- Know your community. Knowing and understanding the demographics of your resident base allows you to best address individual’s wants and needs, as well as focus on effective marketing techniques to attract diverse renters and build a more cohesive living community.
- Use surveys to gauge feedback. Utilizing intake tools such as surveys and polls allows you to have a pulse on your residents’ living experience at your community. This can help you make more strategic decisions when implementing new features or initiatives within your community.
- Focus on customer service. When your property management team goes above and beyond, residents feel valued and are more inclined to engage with you and their neighbors. Build relationships, be approachable and be open to feedback. In the long run, it will make a significant difference in establishing a loyal renter base.
- Host resident events. No matter their age, free food and drinks are often the way to a resident’s heart. Hosting food-filled events such as a BBQ or pizza party will give your residents yet another opportunity to interact with one another. Other great events to consider are monthly social and happy hours and paint nights.
- Add personal touches to your amenities. Take a look at the amenities and features you offer and make sure they appeal to what your residents want. Offering unique services, such as guest fitness instructors in the gym or doggy-training sessions at the dog park, can boost your community’s value.
- Establish a community space. Create a space where residents can build a sense of community and engage with one another regardless of age. These designated spaces become areas where residents can lounge while watching sports, co-work, host playdates, enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or a beverage in the evening and more.
- Build community relationships. Focus on what is appealing about your community and what might be missing. Then, form partnerships with local establishments to add a level of convenience for residents. For instance, foster relationships with local gyms and businesses, community groups, daycare centers and schools.
- Promote community engagement projects. Get residents excited to plant a community garden, pick up litter in the surrounding area or even participate in a charitable event. Encouraging residents to work together on a community project helps to create a sense of purpose and pride in what they’ve accomplished.
- Set community ground rules. To ensure all residents are mindful of their neighbors, establish community rules for everyone to follow. Whether it’s designated quiet hours, specific move-in and move-out days/hours or allocated timeslots to reserve community spaces, implementing ground rules can reduce conflict between residents.
- Tailor communication to your audience. As an apartment owner with residents of all ages, you must be mindful of the best way to communicate with your residents. For instance, millennials and Gen Z are more likely to check their phones and emails for updates, while Gen Y and baby boomers are likely to prefer written notices. Be sure to utilize a mix of communication styles including social media, email, flyers/direct mail, phone calls and text alerts to reach residents.
Creating a Cohesive Community for All Ages
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