How Portals are Enabling Apartments to Stay in Touch with Residents, Staff

Much of the world has realized that communication via technology can bridge a lot of gaps, whether in times of need or just to keep everyday operations moving in an ever-busy multifamily housing industry. Limited personal contact has necessitated changes in the way leases are signed, rent is paid, purchases are made and just checking in on each other. Apartments are turning to online portals to take care of the new order of business. Portal technology is nothing new and has served as a valuable conduit for linking residents to properties in preferred ways of communication. Recent industry surveys indicate that residents are steadily embracing online portals to engage property management and fellow residents. Today adoption is greater, especially for ActiveBuilding, which is a leading online portal in the multifamily housing industry. “What we’re seeing is that communities are driving adoption of a resident portal more than ever before,” said RealPage Vice President Jennifer Piccinini. “Maintaining a sense of community is very important during difficult times.” Piccinini said RealPage metrics are showing increases not just in transactional activity, such as paying rent and requesting maintenance, but in resident engagement. Residents are connecting with onsite property team members and neighbors through two-way messaging. Operators are using portals to broadcast messages to the entire community or specific residents via text or email accessible through personal devices or desktops. Residents are being encouraged to pay rent online since office hours are limited, and even getting information about necessary services in the surrounding area, including restaurants that are providing take-out. ActiveBuilding has posted a healthy 60 percent increase in message traffic in the past two months, Piccinini said. “The only way to communicate with the leasing staff is either by phone or online via email, text or chat. Residents are no...