What are community brand rituals? A ritual is a habit or routine and when a renter associates a ritual with a brand, there is a powerful effect on loyalty and enjoyment. The ones that are in place, do they stand out?  Without community brand rituals, you are just another community among the crowded apartment industry. Renters today want to feel as though their community is truly extraordinary.

Today’s renters look for 3 Brand Rituals which create community loyalty. Routine, Sense of Belonging, and Trust are most important to today’s renter. Renters are expecting to see these Brand Rituals on a day to day basis. How can we adapt them in our daily workday?

1. Routine – Renters are looking for community routine in the landscaping upkeep and the community amenities. Is there money being spent throughout the year keeping the grounds looking nice? Are the amenities always in working order? Inside the apartment home, are there routine checks to make sure the amenities are in working order for the resident? Upkeep is extremely important to the renter as it represents them when their family and friends are visiting.
2. Sense of Belonging – Everyone in today’s society wants to feel they belong and are valued, renters included. Allow the resident to give their opinion whether that is on which movie to watch for a resident event, or which type of food will be at the next resident event. Give the resident the opportunity to express their opinion with management through resident surveys or other forms. Offer a diverse range of community events which allows each resident to be part of the community. When a resident feels connected and involved, their loyalty for the community increases.
3. Trust – Renters are spending 2/3‘s of their paycheck on a community. They want to be able to trust the management team will do what they say they will do. Loyalty and enjoyment is created when the renter can trust the office and maintenance team will complete their service requests on time.  When residents express a concern about their home to the staff, residents want to have full confidence in the community team that it will be addressed quickly, professionally, and with compassion

When all 3 Brand Rituals are strong, the resident is committed to calling the community home. They are happy to share their living experience with family and friends, hopefully leading to referrals!  In addition, residents are locked into the community for the long haul for their sense of belonging to the community is just too strong to break.