How often do you invite your tenants out to socialize? Perhaps you've thrown pizza parties and cookie decorating contests, cocktail mixers and movie nights. Chances are good that despite your best intentions, these events are not well-attended. It's not just you: apartment community events have a familiar sense of forced fun that harkens back to introductions on the first day of school. The only difference? Your tenants aren't forced to participate. Scott Safadi of Cal Bay Property Management encourages property managers to stay the course, though: these events can foster a real sense of community and encourage folks to stick around another year.
It's time to go beyond the stereotypes and really look at why people aren't showing up. Be honest with yourself: are you advertising your events with fidelity? A flyer pinned in the laundry room and an email sent to the spam folders of your residents does nobody any good. If you're trying to get people psyched for the event, talk it up. Get a few extroverted staff members and residents on board and really make the event something memorable and exciting.
Even if you're advertising your event well, people won't make time for it unless they really want to attend. The reality is that we're all incredibly busy, and our free time on nights and weekends is precious. Try mixing up your offerings and play around with what works best for your community. Maybe no one came to your pizza party on a Thursday night, but bagel Mondays the first week of the month could be a more natural fit for some groups.
Most importantly, it's crucial to make your event memorable. These get togethers are not just for the fun of it. You're trying to build a real sense of camaraderie and community among your residents. Create events that will be a blast to attend and encourage people to bring the whole family down. Pet costume contests for Halloween, for instance, can create fun memories and a new tradition that folks will look forward to year after year.
Even if your latest event has resulted in only a limited number of guests, it's important to keep trying! Keep your enthusiasm and energy levels high and your tenants will naturally gravitate towards you!
- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management
