A key way many apartment management companies gauge the interest in their rental properties is determining what people are searching for in regard to apartments online, Inman News reports, and traffic for real estate searches are up substantially during the last year.

The source says a report by Experian Hitwise shows real estate websites have jumped 27 percent in traffic, which could signify a strong market for rental properties in 2011. Specifically, searches for apartments have risen 33 percent, the source states.

"Folks are looking for rental properties quite a bit. [There is] not as much activity, unfortunately, around houses for sale," Heather Dougherty, research director at Hitwise, told the news source.

Though the research may suggest the majority of prospective renters are finding units online, a study by Apartments.com shows many people looking for an apartment use social media and other websites only to find recommendations for apartments.