate Program is for Webmasters, Search marketers, and entrepreneurs. The uniqueness of our site can provide benefits to almost every Internet user. We want to pay you when you refer a visitor to our site that becomes a lead to our advertised rental properties. We'll provide you with banners and text links that you can post on your Web site, or use in your Search Marketing efforts. We'll pay you a $10 commission for each visitor you bring to Apartments.com who submits an Email Lead for an apartment! We'll also pay you $7 for every rental listing ad sale you send to Apartments.com. It's that simple. Use your Web site to promote Apartments.com as much as you'd like. You will receive a commission check each month, and you can track your earnings daily.

Q: What’s the difference between the two Apartments.com actions?
A: There are two actions in the Apartments.com Affiliate Program:

• Email Lead: Earn a $10 commission for each visitor you bring to Apartments.com who submits a lead for an apartment via e-mail
• Rental Listing Ad Sale: Earn a $7 commission for each property owner or landlord who completes a transaction to list a rental property on Apartments.com.

Q: Is the Apartments.com Affiliate Program free to join?
A: Yes. There is no cost to become an Apartments.com Affiliate Publisher.

Q: Why should I join and become an Apartments.com Affiliate?
A: Becoming an Apartments.com Affiliate is easy and free - plus affiliates make money every time they drive an Email Lead or Rental Listing Ad Sale to Apartments.com.

Q: How do I register?
A: Click here to join now!

Payment

Q: What is the payment structure for the Apartments.com Affiliate Program?
A: Click here to see a complete description of Apartments.com's payment structure.

Q: When do I get paid?
A: Once you join our program, you'll be able to log into your account. Here you can see how much you've earned and even download a file. Commission Junction automatically sends out earnings every month via checks to all affiliates who have accumulated at least $50 in their account. There are no invoices to send and no data to track.

Q: Do Apartments.com affiliates have any payment options?
A: Earnings can be collected via two options either check (received through direct mail) or direct deposit. Learn more about Apartments.com's payment structure.

Q: If I operate more than one Web site, can I track them separately and still receive a single payment?
A: Yes! You are able to operate multiple Web sites and URLs with a single account.

Q: What qualifies as an Email Lead?
A: Earn a $10 commission for each visitor you send to Apartments.com who submits an email lead for an apartment. Consumers simply enter a few fields of information including name, email address, as well as their move date and preferred method of contact. Their information is then sent to the selected property. The email lead is validated via a thank you page. It's that easy!

Q: Rental Listing Ad Sales: Who is the target audience?
A: The target audience for posting Rental Listing ad sales is property owners, property management companies, renters who need to sublease their apartment, real estate agents, landlords and vacation rental property owners.

Q: Once visitors click from my Web site or link to Apartments.com, how long will they be tracked (when do their cookies expire)?
A: Cookies expire 7 days after the cookie is set. In this period of time, Affiliates will be compensated if a referred user returns to Apartments.com and sends an Email Lead, or places a Rental Listing Advertisement.

Business Models/Promotional Methods

Q: What are the most successful business models in the Apartments.com Affiliate Program?
A: Please see our Learning Center.

Q: Can I be an Apartments.com affiliate without a Web site?
A: Yes. Many of our affiliates do not have Web sites. Paid search is one example of a business model that does not require a Web site that can be very lucrative. Visit our Learning Center to find out what business models may work for you.

Q: Can affiliates operate Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns for Apartments.com?
A: Some of our most successful affiliates manage highly lucrative PPC campaigns. Learn more about PPC campaigns in Apartments.com's Paid search Best Practices section. Please note that affiliates are prohibited from bidding keywords involving the trademark "Apartments.com" or variations thereof, including use in any part of the display URL.

Q: Can affiliates promote Apartments.com via message boards (e.g. Craigslist)?
A: Using third party message boards such Craigslist.org or Backpage.com to promote Apartments.com either directly (affiliate linking) or indirectly (linking to your site) is prohibited.

Q: Can affiliates operate Email Marketing campaigns for Apartments.com?
A: No, Email marketing promotions are not allowed.

Eligibility

Q: Are there any restrictions regarding who can join?
A: We'd like everyone to promote Apartments.com but there are cases where we cannot allow certain sites to participate in our Affiliate Program. We will evaluate each application in good faith and will notify all applicants of acceptance or rejection. We may reject an application if we determine, at our sole discretion, that a site is unsuitable or ineligible for the program.
Unsuitable sites include those that:

• Promote sexually explicit materials
• Promote violence
• Promote illegal activities
• Promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age
• Include "Apartments.com" or variations or misspellings thereof in their domain names or otherwise violate intellectual property rights

Ineligible sites include those that:

• Are currently an Apartments.com newspaper affiliate site through Classified Ventures, LLC
• Have a paid advertising or distribution agreement with Apartments.com
• Use Email Marketing as a Promotional Method
• Use Incentive/Rewards programs as a Promotional Method

If your application is rejected, you are welcome to re-apply to the program at any time. You also should note that if we accept your application and your site is thereafter determined, at our sole discretion, to be unsuitable for the program, we may terminate the Agreement.

Q: Am I eligible to participate in the Apartments.com program if I live outside the United States?
A: We welcome you to join our program and to help promote Apartments.com to your visitors but we currently have access only to apartment listings in the United States. If your site attracts only visitors from outside the United States, you likely will not generate any revenue from adding our link. On the other hand, if you believe that you get a variety of visitors from all countries, including the United States, your site may ultimately benefit.

