Create a Strong First Impression

The first seconds, minutes, and hours someone spends in your place will shape their overall opinion of it. Make sure you don’t leave anything to chance! A place design is a combination of both form and function. You’ll need to consider how each space functions in relation to its residents, but you’ll also want it to be pleasing.

The lobby area should be comfortable, with easy access to amenities like mailboxes and elevators. When designing your lobby, aim to create a welcoming and comfortable feeling. Lighting, furniture style, and color are all factors that will influence your guest's perception of your apartment community. 

Does your parking lot give off a welcoming vibe? Is there greenery outside? Is it easy for guests to find their way around — or is there something confusing about how you've laid out your space? Also, keep in mind that, when possible, you should do follow-up surveys with new residents after they move in. While some information provided from your tenants is still speculation, it can give you even more insight into what people are looking for in a living situation.

Choose the Right Colors

Color is a powerful way to affect your mood. While we may not realize it, color can subconsciously affect us. Take, for example, how warm colors make us feel more cheerful while cool colors are relaxing. These effects are being used in place design all over. Warm colors like reds or yellows evoke a feeling of happiness, and use cool blues and greens to lull you into relaxation during your stay. Bathrooms are frequently claustrophobic spaces, so designers often choose calming tones with soft edges to help alleviate some of that anxiety. Bathrooms also tend to be small spaces, so designers will usually stick with neutral colors (like white) as they don't take up much visual space.

Use Cues from Nature

One way to create a cozy atmosphere is by mimicking elements found in nature, such as sunsets, blossoming trees, or a vast ocean. Landscaping is one-way property managers can infuse their spaces with these visual cues. Research has shown that specific colors can decrease anxiety and stress levels, such as blue tones. That's why many modern art galleries use blue hues as backgrounds on paintings to influence visitors' moods positively.

The illusion of more space

The few minutes that a guest spends in a building are critical; it's essential to make an excellent first impression and create a feeling of comfort. With larger common areas and several large spaces, residents feel like they have more space than is actually available. For example, interior designers use mirrors to give off an illusion of greater space by making objects appear farther away or closer together. Even something as simple as paint colors can help with perception: For example, white walls reflect light, making them seem brighter and larger than painted walls. Likewise, dark colors will make rooms appear smaller and darker overall. Shower curtains removal in favor of glass doors is favorable for two reasons. First, it can make a bathroom feel larger because you can see more space on each side, rather than having a heavy fabric blocking your view. Secondly, Glass shower doors are perceived by renters as more elegant than shower curtains.

Strategically Place Greenery

Studies show that greenery can do wonders for your stress levels, which makes it a key element in building a place design. But there's more than one way to incorporate plants into your property management business; you can choose from indoor plants, outdoor landscaping, or both. Indoor plants are great because they don't require much upkeep. However, you have to be careful about how many you have at once. Too many and it will feel cramped; too few, and residents might feel like their living space lacks something. You should also think about how many plants you want per square foot and what kind of green spaces would best suit your location. It would be best to consider things like sunlight exposure and temperature requirements when selecting plant species. Outdoor landscaping is excellent because it gives residents a chance to enjoy the fresh air and natural beauty while also allowing direct contact with nature, reducing stress even further.

Don’t Forget About Lighting

In residential projects, lighting is frequently treated as an afterthought or added to be as cheap as possible. Light is often the most powerful tool for setting a mood or conveying your brand's message; it can also quickly go wrong. An ill-considered design will make you feel uncomfortable, confused, or embarrassed, all bad feelings that don't do much for sales. There are plenty of places you can cut corners without affecting your end users' experience significantly. Still, light fixtures aren't one of them. A little extra money spent up front goes a long way towards making people feel comfortable with you and encouraging purchases down the line.

Encourage Physical Activity with Active Spaces

Studies show that our minds and bodies are closely linked. When we create surroundings that encourage physical activity, we're more likely to be active. Creating outdoor rooms or decks where they can kick back and relax with family members or friends will encourage residents to take a stroll during their stay. Adding elements such as a hammock, rocking chairs, or sofas around a fire pit is a great way to get people moving while enjoying some downtime.

Select Music That Induces Positive Mood

Music has been shown to affect various emotions, depending on your musical preference. For example, you can use upbeat music with a solid tempo to encourage patrons to be happy. Alternatively, selecting slower music with soft tones can help induce feelings of relaxation. Ideally, you'll want whatever music you choose to be unobtrusive yet pleasing — in other words, non-distracting but pleasant. In general, it's best to avoid using music that might negatively impact your guests' experience.

