YOUR RESIDENT MOVE-IN SHOULD BE AN EXPERIENCE, NOT A PROCESS.

YOUR RESIDENT MOVE-IN SHOULD BE AN EXPERIENCE, NOT A PROCESS.

Each year, thousands of residents move into apartment communities.
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But most communities still manage the resident move-in like it's the 90s, with:

- Printed or PDF resident guides no one reads.
- Manual processes that overwhelm site teams and residents.
- Uninspiring welcome letters.

The move-in process is the SINGLE most important part of your community's resident ​experience. It sets the stage for EVERYTHING ELSE.
As the saying goes, the first impression is the last impression.

A few tips for creating a memorable move-in experience:

1. Create a WOW moment as soon as they move-in
Add a ribbon to their apartment door so that they can cut it like an opening ceremony. Reserve an amenity for them. Register them for your upcoming event.

2. Make them a part of the community ASAP
Gamify your resident move-in like a scavenger hunt, add rewards for downloading your resident engagement app, posting on the social feed, attending their first resident event, etc.

3. Give out fun and creative move-in gifts
Think about gifts that are useful, fun AND prompt people to engage with what your property has to offer. Examples: a property-branded yoga mat, credits to their concierge-services account, a list of top restaurants and shops around your neighborhood (add a gift card too!).

4. Digitalize and automate your resident guide
Don't overwhelm your new residents with a 200-page resident manual or guide. A digital guide gives them access to the information they need at their own pace. It also saves your team time from answering the same questions over and over again.

5. Create onboarding videos
A series of quick videos have the WOW factor, and they're super helpful. You can start small with a video of the site team introducing themselves and welcoming the new residents to the property. Record it once, share it hundreds of times!

I can’t LOVE this enough! A study recently conducted by JTurner concluded that the most important factor when selecting an apartment is that the staff cares about them; the move-in experience sets that tone.

I love this.

Awesome

I would like to add that we need to make them treat it like an experience too*. So they don’t come in on a lunch break, rush us through the process, and then hate the office for not telling them this or that for the duration of the lease. *their schedule permitting of course.

This the one right here.

Here’s an example of an introduction to the team video that could be sent to new residents. This is from one of our senior living partners but something to get the wheels spinning!
watch.oneday.com/v/WxzZA7gYDt

I like the restaurant giftcard idea as a move-in gift mostly. But there's quite a bit here that I think would be worth the try.

Such amazing ideas!!!!!!

These are all great but good old fashioned service is what every resident expects on move in day with one on one attention to detail Set a standard to physically walk them over to their new home and make they understand the great mechanics of their home. Create a memorable move in experience with personal touch

Excellent ideas! I love the ribbon cutting!

Have a resident orientation policy. The leasing agent and one of the service team members should show the resident their new home on the move in day. Walk them through the functionality of everything in the apartment. Resolve any maintenance related concerns they may have on the spot.

I love these! To add to your ideas you can create a QR code magnet that takes them to your social media (IG) site and/or to an FAQ page! This sparked some creative juices.... thank you!

Or a QR code magnet (attached to the refrigerator) that will take them to a move-in playlist of all the “need-to-knows” as they get settled into their new community!

These are amazing ideas!! I wish I could execute them!! Unfortunately I am in a hotel conversion that is a lease up and I am manager, assistant and leasing person… so I am not able to do all of these things even though my heart wants to badly because I want my residents to feel welcome and want to stay… it’s sad for me, because right now it’s only about money… and that’s it…

Yes! I train our leasing team to take two different types of tours. 1 - the Prospect Tour and 2 is the New Resident Tour which are vastly different experiences. We usually don't show off where we dispose of garbage, get our mail & packages, where visitors may park, and how to use the thermostat on a prospect tour however we should be doing all this and more on the welcome home tour!

I LOVE this! especially the digital resident guide. Instead of the paper they toss in a drawer or the trash.
Thank you!