Property Managers are always looking for ways to reduce costs and increase revenue, and resident retention is important for both of these. There are several reasons why resident retention is significant to multifamily success. With resident turnover, you are spending more money to find new tenants and conduct any repairs to make sure the property is move-in ready. And while you are spending money there, you are losing revenue to a vacant space.

Find an engaging solution

Yes, if you want to keep revenue high and costs low, resident retention is your best friend, and a key solution to retention is resident engagement. The more residents engage with you and the community, the more likely they will stay. Often, managers try to gauge sentiment and feedback from tenants through surveys, but they so often fall short. They are only administered a few times a year, and the response rate can be too low to accurately understand residents. That’s why leveraging tools like text messaging can help your property create an open and accessible channel of communication between managers and residents, leading to increased engagement and better outcomes. 

Texting is more approachable for tenants when it comes to giving feedback and bringing up any issues they may have. It is also a more efficient method for managers to gather feedback more frequently, both prompted and unprompted. Modern tech solutions like resident messaging will increase your engagement, but you need to leverage it consistently if you want to build trust, satisfaction, and retention. 

Resident engagement model

Text messaging opens a channel of communication for residents, but opening that channel alone isn’t enough. It’s important to encourage feedback and conversation through this channel. Checking in on residents shouldn’t be a rare occurrence; managers need to create a resident engagement model in order to get genuine sentiment from the community. 

Like surveys, resident messaging can give you the sentiment you need to make sure everyone is satisfied with their living environment. But unlike traditional surveys, it opens up more opportunities for connection and is a great way to optimize your resident engagement model. To boost resident retention, you will need to find and create opportunities to foster communication beyond a periodic survey. Use these touch points as a messaging guide for your resident engagement model.

Move-in day

Move-in day is always a hectic day for new residents, regardless of where they are moving to and from. This is a great time to help make the transition as smooth as possible and make a strong first impression. Open the line of communication by sending the first message prior to move-in day so they know they can contact you without needing to go to the management office. Then send check-in texts, on and after move-in day, to make sure everything is ok and they are satisfied with their new space.

Resident pulse checks

These pulse checks are similar to surveys, but better! Rather than one survey every 6-12 months, you can quickly send a brief micro-survey via text to your residents and get a high-level overview of their sentiment. By implementing small, frequent surveys, you will be able to catch any issues that might’ve gone unnoticed until it’s a bigger issue, and you can gather better insight on sentiment by seeing trends throughout the year. You can even schedule the messages out ahead of time. That way, you won’t forget and will have consistent feedback that provides you valuable insights on sentiment.

Maintenance feedback loops

Resident messaging is great for maintenance requests. If a light is out in the hallway, or there is an issue with one of their appliances, they can send you a quick message to bring awareness to the issue right away. This is a great time to showcase your quality service recovery! If you handle their concerns attentively and appropriately, you will earn their trust and give them something to rave about, which could bring in more residents to your community. Respond to their text promptly, and make sure to follow up after the issue is resolved. They will appreciate your service and feel cared for as a resident.

Community outreach

There are some instances where mass communication is needed, like community outreach. By sending a mass text, you are able to get the message across all residents at the same time, and the message will be in the palm of their hand. If there is a weather emergency, you can notify them about the safety protocol. If there is scheduled maintenance in a certain area, you can let them know ahead of time so they are prepared for any disruptions. If you have a community event, you can invite them via text and foster a connected community. All of these situations are a great touch point to send a mass message.

Building a lasting community

With tech solutions like resident messaging, you are expanding your opportunities for engagement even before they move in. Take these opportunities to encourage feedback, respond to their sentiment, and build a lasting community where residents will want to stay. 

Kipsu’s resident messaging is here to build strong relationships between residents and management. Curious to see how Kipsu can bring your multifamily properties success? Schedule a conversation with us today!