Student Engagement and Online Reputation Become Critical at Student Properties During COVID-19

Boosting student engagement through online reviews and reputation has never been more vital for student housing properties. Social distancing has put more emphasis on online interaction, and communities must shine online to become part of the conversation for new leases and renewals. Student housing operators are finding that effectively engaging prospects and residents online through community platforms can dramatically boost their Online Reputation Assessment (ORA) score, driving higher occupancy at stronger rent prices. Creating a strong sense of community even with minimal personal contact has helped properties get through this fall’s lease-ups and likely will have a lasting effect into 2021. “The more you engage your residents, the more you impact their experience, and by doing that you have a better chance of having a positive impact on your online reputation,” says John Hinckley, who is Vice President of Living Solutions at RealPage. “And when you have a positive, strong online reputation, you’re going to see incredible results, like more referrals, more demand, more reviews, more user-generated content created by your residents and actually sharing on social media.” The ORA scoring system was developed by J Turner, and has become the gold standard in measuring the online reputation of multifamily properties. Recently, RealPage entered into an exclusive agreement with J Turner to integrate ORA scores into its Performance Analytics Benchmarking and AI Revenue Management solutions. You can read about this important agreement here. Online reputation depends on effective student engagement Campus Advantage Communities, an Austin, Texas-based student housing property management company, has placed a heavy emphasis on building stronger online engagement by encouraging residents to post online about their communities. Participation has ultimately led to more and better online reviews that the company is using as a springboard...