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Ways to Attract More Families to Your Community

Ways to Attract More Families to Your Community

Having a community you can trust and connect with instantly makes you feel at home. For young families and new parents, community engagement plays a major role when choosing the right neighborhood to plant their roots. But what makes one neighborhood stand out among the rest? It comes down to featuring amenities that serve residents of all ages. Security enhancements, public common spaces and engaging playgrounds can significantly increase the value of your housing development and attract more families to your community.

In a time when technology is so involved in our day-to-day lives, parents are searching for safe environments that will foster their kids’ physical, mental and social development. Whether your current play area is due for an upgrade or you’re thinking about adding new family-friendly amenities, learn the most effective ways of drawing in new residents with conveniences that are beneficial for everyone.

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How to Attract New Residents to Communities

Finding quality residents to rent to takes plenty of considerations. You want renters who are respectful of their neighbors and your property, but with so many applicants, it takes time to find the perfect prospective tenants.

Implementing efficient strategies that target the type of residents you want in your development is more important than ever. These tips will show you how to proactively seek out and market to ideal candidates while sticking to a reasonable budget and seeing massive results.

Implementing strategies that target the types of residents you want in your development is more important than ever.

1. Improve Marketing Focus

The power of the internet is real. More than 83% of renters use online listings as their primary way of finding a new home. Developing an online presence is necessary for building your community and identifying ideal candidates.

The first step in establishing an online presence is having a functional and user-friendly website for your housing development. The second step is listing all of the available units on your website and across multiple platforms, including:

  • Real estate sites
  • Social media
  • Rental listing services

Your descriptions of each unit should be accurate in representing the current state of the apartment and contain the major draws of the unit and neighborhood. Include pet and guest policies, as well as the amenities that are and aren’t included in the rental price. Remember that virtual curb appeal is just as important as what a potential tenant sees in person. You should include clear, quality photos of every room in the unit and amenities offered in the development.

2. Conduct Consumer Research

Before you spend any money on advertising, you need to identify the types of candidates you are looking to rent to and what amenities they value. Consumer awareness starts with talking to your current tenants. Find out why your tenants chose you and use those factors in your advertisements to reach potential candidates. Similarly, ask departing residents why they are leaving and what, if any, changes could have convinced them to stay.

When you’ve compiled your informed list of features and detractors of the community, create advertisements that sell the comforting and enriching experience that comes with living in your apartment complex. You can use market research to target different demographics and trends that will place your postings at the top of Google search results and on social media news feeds.

3. Gain Media Coverage

One undeniable and long-standing form of advertisement is word-of-mouth. To get people talking about your development, use the media to your advantage. The art of physical media is not dead, and locals in the area will experience your latest initiatives firsthand.

The scope of physical media is vast — your only limitation is your imagination. You can gain media coverage through methods like:

  • Sponsoring local events
  • Joining the local chamber of commerce
  • Employing local papers and magazines to cover your vacancies
  • Donating to local charities
  • Paying for radio advertisements

Ways you can gain media coverage

Getting involved with your local neighborhoods and business owners is an underrated step in the marketing process. Communities support their own, so the more you show up to events to network while representing your housing development, the more referrals you’ll gain from trusted sources.

4. Update Online User Engagement

The interactions on your posts and ads are just as, if not more, important as how many views they get. Internet platforms are meeting the demand for increased user engagement, meaning people online want to be part of the post along with being entertained. Through social media, this means including polls, questions, trivia, videos and other interactive media to get viewers to like, comment and subscribe to your page and content.

A website that is made with residents and applicants in mind is just as vital in engagement efforts. Everything a potential renter may need, from the measurements of each room in the unit to an accessible online application, is essential on your development’s website. Information should be easy to find and read through, with an online chat enabled to immediately answer any questions that a browsing candidate may have.

5. Beat the Competitors

What does your competition have that you don’t? Do you even know who your competitors are? It’s easier to separate yourself from the competition when you know who they are and what they offer their tenants. In terms of referrals, rates, amenities and community functions, you should know absolutely everything there is to know about the other developments you’re competing against.

Knowing what your development offers in comparison to the neighboring properties, you can highlight those features in your ads. While you may not be able to completely renovate your property to match another community’s amenities, you can add ones that create the same value.

6. Improve Amenities

Renters are looking for more than a home to sleep in. They want to feel like they are a member of a greater community that fosters relationships, encourages communal engagement and feels safe. They want an enchanting living experience that will make them want to stay in that development as long as possible. Amenities are the deciding factors in creating this type of environment.

