Case Study: Bell Partners boosts lease conversions and lowers cost-per-lease with Zillow

Bell Partners - Customer Case Study

Bell Partners, which manages more than 65,000 units across 15 states and 120 cities, tasked senior marketing leaders Allison Weber and Kevin Thompson with demonstrating measurable ROI while allocating online marketing budgets across varying ownership structures. Their main challenges were historically limited measurement tools, the need to control marketing cost per unit/year, and adapting to a renter marketplace shifting rapidly to mobile and digital-first experiences.

Their solution was a metrics-driven approach: they track cost per lead, cost per verified lease, lead-to-lease conversion and marketing cost/unit/year, use standardized budget templates with national/regional/local averages, and prioritize vendors that deliver results. They shifted spend away from traditional tactics toward mobile-first and online services (leasing, payments, resident portals) and piloted Zillow — which converted well and was expanded. The result has been higher mobile engagement (now over 40% of traffic), better conversion performance, and more efficient, accountable marketing spend.

Bell Partners

Kevin Thompson

Bell Partners