Your Guide to Higher Quality Leads

A lead isn’t just a lead. As every property manager knows, a renter who actually wants to move in is worth more than a dozen “lookie-loos.” It’s the quality of the lead that counts.

In fact, 70 percent of multifamily decision-makers ranked high-quality leads as one of their most important marketing outcomes, according to a 2025 survey by Apartments.com.

With your lead dashboard from Apartments.com, you have a powerful tool to help you track, analyze, and convert your leads. Here’s a look at how you can take advantage of the latest dashboard features to measure and improve your lead quality, turning even more renters into residents.

See what your prospects are looking for

The more you know about a lead, the easier it is to turn that lead into a lease. When is the renter planning to move in? Is he looking for a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom apartment? Does she have a specific unit in mind?

You can now get all of this information right from your lead dashboard, even for email and tour leads. You’ll see how many bedrooms and bathrooms the renter is interested in, along with the model and unit name, if applicable.

That’s alongside the renter’s name, email address, and phone number so your leasing team can easily follow up. If the renter has provided a brief message, you’ll see that too.

You can also export this data with the click of a button.

Renters who have shown interest in a specific unit or model typically are more serious about moving in. And knowing exactly what they’re looking for makes it that much easier for your leasing team to close the deal.

Streamline the application process

If your listing is detailed enough, some renters won’t need a tour or phone call to move forward. They’re ready to apply. With the Apply Now feature, you can let them submit their application for a specific unit — directly from your listing.

One in five leads on Apartments.com now comes in through Apply Now, and these leads convert at a rate 3.8x higher than any other type of lead.

In your dashboard, you’ll see a separate tab for Apply Now leads, which will include the renters’ names, contact information, and the unit they’re looking to move into.

Track visitors to your website

Only 12 percent of renters have a specific property in mind before they start their search, according to the latest renter survey by Apartments.com. For the rest, they start their search broadly, open to discovering places they might not have heard of. Three quarters report using an internet listing service like Apartments.com to explore their options, compared to nearly two in five who say they use a search engine.

What does this look like in practice? A renter may begin by visiting Apartments.com. After applying the relevant filters and browsing through photos, 3D tours, and descriptions, she narrows down her list to three properties she’s interested in. To learn more about these properties, she takes a look at their websites.

But when you review your website traffic information, it’s not always easy to tell which of these visitors found you on Apartments.com.

Your lead dashboard can help you understand these clicks a little better.

In the Property Website tab, you’ll find an overview of renters who visited your website directly from Apartments.com. And to help you gauge how serious these renters might be, you’ll see what level of engagement they had with your listing — low, medium, or high — and what kinds of interactions they had, such as how many photos, floor plans, or tours they viewed.

Try these steps for higher lead quality

With renters doing the bulk of their research online, long before they reach out to your property, your online listing is essential for attracting high-intent renters.

Have you set up your listing to draw in high-quality leads? Make sure you’re checking all the boxes. These best practices can help you show off your units and give renters the crucial details they want to see.

1. Include photos, floor plans, and descriptions for each available unit

Renters don’t just move into a community — they move into a specific unit. And when they’re choosing a place to live, the details about each specific unit can make or break their decision.

Provide as much detail as possible about each individual unit. Over half of renters will stop considering a property if they don’t see photos of the exact unit, according to the Apartments.com survey.

“If there’s no photos on the listing or site, it immediately makes me suspicious of the condition of the unit,” said one survey respondent, a 20-year-old man in Detroit, Michigan.

Another renter, a 35-year-old woman in suburbs of the Columbia, South Carolina, explained that seeing unit-specific photos in the listing “significantly increases the odds” that she’ll visit the property in person and put in an application.

Floor plans and unit descriptions are also crucial — the majority of renters want to see this information in their search, according to the survey.

2. Highlight community- and unit-level amenities

From elevator access to in-unit laundry, give renters all the details about the facilities and finishes they’ll find.

Nearly 40 percent of renters consider amenities one of their primary considerations, and nearly all renters have a few must-haves they won’t rent without.

3. Add Matterport 3D Tours to your listings

Not all renters are going to visit your property in person. And even for those who do, many want to first know if it’s worth the effort. It’s no wonder then that over 80 percent of renters are interested in 3D tours. These virtual tours let renters explore your units and community spaces from afar.

As a 42-year-old woman in Milwaukee explained: “Having access to things such as floor plans or virtual walkthroughs makes it easier to determine the viability of the space working for my needs without seeing it in person.”

For renters who are moving across state lines, this can be crucial. 3D tours can also help renters who have mobility issues, busy schedules, or health concerns that limit their ability to see a property in person.

A whopping 41 percent of renters say they’re likely to lease sight unseen — and seeing detailed information, including 3D tours, gives them the confidence to do so.

With Matterport Max, you can max out your virtual tours. This plan lets you add 3D tours for every available unit and community space within your property.

4. Provide pricing information upfront

Price is renters’ top consideration, and they need to know if your costs fit their budget. Eighty percent of renters say they’ll immediately stop considering a property if it’s too expensive.

Include standard fees in your total price, and list out any additional fees that may apply. Sync your property management software to automatically populate your listing with costs by move-in date and lease term. And to give renters full transparency, enable the interactive cost calculator.

5. Let renters schedule tours directly from your listing

Online tour scheduling makes it faster and easier to turn renters into residents. Give renters the option to schedule a tour directly through your listing.

Leads that come in through tour scheduling are much more likely to convert into leases. These renters know they’re interested, and they usually have a specific unit in mind.

On average, renters say they expect to research nine properties, tour five, and seriously consider four, according to the recent survey.

For added efficiency, sync your listing to your scheduling or property management software. This will ensure renters can immediately sign up for available slots — saving precious time for them and your leasing team.

6. Enable applying directly from your listing

Does your listing let renters apply? With Apply Now, serious renters can start an application directly from your listing. This streamlines the process and gives you leads that are significantly more likely to fill vacancies.

Start exploring your leads

Ready to take a closer look at your incoming leads? Log in to your Apartments.com portal and visit your True Leads™ dashboard. You’ll see all your Apartments.com leads in one place, accompanied by crucial details about what your prospects are looking for — helping you turn leads into leases.