Resident Intelligence is the practice of connecting reputation, marketing, and leasing signals to explain why apartment communities win or lose leases. HeyNeighborly delivers it, powered by its Resident OS platform.
Mostly on rental listing sites, on a phone, over a few weeks. In Apartments.com's July 2026 survey, 85% of prospective renters said they use or plan to use a rental search site or app, against 33% for property websites, 33% for word of mouth and 32% for search engines. Apartments.com sells listings, so that survey should be read with its seller in mind. Other surveys agree that listing sites lead, and they show the rest of the picture: reviews, social media, and a growing but disputed role for AI.
HeyNeighborly works on the parts of that journey that sit outside the listing itself: social media, Google Business Profile and reviews. This post covers where renters search, what the AI numbers mean, and what to fix first.
How long and on what devices do renters search?
RMR's 2026 survey of Sun Belt renters found that 55% searched for only two to four weeks before signing a lease. Zillow's 2025 survey found that 81% of recent renters searched on a mobile website and 73% used a mobile app, and the median recent renter used five sites or apps.
Zillow also found that 22% of recent renters took no in-person tour at all, and 45% took at least two. Apartments.com's survey reports that 43% of renters say they are likely to rent unseen. For renters who skip the in-person tour, the online information is all they have.
How many renters use AI to search?
It depends on how the question is asked. Three 2026 sources give very different numbers:
- Apartments.com: 4% of prospective renters use generative AI chatbots in their rental search. Of those, half use ChatGPT. The same survey found that 41% would likely rely on an AI chatbot's recommendation when choosing a rental.
- J Turner Research: 45.9% of renters now use AI to research apartments, and 5.7% began their most recent search with an AI tool.
- RMR Group: 86% of surveyed Sun Belt renters used some form of AI tool during their search.
The wording and samples differ. Apartments.com asks prospective renters which tools they use or plan to use to find a rental. RMR reports use of any AI tool at some point in the search, in a Sun Belt sample. J Turner reports both current use and where the most recent search began. I cannot tell from the published pages how much of the gap comes from wording and how much from who was surveyed. The one figure about where a search starts, J Turner's 5.7%, is small, which suggests AI is more often a stop along the way than the first stop. That last point is my interpretation.
Separately, RealPage Demand Marketing reports, citing SparkToro and Similarweb data for January to April 2026, that 68% of U.S. Google searches end without a click to a website. More answers are being read on the results page.
What do renters check besides the listing?
Social media and reputation. In Apartments.com's late-2025 survey, 24% of renters used social media in their search. The same survey reports that 59% of renters use YouTube every day, 57% Instagram and 56% Facebook. RMR found that 59% of renters say resident testimonials are among the most helpful forms of content during their search.
What should an operator fix first?
I would fix the facts before chasing any AI visibility. RealPage's guide says AI and traditional search depend on specific, crawlable answers about pricing, availability, amenities, policies and location, supported by consistent property information across channels. Google says that businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local search results. And 94% of renters in Zillow's survey agree that listings should clearly list all fees.
A practical check: open one community's website, Google Business Profile and listing-site page on a phone. Compare the pet policy, the fees and the hours. If any two disagree, that is the first fix.
What does Resident OS show an operator?
In the HeyNeighborly client portal, powered by Resident OS, an operator can ask a community a plain-English question, such as "What do residents say about parking?", and get an answer with the dated records behind it. That gives the operator something to compare against what the website and listings say. Operators can also see the community's reviews in Resident Signal, along with its RSQ (Resident Signal Quotient), a 0-100 score, and what is moving it.
HeyNeighborly's team keeps the Google Business Profile and social channels current and replies to reviews. Resident OS does not publish anything. It is where operators see the results.
Frequently asked questions
Do renters still use Google?
Yes. Apartments.com found that 32% of prospective renters use search engines. Many searches end on the results page: RealPage reports that 68% of U.S. Google searches end without a click.
Is it worth optimizing for AI answers?
The surveys do not agree on how many renters use AI, so I would not spend heavily on it yet. The steps that help AI answers are the same ones that help everything else: accurate, consistent and specific information.
Who updates the profiles at HeyNeighborly?
HeyNeighborly's team, working with the community's site team.
If you run a property management company, book a social media audit with HeyNeighborly and we will compare how your communities show up on Google, social and review sites.
Sources
- Apartments.com, How Renters Decide: Top Considerations in 2026 (Jul 14, 2026): 85%, 33%, 33%, 32%, 4%, half use ChatGPT, 41%, 43%.
- Apartments.com, Survey: How Today's Renters Choose a Place (Feb 21, 2026): 24%; 59%/57%/56% daily.
- RMR Group, 2026 Renter Insights Survey: 55%, 86%, 59%.
- J Turner Research, The Internet Adventure Study, Part VI: 45.9%, 5.7%.
- Zillow Research, Consumer Housing Trends Report 2025: Renters (Oct 27, 2025; 24,400+ renters): 81%, 73%, median five, 22% and 45% tours, 94% fees.
- RealPage, The Ultimate Multifamily Marketing Guide for 2026 (Sep 3, 2026): 68% (RealPage Demand Marketing, citing SparkToro and Similarweb); crawlable-answers guidance.
- Google Business Profile Help, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google: complete and accurate information.
