Great marketing does not end at the lease signing. It sets expectations, then delivers on them. When a brand lives up to what it promises, momentum compounds. Rambler Columbus was built and marketed with that standard in mind.
The program did more than deliver a successful first-year lease-up. It sustained and strengthened momentum into year two, as the lived experience met and exceeded expectations, driving faster leasing velocity, higher renewals and continued outperformance of the market.
At the 2026 Innovator Awards at the InterFace Student Housing Conference, Rambler Columbus won Best Marketing & Lease-Up Program, an award that celebrates a marketing program that did more than generate interest, but also reduced friction and shortened the path to a signed lease.
Early Awareness and Engagement
Social media served as the primary channel through which Rambler built awareness, credibility, and demand, acting as the first point of contact for students long before they ever stepped inside the leasing office.
The program was guided by three core goals: reach as much of the target audience as possible, educate to build trust and make the project feel real.
Rambler Columbus built trust through education, using its student-driven podcast, The Best Four, to address the real questions students had about housing and campus life. Podcast moments were repurposed into social content that guided decision-making at Ohio State and reinforced Rambler as a trusted resource.
Finally, Rambler Columbus relied on social media to address the challenges of leasing a new development to replace uncertainty with confidence and accelerate leasing decisions.
By building trust and familiarity early, social media shortened decision-making and increased lease-up efficiency.
Early Leasing Momentum
Rambler Columbus focused on influencing the influencers.
Through a curated Brand Ambassador program, Rambler recruited students who were natural decision-makers and connectors within their social circles. Ambassadors were not just referral sources; they were the face of the brand, active participants in the leasing office culture and catalysts for word-of-mouth momentum.
The results were immediate and measurable, even before publicly launching leasing. This early traction established social proof, created urgency and positioned Rambler as a must-consider option.
IRL Brand Experience
Inspired by the success of campus pop-ups and experiential brand takeovers popular with the same student audience, Rambler reimagined the leasing office as an in-person brand experience.
Designed using the same materials, finishes and design language as the future building, the space gave students a sense of what Rambler would feel like upon completion.
On any given day, the space felt more like a neighborhood coffee shop than a leasing office. Students studied, grabbed coffee from Daydreamer, took photos and gathered in the fireside lounge, while brand ambassadors and future residents returned regularly and brought friends along, creating organic exposure and peer-to-peer influence.
By the time students spoke with leasing, they had already made up their minds.
Results: Momentum That Compounds
Rambler Columbus’ results demonstrate not just a successful first-year lease-up, but accelerating performance over time, with velocity increasing and pricing power strengthening into the second leasing cycle.
- 100% occupied for the 2025–2026 academic year, outperforming pro forma
- 100% pre-leased for the 2026–2027 academic year by December 2025
- Over 40% renewal rate, signaling resident satisfaction and brand loyalty
- Pro forma year-over-year rent growth
Conclusion: Marketing That Builds More Than Leases
The answer was clear. When trust is built early and reinforced consistently, students do not need convincing.
Rambler Columbus proves that the most effective marketing and lease-up programs are built to deliver, not just to launch. By aligning brand with product, creating real experiences before move-in and building trust through social media, the program transformed a strong first-year lease-up into sustained momentum.
Rambler Columbus did not rely on novelty or hype. It delivered on its promise and the results compounded.
Rambler Columbus won the award for Best Marketing & Lease Up Program, Student Housing Business Innovator Awards.