10 Fun Ideas and Ways to Engage Your Multifamily Residents

Discover ten resident engagement ideas that not only enhance multifamily community spirit but also improve retention rates in your properties.

What is multifamily resident engagement?

Resident engagement involves strategies and activities designed to improve the quality of life for residents within a multifamily community.

Building great relationships with your residents will lead to lease renewals, positive online reviews, referrals, and less angry phone calls. There are plenty of fun and cost-effective ways you can show your residents you care about them and their experience at your property.

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Ten multifamily community ideas to boost resident engagement:

Event #1: Complimentary Gift Wrapping Station

Have an unused corner of your lobby area? Create a handy little gift wrapping station that your residents will swoon over!

It is a great opportunity for resident engagement to check in and connect with your residents while they are wrapping gifts. Also, because you’ll need to stock it with different wrapping paper and ribbons depending on the time of year, it will nicely complement your holiday lobby decor.

This unique and thoughtful, low-cost amenity will set your property apart from the rest!

Event #2: Community Garden

Community gardens tend to attract higher-income residents, Baby Boomers, and Traditionalists, so depending on the demographics of your community, a garden may be the perfect addition to your property.

First, consult a professional landscaper to develop an accessible layout. Also, consider adding a compost bin to offset waste and enrich the soil naturally. Once your garden is up and running, host a “green thumb” contest, and post a picture of the winning plant, fruit, or vegetable on your community bulletin board, resident mobile app, newsletter, and social media pages.

Read this awesome MultifamilyBiz article for more info on starting your own community garden.

Event #3: Trivia Night

Trivia nights are becoming increasingly popular at bars, restaurants, and now, multifamily communities!

Find a location on your property that will fit a few tables and chairs (maybe your lobby, or lawn area) and grab some beers, sodas, pretzels, M&Ms, notepads, and pencils. Enlist your wittiest staff member as the emcee for the night and find your trivia questions online, from a board game, or a book.

Here are a few sites with a bunch of fun questions you can use:

• Free trivia questions and answers
• 130 easy trivia questions and answers
• Trivia questions you can buy

Don’t forget to announce your Trivia Night on your bulletin board, newsletter, community mobile app, social media, and email blasts. Your residents will love testing their knowledge, getting to know their neighbors, and most importantly YOU for organizing a thoughtful and enjoyable event.

Event #4: Ice Cream Social

This idea is so sweet and simple, but there are certainly ways to spice it up!

Everyone loves ice cream, but you can kick it up a notch by bringing in a local gelato cart vendor, or setting up a banana split bar. Maybe consider moving away from the idea of ice cream completely, and host a build-your-own s’mores bar (especially if your property has a fire pit) with unique ingredients to add like Nutella, peanut butter, oreos, or chocolate chip cookies (to use instead of graham crackers).

As with any event you organize, don’t forget to announce it on your community mobile app and every social media platform available so you get the most bang for your buck. Sweet treats are the best opportunity to connect with your residents, and show them some love.

Event #5: Interior Design Consultations

Not everyone is Martha Stewart, some residents may need a little help in the creativity department. Encourage them to make their space feel like home by offering interior design consultations.

Laurel & Wolf and Havenly are similar platforms that offer room design services starting as low as $79 per space. Hiring an interior design service would be a great draw for new residents, or a sweet way to reward loyal ones who sign longer lease agreements.

Event #6: Scavenger Hunt

There’s no better way to bring out your residents’ “inner-child” than a good old fashioned scavenger hunt.

You can purchase a bunch of ping pong balls or plastic rings, or rubber duckies like Camden Living did and hide them all over your property. When your residents find them, they can turn them into the office to claim a prize. This gives you the chance to chat with them, and maybe hand out some branded gear.

Some argue the best scavenger hunts involve riddles! If you go this route, each riddle they find leads them to another riddle until they finally reach a prize (hidden mimosa bar maybe?).

Feel free to use the following riddles, and/or come up with your own! 

• Your managers work to get lots of things done. Applications and leases and all kinds of fun. They sometimes will sit at their desk in their chair. Low and behold, your next clue is there.

Treasure hunt clue answer: Under your office chair

• I’m stuck with articles, ads, and info. Lots of things that people want you to know. Papers and invites just hanging around. Somewhere up there the next clue can be found.

Treasure hunt clue answer: Notice board

• Fire me up and I’ll get nice and hot. During fun summer nights I’m a coveted spot. Wipe me down when you’re done and don’t be a slob. But enjoy your burgers and corn on the cob.

Treasure hunt clue answer: BBQ

Event #7: Doggie/Kitty Photo Contest

If your property is pet friendly, let your residents show off their fur babies and compete for a prize.

With National Pet Day on April 11th, you can create categories like, funniest pet photo, sleepiest pet photo, happiest pet photo, etc. Just have your residents post their entries on social media using your hashtag, and then re-post the winning photos on your social platforms.

People are bound to connect with like-minded pet parents in your community and plan playdates. When your residents know and love their neighbors, the number of complaints will decrease and number of lease renewals will increase.

Event #8: Hashtag Contest

If your community doesn’t allow pets, you can still run a successful UGC (user-generated content) hashtag contest. Do you have a current hashtag for your management company or property? Build brand awareness, and increase resident engagement by running a few social media contests throughout the year.

Maybe during the holidays, ask your residents to post a picture of the wreath on their door using your hashtag, and the most creative wreath photo wins. Or if your property has a defining sign, gate, or water feature, encourage your residents to post fun pictures posing with that feature (and be sure to use your hashtag!).

After your contest is over and prizes have been distributed to all of your winners, don’t forget to share and re-post. This will make your residents feel special and involved in the community; it also gives you great content for your social platforms.

Event #9: Car Wash Service

Hire a local or mobile car wash company like Spiffy to come to your property and get your residents’ cars spic and span in the parking garage or parking lot if you have one.

Set up a waiting area with beer and snacks for residents to enjoy and mingle with each other while their cars are detailed.

Event #10: Leadership Lectures

If you have solid relationships with your residents, and know what they do for a living, ask if they would be interested in sharing their expertise with the rest of the community. Host a monthly or bi-annual lecture in your rec center, or common area.

Do you have a CPA at your property? Ask them to share tips and best practices during tax season. Maybe there is a nurse or doctor who would be willing to answer general health questions, and share new medical practices.

They may be willing to speak for free, or incentivise them with a gift card, $100 off next month’s rent, etc. 

More resident engagement ideas for your multifamily communities

Take a look at your budget, analyze your community demographics, and conclude what the most successful resident engagement activity will be for your property. What will be a hit with your residents?

Need help coming up with other ideas for resident engagement? We have created a custom multifamily resident event idea calendar chock-full of unique and seasonal community get-togethers. You can download the calendar for free, and easily promote your events with our complimentary Instagram story pack!