This quarter’s Message Mission was all about ideas that center on resident interactions, either during the sale or during the residency. Here are a few great ideas that we’ve seen to bring these vintage ideas back to vogue.

Cards, Post-its, Magnets in the model unit highlighting the best features
■ We love the vinyl clings that can be found everywhere from Amazon to Etsy. They’re great for drawing attention to the best your floor plan has to offer.
■ Chalk surface coated clings are also fantastic for giving a nice, handwritten, organic feel to your highlights.
■ Rotating slideshow digital picture frames in each large area can be a fun way to showcase your property’s best assets. Even better – they’ve dropped dramatically in price over the last few years and you can even buy them second hand for a larger savings.

Your “We Love Our Residents” campaign
■ Drop the slogan and just call it what it is – “We Want Your Renewal!” or “We Want You To Stay!” Gen Y gravitates more towards honesty and transparency in marketing campaigns and may be turned off by a slogan that doesn’t just call it as it is.
■ Instead of throwing large parties like a cookout to try to show your resident that you love them, why not take that budget and pay for something else that will benefit them more, like an outdoor workout circuit track, or better equipment for the business center, or even paying the bill to provide wifi out by the pool and throughout the clubhouse? A hot dog only satisfies for so long…improved amenities really show your residents the love, and help to get you that renewal!

Move in gifts
■ One of the nicest things you can give as a move in gift is a night out. A gift certificate for a nice dinner and a pair of passes for the movie theatre nearest your property.
■ During the pre-move in paperwork, develop a system to set up their cable and internet installation so that it is on and ready to go the day they set up their home in your community. It’s tiny, and it may not seem like something that’s a big deal, but after a day of moving, all you want to do is sit down and relax, and for most Americans, that’s going to involve cable or internet.