41 numbers apartment marketers use, from 26 sources. Our rule: we copy each figure exactly as the source states it, link the page it came from, and say when we last checked it. If we cannot open the source and find the number, it is not here.
Last updated October 7, 2026
Where renters look, what they expect to see, and what makes them walk away.
85%
Share of renters who say they use or plan to use a rental listing site like Apartments.com in their search, the highest rate in Apartments.com's renter surveys so far.
Why it matters: Listing sites are where most renters start, so your listing is often your first impression, not your website. What to do
Source: National Apartment Association (reporting an Apartments.com renter survey), Survey: Renters Rely on Rental Listing Sites (May 29, 2026)
37%
Word of mouth ranked second as a search source: this share of renters ask friends or family for recommendations.
Why it matters: Word of mouth is still one of the biggest search channels, and it runs on your current residents. What to do
Source: National Apartment Association (reporting an Apartments.com renter survey), Survey: Renters Rely on Rental Listing Sites (May 29, 2026)
35%
Search engines came third among the tools renters say they rely on.
Why it matters: Search engines still sit near the top of renter tools, so your Google listing and site have to do real work. What to do
Source: National Apartment Association (reporting an Apartments.com renter survey), Survey: Renters Rely on Rental Listing Sites (May 29, 2026)
87%
Most renters start their search without a specific property in mind.
Why it matters: Most renters have never heard of you when they start looking. You have to be findable before you are chosen. What to do
Source: National Apartment Association (reporting an Apartments.com renter survey), Survey: Renters Rely on Rental Listing Sites (May 29, 2026)
77%
Renters want to see the exact unit: 77% want unit-specific photos, 67% unit-specific floor plans and 35% unit-specific 3D tours.
Why it matters: Renters want to see the exact home they would rent, not a stock amenity shot. What to do
Source: National Apartment Association (reporting an Apartments.com renter survey), Survey: Renters Rely on Rental Listing Sites (May 29, 2026)
81%
Price is the top factor for renters: 81% prefer to see the full cost upfront, and 52% call surprise fees a dealbreaker.
Why it matters: Hidden fees do not just annoy renters, they can cost you the lease. Transparency is a conversion tool. What to do
Source: Apartments.com (sponsored article on Multifamily Dive), It's budget season for multifamily marketers: 5 tips to get ready (August 24, 2026)
65%
Share of renters in SatisFacts' 2025 renter study who used listing sites like Apartments.com or Zillow in their search.
Why it matters: A second study, the same story: listing sites are part of most renter journeys, so they belong in your plan. What to do
Source: SatisFacts (2025 Biennial Online Renter Study), Beyond the Buzz: AI Search vs. Renter Reality in 2025 (2025)
How fast units lease, how prospects reach you, and how many residents stay.
34 days
Average time from listing to signed lease in September 2026, a bit longer than usual for the season.
Why it matters: Units are taking longer to lease than usual for the season, and every extra day is rent you never get back. What to do
Source: Apartment List, Apartment List National Rent Report (September 29, 2026)
41 days
Median list-to-lease time hit a record high in January 2026, in data going back to 2019.
Why it matters: A record time to lease means units sit empty longer. Speed and follow-up matter more than ever. What to do
Source: Apartment List, February 2026 Rental Market Recap (February 2026)
87%
A leasing technology vendor, LeaseHawk, told NAA that 87% of callers won't leave a voicemail. It is the vendor's own figure, from 2021.
Why it matters: It is a vendor's figure from 2021, but the point stands: a missed call is usually a missed lead. What to do
Source: National Apartment Association (quoting LeaseHawk), Apartment Industry Embraces Automated Leasing (November 16, 2021)
10 to 11 leases per month
Typical pace for a lease-up community in mid-2024, down from the year before even as overall demand grew.
Why it matters: Lease-ups take longer than most pro formas assume. Plan the budget around the pace you are likely to get. What to do
Source: RealPage Analytics, U.S. Webcast Recap 2nd Quarter 2024 (2024)
56%
Share of market-rate residents with leases expiring in the first half of 2026 who renewed, from RealPage lease data.
Why it matters: More than half of expiring residents renewed. The cheapest lease is the one you never have to market. What to do
Source: LeaseLock (article by RealPage chief economist Greg Willett, using RealPage data), Signposts: multifamily resident retention and renewal pricing power (July 30, 2026)
3.5%
Average renewal lease price growth so far in 2026, from RealPage data.