Q: Can I participate in other affiliate programs?
A: Yes - the Apartments.com Affiliate Program is non-exclusive.

Q: Does Apartments.com require a business license to participate in the program?
A: No. Apartments.com affiliates may be either an individual or a formal business / company. Upon registration, individuals must enter their Social Security Number in lieu of a Tax ID/Business License; likewise, corporations or companies are required to provide a Tax ID number.

Q: Can I apply to the affiliate program more than once?
A: Yes. You can have multiple sites as an Apartments.com Affiliate. However, Apartments.com enables affiliates to track and operate numerous sites within a single affiliate account - this is the recommended method of operation because affiliates are able to receive a single, consolidated commission check.

Links

Q: How do I add links?
A: Once registered with the Apartments.com Affiliate Program, you'll be provided with a variety of banners, text links, and Search Boxes that you can then be added to your Web site. You can even access our product catalog containing THOUSANDS of local URLs, from State and Local landing pages all the way to individual property listings! Just log into your account to see a list of our available links.

Q: May I use the Apartments.com logo or Apartments.com content on my site?
A: You will have access to a wide variety of banners and text links after signing up for our program. You are welcome to use any of the graphics and text links provided through this program. You may not alter or modify any banners without obtaining prior written permission from Apartments.com. You also must secure permission before using any Apartments.com content that was not created solely for the Apartments.com Affiliate program as well as any third party's copyrighted materials on your site. If you are unsure about your rights to use or modify the materials for your Web site, please contact us.

Q: How many links can I add to Apartments.com?
A: You can add as many links as you'd like.

Q: Where should I place the links on my site?
A: You should place links where they are easy for your site visitors to find, such as your home page. Links also receive more activity when they are “above the fold” on the page. Classifieds, rentals, real estate, and apartments categories perform particularly well. Some areas you may want to place your links include your home page, your navigation bar, and any other high traffic areas. If you place the links in a relevant, easily accessible location on your site, your visitors will be more likely to visit Apartments.com and find a property.

Q: How can I fix "broken" or outdated links on my Web site?
A: Publishers are able to run reports that monitor broken links, and can then adjust accordingly.

Q: Can I link to a specific Apartments.com listing or search results page?
A: Yes, you can link to any Apartments.com page or URL

Q: What if I have more than one Web site?
A: We certainly recommend adding our links to all of your Web sites. In fact, we encourage it!

Q: What linking tools does Apartments.com offer?
A: Apartments.com offers Banners, Text Links, Search Boxes, and a Product Catalog in CJ. Commission Junction publishers may also use the URL Builder.

My Account

Q: How do I check the status of my account?
A: Once your application is approved, you will receive an e-mail notification that welcomes you to our program.

Q: Can I change my password once I have registered?
A: Yes, Apartments.com Affiliates can change username and password information in the account management sections.

Q: How do I change my account information?
A: All account information can be changed within the account management section.

Q: Can I register more than one URL on the same account?
A: Yes. Affiliates can include numerous URLs and Web sites within a single account, enabling affiliates to have inclusive reporting, tracking, and commissions.

Helpful Hints

Q: Does Apartments.com have a "Best Practices” guide for affiliates to help increase traffic to Apartments.com?
A: Yes, please see our Learning Center.

Q: What types of businesses are successful as Apartments.com affiliates?
A: Please see our Learning Center.

Q: Am I able to link into to City/State Specific Pages?
A: Yes! Commission Junction publishers can search for City and State specific pages in the Apartments.com Product Catalog, or, you can create your own.

Q: How can I attract more visitors/traffic to my Web site?
A: Find out how you can drive more traffic to your Web site in our Learning Center.

Q: How do I increase my conversions?
A: Please see our Learning Center.

Reporting

Q: Can I monitor and track my transaction and performance metrics?
A: Yes. Our third party networks provide extensive reporting to help you track your campaigns.

Q: How will Apartments.com know that the Email Leads and Rental Listing Ad Sales came from my site?
A: A cookie is placed when users click on any of the Apartments.com links. Depending on the Apartments.com Affiliate Program you are promoting, users are tracked for two distinct time periods. Activity leading to Email Leads are tracked during a 7 Day window. Transactions for Rental Listing Ad Sales are compensated during a 1 day window. You receive commissions if users click from your site and commit any of the above transactions on Apartments.com within the previously mentioned time period.

Q: How customizable is the reporting functionality?
A: Using the reporting features, reports can be run for various time periods or to obtain various types of data.

Legal & Tax Questions

Q: Do I need to notify the IRS of commissions earned through the Apartments.com Affiliate Program?
A: Yes, all revenues must be reported to the IRS.

Q: May I include Apartments.com in my company press releases, marketing materials, etc.?
A: You must first receive written approval from Apartments.com. If you're interested, please contact the Apartments.com Affiliate Team.

Q: What tax information is required to participate?
A: Affiliates will be asked for their Social Security Number or Tax ID number; this information is secure and is needed only for tax purposes.

Communication

Q: Will the Apartments.com Affiliate Team communicate with me via email?
A: Yes. Apartments.com will send periodic newsletters with new program updates. You can also contact us at any time and our Affiliate Team will respond within 1 business day.

Q: Does Apartments.com have a policy against unsolicited email?
A: Apartments.com prohibits the use of unsolicited emails or "spam" and reserves the right to terminate the membership of any Apartments.com affiliate engaging in such practices.