Michael co-founded Lease Ups to fix a problem he kept running into on the agency side: apartment communities were buying leads when what they actually needed was leases. He works with owners, developers, and management companies on lease-up and occupancy marketing, using AI as the method rather than the headline.
He leads strategy across paid search, AI search visibility, and the demand-side research that tells an owner whether a rent assumption is supportable before a dollar of media is spent. He writes about what holds up in the field and what quietly does not.
Writes about
Experience
- Co-founder & CEO, Lease Ups
- Co-founder, Mastering Digital
- Multifamily lease-up and stabilization campaigns across new construction and repositioning
Also
- Built the Community Intelligence Map
- Operator focused on measurable lead quality, tours, and signed leases
Author
23 articlesApartment Marketing Plan for Lease-Ups
A practical apartment marketing plan for lease-ups covering goals, budget, channel mix, weekly execution, KPIs, and signed-lease growth.
Marketing Plan · 9 min read · 2026-08-21
How to Reduce Cost Per Lead in Multifamily PPC
Most multifamily PPC campaigns overpay for leads by 2–3x. Here's the exact 5-part framework Lease Ups uses to cut cost per lead in half.
PPC Performance · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
Multi-Touch Attribution for Multifamily Marketing
Last-click reporting hides which channels are actually driving leases. Here's how multi-touch attribution reveals the real picture for multifamily.
Marketing Analytics · 7 min read · 2026-08-20
The Complete Guide to SEO for Apartment Communities in 2026
Organic search is multifamily's most cost-effective lead channel in 2026 — if you do it right. Local SEO, on-page, and content strategy, explained.
SEO for Apartments · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
5 CRO Changes That Doubled Our Clients' Tour Booking Rates
Your apartment website is probably losing 70% of its visitors without a tour booking. Here are the five conversion rate optimization changes that consistently produce the biggest results.
CRO · 7 min read · 2026-08-20
The 7-Email Nurture Sequence That Converts Cold Leads into Signed Leases
Most apartment communities send one follow-up email and give up. Here's the exact 7-email sequence we use to keep prospects engaged from first inquiry through lease signing.
Email Marketing · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
Email Welcome Series for Apartment Leads That Convert
Cold leads do not need more ads — they need a welcome series. Here is how to build one that turns first-time apartment inquiries into scheduled tours.
Email Marketing · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
GEO: How to Appear in AI Search Results for Apartments
45% of renters now use AI tools for local recommendations. Here's how to optimize your apartment community for GEO — and what actually moves the needle.
GEO / AI Search · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
Multifamily Marketing Budgets: What to Spend on a Lease-Up
How much should a lease-up actually spend on marketing? Here's a data-backed framework for budgeting by channel, property class, and lease-up stage.
Portfolio Strategy · 7 min read · 2026-08-20
Why Waiting to Market Until Opening Is Killing Lease-Up ROI
Delaying marketing until opening day forces a lease-up to buy back momentum it could have built earlier. Here is why pre-opening demand matters.
Lease-Up Strategy · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
ILS Strategy for Apartments: Where to List & Win
Renters still use ILS platforms to search — but standing out takes strategy. Here's how to choose the right listing sites and optimize every one of them.
ILS Strategy · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
Modern Pre-Leasing Playbook: Build Momentum, Not Just Leads
Learn how multifamily teams can replace reactive lead buying with a full-funnel pre-leasing momentum system that fills units faster.
Pre-Leasing · 9 min read · 2026-08-20
How Leasing Landing Pages Drive 5x More Apartment Tours
Learn why dedicated multifamily landing pages convert more paid traffic into tours, leads, and leases than generic apartment websites.
Landing Pages · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
7 Leasing Website Fixes That Convert More Apartment Leads
Seven multifamily website CRO fixes that turn apartment traffic into more tours, leads, and leases without increasing ad spend.
CRO · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
Retargeting for Faster Apartment Lease-Ups
Learn how retargeting turns paid traffic into warmer apartment leads, lower cost per lease, and faster occupancy for multifamily lease-ups.
Retargeting · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
How to Get 90% Pre-Leased in 60 Days
A practical lease-up system for launching early, capturing demand, nurturing prospects, and converting qualified renters before opening day.
Lease-Up Strategy · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
The 90-Day Lease-Up Formula: How to Fill Units Before Opening Day
A practical 90-day lease-up marketing timeline for building demand, capturing leads, and converting renters before opening day.
Lease-Up Strategy · 9 min read · 2026-08-20
Beyond Lease-Up: A Resident Retention Marketing Playbook for Protecting Occupancy
Lease-up marketing fills units. Retention marketing keeps them full. Here's the playbook for protecting occupancy once a property stabilizes.
Resident Retention · 8 min read · 2026-08-20
Video & Virtual Tours for Apartments: Why They Convert
Photos alone no longer close leases. Here's the data on why video and virtual tours drive more leads, more applications, and more signed leases.
Virtual Tours · 7 min read · 2026-08-20
How to Benchmark a Lease-Up Against Competing Communities
Guessing at what competing communities are doing costs leases. Here's a practical framework for building a real comp set and benchmarking against it.
Lease-Up Strategy · 7 min read · 2026-08-20
Marketing Apartment Amenities That Actually Drive Leases
Pickleball courts get attention, but AC and in-unit laundry close leases. Here's how to market the amenities that actually influence rental decisions.
Amenity Marketing · 7 min read · 2026-08-20
Resident Referral Programs for Apartments That Work
Referrals are the highest-trust, lowest-cost lease source most communities still treat as an afterthought. Here's how to build a program that performs.
Resident Referrals · 7 min read · 2026-07-07
Using Meta and Instagram Ads to Fill Your Lease-Up Faster
Learn how Meta and Instagram ads help apartment lease-ups build demand before renters search, plus how to target, budget, and stay Fair Housing compliant.
Paid Social · 9 min read · 2026-07-07