Hayley
Here are the 4 reasons email is better than social media for your multifamily lead-to-lease funnel.
With all the hype surrounding social media, it may be difficult to believe that email is more effective. But when it comes to moving prospects through the lead-to-lease funnel, email wins every time.
Email has four key advantages over social media:
- Higher reach and visibility compared to social media algorithms.
- Greater ownership and control over your message.
- Direct audience ownership without relying on platform policies.
- Better audience quality and higher ROI.
Read on to explore each of these advantages in detail.
Last Updated: Feb 2025
Four Reasons Why Email Outperforms Social Media
1. Email Has a Far Higher Reach Than Social Media
Organic reach on social media has plummeted, while email still reaches nearly 100% of recipients.
Social media platforms have steadily reduced organic reach for business pages. According to Hootsuite, Facebook’s organic reach for business pages now averages less than 5%—meaning most of your followers won’t even see your posts. Meanwhile, email campaigns land directly in inboxes, giving you nearly 100% exposure to your audience.
Even if recipients don’t open your email immediately, they’ll still see your brand name in their inbox, reinforcing awareness—something that’s much harder to achieve on social media.
2. Greater Ownership of Message
With email, you control every aspect of your message.
Email allows you to customize content length, format, and design. You decide the size of images, the number of calls to action, and how your message appears. Unlike social media, where platforms dictate design and limit post visibility, emails arrive exactly as you intend and remain accessible in inboxes.
Another advantage? No outside distractions. Social media platforms fill feeds with competing content, comments, and ads. Email keeps the focus on your message alone.
3. You Own the Audience
With email, you own your contact list—no algorithm changes can take that away.
Here’s why this matters:
- Personalized messaging: Suppose Mary signs up for emails and follows your property on social media. With email, you can send her a series of targeted welcome messages without cluttering your social media page.
- Exclusive offers: John is on the fence about signing a lease. Instead of publicly posting discounts for everyone, you can send a private, exclusive offer via email—encouraging conversion without devaluing your pricing.
With social media, you're at the mercy of platform changes. Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can alter their algorithms anytime, reducing your reach. With email, you maintain direct access to your audience, no matter what.
4. You Have a Better Quality Audience, and Email Delivers a Higher ROI
Email generates a higher ROI than any other digital marketing channel.
According to the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), email marketing delivers an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent, making it one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available.
Unlike social media audiences, which often include casual browsers, email lists consist of engaged leads who have actively opted in. This makes email marketing a direct, high-intent communication channel—far more effective for leasing than broadcasting posts on social media.
As marketing expert Priit Kallas puts it, “Email is like having a direct phone line to your audience, while social media is more like shouting into a crowded room.”
Email Simply Works Better
While social media is a valuable tool for engagement, email is the best way to move prospects through your lead-to-lease funnel.
- It has higher reach than social media posts.
- It gives you full control over your messaging.
- It ensures direct ownership of your audience.
- It delivers a higher-quality audience and better ROI.
How has email marketing helped your leasing strategy?
Share your experiences with us!
