In our world of property management and community relationship building, one issue has taken a lot of my focus as of late. It involves a subtle but significant change in perspective – from prioritizing resident events to emphasizing resident experience through events. While resident events have forever been a staple of creating a sense of community in our industry, many are recognizing that the real key to success lies in the quality of the overall resident experience.

The traditional staples of "events," pool parties, breakfast on the go, etc., are great to "do something," but many times, we, as staff as well as our residents, walk away having little to no lasting memory of these events. It seems like now, more than ever, residents value experience and service above most things, and I am encouraging all of my teams to embrace this slight perspective change of how we can make our resident events more of an experience.

Can we add wrinkles to the existing events we have to make them more engaging? I had a community in the summer that went for a Guinness Book of World Records for the highest stack of donuts at their pool party.... Believe me, while it may sound silly, it was an inexpensive way to bring the residents together, and it is an experience that is still brought up weekly in the office.  When residents feel like they are part of a welcoming community, they are more likely to renew their leases, refer friends and family, and take pride in their living space. In contrast, a sole focus on traditional events just to check the box can lead to temporary excitement but may not guarantee the longevity of resident relationships or positive reviews.

While traditional events certainly have their place in creating a sense of community, I think with just a minor bit of outside-the-box thinking, we can boost the resident experience through these events. What are some of the best events you have run in your communities that have driven positive experiences?