When it comes to searching for a new home, today’s buyers and renters are looking online –sometimes first and sometimes it’s the only place they look. In a joint study developed by Apartments.com and Google, 72% of survey respondents generally turn to the Internet first when starting a search for an apartment and 71% consider the Internet to be the most up-to-date source for apartment availabilities. So, given that, what would most often be the first impression these apartment searchers are seeing? The community websites of the properties they are interested in. Even if they start their search on a listing platform like Apartments.com or ApartmentList, they will still likely check out the direct website for the community.

With that in mind, the apartment website design suddenly takes on much more importance. Is it relevant and up-to-date? Is it easy to navigate? Is there engaging and dynamic contact? Is the contact information readily available if they are interested? There is so much that goes into apartment and property management website design, it can be overwhelming. However, some of the best apartment website designs have things in common – and have commonalities that could be considered ‘best practices’ for the industry.

To help out, here are 11 of the best apartment website designs that we feel succeed in the realm of getting website visitors saying, “I want to live there!”

  1. Expert Navigation – JBG Smith Properties

One of the more critical aspects of apartment websites is easy, expert navigation throughout the site. Visitors want to go to the site and find exactly what they need quickly. Take, for example, property management website, JBG Smith Properties. They go beyond just the top bar navigation to a hamburger navigation tool, allowing for intuitive navigation throughout the site.

  1. Hero Images – Camden Living

When a visitor lands on an apartment building website, engaging them quickly is critical. Compelling visuals are a great way to do just that. Houston, Texas based Camden Living uses high-quality, large hero images that create the type of visual effect and interest that pulls the visitor into the site and keeps them there. They also included a clear call-to-action overlay that can take visitors directly to high traffic parts of the site.

  1. Resident Reviews – 2400 Pennsylvania Avenue Apartments

Having resident reviews, particularly captured via video, can be one of the best apartment website design aspects. Today’s shoppers are looking for trustworthy reviews for everything they buy, including apartments. 2400 Pennsylvania Avenue Apartments has reviews directly on their homepage which instantly starts to build the desired trust with a prospective resident.

  1. Consider a Blog! – Fairfield Residential

Fairfield Residential has properties all over the country. While each community has a great apartment website of its own, Fairfield can consider itself one of the best property management website designs around. That, in large part, is because of their informative and engaging blog content. Not only is it relevant for prospective residents, but current residents can find all sorts of valuable information there and the SEO garnered from those many posts helps rank them higher on various search terms.

  1. Improved Floor Plan Display – Riverbank Landing Apartments

Bridgeport, Connecticut based Riverbank Landing Apartments moved away from the normal 2D floor plan to a much better 3D version. Visitors to this apartment website are treated to an actual view of the floor plan as well as the capability for enlarging areas. By using technology, the best apartment websites in 2019 and beyond will give prospective residents even more valuable views and bring the touring process to them where they are — online.

  1. Video Content – Bozzuto Group

Speaking of technology, one of the best, most engaging, and highest ROI components to add to property management website design is video. Not only do many of the communities in the Bozzuto Group offer the ever important video tours of their properties, they also offer a YouTube channel that features video content beyond just the community itself. It looks at topics that impact residents, staff, and the industry at large, making their video content even more valuable and increasing their SEO at the same time.

  1. Think about the Neighborhood – The Vermont

For many people, selecting their new apartment home can come down to the neighborhood it’s located in. The Vermont is located in LA’s Korea Town, a vibrant and trendy community which they feature heavily on the apartment website. Featuring the neighborhood through user friendly maps and linking to neighborhood hot spots or areas of interest on the apartment building website is a great way to sell not just the property, but everything else around it.

  1. Digital Tools – Stuyvesant Town

Today’s apartment shoppers are extremely digitally savvy. One way to appeal to that quality is through easy, online tools available on the apartment website. Some of the best property management website designs, exemplified by Stuyvesant Town, include online portals to pay rent, schedule tours, or do any number of tasks. Think beyond information and think action. 

  1. Typography – 925 Common

Some may think that all typefaces are the same, so who cares what is used? Or that more fonts are better. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Find a typography that fits with the community’s personality and be consistent with that throughout the apartment website – like 925 Common. They use a bold, easy to read typography throughout the site – drawing visitors to specific calls-to-action easily and effectively.

  1. Responsive Design – Canalside Lofts

Mobile device usage is only growing and apartment website design needs to reflect that growth and continued popularity through use of mobile responsive design. Canalside Lofts, for example, provides an excellent, mobile-friendly experience that will appeal to both desktop and the growing mobile user base. Designing your website to be responsive to all environments will help guarantee a polished, smooth experience for any apartment website visitor, no matter their means of getting there.

  1. Social Media – Crescent Heights

Nearly every community has a social media presence these days. Be sure to utilize that on the apartment website! Social media channels often offer a unique opportunity to showcase the personality of the property. Crescent Heights highlights its social media channels throughout their property management website design in an effective, but non intrusive, way. If you’re putting in the work to build up social channels, you might as well showcase them and use them in an effective way with your audience online.


And there they are! Take the good from these and add the specific community feel and it’ll be sure to be winning the apartment website game.

Until next time…keep it real!