How I Finally Cracked the Code on Apartment Outreach Marketing (Without Feeling Awkward)
When I was a property manager, I was always trying to figure out the secret to effective outreach marketing.
I’d walk into a business with a stack of flyers, hoping to make a great impression… only to be met with polite, but not exactly thrilled looks. I’d leave wondering if my flyers went straight into the trash. The whole thing felt like a waste of time.
Until one day, I found a way to flip the script.
The Jar That Never Stops Giving
Here’s what I did:
I bought nice jars (cute, reusable, and eye-catching).
I put my business card at the bottom.
I filled them with goodies (something fun for that mid-afternoon slump).
Then I’d head to a select handful of businesses that I knew had a front desk or reception area, places where goodies wouldn’t get lost in the breakroom black hole.
I’d pop in between 2–4 PM (prime snack time) and say:
“Hi, I’m Barbara. I’m the manager at [Community Name] Apartments. I wanted to introduce myself and bring you a little something.”
And here’s the magic part… my power statement:
“Our community represents over 300 families in the neighborhood with a tremendous amount of buying power. We’re always looking for businesses we can partner with for cross-promotion—so we can help each other. We love referring our residents to local businesses, and in turn, we’d love to share our information with your customers.”
Suddenly, it wasn’t about me asking to leave flyers, it was about creating a win-win. And most businesses were happy to display my materials.
Then I’d say:
“My business card’s at the bottom. If the jar ever runs out, just give me a call and I’ll come back to fill it.”
Truth be told, they rarely called.
But here’s where this tip is GOLDEN - this gave me a built-in reason to return in a week or two with fresh treats (and a backup jar) and a new conversation starter. Maybe I’d share a current promotion, highlight a new floor plan, or invite them to an event.
It kept outreach marketing fun, fresh, and purposeful.
Why This Works (Even More Today)
In an age of AI, digital noise, and what I call a “trust recession”, face-to-face outreach is gold.
Here’s what the personal touch can do that AI can’t:
Puts a real person to the name of your community
Opens doors for cross-promotions
Generates leads you might never find online
Creates genuine relationships that can pay off for months (or years)
Within hours of trying this, I’ve had managers message me saying,
“We got our first outreach referral in weeks, and all we did was drop off one jar!”
It’s such a small action, but it can open big doors.
"Because of Sprout, I finally feel confident in Advertising and Marketing….With Sprout I get excellent elevated ideas, event options, and the ability to customize gorgeous designs to use in all my marketing and social media posts. Our social media scores have increased from 2.1 to 4.8 in the short 6 months we have been a member. Thank you Sprout!”
Amber Frederickson | Assistant Community Director
Making This A No-Brainer for Busy Managers
And here’s the thing, when I was managing my property, putting together these jars was fun, but it could still be a lot when you’re juggling everything else.
Now? Inside of Sprout, we’ve made it as easy as it gets.
You don’t have to sit at your desk Googling “cute jar ideas” or messing with Canva for hours.
Here’s What We Made For You:
Flyers ready for you (pick one and you’re done)
Amazon shopping lists so you can order fillers in two clicks
A little script so you know exactly what to say when you walk in
It’s the kind of thing you could knock out in one afternoon and feel like a marketing rockstar… without staying late or skipping lunch.
Continuous outreach is how I discovered:
New cross-promotion partners
Businesses whose clients were actively looking to move
Residents who didn’t even know our community existed until we met
It’s one of the simplest ways to keep your leasing pipeline fresh without feeling like you’re spinning your wheels.
So grab a jar, fill it up, and go get your foot in the door. Your next lease might just be one goodie away.
Spark Up Your Marketing & Retention - Join Sprout Spark and get the monthly resource kit that:
Gives you a 10-step strategy for marketing and retention every month
Lets you have 12 resident event ideas + Amazon shopping lists every month
Monthly planning kits
3 social media posts + captions
the basics to cover all the outreach, renewal, events, appreciation, and communication you have on your plate every month
Sprout Members, Don’t Miss Out:
A variety of professionally designed flyers + matching labels
Our full Outreach Marketing video series
The “What to Say” cheat sheet so you’re never stuck for words
Not a member yet?
This is just one of dozens of time-saving, lease-generating ideas inside Sprout that make your marketing feel easy (and even fun).