Improvements to your security systems, parks and common spaces will attract new residents and improve the quality of life for your current tenants. If you can’t remember when your playground or other features were last updated, it’s time to upgrade.

Improvement to your parks and common spaces will attract new residents and improve the quality of life for your tenants

Community Upgrades to Attract New Families

Attracting new families to your community comes down to identifying the key talking points that highlight the many benefits your complex has to offer. Young people who are starting families are looking for a neighborhood that is reminiscent of their own childhood. Remember the fun you had playing outside with your friends, riding bikes until the sun went down? You can recreate that for current and prospective tenants.

These tips for attracting new residents will quickly transform your development into an environment that is undeniably secure, friendly, child-friendly and beautiful.

attracting new families to your community comes down to highlighting the benefits your complex has to offer

Community Playgrounds

Playgrounds have a lot more to offer than just entertaining the kiddos for a few hours. Free play has been shown to improve academic achievement and language skills, promote critical thinking and problem-solving and encourage self-regulation, awareness and adaptability. As of 2019, there are around 48 million children under the age of 12 in the United States, and the number of families with children who are renting has continued to increase.

In a world that is becoming increasingly aware and adaptive to children of different abilities, your playground should reflect those same values. Every child of all ages and abilities should be able to enjoy play areas that are inclusive and fun. Playgrounds made with inclusivity for school-age kids in mind encourage physical, cognitive and social development for children and free imaginative play.

Parents are very much aware of how a child’s environment influences their growth and peer engagement. Including a playground designed with wheelchair access and assistance, sensory-rich activities and inclusive play zones will show potential tenants you care about their child’s well-being. Your support of the community is shown by the amenities you offer, especially when it comes to featuring areas that are designed specifically for the youngest members of the community.

If you want to add to your existing play area, electronic outdoor playground equipment gives kids a unique experience that involves exercise and creative problem-solving. Engaging playgrounds attract visitors, so more people will want to move into your development, and keep children busy during the warmer months.

Remember that playgrounds are an indicator of how friendly a neighborhood is. If potential renters are driving through the development and don’t see any kids outside playing and having fun, they’ll take notice and use it as a reason to move onto the next apartment complex.

Communal Fitness Zones

Adding a fitness center or communal fitness zones is a great way to set yourself apart from the rest of the competition. Many modern apartment buildings, especially those that cater to luxury-loving tenants, offer a variety of similar amenities to add convenience and value to their apartment units.

adding a communal fitness center is a great way to set yourself apart from the rest of the completion

Renters are willing to pay for this particular feature because it’s easier than traveling to the gym. The average gym-goer will travel up to 4 miles to get a workout in. Whether you’re that close to a gym or not, having a fitness center on-site provides a significant convenience for tenants.

Prioritizing health and fitness improves overall quality of life. And when children have access to fitness amenities, they are taught how to exercise and build habits that will last into adulthood. Outdoor fitness equipment promotes community wellness and draws in visitors, all while demonstrating your dedication to your community.

Physical activity offers many obvious health benefits, but the social aspect also plays a significant role in mental and emotional health. Whether in a park, on a trail or inside a recreational facility, access to safe places for physical engagement brings neighbors closer together to create lasting bonds.

Landscaping and Building Maintenance

Curb appeal is the value and attractiveness that is placed on your property by a potential tenant or owner, based on how it looks from the outside. As a property owner or manager, upgrading your landscaping amenities and building maintenance procedures can maximize profits and tenant retention, as well as attract new applicants. Dependable year-round landscaping will help your development to maintain its curb appeal and keep your property looking beautiful and enjoyable.

The renters of today are the last of a generation who spent most of their childhood outside. They recognize the value of community engagement and are more likely to actively take advantage of available amenities. Installing benches and picnic tables is a small investment that will cater to your target demographic and show potential tenants that your community is welcoming and encourages social interactions among its renters. Adding shrubs, flowerbeds, pathways and lighting will also transform your housing development.

