Join the Club—Sign a Lease 

Back in the 1980s, in the land of bangles and big hair and shoulder pads, there also lived Members Only jackets. What this made you a member of, no one really knew. But if you had the jacket, you were in “the club” and that was all that mattered.

The premise behind the apparel was as ridiculous as everything else in that decade, but with its brilliant tagline “when you put it on, something happens,” the marketing team tapped into a universal and profitable truth: people just like to be a part of something. Three decades later, that still holds true.

In 2007, Jeremy Lawson, NALP, now the District Leasing Director for Fogelman Management Group, was looking for a way to increase renewals at Pepperwood Apartments. If residents at the 300-unit Independence, Mo., community felt like they were a part of something exclusive, he surmised, they might be more inclined to renew.

With that in mind, Lawson sent a flier to every resident who was 120-190 days away from renewal—before any official renewal letters went out—announcing the creation of a Resident Events Committee. Each person up for renewal was told they were selected to be on the committee and were encouraged to help the onsite team create future resident events.

“I wanted them to be involved and feel like they really were a part of the community, even if they didn’t send us any ideas,” Lawson says. “I think sometimes residents like to read about these types of programs more than actually participate in them.”

The flier urged the residents to send in up to three ideas for upcoming resident events. If any of their ideas were selected, $100 would be taken off of their rent.
Lawson says several residents participated—many of whom also renewed their lease at the same time. Lawson pitched a few of their suggestions to the staff and says some ideas—such as a community garage sale—were later carried out.

After sending the fliers out for two quarters, Lawson says renewal numbers increase by about 15 percent—a number he believes was due in large part to the program.

It was, after all, for members only.  —NAA’s Lauren Boston

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