Why it matters: Renewal prices are still growing, which makes keeping residents part of marketing's job. What to do
Source: LeaseLock (article by RealPage chief economist Greg Willett, using RealPage data), Signposts: multifamily resident retention and renewal pricing power (July 30, 2026)
39.6%
MAA, a large apartment REIT, reported historically low resident turnover across its same-store portfolio.
Why it matters: Turnover is historically low at a big operator. Fewer move-outs means fewer units to market. What to do
Source: Mid-America Apartment Communities (SEC filing), MAA Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (July 29, 2026)
38%
In the NMHC and Grace Hill 2024 Renter Preferences Survey, 38% of respondents wanted self-guided tours, while 71% wanted an in-person tour with a property representative.
Why it matters: Renters want options. Some want to tour alone, and many still want a person, so offer both. What to do
49%
Share of new apartments leased within three months of completion, for buildings finished in the fourth quarter of 2025 (Census data analyzed by NAHB).
Why it matters: New buildings are taking time to fill. If your owner expects a fast lease-up, this is the reality check. What to do
Source: NAHB Eye on Housing (analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data), Rent Prices Continue to Rise, While Absorption Remains Low (May 2026)
4.2%
At UDR, a large apartment REIT, renewal rates rose 4.2% in the second quarter of 2026 while new lease rates fell 0.6%.
Why it matters: Renewals are growing while new leases soften. Retention is quietly carrying revenue. What to do
Source: UDR, Inc. (SEC filing), UDR, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (July 27, 2026)
What operators are doing with budgets, and what the research says about paid search.
44%
In an Apartments.com survey of multifamily marketing decision-makers, most held or grew their budgets: 44% increasing, 48% steady, 8% cutting.
Why it matters: Most teams are holding or growing their budgets. The question is whether you can show what yours produced. What to do
Source: Apartments.com (sponsored article on Multifamily Dive), It's budget season for multifamily marketers: 5 tips to get ready (August 24, 2026)
89%
Google's own 2011 study across many advertisers: most clicks from search ads were not replaced by organic clicks when the ads were paused. It is not apartment specific and is dated.
Why it matters: Dated and not apartment specific, but a good warning: cutting ads because you rank well could cost you traffic. What to do
Source: Google Research, Studies Show Search Ads Drive 89% Incremental Traffic (2011)
50%
Even when an advertiser already ranks first organically, Google found about half of ad clicks were incremental (2012 study).
Why it matters: Ranking first on Google does not make your ads redundant. Many ad clicks were extra visits Google said you would not otherwise get. What to do
Source: Google Research, Impact of Organic Ranking on Ad Click Incrementality (2012)
Occupancy, rents, supply and concessions: the backdrop every marketing plan answers to.
24.6%
About a quarter of apartments offered a concession in the second quarter of 2026, and the average concession was worth 7.6%.
Why it matters: About a quarter of apartments are discounting. Your special may not stand out as much as you think. What to do
Source: RealPage Analytics, 2Q 2026 Data Update (July 6, 2026)
39.8%
Share of Zillow rental listings offering a concession in July 2026. Zillow counts listings, not properties, so it runs higher than RealPage's figure.
Why it matters: Concessions are everywhere on listing sites. Renters are comparing deals, not just apartments. What to do
Source: Zillow, Rents near $2,000, rising at the fastest pace in over a year (August 18, 2026)
95.5%
National apartment occupancy in August 2026, the same as July and a year earlier.
Why it matters: National occupancy is steady, so your local numbers tell the real story. Know your market, not just the headline. What to do
Source: RealPage Analytics, August 2026 Data Update (September 3, 2026)
187,000
Units absorbed nationally in the second quarter of 2026, a strong pace for the season.
Why it matters: Demand is strong nationally. If your leasing is slow, look at visibility and follow-up before price. What to do
Source: RealPage Analytics, 2Q 2026 Data Update (July 6, 2026)
340,200
New apartment units delivered nationally in the year ending the second quarter of 2026.
Why it matters: A wave of new apartments means more competition for every renter in many markets. What to do
Source: RealPage Analytics, 2Q 2026 Data Update (July 6, 2026)
475,000
Units under construction at the end of the second quarter of 2026: just 3.5% of existing inventory, the lowest level since 2013.
Why it matters: Construction has slowed a lot, so competition from new buildings could ease in many markets. What to do
Source: Cushman & Wakefield, U.S. Multifamily MarketBeat, Q2 2026 (July 14, 2026)
Down 0.4%
Apartment List's national rent index was down 0.4% from a year earlier in September 2026.
