In the blog “How to Become an Award-Winning 5-Star Apartment Syndicator,” I explained how an apartment syndicator won two back-to-back Rental Owner of the Year awards by hosting frequent resident appreciation events.
In this blog, I want to expand upon this strategy by providing a list of 51 more event ideas for luxury apartments and apartment communities.
Resident appreciation events have massive benefits:
They foster an inclusive community.
Hosting resident appreciation events offers residents the chance to engage within the community. They get to know their neighbors, as well as the management staff, forming relationships that are deeper than merely being acquittances.
Hosting resident appreciation parties also motivates the residents to leave reviews (which is important for the community's reputation) and recommend the community space to their friends and colleagues.
As a result, residents will likely stay longer, treat the apartment community with more respect, be more courteous to their neighbors and the staff, and pay their rent on time.
Overall, hosting apartment resident events will result in higher occupancy, less turnover, lower bad debt, better and more leads, and higher-quality residents, which means a higher net operating income.
The type of resident appreciation party to host depends on the resident demographic. In other words, the type of event hosted at an A-class luxury apartment will usually differ from the event hosted at a C-class property in a working-class neighborhood. Use common sense when brainstorming party ideas.
Here’s a list of 51 more resident appreciation party ideas for all seasons such as fall and summer, back to school, holidays, and everything in between.
1. Valentine’s Day Card-Making Event: Set up a card-making station in the clubhouse.
2. Speed Dating Event: For the single residents only!
3. Flowers for Mom: Free flower pots in the clubhouse for residents to give to their moms.
4. Mother’s Day Card Making: Set up a card-making station in the clubhouse.
5. Gift-Wrapping Station: Set up a gift-wrapping station in the clubhouse.
6. Fireworks: Most likely fireworks viewing, unless you want to do your own fireworks (depending on the local laws).
7. Pool Party: With hot dogs, burgers, chips, and drinks.
8. Costume Competition: Host a costume party and have everyone vote on the best costume, with the winner receiving a Halloween-themed gift.
9. Pumpkin Carving Party: Host a pumpkin carving event and have everyone vote on the best jack-o'-lantern with the winner receiving a Halloween-themed gift.
10. Caramel Apple Bar: Set up a caramel apple-making station in the clubhouse.
11. Trick-or-Treating: Door-to-door trick-or-treating.
12. Gingerbread House Competition: Host a gingerbread house-making competition and have everyone vote on the best house with the winner receiving a holiday-themed gift.
13. Pictures with Santa: Have someone dress up as Santa and take pictures with the children.
14. Cookie Frosting: Set up a cookie frosting station in the clubhouse.
15. Cookies and Hot Cocoa Party: Host a party where you offer cookies and hot cocoa.
16. Ugly Sweater Party: Everyone dresses up in their ugliest sweater. Offer refreshments in the clubhouse.
17. Movie Night: Watch It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, or your favorite holiday movie.
18. White Elephant: Host a gift exchange party in the clubhouse.
19. Sip-N-Sweet Mondays/Fridays: Set up a coffee and donut station in your clubhouse.
20. Wine Tasting: Set up a wine tasting station with cheeses in your clubhouse.
21. Take-and-Bake Pizza Parties: Set up a pizza-making station in the clubhouse. Residents can come in, make a custom pizza, and take it home to cook.
22. Pops(icles) by the Pool: Hand out popsicles on a hot day at the pool.
23. Snowcones in the Shade: Hand out snowcones on a hot day at the pool.
24. Sundae Sunday: Set up an ice cream sundae-making station in the clubhouse.
25. Taco Tuesday: Set up a taco-making station in the clubhouse.
26. Pancakes and Pajamas: Offer pancakes on a Saturday or Sunday morning to residents who show up to the clubhouse in their pajamas.
27. Breakfast-on-the-Go: Purchase portable breakfast foods (burritos are the best) and juice and give them to the residents while they drive through the gate on their way to work. You could also pack brown bag breakfasts or lunches for the kids, or hand out bagels or muffins instead.28. Back-to-School Party: Host a pool party for the kids on the weekend before school starts.
29. Fro-yo Friday: Set up a frozen yogurt station in the clubhouse.
30. Egg Hunt: Host an egg hunt on Easter Sunday.
31. Back-to-School Bingo Bash: Winners get free school supplies.
32. Teddy Bear Picnic: Picnic for the kids with their favorite stuffed animal.
33. Games Night: Have the kids bring their favorite games to the clubhouse for a game night.
34. Legos and Eggos: Serve waffles and offer Legos for the kids.
35. Water Balloon War: Dodgeball, but with water balloons.
36. Astronomy Night: Invite astronomers from a nearby observatory or university, asking them to bring along a telescope, and invite the kids to gaze at the night sky.
37. Arts and Crafts: Set up craft-making or finger-painting stations in the clubhouse.
38. Chalk Party: Provide children with sidewalk chalk to write on the parking lot or sidewalks and have a hopscotch competition with prizes.
39. Superhero Party: Kids dress up as their favorite superheroes.
40. Princess Party: Kids dress up as their favorite princesses and have a small fashion show.
41. Pajama Party: Kids come to the clubhouse dressed up in their pajamas with their sleeping bags. Offer popcorn and s'mores, and have a movie or game night.
42. Cupcake Decorating: Set up a cupcake decorating station in the clubhouse.
43. Trivia Night: Host a trivia night in your clubhouse with prizes.
44. Game Night: Host a game night in your clubhouse with prizes.
45. Chili Cooking Class: Host a chili-making competition. Offer prizes (and maybe even a trophy) for the annual winner.
46. Poker Night: Host a Texas hold ’em poker tournament.
47. Clean Out Your Closet: Host a community-wide closet cleaning event, collecting gently used clothing from residents. Enter the participants' names into a raffle and give away a gift card to a clothing store.
48. Yard Sale: Host a yard sale in the parking lot by the clubhouse. Residents can sell and buy stuff from other residents.
49. Pool Party: Host a pool party with a DJ.
50. Fitness Classes: Host fitness classes like Zumba, aerobics, pilates, or yoga in your fitness center or at a nearby gym. You could also organize a running club, hiking club, or bike club.
51. Nacho Average Tailgate: Set up a nacho-making station in the clubhouse on game days.
About the Author:
Joe Fairless is the co-founder of Ashcroft Capital, a fully integrated multifamily investment firm with more than $2.7 billion in assets under management, and the founder of Best Ever CRE. His podcast, the Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever Show, is the world's longest-running daily real estate podcast with more than 500,000 monthly downloads.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post on social media are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or course of action.