Intent to Let: Building a Scalable Digital Growth Engine for Way of Life

The Challenge

860 new apartments. Two flagship launches. A market where rental demand had dropped 10%, yet competing stock was up 13%. Housing advertising restrictions on Meta and Google made broad targeting unavoidable, despite a premium product demanding precision.

The Strategy

Effect Digital built a scalable, full-funnel system across three lifecycle phases: Pre-Launch, Leasing, and Churn-Replacing. Anchored by advanced offline conversion tracking that optimised for completed reservations rather than just enquiries, ensuring quality compounded with every new tenancy.

Execution and Innovation

A sophisticated offline conversion tracking allowed the team to optimise for business-critical goals, not just surface-level metrics. By shifting reliance away from third-party platforms and building a scalable first-party database, the campaign bridged the gap between digital interest and physical occupancy.

Results

225% more leads than forecast. 78% of leasing pipeline contacts and 72% of total apartment reservations delivered by digital marketing, with a 33% reduction in cost-per-reservation and a ROAS of 41. Every target exceeded in a market that was working against them.

Judges' Verdict

"A masterclass in lead quality and performance efficiency, successfully navigating a 10% market downturn to deliver 225% more leads than forecast."

"A rare ability to optimise for business-critical goals rather than surface-level metrics, with results that proved digital can drive physical occupancy at scale."