When a renter signs a lease, who — or what — deserves the credit?
Marketers and operators often try to answer that with precision. Was it the paid ad? The ILS listing? A social media post? The website? Everyone wants to crown the MVP. But great teams don’t win games with just one player.
Multifamily marketing is no different.
Attribution models that try to isolate one “winning” channel oversimplify what is actually a complex, multi-touch journey. When you focus too much on who scored the final touchdown, you miss the plays that built the drive.
Why Attribution Gets Messy
Attribution promises clarity. The idea is simple: track what works, invest more in it, and cut what doesn’t. But renters don’t follow a linear playbook.
They might see a paid ad, visit your website, bounce, hear about your property from a friend, search for it again, scroll your Instagram, get a follow-up email from your team, and then sign a lease. Try fitting that into a first- or last-touch model.
It’s like giving all the credit for a game-winning field goal to the kicker — and ignoring the drive that got you there.
The Flaws in First- and Last-Touch Thinking
First-touch attribution is like saying the opening kickoff won the game. Last-touch attribution is like naming the quarterback MVP for a final play, ignoring the defense, the receivers, the line.
These simplified models may help you report numbers, but they don’t reflect how marketing really works — or help you optimize effectively.
Smarter Attribution Models
Instead of searching for the winning play, evaluate how the team functioned together.
Here are a few models that provide a clearer picture:
- Linear Attribution: Every channel gets equal credit.
- Time Decay: More credit goes to the touchpoints closest to conversion.
- U-Shaped or W-Shaped: Emphasize the first and last touchpoints, while still valuing the middle.
- Data-Driven Attribution: Uses machine learning to assign credit based on actual conversion paths.
None of these are perfect. But all of them offer better visibility than a single-touch model — and help you make smarter strategic decisions.
Knowing which model to use is one thing — acting on it is another.
That’s where having the right tools matters. Resi’s platform gives you a clear view of how each channel contributes to performance, from SEO to paid ads to organic social and more, so you can make data-backed decisions faster. No more guessing which plays are working — just smarter, more agile marketing.
Think Like a Coach, Not a Gambler
Winning teams don’t stick to one play — they adapt. They know when to pass, when to run, and when to call an audible. Your marketing should work the same way.
Treat your budget like a well-balanced roster:
- Paid media gets you quick yardage.
- SEO and content are your long game — they lower acquisition costs over time.
- Email and social closes the gap in the red zone.
- Your property website is the field itself — where every play happens.
When you understand how each channel performs in context, you can allocate budget and effort more effectively.
Channel Roles and Responsibilities
Every part of your strategy has a job to do:
- SEO builds trust and discoverability.
- Paid media amplifies awareness.
- ILS listings generate volume but offer little differentiation.
- Social media supports brand and community.
- Email keeps prospects engaged.
- Your website converts attention into action.
Bringing these elements together — and keeping them aligned — doesn’t happen by accident. Resi’s single-source ecosystem helps multifamily teams manage and optimize these moving parts in one place, from lead capture to on-site engagement.
The goal isn’t to find one standout channel. It’s to build a cohesive team that moves the ball down the field — every time.
Agility Wins Seasons
Market conditions change. Renter behavior shifts. What worked last quarter might not work this one.
That’s why the best marketing teams don’t just analyze — they adjust. They monitor performance across the funnel, test new plays, and invest in what’s working now while building for what’s next.
Reframing the Questions
Stakeholders will always ask tough questions. Use these moments to shift the conversation:
- “Which ad led to the lease?”
Leases come from a series of moments, not just one. The full journey matters more than the final step. - “Why aren’t we ranking #1 yet?”
SEO is like strength training — it takes consistency. But the long-term payoff is powerful. - “If we’re paying for ILS leads, why do we need content?”
Because ILS leads are rented. Content builds brand equity — and that’s something you own.
The Real MVP Is the Strategy
In multifamily marketing, there’s no single hero. Success doesn’t come from a flashy ad or a viral post. It comes from a system that works in sync — channels supporting one another, tactics reinforcing your brand, and data guiding smart decisions.
So instead of asking which player won the game, ask how your team played it. That’s the mindset that fills units — not just this quarter, but every one after.
If your team is ready to move beyond attribution guesswork and start marketing like a team built to win, Resi’s unified platform can help you get there.
Explore how Resi supports high-performance marketing → https://getresi.com/demo
