Netflix is asking filmmakers to rewrite their scripts to accommodate distracted viewers who aren’t actually watching the movie.
It’s the most honest marketing lesson I’ve heard in a long time.
Matt Damon recently noted that the streaming giant now explicitly asks for dialogue that reiterates the plot at least three or four times over the course of a film.
Why?
Because the data shows the audience is scrolling on a second screen while the movie plays in the background. If they look up after ten minutes of distracted scrolling, they need to know exactly what’s happening without having to rewind.
Damon and his longtime partner in crime, Ben Affleck, are professional storytellers. They believe a great script should carry itself and they shouldn’t have to spoon-feed the narrative. They want a slow build, a classic story arc.
Netflix, on the other hand, looks at their data and encourages an explosion in the first three minutes (hello, Saving Private Ryan) and regular reminders of the stakes.
Why do you care about two movie stars from Boston? Because we are facing the exact same “attention economy” crisis in multifamily.
We often treat apartment marketing like a linear story:
Ad → click → tour → lease.
We assume they “get” our value proposition the first time. That they watch the movie the whole way through, dialed in without distractions.
They don’t.
They are distracted, overwhelmed, and shopping across fifteen tabs … all while checking DoorDash to see how close their dinner is. They don’t respond to the first three messages we send. Our efforts are getting interrupted by … life.
Netflix sees this in their data.
If you aren’t reiterating your “plot” — why they should live at your property — across every single touchpoint, you’ve lost them.
Yet, most of your competitors use follow-up scripts that are boring. Transactional. “Just checking in to see when you could stop in for a tour.”
That is the marketing equivalent of a movie with no storyline.
Stop expecting attention. Earn it – over and over again.
How to Keep the Plot
Here are a few ways how you rewrite your marketing script for the distracted renter:
🎬 Lead with the action.
Don’t bury your best amenity or your biggest differentiator in the bullet list on your Amenities page. Move it to the subject line or the first five seconds of the video. Attention decays quickly today.
🎬 Repeat the plot. Over and over again.
Netflix recommends 3-4 times in a movie; that’s for professional producers. In reality, you need to do it at least 8 to 12 times over the course of a prospect’s 36-day shopping journey.
It takes more than a few nudges for a story to stick. Identify singular details that collectively add up — mirror these across your website, your nurture campaigns, your videos, and your brand awareness and social ads. (More on this next.)
Assume they know your price; don’t assume they saw the details that deliver unique value.
🎬 Show “main character” moments that resonate.
People love to relate themselves to the personality traits of the characters in their favorite shows. Show the relatable/aspirational moments that renters will enjoy when they become a key character at your community — the view, the gym at 6am, the drip from the coffee station, the detail of the actual unit finishes.
🎬 Kill the “checking in” email.
Every follow-up needs a micro-story + one concrete reason to choose you. A reason to keep watching.
Share a resident testimonial, a neighborhood “staff favorite” spotlight, a “total cost of moving” calculator, a comparison (“If you liked X, here’s why residents choose us instead”), or a “day in the life” moment that reinforces that you see them and want to help.
In the auto industry, both Carvana and Tesla do a nice job of sending follow-ups with unique micro-stories. (And in multifamily, this is often where AI leasing assistants need some help. They’re great at basic responses, but it’s often hard to differentiate one property’s AI from the next.)
🎬 Build for AI Search.
Structure your content so it’s easy for tools like ChatGPT or Google Overviews to cite. A corporate or regional ILS with focused, rich neighborhood pages builds more authority than an individual property website ever will. Why? Because your company’s storyline and value often extends beyond one property to the next.
We might want our marketing to be Good Will Hunting — a thoughtful, nuanced masterpiece. But the reality of today’s market is that we need to be more like The Bourne Identity: fast-paced, action-packed, and impossible to ignore. (And yes, I totally get that not every property is an action thriller. But you can still find smart hooks that work for your audience.)
Follow the Data
Netflix knows from their data that it has to restate the plot to keep distracted viewers engaged. Purists may think it takes away from the story. Realists know that’s your sign that 2-3 “human” follow-ups aren’t going to cut it to earn the lease.
Don’t let your prospects look up from their phones and forget why you’re actually the perfect setting for their next chapter.
If this sounds familiar, let’s talk. We spend a lot of time fixing this exact problem.
At 30 Lines, we’ve developed an apartment marketing framework that aligns with every step of the renter’s shopping journey — it improves conversion rates, reduces days vacant, and lowers your total marketing costs per lease. Get in touch with our team if you need some help with your portfolio (summer blockbusters not required).
