The name of the game in luxury apartment marketing is selling your high-end apartment to a discerning, high-net-worth buyer. Good marketing in this regard is not as simple as good photography and a strong Zillow listing – it’s about leveraging a cohesive strategy that makes your already amazing property feel more sophisticated, more interesting, and more likely to elevate one's status.
As a rule of thumb, when marketing apartments, the further you shift away from “Market Rate” and into “Luxury”, the more your messaging should shift from selling an apartment to selling a lifestyle.
For example, to sell a market-rate apartment you’ll need to share details about the location, show off the property with good photography, and talk floor plan, beds, and baths. You’ll also want to share what you can on the neighborhood and amenities if they are worth shouting home about.
But to sell a luxury apartment, you need to look beyond that. To stand out, you need tactics that set you apart.
Luxury apartments that do marketing well manage to be associated with traits like rarity, excellence, and of course, high prices comparable to the value of living there. The innovation, style, and quality of these apartments are often employed in marketing campaign promotion, but good marketing takes this one step further.
The most successful luxury apartments do much more than talk about the quality, floorplan, and location of their units. They reach beyond these traits and speak to the aspirations and ideals of the people they are marketing to.
They do this through powerful storytelling, creativity, art, emotion, positive association, and more.
In this article, we’re going to dive into must-haves for luxury apartment marketing and run through a list of ideas you can use as inspiration in marketing your luxury property.
Before promotion and asset creation, start with strategy. Luxury apartment strategy should be the common thread that ties all elements of your marketing and product together.
Luxury apartment marketing strategies, like most marketing campaigns, can be broken down into the 5 p’s of marketing:
For each of these, luxury apartments need to stand out in a unique way.
People: Who are you positioned for? Luxury apartments are not a commodity – your audience is likely wealthy, with discerning tastes.
Product: Luxury apartments need to deliver, and overdeliver on product. The location, architecture, amenities, materials, and style should stand on their own as exceptional.
Price: Luxury apartments command higher prices. They are generally positioned for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
Place: In real estate, place takes on a double meaning. Most marketers look at the place as where a product will be promoted, advertised, and marketed… but this is real estate and we all know the phrase “Location, Location, Location.” Need I say more?
Promotion: You can have the coolest penthouse in the city, but if nobody knows about it, you won’t command the high price that you want.
In summary, these elements come together to represent who you are positioned for, and how you will make their life better.
Going forward, we’ll talk mostly about elements relating to People, Promotion, and Place, but some of our topics on identity and strategy will bleed slightly over into product and price.
The common thread that ties these elements together is story. Well-executed luxury apartment marketing brings all the Ps together to form a narrative about your property's desirability and the prestige, lifestyle, and elevated status available to those who call it home.
Luxury identity and brand should feel unique to you and be cohesive – spanning everything from architecture and interior design to your logo, website, messaging, and digital assets. You want to create a narrative that resonates with your target audience and brand that stands strong against the competition.
Professional photography is one of the best investments one can make in real estate marketing of any kind. In Luxury apartment marketing, amazing photography is the norm, not the exception. It’s worth investing the extra money to bring in a photographer who can align the style of their shoot to your building’s brand.
Other examples of photography and visual media for apartments include:
The above can bring your property to life – telling the story of your property room by room, or by showing how it fits into the makeup of your neighborhood.
Many luxury buildings bring a unified theme in their architecture and interior design. Coordinating these themes into your brand, or vice-versa, can be a great strategy to present a cohesive digital and physical experience. Take our luxury student apartment client, the Laureate as an example. At the Laureate, we brought together themes from Berkeley’s rich history. The building itself was designed as an homage to the dozens of Nobel laureates among Berkeley’s faculty and alumni. One way this theme was incorporated into the architecture was through a commissioned mural that etches “Love” in neon lights outside our building in the handwriting of Berkeley laureates.
Your amenities help define the lifestyle you promise, further elevating your identity. A curated selection of premium amenities caters to residents' desires for leisure, relaxation, and entertainment. Whether it's rooftop lounges with panoramic views, private cinemas with exclusive screenings, or high-quality pools and spas, premium amenities create memorable experiences for your tenants.
