10 Places You Might Be Missing the Mark on Resident Interaction (and It's Costing You)
Losing the personal touch in resident interactions can lead to unhappy residents, increased turnover, and significant financial losses. All of this leads to frustrations within your team and most likely…you bringing your work stress home with you. (A big no no in our world.)
We’re walking you through ten critical areas where you might be missing the mark and expert advice on how to improve them. Because here’s the secret: you’re not alone when it comes to the challenge of resident retention! We hear it from sooo many property managers, which is why we’re on a mission to help!
1. The Lost Welcome Touchpoint
Why You Need It:
New residents may feel overlooked and undervalued without a warm welcome, leading to an immediate disconnect. When you miss this personal touchpoint, you’re starting off on the wrong foot and now have to spend that entire resident’s journey trying to catch up.
Here’s An Example:
Sarah moves into her new apartment and finds no welcome package or note. She feels like just another tenant rather than a valued community member. She’s worried the onsite team won’t have good communication and wonders if her time at the community will be like her last one - full of headaches and frustrations.
How to Do It Better:
Provide a personalized welcome package with a handwritten note, essential items like dish towels or laundry detergent, and a small gift tailored to their preferences. (If the resident has a pet, a little toy for the pet would be a great way to win the resident over and make them feel seen and appreciated.) This thoughtful gesture can set a positive tone from the start. We love not having to play catch-up! 🙌
2. The Missing Event Engagement
Why You Need It:
A lack of engaging events can lead to a disconnected community and low resident satisfaction. Resident events are a great way to build excitement about your community, generate great social media content, and make your residents feel appreciated and celebrated. Pro Tip: You don’t even have to throw a crazy resident event. A simple grab and go event can brighten your residents’ day.
Here’s An Example:
Tom has just moved to a new city. He’s feeling isolated in his apartment and is having trouble making new friends. He really wishes his community would have events or gatherings, which would make it easier to meet new people. His lease is ending in a few months and he starts looking for a new apartment with a more vibrant social scene.
How to Do It Better:
Plan regular events for residents like as BBQs, game nights, fitness classes, or pet-friendly events. A well-organized calendar of events shows residents that you care about their social well-being. Not every month has to be a big blowout event, but consistently having events for your residents really improves their likelihood of staying at your community because they feel valued and pampered.
If you just read ‘plan regular events’ and gave the biggest eye roll, followed by a “how in the world am I supposed to do that?!” we have two things for you.
1.) A big virtual hug. We know you’re probably overwhelmed, but you’re doing great. Hang in there, friend.
2.) Events don’t have to be overwhelming for you and your team. We created our memberships specifically with the overwhelmed property manager and onsite teams in mind. Think about it this way: We do all the work for you (pick the theme, create customizable graphics, flyers, invites, put together shopping lists, etc.) and you get all the credit.
Sneak Peek of How Our Membership Helps You
This yappy hour event is a Sprout Member favorite!
Why? Because it’s an event you can do year-round, pet-friendly events get great resident attendance, and it’s easy to execute!
You get everything listed below for just $129/month, which saves you 15+ hours per month. (Seriously. Our Sprout Members can back us on this.)
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Planning Tools: Calendars and newsletter templates.
Monthly Event Ideas: 12+ ideas with Canva templates.
Amazon Shopping Lists: For all events.
Renewal & Appreciation: Templates and Initiatives.
Notice & Reminder Templates: For residents.
Canva Designs: Ready-to-use templates.
Team Resources: Worksheets and printables.
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Social Posting Calendar: Daily scheduling tools.
Caption Templates: Ready-to-use captions for every day.
Canva Graphics: Customizable designs.
Apartment Stock Photos: Tailored imagery.
Instagram Story Options: Varied content formats.
Reels Templates: Trending video styles.
Social Media Training: Best practice sessions
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Customize in Canva or download instantly.
Marketing: Outreach, follow-up, & referrals.
Resident Events: Invitations, signs, & extras.
Retention: Welcomes, renewals, & notices.
Gifts: Resident & team appreciation.
Social Media: Feed, story, & reels.
Stock Photos: 1000s for apartment living.
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Efficiency Amplified: Streamline content creation and management tasks, empowering property managers to maximize their productivity and effectiveness.
Exceptional Resident Touchpoints: Elevate resident satisfaction and retention with tailored materials that enhance every interaction, from welcome messages to renewal notices.
Tangible Results: Increase resident engagement, reduce turnover, and drive revenue growth through impactful touchpoints that directly impact your community's success.
Oh, by the way! We also have one episode a month over on our podcast where we give you 12 resident event ideas + monthly creative holidays. You don’t want to miss it!
3. The Communication Gap
Design Included in Sprout All-Access Membership
Why You Need It:
Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and resident frustration. It’s so important to let your residents know about anything that may affect them and, the ultimate key to success, inform them quickly! When residents feel like you’re not communicating with them, they basically take that as a giant billboard that says “we’d like you to move out, thanks”.
Here’s An Example:
Emma doesn't get clear information about a scheduled maintenance outage and is caught off guard when the water is shut off for hours. She's frustrated that she didn’t get a heads up and considers moving.
How to Do It Better:
Use professionally designed templates for notices and announcements to ensure clear and engaging messages. Timely communication about maintenance, community updates, and upcoming events is crucial. Make sure you’re utilizing multiple forms of communication too - posting notices around the community, post on your social media, send out a message through a resident portal or email blast.