When it comes to building maintenance, anything that is outdated, broken, rigged or malfunctioning needs to be replaced and upgraded as soon as possible. Renters are more vocal than ever before with what needs to be repaired and updated. They are putting their hard-earned money toward paying rent and understandably hold the expectation that their maintenance needs will be serviced when needed, and on time. With modern buildings featuring sleek designs, adequate lighting and new appliances, keeping up is key.

functionality, socialization, and aesthetics define a worthwhile common space

Build Common Spaces

Common spaces are regulated and organized public areas that cater specifically to tenants. Regulation means common spaces offer a safe and clean place for friends, family and neighbors to gather. Play areas, computer labs, dog parks, lounges, community gardens, picnic areas and fitness areas all fall under the category of “common spaces.”

There are a few notable components that define a worthwhile common space:

  • Functionality: No matter how technologically advanced your space is or what amenities you offer, the space still has to meet the basic desires and needs of your tenants. Providing comfortable seating, quality tables and desks, outlets and good lighting will welcome users to use the space as they please.
  • Socialization: The reason tenants need common spaces is to gather — with each other and their loved ones. A good common space has room for everyone to join in and tables that are large enough to host several people and their food or belongings. The space should also be in an open area where noise and movement don’t disturb other people.
  • Aesthetics: People don’t want to meet up in a place that is dirty, outdated and uninviting. The presentation of your space matters just as much as the functionality of it.

Tenants want a place where they can hang out and relax while still being in close proximity to their children as they play. And it doesn’t take much to create this type of family-friendly environment. You can easily add quality fixtures that will improve the look of your landscape and create a memorable and inviting ambiance. Along with picnic tables, you can add shade structures to truly transform your property.

Security Enhancements

A sense of security is a vital component in attracting new residents and keeping the ones that you have. No parent, especially those with new children, wants their child to grow up in an unsafe environment. There are many simple and efficient ways to upgrade your current security strategy without breaking the budget.

Adding more lights outside near the entrances, parking lot, garbage facilities and parks will deter crime and make tenants feel safer and seen by others. You can also upgrade your video security systems with more cameras with higher definition imaging. Another major marketing point for renters is a telephone- or pin-operated entry system.

Benefits of Adding Community Playgrounds to Housing Developments

There are many benefits of adding community playgrounds that exceed physical and social development for the children who use them. You want to know that your investments add value and curb appeal while wowing new residents. Here’s how you can benefit from adding a playground to your community.

Benefits of adding playground to housing developments

1. Increases Property Values

Whether or not your tenants or nearby homeowners have children, adding a playground to your community will still significantly raise the value of your property. When a park is added to a neighborhood, home values within an immediate radius can increase between 8% to 20%.

Parks within your community also have the benefits of:

  • Providing a beautiful view from the windows of your units
  • Offering the convenience of an available, clean green space
  • Improving quality of life

2. Attracts New Interest

Residents value their well-being and sense of security, especially when it comes to choosing a new neighborhood to live in. Parks have been shown to reduce violent, disorderly and vandalistic crimes and grant residents a greater sense of well-being within their community.

As parents are looking for new ways to keep their kids active and engaged on the weekends and after school, parks provide the perfect environment for free play in a manicured area. But parks can be enjoyed by all, so featuring equipment that allows people who are over the age of 18 will attract more residents who want to live in a community-centered environment.

A study found that children and teens were overrepresented in their local parks, even though they only account for 27% of the population. Seniors over the age of 60 make up 20% of the population but don’t have amenities that serve them in public spaces. With fitness and wellness equipment, you can serve greater parts of your community while encouraging multi-generational play with parents and relatives.

Parks are also known to bring in new businesses, stimulate the local economy and promote greater community health.

3. Builds Community Ties

With communal spaces, versatile inclusive equipment and features that inspire residents to come together as friends, your new playground can bring genuine positive change. As humans, we crave and thrive off of social interactions — it’s our nature! Over decades spanning across continents and cultures, parks have continued to be an integral part of our lives.

Build a Better Community With Playworld

our extensive catalog features elements that make a park appealing to residents

A playground is a blank slate for new creations, friendships and memories. For decades, Playworld has been serving communities, property owners and developers with playground equipment and designs that attract families with children of all ages. With unique and innovative designs, we proudly serve kids of all ages and abilities so everyone can experience fun and inclusive play.

All of our products are made with superb craftsmanship, because the residents in your community deserve durable playground equipment that will last for years to come. Our extensive catalog features all of the necessary and luxurious elements that make a park appealing to residents.

At Playworld, we believe in the power of play. Our playground solutions are designed with you in mind, so your community can enjoy all the benefits of having a park without you breaking the bank.

Transform your community by contacting us today for a quote, or see how we’ve helped other housing developments.

Contact us today for a quote

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