In a just released white paper, the Washington, DC-based trade association describes the Internet as the primary tool consumers use to find apartments. "The Internet is now an essential part of any multifamily owner or manager's marketing and leasing strategy," says David Cardwell, NMHC vice president of technology and capital markets.

The report, Multifamily Marketing in the Internet Age , was prepared to help apartment firms create effective Internet marketing campaigns. John Helm, founder and CEO of MyNewPlace, the web's fastest growing apartment classifieds site according to Compete Inc., an Internet analytics company, authored it.

Nearly one-third of Americans rent homes and more than 14% live in rental apartments, the NMHC reports. Among renters with Internet access, the Internet is by far the most used and valued resource when searching for an apartment, the report notes. "The spread of e-mail has changed consumer expectations regarding response time to questions and inquiries," Helm says. "Leads need to be responded to quickly, not when it's convenient for the leasing office to do so."