Topic: I manage a high-end, elite property in a college town, and need ideas to set us apart.

I manage a high-end, elite property in a college town, and my team is trying to come up with ideas to set us apart from other properties in the area. Any suggestions on amenities, giveaways, or things we could offer? Please help us come up with some fresh ideas. Thank you!

Maybe tickets to the college games pending on season?

We did kegs in the pool...lol...back in my days!! :D

Set you apart in what way? To help lease.

Yes to help us get renewals and new leases. To show prospects and current residents that what we offer is worth the price and better than our comps.

Have you toured your competition to see what they are doing. That will give you a good idea on how to set yourself apart from them.

The biggest thing that will set you apart is a solid office and maintenance team. Ensure consistent high customer service, do what you say even if you made an error. Keep your place Disney clean. Create a sense of community so people don't feel like a number.

100% it’s always customer service and cleanliness.

THIS 100%, I’ve worked at beautiful high rises and older garden styles against brand new properties. People always lease for the TEAM!!

Agreed advertising being elite is not such a great thing because it sounds exclusionary. with inclusivity being a goal these days maybe focus more on treatment of residents as best facet and less about the property itself. if you are having trouble keeping residents, see where maybe service to the residents can be improved. a lot of the times, amenities get them in the door but customer service creates loyalty.

I work for Cobu, a community building & resident engagement app for multifamily communities. Providing a place for residents to come together and create their own bonds and friendships is one way to be unique! Feel free to message me if you want more details!

We are partnered with Cobu and just rolled it out to 3 new properties. One of these is not a student community but has a large student (or recently graduated) demographic. It's been our best rollout so far. We're over 50% adoption in less than 2 months. Residents have created a whole lot of groups and have already created 2 resident driven gatherings. We were already really happy with Cobu but are seeing incredible engagement at this particular asset.

Free fuel since it's headed to $8 plus a gallon nation wide and maybe build a few nuclear fallout shelters for your residents safety.

Meet them where they are and how they want to live. Smarthome tech. The youth want fast Wi-Fi and smart devices.

My college son lives in an apartment and nothing motivates him more than Chik-fil-A or Chipotle!

When I was new to the industry and wanted to understand my comps I constructed a Five Forces Analysis (you can find some really good templates on Google.) This helped me have a clear cut reference of what my competitors are already doing, so I could implement similar ideas and have a better understanding of what we could do differently.

Scavenger hunt

We installed condom and tampon machines in the pool restrooms and charge 25 cents for either. Our residents love it.

Free ATM!

I am thinking something with food delivery either groceries or even restaurant

It’s all about the social media.

Good content with freebies thrown in. Stop. That’s all it takes.

Outside of that-take some ideas from the colleges. They throw great events for their kids in the dorms.

Two words.

Foam. Party.

Amenity- cross fit gym? I have heard companies converted their gyms to accommodate and were a hit.
Agree with tech related features- smart home aka locks, thermostats, lighting and wifi
Have you thought about a reward system like community rewards?

Incentivize your current residents to posts about their place and how cool it is on TikTok and use hashtags related to that college. There was a stat that came out last year that people used TikTok to search more than Google. Incoming students are probably researching their new school there.

I currently live in an apartment complex and one of my favorite things about it is our discounts for living there. The complex has taken upon themselves to reach out to businesses in the area and to receive discounts for tenants of the apartment in exchange for marketing the business. My apartment does a “black card” where if you go to one of the small businesses that they are partnered with they will offer different discounts for showing the “black card” to prove you live in the complex. Great for both the small business and the tenants.

Ashley do you cater to the student population or not so much?