STEINWORK

The What
After nearly 30 years in business, AvalonBay was opening its first luxury residential properties in NYC: 1) Bowery Place; 2) Christie Place; and 3) Long Island City. The challenge: Attract renters in an already hyper-competitive market and with comparable properties nearby. Drive leads to achieve 90% occupancy rate for all properties by EOY 2007 and increase brand recognition.

The How
Avalon’s social media initiative leveraged industry and consumer blogs, wikis, video/photo sharing sites and social networking sites to reach prospective renters and the media. Specifically, the outreach focused on Wikipedia, Facebook, MySpace, Webshots, YouTube, real estate blogs, Digg and others.

The Win
Achieve minimal 93% occupancy rate, and a waiting list at Avalon Bowery. Significant press coverage in major outlets (WSJ, NYTimes, etc).