Story is a powerful element in apartment marketing – and it can be woven into many elements of a luxury condo or apartment.
Full stories with a beginning, middle, and end are likely the least common in real estate… more frequently you’ll see story fragments, micro stories, and bits of history that are highlighted to make a property more interesting.
Rare, exotic, and high-quality materials are common in apartment marketing, but they aren’t always leveraged to their full effect. Oftentimes, high- quality materials have stories of their own. If marble is imported from Carrara Italy, that’s a story point. If the furniture was custom-made in New York, that’s another story point. Prospects will take these story points and develop a narrative of their own about the care that was taken in designing and building the apartment.
If the building: belonged to someone famous, was designed by someone who created other notable architecture, or is in a historic location, you’ve found a vein. History can become a binding element for theming a property.
The history behind a neighborhood or a building can lend itself to both long-form and short-form storytelling.
For example, a statement like: “This building used to be a mattress factory in the 1920’s” is a micro-story point that can also be elaborated on to tell a larger story.
Some tenants will tell your story for you in the form of reviews. While we have little control over the message of a review, if we provide a good resident experience, good reviews will follow.
We can also take snippets of reviews and use them to showcase the best elements of a resident experience.
There are many ways to get your luxury apartment in front of prospects. We list a few of the most common ways below.
ILS (Short for Internet Listing Service) is a fancy way to describe Zillow, Apartments.com, and other online listing tools. By ensuring your property appears prominently in search results and listing directories, you increase the likelihood of capturing the attention of potential renters. Consider partnering with leading ILS providers like Zillow, Apartments.com, and Rent.com to expand your reach and attract qualified leads.
Harness the power of targeted advertising with Apartment Google Ads campaigns that capture the attention of potential renters at the moment they're actively searching for luxury apartments. By bidding on relevant keywords and optimizing your ad copy and landing pages, you can increase your property's visibility and generate qualified leads. Consider targeting high-intent keywords like "luxury apartments for rent" or "upscale apartment communities" to reach affluent renters who are close to ready to make a decision.
Engage affluent audiences and amplify your property's reach with strategic social media advertising campaigns on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. By leveraging several targeting options and compelling ad creatives, you can showcase your property's lifestyle and amenities to potential renters who value luxury and sophistication. Feature your photo gallery and walk through videos, or partner up with influencers to promote content they create for you.
Admittedly, targeting on social for housing has gotten more restrictive due to newer legislation, but for many properties, it can still be a fantastic way to generate awareness.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. This is the marketing strategy that involves creating content specifically designed to help your website rank higher on search engines. While some markets are too crowded for SEO to be a viable technique, in the markets with the right mix of competition (or lack thereof), it can be a phenomenal strategy.
Highote is a wonderful tool to showcase Luxury Apartments, as it brings together any documents, PDF’s, powerpoints, or photo galleries you have for your property into one branded package for people to browse. You can even attach contracts, and personalize each presentation to your prospect.
What makes Highnote more powerful than any other tool in the space is its unique tracking ability – if you send a Highnote presentation with information on your property, you’ll get a notification as soon as it’s opened and being read.
This can unlock “perfect timing” and even give you insights into what a prospective buyer cares most about based on which documents they spend the most time viewing.
You can also use HighNote's welcome book template to share helpful information for new tenants. In a welcome book, you can beautifully present information like how to access amenities, book on-site conference rooms or meeting spaces, or file a maintenance request. Even though it's Airbnb template, you can completely customize it to fit your needs
The reasoning for great resident engagement is important for a few reasons. A strong resident engagement strategy will help you:
Create opportunities for residents to connect, socialize, and indulge in unique experiences with exclusive resident events that cater to their interests and passions. Whether it's wine tastings led by sommeliers, cooking classes with renowned chefs, or art workshops with local artists, resident events provide opportunities for residents to explore new hobbies, make new friends, and create lasting memories. Consider partnering with local businesses, cultural institutions, and event organizers to curate a diverse calendar of events that appeals to a wide range of interests and demographics.
