Are You Focusing Too Much on Features Instead of Benefits in Your Multifamily Marketing?

Are you struggling to stand out in your multifamily marketing?

Not sure why no one cares about your newly renovated swimming pool?

Can’t figure out why your complimentary car chargers earn a shrug from prospective residents?

If you’re too focused on features instead of benefits in your community, your community is just a generic commodity that residents can find literally anywhere.

Instead, you need to focus on how your community benefits a prospect, regardless of your features.

It’s okay if you’re not sure what the differences between features and benefits really are.

Here’s what HubSpot says about it all:

”Features are what the product or service does, describing which attributes set it apart from the competition. Benefits describe why those features matter and how they help the target audience. For marketing messages, it's typically better to go with a benefits-heavy approach because benefits are what compel consumers to purchase."

So what does all of that mean for you? 🤔

And how do you apply it to your multifamily marketing strategy?

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Benefits Help Differentiate Your Community

Let’s start with an essential question:

What are you focused on the most in your multifamily marketing?

If your marketing is all about your floor plans and laundry room, the real question to ask yourself is, “So what?”

A prospective resident has their choice of those same layouts and laundry rooms in just about any community, although some may stand out more than others.

For example, if you're the only community with en-suit laundry rooms in your hip and trendy neighborhood, then this feature matters.

But overall, features are the function, and the benefit highlights how it impacts your residents for the better. 📣 📣 📣

Instead of focusing on a single bullet point about an en-suite laundry room, highlight how convenient it is and the ways it saves time and money for residents.

Tip 💡: The goal is to show residents why your benefits matter and change their lives, not just tell them they can do laundry in their apartment.

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Benefits Paint a Picture of Life in Your Community

Benefits are about capturing the lifestyle of your community.

But it’s more than a swimming pool.

It’s also more than, “Hey! We have monthly parties and events.”

Instead of listing your swimming pool on your landing page…

👉 Take dazzling photos of the swimming pool so prospective residents can imagine themselves enjoying a relaxing weekend without leaving the community.

👉 Highlight your monthly, neighbor meet-and-greet pool parties to make socializing easier and more satisfying.

👉 Focus on your pool’s cleanliness, upscale vending machines, and fresh, complimentary towels for residents who want more luxury than what a public pool offers.

Yes, your swimming pool is still a feature.

But it’s your job to show prospective residents how those features benefit their lives and make your community an enticing place to live.

Otherwise, they’re just comparing your features to the same features in other communities.

Truth 💣: When prospective residents don’t see your community as anything special that can impact their lives, they base their decisions on rents or things you can’t control, like how far the community is from public transportation.

Benefits Help Solve a Problem

Features, like free coffee in the lobby, are just something you offer that residents could find in any other community.

Benefits are a way to solve a real problem for prospective residents.

Digging deep into the pain points of a resident helps shape your marketing and foster a deeper connection with your leads.

Your benefits that alleviate pain points could offer:

• Your community's soundproofing helps reduce or eliminate neighbor noise for a more restful, peaceful night’s sleep.
• A community built around well-being and wellness initiatives offers an on-site fitness center with classes, a plunge pool, and a meditation corner in the garden so busy residents can prioritize self-care.
• A culture of convenience with a focus on ways to make everything easier, from paying rent online to concierge services to making maintenance requests easier.

How you position your community and every feature you offer matters.

Research shows that 62% of customers prefer marketing content that addresses their pain points.

Tip 💡: When your leads see their problems and the potential solutions reflected back to them in your multifamily marketing, they’re more likely to convert.

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When Features Are Still Important

We touched base on how your features and benefits can intersect.

But there are times when it makes sense to really hone in on your features in your multifamily marketing campaigns.

If your community is in a hyper-saturated market and your features are true stand-outs, double down on them.

Make an effort to showcase any unique or coveted amenity or feature, including:

• On-site concierge service
• Community edible garden
• Floor plans with flex space
• In-building retailers
• Game rooms, complete with VR experiences
• Electric car charging stations

Regardless of how incredible your amenities are, it’s still wise to include the benefits these features offer in your marketing copy.

Here are some examples:

✅ Never worry about package theft again with our package management lockers.

✅ Save hours of time and stress in your commute by living a block from public transportation.

✅ Empower your fitness goals with a convenient, on-site fitness center that’s open 24-hours a day to align with your busy schedule.

When residents understand exactly how your features are actually benefits in disguise, they’re more likely to view your community as a place they can’t live without.

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