A community is a type of family, and to foster that authentic community feel, community management teams must foster a natural feeling of family as well. What is one simple way to do this? To show your appreciation for your residents. There are many different ways to make your residents feel special, and some that we find most effective at OccupancySolutions.com are:

  • Prioritize communication -- Attentiveness is one of the most undervalued traits by community management teams today. Waiting a day to return an e-mail, not answering the phone right away, or holding off sending maintenance to a residence for a "non-essential" problem all chip away at the feeling of community you're trying to foster. Making residents feel special, in an actionable way, can be as simple as making open and easy communication a priority.
  • Celebrate small milestones -- Has a resident been with you for a year? What about five years? Let them know you remember and you value their presence by celebrating these small milestones. A fun "anniversary" card in the mailbox, flowers, a small gift certificate to a local restaurant, or a discount for their "anniversary month" are all small things you can do to make a big impact.
  • Personalized interactions matter -- Personalized interactions with residents have more of an impact than you may think. This is one way community management teams can make an impact without pulling anything from their budget, and many are surprised by just how effective this strategy is. Getting to know your residents and addressing them by name when you see them in the community immediately makes your residents feel like part of your community family.
  • Host events -- Events not only help you to show your appreciation for your residents, but it also fosters that organic community feel amongst residents as well. Block parties, barbecues, pumpkin carving contests, holiday light competitions -- there are ways to get your community members involved no matter the time of year.

Residents who feel valued are residents that are happy remaining a part of the community they're in. At OccupancySolutions.com, we can help community management teams to better show their residents appreciation for being a part of their community family. To learn more about small ways to make your residents feel valued, contact us today.