Happy residents are a powerful, living-proof marketing solution in an active adult community. Their satisfaction, which often leads to referrals, is a key factor in the community's lift-off and sustaining success. Hyper-discerning 55+ consumers, who know what they want and are not easily swayed, underscore the importance of positive interactions between customers and residents for sales success.

On average, active adult buyers visit a community seven times before purchasing a home. Whether attending a lifestyle marketing event or just driving through the neighborhood looking for residents to talk with, resident satisfaction and delight leave the prospective buyer with a positive impression of the community. The typical active adult consumer is proud and territorial, and they have more time and life experience than a conventional homebuyer. They tend to have remarkably high expectations, so it is necessary to manage those expectations from Day One.

For builders and developers of 55+ communities, the goal is to successfully transition to resident control of the HOA near the end of new-home sales. As you craft the vision and implementation plan for your 55+ community — full of satisfied residents who collaborate with you rather than against you — keep the following five steps in mind. 

1. Hire a Quality Community Property Management Company

For the growing category of small-scale 55+ communities where the HOA budget cannot pay for a full-time, on-site community manager and/or lifestyle director, it is crucial to find a partner in your property management company who understands both the demanding 55+ resident and your goals. Before searching and vetting companies, prepare a list of requirements that includes their communication platform, experience with 55+ communities, the ideal community manager profile, a consistent presence in the community (at least weekly), their processes and platforms to manage maintenance issues and lifestyle orientation. 

2. Communicate Well and Often

When you are not communicating, your 55+ residents fill in the void with rumors and untruths. To avoid this, be sure to overcommunicate with your 55+ residents. Anticipate their needs and expectations with clear, consistent communication. Initiate a monthly newsletter to residents from Day One and set the expectation that you want them to be aware of the exciting progress in the community, including development, sales, closings, etc. Plan on monthly open board meetings that begin with your first month of closings. Establish the community management company as the liaison between you and the residents. 

3. Respect Residents’ Intentions and Life Experience

Your 55+ residents likely have free time and life experience that they intend to invest in their community with the best intentions. They will not be apathetic like busy families or working residents in a conventional all-ages community. Identify your resident advocates early and put effort into creating a partnership. Initiate a resident adviser role as a liaison between the residents and the developer. These advisers are your eyes and ears in the community and demonstrate to the residents that you are listening, but you are in control. Ensure your property management company demonstrates this understanding in daily interactions with every resident. Your actual control depends on your ongoing positive resident relations, which relies heavily on your property manager's skill at understanding and managing your residents accordingly.

4. Focus on Transparency

From the first moment of engagement, brand awareness, and throughout the customer journey and resident relations, transparency in all your communication and interactions with your sales prospects and residents will build trust crucial to selling homes and maintaining positive resident relations in the community. An FAQ is an effective way to both control the narrative and provide answers to the questions of 55+ prospective homebuyers. Anticipate the sensitivity to monthly expenses and the motivation to be in a community where it’s easy to participate as much or as little as they want. It is essential to demonstrate that there is a plan and structure they can easily plug into that will manage the community to their benefit.

5. Invest in Resident Relations

There is a personality profile within the 55+ crowd that loves to start the party. In your early marketing and pre-sales strategy, target this profile with messaging about being the first to ‘create community’ to generate leads, boost traffic, and sell homes early. Tap into that personality and motivation to lay a strong foundation for ongoing, highly favorable resident relations. Launch a founders program, typically made up of the first 10 to 30 homebuyers, often as a result of your VIP pre-sales event. A founders program celebrates the first residents with lifestyle events and merchandise while they are waiting for their new home within your community, and it is a best practice for reducing cancellations. Your founders will likely lead your resident committees, which will include finance, activities/lifestyle, and architectural/landscaping reviews.

Also important is a welcoming committee that will ensure a process for ‘onboarding’ new residents. This way, everyone feels included and knows how to plug in on Day One.