Take Advantage of Strong Scents

The science of scent marketing (also called aromatic design) is relatively new. Still, it's proven itself as a viable way to influence emotions. Scent has even been shown to change our behavior subconsciously. For example, different scents can make us feel more or less energetic; citrus scents are known to boost energy levels, while lavender can help you relax. You can take advantage of these psychological reactions by using pleasant aromas in your place design — whether through lighting candles, diffusing essential oils, or scent diffusers. But remember that not all scents work for every space — which means you might have to experiment with several options before finding something that works well on your property.

Tying it Together

One fundamental way to influence our behavior is through emotion. Creating a positive, welcoming vibe with music, lighting, and art on your property can be pretty effective if you simultaneously communicate high service standards. Make sure that your guests feel at home, but do it in a professional manner.

Creating a strong emotional connection between residents and their living space will help ensure they stay longer, pay more rent, and recommend your property to others. If you want happy residents who are willing to pay more rent every month, create a pleasant environment where they can feel comfortable from day one.

The post How to Create an Inviting and Pleasant Experience for Residents? appeared first on Saar Management Blog.

The Importance of Communication

Communicating with your tenants is a fundamental element of management. As a property manager, it’s important that you do everything you can to make yourself available—and responsive—to your tenants. Simply answering their questions promptly or dealing with minor maintenance issues as they arise. Don’t underestimate these seemingly small actions; they go a long way in creating goodwill among your tenants and strengthening relationships. Plus, responding promptly and professionally demonstrates that you truly care about them as individuals and are committed to their success at home. In turn, tenants who feel cared for tend to be more satisfied with their homes and stay longer than those who don’t.

A Good Start

Don’t wait until there is a problem, or you need to communicate, to introduce yourself and offer to be of assistance. That first connection is crucial.

Addressing Issues Quickly

Making sure you respond quickly to tenant concerns is essential in building good tenant relations. Whether it’s a clogged toilet or a door that won’t lock, dealing with issues as they arise is better than waiting for a full-blown complaint. When tenants don’t have immediate access to someone who can help them fix an issue, they may feel frustrated and contact their landlord with a more serious problem.  This will cost you time and money—not to mention goodwill—and could result in your tenants moving out early. You should also be sure to address any maintenance issues right away, so your property doesn’t fall into disrepair over time.

Why Apologizing Makes a Difference

Most tenants understand that you can’t control everything in your rental property. The occasional leaky faucet or stray bug is simply part of life. But it only takes one poor experience with a landlord or property manager for tenants to become frustrated and want to leave.  When things go wrong, make sure to apologize—and then fix whatever went wrong as quickly as possible. Apologizing will show tenants that you care about their experience, and fixing problems will show them that you are willing to work hard on their behalf. And both of these actions will help keep them from looking elsewhere when they need a new place to live!

Don’t Ignore Problems

Address tenant issues immediately—whether they are small or large. The faster you fix problems, no matter how large or small will give your tenants a better overall experience. Addressing their issues quickly and professionally will help ensure that they have positive associations with your property management company. If you’re unable to address an issue when it first arises, be sure to follow up with them and let them know that you are working on resolving their problem and give them an estimated time for completion of repairs.

Know Who You Are Dealing With

Before taking any kind of action, it’s important to understand your tenant and what they’re all about. Read through their lease, talk with other employees about them. This will help you deal with your tenant in a way that doesn’t make them feel like a stranger, but rather someone who is already familiar to you. If there are things on their lease that aren’t being followed, such as late rent payments or damage done by them or a pet, address these issues right away so they don’t become bigger problems later on.

Keep It Positive

One of your top priorities as a property manager is to keep tenants happy. After all, satisfied tenants pay their rent on time and keep noise levels low. Negative comments about your company on social media, on review sites, or in forums could lead prospective renters to look elsewhere. And if existing tenants post negative remarks, it’s likely other people will hear about it—and possibly complain as well. To prevent that from happening, encourage positive reviews by being responsive and fair when dealing with tenant issues: If a resident has an issue they can’t resolve with you or one of your employees, ask how you can help rectify the situation quickly—and then follow through.

Their Attitude

Most often your tenant will respond with friendliness as well. Sometimes you get a tenant that is hostile and combative. Take a deep breath and try to remember this is not about you. I tell myself I don’t know all the issues in their life or business. Let them vent if they need to, and respond quickly to their problem.

Offer Solutions, Not Excuses

If a tenant brings up an issue, don’t just say it is what it is. Instead, explain how you plan to address it and offer solutions. It will show your tenants that you’re listening and working with them rather than blaming them for a problem.  A little bit of effort can go a long way in building trust and fostering better relationships.

Increased Job Satisfaction

A bonus to this style of communication is increased job satisfaction. If you see the shopping centers, industrial buildings, office complexes, or apartment communities you manage as a to-do list of problems to be solved you are going to burn out in commercial property management. If you see them as a place full of interesting people that you can help, coming to work has real satisfaction.

Summary

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