4. The Overlooked Appreciation
Why You Need It:
We all need a little love sometimes. You know that one person you bump into in the grocery store who gives you a compliment that just brightens up your day? Be that person for your residents. A simple appreciation gift can go a long way, and without it, residents may feel unappreciated and neglected, leading to higher turnover rates.
Here’s An Example:
John has lived in his apartment for four years, but he’s never gotten any recognition or thanks from management. He starts feeling taken for granted and starts looking for a new place. He’d love to live somewhere where he feels valued and appreciated for his loyalty.
How to Do It Better:
Show appreciation through monthly initiatives like small gifts or thank-you notes. Regularly expressing gratitude can create a positive atmosphere and encourage lease renewals. You don’t have to buy residents new TVs or anything, we promise small gestures go a long way!
The Sprout Membership Is FULL Of Brilliant and Fun Resident Appreciation Gifts Like This:
Plus, you get access to all this:
12 new resident event ideas every month (with customizable graphics and shopping lists included)
Resident appreciation gifts + graphics
Resident welcome gifts + graphics
Resident renewal gifts + graphics
Social media graphics and captions for every day of every month (including Instagram reel & story templates!)
Professional development training & resources from industry experts
Design Included in Sprout All-Access Membership
Design Included in Sprout All-Access Membership
5. The Maintenance Miscommunication
Why You Need It:
Residents left in the dark about maintenance schedules can feel frustrated and disrespected. After all, this can often mean your staff is actually going into the resident’s apartment. If there’s one thing you should inform your residents about, it’s when people are going into their personal space.
Here’s An Example:
Maria's sink in her apartment keeps leaking, but she's rarely informed ahead of time when maintenance is stopping by. The lack of communication and lack of respect for her personal space makes her want to move.
How to Do It Better:
Provide clear, timely maintenance notices using easy-to-use templates. Keeping residents informed helps them feel respected and reduces anxiety about maintenance disruptions.
6. The Boring Renewal Notice
Why You Need It:
Standard, unengaging renewal notices may fail to encourage residents to renew their leases. There’s alot being thrown at your residents every day. Make your renewal notices happy, fun, and eye-catching.
Here’s An Example:
David gets home from a long, stressful day at work and finds a generic renewal notice waiting for him. He’s drained from the day and this notice doesn’t make him feel inspired to stay another year. He decides to explore other housing options.
How to Do It Better:
Use creative and fun notices that capture residents’ attention. Personalizing renewal offers and providing incentives can make residents more likely to renew their leases.
Design Included in Sprout All-Access Membership
Need Help With Renewals?
This Podcast Episode is For You!
Building Reputation Currency for Better Resident Retention: A Deep Dive with Priyanka Agarwal
7. The Forgotten Community-Building
Why You Need It:
Without organized activities, a weak sense of community can lead to higher turnover. Your residents aren’t able to feel invested in the community.
Here’s An Example:
Lisa loves her apartment’s location but feels disconnected from her neighbors because there are no community events or opportunities to meet people. She starts searching for a more resident-focused apartment complex where she can build community.
How to Do It Better:
Organize regular activities and events to strengthen community bonds. Monthly calendars with upcoming events help residents stay engaged and feel connected to their neighbors.
Digital Graphic Included in Sprout All-Access Membership
8. The Social Media Silence
Why You Need It:
An inactive social media presence can make residents feel disconnected and uninformed. When they see a social media account that’s not active, they don’t have a lot of hope that the community will be active or kept up to date either.
Here’s An Example:
Mark feels out of touch with what's happening in his apartment complex because the management doesn't post updates or events on social media. He considers moving to a place with better communication.
How to Do It Better:
Maintain an active social media presence with engaging content like helpful tips, recommendations for local shops, event updates, and community highlights. Keeping residents informed and involved online enhances their overall satisfaction.
9. The Ignored Feedback
Why You Need It:
Unaddressed maintenance requests and general concerns can lead to dissatisfaction and increased turnover. Your residents will feel ignored and like their voices aren’t valued.
Here’s An Example:
Rachel's maintenance requests are often ignored or delayed, making her feel unimportant. She decides to find a new place where her concerns will be addressed promptly.
How to Do It Better:
Encourage and act on resident feedback, showing that their input is valued. Teach your whole team the importance of timely follow-ups on maintenance requests and concerns to demonstrate your commitment to resident satisfaction.
10. The Untrained Staff
Why You Need It:
A lack of professional development for your team can lead to poor resident interactions. Your onsite team is often your residents’ first interaction with your community. It’s so important that your team is trained to make sure every interaction is a positive one for your residents.
Here’s An Example:
Jack has had a few interactions with the onsite lately and they have been unresponsive and unprofessional. His negative experiences make him look for housing managed by a more competent team.
How to Do It Better:
Invest in resources like podcasts, webinars, and training sessions to improve your team's skills and knowledge. A well-trained team can provide exceptional service, which means higher resident satisfaction and retention.
We think you and your team deserve this free download
Grab your free download of our leasing tips e-book.
Wondering How Sprout Can Help With All These Touch Points?
We thought you might ask that, so we broke it down for you! 👇
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Professionally designed templates for welcome notes and gift ideas.
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Access to a monthly social media plan with caption templates, digital graphics, and event ideas.
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Clear and engaging templates for all types of notices and announcements.
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Monthly ideas and resources for resident appreciation activities.
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Easy-to-use templates for maintenance notices.
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Fun and personalized renewal notice templates and offers.
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Organized activity and event ideas with monthly calendars.
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Ready-made social media content to keep your community engaged.
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Tools for timely follow-ups and feedback management.
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Resources and podcasts for ongoing professional growth.
