Residential real estate
Delivering expert insights on resident engagement strategies, resident perks, and the how-tos on how to help residents save.
Guides for residential real estate leaders
Residential real estate refers to properties that are used for living purposes, as opposed to commercial or industrial real estate which is used for business and industrial activities. Our content includes how-tos, guides, industry trends, and news about resident perks, rewards, and engagement.
Latest
Senior living communities and the case for resident perks
Senior living operators are discovering that resident satisfaction depends on more than clean hallways and attentive staff. This post examines how senior living resident rewards give property managers a practical way to build loyalty, ease the transition into community living, and encourage the referrals that keep occupancy strong. Property managers will find guidance on structuring a rewards program suited to an older resident base, along with the measurable business case for making perks part of daily community life.
Student housing loyalty programs: Driving renewals before graduation
Student housing operators face a unique renewal challenge: residents graduate, transfer, or move on every year, often before property teams can build lasting loyalty. This post explores how student housing rewards programs help operators reach residents earlier in the lease cycle, reward the actions that matter most, and make renewal the easy choice. Property managers will find practical guidance on structuring perks, measuring return on investment, and turning short lease cycles into long-term retention wins.
How Co-Living Operators Can Use Rewards To Boost Community Retention
Modern residents expect more than just a place to live. They seek experiences, connections, and value-added services that justify their housing investment. Rewards programs address these expectations while providing operators with measurable tools to influence resident behavior and satisfaction.
Perks Programs For Build-To-Rent Communities: What'S Different
Traditional apartment perks programs often emphasize convenience and cost reduction. Build-to-rent programs need to emphasize lifestyle enhancement, community connection, and premium service experiences. This shift requires different partnership strategies, benefit structures, and communication approaches.
AppFolio and resident rewards: closing the engagement gap
Property managers running communities on AppFolio often assume the platform handles resident engagement on its own. In practice, AppFolio is built for operations, not motivation. This article breaks down where AppFolio resident engagement naturally falls short, what a dedicated rewards layer adds, and how property managers can use move-in perks, autopay incentives, and local discounts to close the gap, without replacing the software they already rely on every day.
Integrating perks into Entrata: A guide for multifamily operators
Multifamily operators looking to strengthen resident retention are turning to Entrata perks integration to connect rewards directly with everyday leasing and payment events. This guide explains how the integration works behind the scenes, what data is shared between systems, and why automated, portal-based perks outperform manual engagement efforts. It also covers implementation steps, expected ROI, and what property managers should evaluate when choosing an Entrata-compatible perks partner for their portfolio.
Does RealPage Support Resident Rewards? What Operators Should Know
Many property managers assume RealPage handles resident rewards on its own, but the platform is built for property operations, not incentive delivery. This article breaks down what RealPage does well, where the gaps are for resident engagement, and how operators can layer a dedicated rewards platform on top of their existing RealPage workflow. It covers autopay incentives, renewal rewards, ROI tracking, and what to look for in a RealPage-compatible perks partner.
Why are perks and rewards becoming core to the future of residential real estate?
As resident expectations evolve, perks and rewards are becoming essential for residential real estate operators. This blog explains how engagement lift through perks improves resident satisfaction, strengthens lease renewals, increases community participation, and helps property managers create long-term value while differentiating their communities in a competitive rental market.
How can gift cards and perks replace rent discounts without hurting leasing velocity?
Learn how a Rent discount loyalty program helps property managers replace costly rent concessions with gift cards and resident perks. This guide explains how loyalty-based incentives improve leasing velocity, strengthen resident engagement, increase renewals, and protect long-term rental revenue without sacrificing the resident experience.
Types of residential real estate categories include:
- Single-family homes: Stand-alone houses meant for one family or group of people.
- Apartments: Housing units in a larger building, typically owned by a single entity and rented out to individuals or families.
- Condominiums: Similar to apartments, but the units are owned individually rather than rented from a single landlord.
- Townhouses: Multi-floor homes that share one or two walls with adjacent properties but have their own entrances.
- Duplexes, Triplexes, and Quadruplexes: Buildings divided into two, three, or four units, respectively, with each unit typically having its own entrance.
- Multifamily homes: Larger buildings that house multiple families, often more than four.
- Vacation homes: Properties used for leisure and vacation purposes.
The main focus in residential real estate is providing living spaces, whether through ownership or rental. It's a significant sector in the real estate market and has a direct impact on the economy and consumers due to its essential role in providing housing.
According to the National Association of Homebuilders using US Bureau of Economic Analysis data, RRE's combined contribution to the economy usually makes up 15-18% of US GDP annually, and occurs in two basic ways:
- Residential investment (around 3-5% of GDP), means construction of new single-family and multifamily buildings, residential remodeling, manufactured home fabrication, and real estate brokers’ fees.
- Consumption spending on housing services (around 12-13% of GDP), includes gross rents and utilities paid by renters, as well as owners’ imputed rents and utility payments.
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