Why it matters: Flat rents mean marketing has to win on value and experience, not just price. What to do
Source: Apartment List, Apartment List National Rent Report (September 29, 2026)
7%
Apartment List's national multifamily vacancy rate in September 2026, still high by long-run standards but falling.
Why it matters: Vacancy is high by long-run standards but falling. The gap between strong and weak marketing shows up here. What to do
Source: Apartment List, Apartment List National Rent Report (September 29, 2026)
7.3%
The federal measure of rental vacancy for all rental housing in the second quarter of 2026.
Why it matters: The federal number is broad, but it backs up the trend: renters have choices right now. What to do
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership, Second Quarter 2026 (July 28, 2026)
$1,962
The typical U.S. asking rent in July 2026 on the Zillow Observed Rent Index, up 2.3% from a year earlier.
Why it matters: Rents are rising on Zillow's index, so renters are watching every dollar. Show them the value. What to do
Source: Zillow, Rents near $2,000, rising at the fastest pace in over a year (August 18, 2026)
15.6%
Share of stabilized apartments offering concessions in December 2025, on RealPage's stabilized measure (a different base from its quarterly figure).
Why it matters: Concessions were already common last winter. Know the baseline before you set this year's specials. What to do
Source: RealPage Analytics, U.S. Apartment Concessions December 2025
How renters read reviews, and what reputation is worth.
9.3 basis point
RealPage research cited by J Turner Research ties a better online reputation score (ORA) to higher market returns.
Why it matters: Reputation is not just a marketing metric. Research ties it to returns, which is how you get an owner's attention. What to do
Source: J Turner Research (citing RealPage research), ORA: The Only Comprehensive Reputation Score
Over half
In J Turner Research's national study of more than 1,000 renters, over half already use AI to summarize reviews and spot red flags.
Why it matters: Many renters now ask AI to read your reviews for them. The patterns in your reviews matter more than one great one. What to do
Source: J Turner Research, Why Star Ratings Are No Longer Enough
Two negative reviews
J Turner Research found a small number of specific complaints can outweigh a strong average rating.
Why it matters: A strong average rating does not protect you. A few specific complaints can tell the story for you. What to do
Source: J Turner Research, Why Star Ratings Are No Longer Enough
45.1%
J Turner Research's name for prospects who shop with high fear and low hope, looking for red flags in reviews.
Why it matters: Many renters shop looking for red flags. Your reviews and replies are your answer to them. What to do
Source: J Turner Research, The Economics of Anxiety: Why 2026 Renters Are Vetoing Your Stars (podcast episode 19) (2026)
How many renters use AI tools, and what AI answers in Google do to clicks.
5%
Share of renters citing AI chatbots as a search tool in Apartments.com's survey. It does not count AI built into listing sites.
Why it matters: Few renters use AI chatbots to search today, but they could grow fast. Get your facts right now. What to do
Source: National Apartment Association (reporting an Apartments.com renter survey), Survey: Renters Rely on Rental Listing Sites (May 29, 2026)
Nearly 10%
Zumper's 2025 survey of 6,019 renters found nearly one in ten used tools like ChatGPT, rising to 15% in major coastal cities.
Why it matters: AI use is higher in big coastal cities. If you market there, AI answers are already part of the renter journey. What to do
Source: Zumper, The State of Renting 2025: Annual Rent Report and Renter Survey (2025)
8%
Pew tracked real browsing: when Google showed an AI summary, users clicked a regular result in 8% of visits, versus 15% without one.
Why it matters: AI summaries cut clicks to regular results. What the summary says about you matters more than ever. What to do
Source: Pew Research Center, Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results (July 22, 2025)
1%
Clicks on the links inside Google's AI summary itself were rare in Pew's data.
Why it matters: People rarely click the links inside AI summaries, so being named in the answer is the win. What to do
Source: Pew Research Center, Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results (July 22, 2025)
18%
Share of Google searches in Pew's March 2025 study that produced an AI summary.
Why it matters: AI summaries show up on a real share of searches. Your content has to work for people and for AI. What to do
Source: Pew Research Center, Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results (July 22, 2025)
1 billion
Google said AI Mode passed one billion monthly active users after expanding globally in October 2025.
Why it matters: Google's AI Mode reaches a huge audience. Renters could meet your community in an AI answer before your website. What to do
Source: Google (The Keyword blog), Q2 2026 earnings call: Remarks from our CEO (July 22, 2026)
Different sources measure different things. RealPage counts properties, Zillow counts listings and the Census Bureau counts all rental housing, so their numbers for the same month can differ. We note the base where it matters. Found a newer number or a mistake? Tell us through our contact details. More context lives in our quarterly research briefs.