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Most of us know that company culture matters at work. Organizations with strong cultures tend to see better morale, higher employee retention, and stronger performance. Your property's resident culture can shape your community's success in the same way.
As a property manager, much of your community's success depends on your residents. Resident culture hasn't received the same attention as company culture, but building it is as much a part of a property manager's job as building company culture is part of a CEO's. It goes beyond branding and marketing. Properties with a strong resident culture give residents a better place to live and open up new business opportunities for their managers.
Here's what you need to know about building a positive resident culture, including the main benefits and five steps to get started.
Key takeaways
- Resident culture is how residents interact with each other, with the onsite team, and with the property itself.
- A strong resident culture helps you keep current residents and attract new ones.
- Happier residents are more likely to follow community guidelines and treat the onsite team with respect.
- Social events, easy amenity booking, and regular communication give residents more ways to connect.
- Enforcing guidelines on pets, noise, and common areas protects the culture you build.
- Working with local businesses, nonprofits, and public officials connects residents to the surrounding neighborhood.
Resident Culture 101
Resident culture is how residents interact with each other, with the onsite management team, and with the property itself. Like a positive company culture, a positive resident culture usually includes active participation in community activities, open and respectful communication, and respect for shared community guidelines.
More property managers are focusing on community-building to give residents an experience that sets their property apart. Whatever culture you want to build, your onsite team, your communication, and your event programming all shape it. Company culture takes more than office perks, and resident culture takes more than amenities.
Five Benefits of a Strong Resident Culture
A strong resident culture benefits property owners, managers, and residents alike. Here are five benefits of investing time and resources in it.
- Improved resident retention. A strong resident culture builds a sense of community. When people feel connected to their neighbors and surroundings, they're less likely to move, which helps you reduce turnover costs.
- Stronger attraction of new residents. A strong resident culture helps you win new residents by turning current ones into brand ambassadors. Residents of a community with a desirable culture can speak genuinely about why it's a great place to live, and that draws in people looking for a better resident experience.
- A more positive, healthy environment. A positive company culture makes for a healthy, productive workplace, and a strong resident culture makes for an enjoyable place to live. Happier residents are more likely to follow community guidelines and treat the onsite management team with kindness and respect. When you promote fitness or wellness activities, you also support residents' health and give them a shared reason to stay active.
- Increased resident satisfaction. Positive resident culture raises satisfaction in several ways. Connections between neighbors build a sense of belonging, and open, respectful communication makes residents feel heard and appreciated. A pleasant living environment with shared principles can make a real difference in how satisfied residents are.
- Local community connection. A strong resident culture also encourages engagement with the surrounding neighborhood, including local businesses, nonprofits, and public officials. Those relationships strengthen neighborhood ties and help residents feel part of a larger community. They can also improve how people see your property, which brings positive word of mouth and new residents.
Five Steps to Start Building Resident Culture
Property management comes with its own set of challenges. Between daily operations, resident concerns, maintenance issues, and long-term planning, it can be hard to know where to start with resident culture. These five steps give you a starting point. They can lead to happier, more satisfied residents and help your property stand out from competitors.
- Define your core values. Core values describe what matters most to your community, and they drive your resident culture. Choose values that mean something to you, since vague ones come across as insincere. If your organization follows Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, you can align your core values with the social part of ESG. That means fair practices in how your organization treats and affects individuals, groups, and the wider community, along with attention to issues such as inequality and community relations.
- Encourage resident engagement. You can spot a positive resident culture when residents feel comfortable interacting with each other and their surroundings. Help residents build connections with each other and the onsite management team by hosting social events and making it easy to book shared amenities. Both are inclusive ways to make residents feel welcome and help the property feel like home.
- Communicate regularly. Properties with open, transparent communication share information with residents clearly and invite them into the conversation. That builds mutual respect and understanding between your management team and residents, which reduces conflicts and strengthens community ties.
- Enforce guidelines. Protect your resident culture by enforcing your community guidelines. Clear rules on pets, noise levels, and the use of common areas show residents what it takes to be a good neighbor, and they help people live alongside each other on good terms.
- Involve the larger community. Your property is part of a larger community, the neighborhood. Reach out to local businesses, nonprofits, and public officials, and involve them in your activities. This strengthens residents' connection to the neighborhood and can improve their quality of life and sense of belonging. Try promoting a neighborhood farmers market, partnering with a local fitness studio, or volunteering with a nearby nonprofit.
With steady effort, you can build a community whose residents take pride in where they live.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is resident culture?
Resident culture is how residents interact with each other, with the onsite management team, and with the property itself. A positive resident culture usually includes active participation in community activities, open and respectful communication, and respect for shared community guidelines.
What are the benefits of a strong resident culture?
A strong resident culture improves resident retention, helps attract new residents, creates a more positive and healthy living environment, increases resident satisfaction, and connects residents to the local community.
How do you start building resident culture?
Start with five steps: define your core values, encourage resident engagement, communicate regularly, enforce your community guidelines, and involve the larger community around your property.
How can a property involve the local community?
Reach out to local businesses, nonprofits, and public officials and involve them in your activities. You can promote a neighborhood farmers market, partner with a local fitness studio, or volunteer with a nearby nonprofit.
