Multifamily Marketing Starts With Your Team
In a competitive, relationship-driven industry like multifamily, trust and visibility are everything.
Multifamily companies invest heavily in building sleek, professional brand presences online—but often overlook one of their most authentic and impactful multifamily marketing assets: their own employees.
Whether sharing insights from a site visit, celebrating a lease-up milestone, or offering a behind-the-scenes look at daily operations, employee-driven content can resonate more deeply than polished corporate messaging. When team members engage online, they not only humanize the brand but also expand its reach across diverse digital spaces where real conversations are happening every day.
Employees are also seen as more trustworthy messengers. According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, content shared by employees receives significantly more engagement and trust than content shared by brand accounts alone. That trust matters in multifamily marketing, where reputation directly impacts leasing, retention and recruitment.
Common barriers to social media engagement
Despite the clear benefits of employee-driven social media engagement, many companies face challenges in getting their teams involved. One major barrier is the uncertainty surrounding what’s appropriate to share. Without clear guidelines, employees may feel hesitant, worried about posting the wrong content or misrepresenting the brand.
READ ALSO: What Apartment Marketers Need to Know
Additionally, time constraints play a significant role. Onsite teams are often busy with their daily responsibilities, and social media may feel like a low priority. This leads to a lack of participation, even when employees recognize its value. For others, the fear of creating content—especially in a professional setting—can cause a lack of confidence. The idea of posting on a public platform may feel intimidating to those who don’t see themselves as content creators.
Finally, the lack of a clear social media policy can leave employees unsure of what’s expected. In the absence of this structure, employees may avoid posting altogether to avoid making mistakes or overstepping boundaries. These barriers prevent many companies from unlocking the full potential of employee engagement online.
How to provide tools and training
Once common challenges are identified, the next step is empowering your team with the tools and training they need to participate confidently in your multifamily marketing strategy. Practical support is key to lowering barriers and encouraging ongoing employee engagement.
Start with a clear, encouraging social media policy. This should outline the types of content that are welcomed—such as community events, team wins, or behind-the-scenes moments—while offering easy-to-follow guidance on tone, privacy and brand consistency. A well-defined policy gives employees the clarity they need to engage without hesitation.
Hands-on training is just as critical. Hosting workshops or lunch-and-learn sessions to walk teams through social media best practices can help demystify the process. You can also build content libraries filled with pre-approved photos, videos and captions that employees can easily adapt. This not only reduces the pressure to create content from scratch, but also helps ensure posts remain on-brand.
To make content creation more approachable, consider organizing onsite content days where teams can collaborate and capture shareable moments. Recognize standout posts with small rewards, team shout-outs, or newsletter features. When employees feel equipped, supported and celebrated, they’re much more likely to contribute content that fuels both employee advocacy and long-term brand visibility in the multifamily space.
Turn culture into content
In multifamily marketing, employee-generated content is most powerful when it reflects the real culture of your company. Sharing behind-the-scenes moments—like team celebrations, promotions, or holiday decor—humanizes your brand and builds trust with both prospects and residents.
This kind of authenticity also strengthens employee engagement and plays a key role in recruitment. According to LinkedIn’s 2023 Employer Brand Report, job seekers are three times more likely to trust a company’s employees over its marketing when evaluating workplace culture. Highlighting career growth, team camaraderie and everyday work life can attract candidates who align with your values while reinforcing a sense of pride internally.
Encouraging team members to take over your company’s social media accounts—whether through “day-in-the-life” stories or property milestone highlights—brings fresh perspectives and boosts engagement. Designating social media champions at each community not only spreads the workload, but also empowers staff to tell the company’s story in their own voice.
Milestone events like anniversaries or renovations also offer built-in storytelling opportunities. Featuring employee reflections during these times helps connect individual contributions to the bigger picture, reinforcing shared purpose and driving more consistent participation across your multifamily portfolio.
Leadership sets the pace
Last but not least, employee engagement on social media starts at the top. In multifamily marketing, leadership buy-in is essential. When executives, regional managers and marketing leaders actively post, share, or comment on company-related content, it sends a clear message: participation is encouraged, valued and strategic.
According to Hootsuite’s Social Trends 2024 report, organizations with socially active leaders are more likely to see higher employee advocacy and stronger brand trust. Leadership visibility helps normalize content sharing and empowers teams to follow suit.
To sustain momentum, spotlight strong participation through internal leaderboards, shout-outs in all-hands meetings, or features in company newsletters. Recognition not only motivates, but also reinforces the impact of employee-driven content—from increased resident engagement to improved brand perception.
And don’t just track vanity metrics such likes and shares. Look for meaningful signs of success: prospects referencing posts during tours, industry partners commenting on community culture, or team members reporting stronger resident relationships. Sometimes, a single authentic post can do more for your multifamily marketing strategy than an entire ad campaign.
