Brand ROI can feel like a mythical unicorn to developers, owners, and investors who don’t live and breathe marketing. It’s talked about like some kind of secret illusive formula you can only understand if you're hip to all the marketing acronyms (PPC, SEO, ROI, KPI, ROAS, etc.), but how do you actually measure it?
And more importantly—why should you care to spend the money?
If you look back at the last decade, nearly everything about how we research, create, brand, and lease apartments has changed. Ten years ago, a solid location, a few print ads, and a homemade Instagram might have been enough to get a property leased up.
Today, you could be in big trouble if your brand isn’t speaking directly to the right renters (in the right places, at the right time).
One of the biggest hurdles for developers going to market is swallowing the sticker shock of branding and marketing services. It’s easy to wonder, Do we need to spend this much just to look good? But here’s the real question:
What is the return on this investment?
That’s what we’re breaking down today—how well-done (keyword: well-done) branding can accelerate absorption, attract the right qualified renters, get you out of debt faster, and, ultimately, make your property more profitable.
Branding isn’t just about making your property look nice—it’s about making it more valuable. When done right, branding leads to measurable improvements in:
Occupancy rates: A strong brand gets people interested and signing leases faster.
Rental pricing power: People will pay more for a property that feels premium—even if the amenities aren’t wildly different from the competition.
Resident retention: A cohesive, well-managed brand creates a sense of belonging, which means fewer lease breaks and costly turnovers.
Online reputation: A polished brand sets the expectation for great service—and when you meet that expectation, positive reviews follow.
Market recognition: If potential renters recognize and remember your property, half the leasing battle is already won.
If your property isn’t performing well in these areas, your branding may not pull its weight. And in today’s highly competitive market, “good enough” branding isn’t good enough anymore.
If you’re thinking, Can’t I just lower my rent instead of spending all this money on branding?—sure, you could. But that’s the real estate equivalent of putting your luxury apartment complex on the discount rack and a fast track to diminishing returns.
Great branding doesn’t just get heads turning—it attracts the right renters, the ones who see the value in what you offer and are willing to pay for it. Here’s why that matters:
Higher-quality tenants: When your brand is dialed in, you attract renters who are a better fit for your property, reducing lease violations and turnover headaches.
Premium, Market-Competitive Pricing: A well-established brand makes your property feel like an exclusive experience—one people will pay extra for.
Marketing efficiency: A clear, compelling brand makes all your marketing efforts work better, so you’re not constantly reinventing the wheel.
Stronger sense of community: People want to live in places that feel thoughtfully curated. A strong brand fosters that connection and keeps residents around longer.
Branding is more than a pretty package—it’s a strategic tool that drives real financial results.
So, you’ve invested in branding—how do you know if it’s paying off? The basic formula is:
(Extra revenue generated thanks to branding) – (Branding costs) = Brand ROI
That means tracking revenue improvements like increased rent per unit, faster lease-ups, and longer resident retention against what you’ve spent on branding (website design, social media, paid ads, signage, and marketing materials). If your branding budget isn’t delivering clear financial returns, it’s time to rethink your strategy.
To see Brand ROI in action, let’s look at Riley, a Class A multifamily property in a Minneapolis suburb. The goal was simple: Stand out as a premier choice for young professionals in an area with very little new luxury housing. But the road to, was far from simple.
The Challenge:
With competition heating up, Riley needed a standout brand and marketing strategy to drive lease-ups—fast.
The Strategy:
Targeted digital marketing: Focused paid search and social media campaigns aimed at millennial and Gen Z renters.
Community-building efforts: A sleek website with automated lead capture to engage prospects before leasing even started.
Consistent branding: High-end signage, stylish leasing materials, and a seamless online experience to reinforce the property’s identity.
The Results:
With stabilization happening three months ahead of schedule, the savings on interest and the accelerated returns far exceeded the initial investment in branding and marketing—proving that a well-executed brand strategy more than pays for itself.
In today’s ultra-tense multifamily market (yeah... I read those NMHC recap posts), branding isn’t just an aesthetic "extra"—it’s a financially critical change maker. Developers and owners who see branding as an unnecessary expense are missing out on its true power: to drive faster lease-ups, increase revenue, and build long-term tenant loyalty.
So, ask yourself: Is your property just another name on a rental listing, or is it a brand people actually want to live in? If it’s the former, it might be time for a branding overhaul on your next new development.
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