Make a memorable first impression on new residents and welcome them to their new home with personalized welcome packages that reflect the luxury and sophistication of your property. Whether it's gourmet gift baskets featuring local treats, curated wine selections, or spa vouchers, welcome packages show residents that you value their presence and are committed to providing an exceptional living experience.
Consider including personalized notes, branded merchandise, and informational materials introducing residents to the property's amenities, services, and community events.
Elevate the dining experience for residents and create unforgettable culinary moments with partnerships with high-end restaurants, caterers, and culinary experts. Whether you’re hosting exclusive chef dinners, wine pairing events, or themed food festivals, culinary partnerships offer residents access to world-class cuisine and culinary experiences without leaving the building.
Consider collaborating with local chefs, celebrity restaurateurs, and gourmet food trucks to create memorable dining experiences that showcase the diversity and quality of the local culinary scene.
Promote health, wellness, and overall well-being among residents with personalized training sessions and wellness programs that cater to their fitness goals and lifestyles. Whether it's on-site fitness classes, personal training sessions, or wellness workshops, wellness programs offer residents access to expert guidance, resources, and support to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Consider partnering with fitness instructors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches to develop tailored programs and events that address residents' physical, mental, and emotional health needs and create a sense of community and camaraderie among residents.
Enhance the luxury living experience for residents through partnerships with luxury car brands that offer test drive events. Luxury car partnerships can add a touch of sophistication and fun to the resident experience and offer memorable experiences for your more mechanically inclined tenants.
If you have an events space, put it to use. Every event you host, whether or not it’s to promote your building, will be a marketing event.
Partnering with business meetups like Entrepreneurship Organization (EO), wine clubs, or other high-net-worth groups can allow you to create buzz, generate excitement, and showcase your property. Consider partnering with local influencers, real estate agents, and luxury brands to co-host events and expand your reach within the community.
Forge meaningful connections and build relationships with potential renters, real estate agents, and local influencers by hosting networking events at your property. From cocktail parties and wine tastings to industry mixers and educational workshops, networking events provide opportunities to showcase your property, engage with prospects, and position yourself as a valuable resource in the community.
Consider partnering with local businesses, chambers of commerce, and industry associations to co-host events and expand your reach within the market.
Demonstrate your property's commitment to social responsibility and community engagement by organizing charity events or philanthropic initiatives. Partner with nonprofit organizations, charities, and community groups to host fundraising events, volunteer activities, or donation drives that support causes aligned with your property's values and mission.
Whether it's organizing a charity gala, auction, or something else, philanthropic initiatives create opportunities for residents to connect, make a positive impact, and feel proud to call your property home.
Enrich the cultural experience for residents and foster a vibrant community with art exhibitions or gallery nights hosted in the common areas of your property. Whether it's showcasing works by local artists, hosting curated exhibitions, or organizing gallery nights with live music and refreshments, art events provide residents with opportunities to explore new artistic expressions, engage with the local art scene, and connect with fellow residents.
Consider partnering with art galleries, cultural institutions, and local artists to curate diverse and thought-provoking exhibitions that reflect the unique character and identity of your property and create memorable experiences for residents.
Infuse your property with creativity and engage the local community with art installations or chalk announcements created by local artists. Whether it's transforming common areas into temporary art galleries, creating interactive installations that invite residents to participate, or showcasing street art on sidewalks and walkways, guerrilla marketing initiatives add visual interest and personality to your property and create opportunities for residents to connect with their surroundings.
If you’re in a high-traffic area with passerby traffic that includes your target demographic, one option is to sponsor a popup coffee shop outside your building. This can start conversations, engage the local community, and generate social media buzz.
In the world of luxury apartment marketing, success lies in meticulous attention to detail and commitment to excellence. By implementing the strategies and tips outlined in this guide, you can better position your property, establish a stronger identity, and promote your property to more people.
So, elevate your marketing efforts, captivate your audience, and create a truly unforgettable living experience that sets your property apart from the competition.
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