Erica Byrum

Assistant Vice President of Social Media, Apartments.com

Erica Byrum serves as the Assistant Vice President of Social Media at Apartments.com, a leading apartment listing platform under CoStar Group. With 20+ years in digital marketing, she excels in digital transformation, social media strategy, and revenue growth across real estate, multifamily, and vacation rental industries. A former Division I collegiate soccer player, Erica brings a competitive mindset to sales and marketing. She co-authored "Youtility for Real Estate" and has been recognized as a top social media influencer, earning PR News' Social Media MVP and multiple President’s Club honors. At Apartments.com, she leads the vision and execution of social media solutions that elevate multifamily brands and enhance online reputation. Beyond work, Erica is deeply involved in her Norfolk community, volunteering at the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and staying active in local sports leagues. Whether on the field, court, or boating on the Lafayette River, she thrives on connection, competition, and community.

02:00 - 03:00 PM

Wednesday Day 1-March 18

Workshop #1: Future-Proof Your Social Strategy-Smart Scaling, Authentic Content, and What Gen Z is Teaching Us

Social media in multifamily has never been more powerful—or more complex. From AI-powered workflows and influencer partnerships to employee and resident-generated content, teams are under pressure to do more, post more, and engage more—all while keeping it authentic and aligned with business goals. Join Erica Byrum, Assistant Vice President of Social Media at Apartments.com and co-author of Youtility for Real Estate, for an energizing session that gives you a proven blueprint for scaling social media the smart way. You’ll uncover the trends, tools, and content systems that will define 2026 and beyond—and learn how emerging generations, especially Gen Z, are reshaping how properties should show up online. Whether you’re shaping strategy, managing the day-to-day, or driving executive decisions, you’ll leave with actionable frameworks to future-proof your social presence, engage your next-gen audience, and maximize impact without burning out your team. Key Takeaways:

Decode the trends that matter most in 2026—from Instagram Reels to AI-assisted content creation and influencer collaborations.
Unpack insights from the latest Gen Z research to understand how the behaviors and expectations of the next generation of renters are shaping the future of multifamily marketing.
Master the Social Scaling Blueprint to streamline content creation with authentic, on-brand posts that resonate across generations.
Maximize your social impact: Build awareness, boost online reputation, and create a consistent content engine that drives real leasing results—without overwhelming your team.

2:00 - 2:45 PM

Thursday Day 2-March 19

Instagram’s Next Era: From Scroll to Search

Instagram is evolving beyond a passive social channel into a powerful discovery engine for apartment marketers, where renters explore locations, compare communities, and form brand opinions as part of a broader, multi-channel search journey.

Join Ariel Baranauckas, VP of Marketing & Recruiting at Carter Haston, and Erica Byrum, AVP of Social Media at Apartments.com, as they break down how Instagram influences renter discovery, supports search behavior, and drives leasing outcomes through intentional, optimized content. You’ll learn:

What’s Changing: How renter behavior is shifting toward in-app discovery—and why Instagram now plays a critical role earlier in the apartment search journey
Optimize for Discovery: Future-ready best practices for captions, Reels, geotags, and profiles that improve visibility, relevance, and findability
Stronger Branding: Why cohesive visuals and consistent messaging matter in a discovery-first ecosystem where first impressions happen fast
Scaling the Strategy: How to equip site teams with toolkits, templates, and guidelines that make discovery-driven execution easy and repeatable