Hospitality a key draw for residents looking for a place to call home.

Not every rental community has a honeybee farm, “speakeasy,” golf simulator or “doggie dates.” But apartment developers, owners and operators say they’re trying to get creative to attract and retain residents for extra reasons that go beyond the baseline of clean, well-kept units, based on what might be a hit with their geography and demographics.

Greenbelt, Md.-based Bozzuto Management Company, which primarily serves as a third-party manager of more than 125,000 units across the country, surveyed about 3,000 of its most satisfied residents to ask what amenities they would find most valuable. More than half listed a 24/7 concierge as most valuable, followed by delivery amenities such as package or drycleaning lockers and cold storage; wellness amenities like meditation rooms or gardens, massage rooms or saunas; and convenience amenities like an onsite grocery/market or coffee shop.

“We work closely with our development partners to design amenities that reflect the specific needs and wants of each building’s residents and the demands of its market—both now and in the future,” says Jessica Barnes, Vice President of Client Service at Bozzuto. “The ‘amenities war’ of the last decade has evolved. With more financial constraints on developers today, it’s no longer about having every amenity—it’s about having the right ones.”

Many of these amenities are service- or experience-oriented, including spaces where people can hold events, along with flexible co-working spaces where those are needed. “We zero in heavily on who is living there, are they working from home, what their habits are,” and other “psychographics,” Barnes says. High-demand wellness amenities have gone beyond pools and fitness centers to include spa-oriented items like infrared saunas, cold plunges and showers with vitamin-infused water, she adds.

Austin, Texas-based management company RPM Living, which manages 225,000 units in more than 50 markets across 30 states, took over a property with a honey bee farm about a year ago. The company recommends amenities to the asset managers, developers and equity partners for whom it works, according to Christian Belew, Managing Director of the marketing team for Dallas and the Midwest.  

At the outset of a potential relationship, though, “It’s usually not going to be the farfetched amenities,” he says. “We’re not going to sit in a pitch [meeting] and say, ‘You guys should have a bee farm.’ It’s more things like [electric vehicle] charging stations or dog parks. If we see a high family demographic in an area, we might recommend family-friendly amenities like a babysitter opportunity or a small grocery store within the community.”

Franklin, Tenn.-based Bristol Development Group, which has created just shy of 12,000 units and currently has 1,720 in its portfolio in five southeastern states—with another 500-plus under construction in Virginia and Tennessee—considers what sounds cool and what will be practical, says Alissa McClard, Director of Asset Management.

“Some ideas are too much to bring to the multifamily space—a great idea in theory, but hard to execute,” she says. The company’s principal partner and McClard’s immediate supervisor work hand-in-hand to find new areas, which have included golf simulators at three properties, and “a lot of their finds come from traveling, and from the hotel world,” she adds. But that requires asking, “How can we take this concept and make it work for multifamily?”

Los Angeles-based Sky Properties, which manages about 2,000 units in approximately 45 developments and offers “doggie dates” in addition to facility-oriented amenities, has a similar philosophy, according to CEO Kari Negri.

“We do them where we can,” she says. “We always like to do an inspection of the property to get an assessment of what the demographic is, what we think people would like, what wouldn’t cause harm in the future to the property. You want to know who’s in your building and what they would want. Then, we go and look at the outside, look at the inside, and say, ‘What can we do? What can we improve?’”

Honey and Biscuits

The honeybee farm and a nearby garden at the property RPM Living manages, dubbed Shelby Ranch, opened last October in southwest Austin and will have 302 units once it’s fully leased up, Belew says. The bee farm consists of two hives and sits at the front of the community, and over the winter, the bees were “cooking, so to speak,” he says. “We haven’t quite gotten to the point where we take the honey out and start distributing it to the residents.”

The garden, closer to the community’s pool, will have fresh herbs and vegetables, and also contains a chicken coop with hens that will be laying fresh eggs to be distributed to residents, Belew says. “It sets the ambience for the community in a rustic, kind of country setting,” he says. “It is near a wildlife habitat. This land also used to be a ranch. They’ve kept a lot of the native plants. …The architecture, colors and design are very focused on keeping the roots of the location.”

While residents might be asked if they want to help with the garden, Belew does not anticipate they will be directly involved with the chicken coop or, certainly, the bees. “We don’t want any bee stings,” he says. “It’s all a work in progress, figuring out how we want to do it. There will be some type of expert who will come out and pull the honey and bottle it. I imagine we will try to turn it into an event. We might have some biscuits.”

At another property RPM manages, a 340-unit community in Fort Worth, Texas, called The Dawson at Berkshire, residents can take advantage of what’s being called a “speakeasy.” There is no alcohol served in the room, but it has suede chairs and booths and could be used as an after-party location, Belew says, in addition to a quiet hangout place.

What makes it a “speakeasy” is that it’s accessed through a hidden door in an otherwise normal-looking bookshelf. “There’s one section you can push through, where you can take coffee or an adult beverage,” he says. In the Dallas area, “There’s been an uptick in speakeasy popularity. …You have this standard front area, and then if you walk toward the back and give a password, you can go to another section of the bar. That’s what we’re playing on here—a cool, secret area that you can sneak off to.”

Golf Simulators and Meditation Spaces

Bristol Development Group has put in golf simulators in three communities, which allow residents to practice their swings and also can be used to play other games, such as “zombie dodgeball,” McClard says.  

“This is a highly loved amenity,” she says. “The dodgeball game has zombies running around and you’re throwing a ball at them, virtually.” With the golf simulator, “You have a little green, a movie theater screen with a projector in the ceiling, and the technology is able to sense when the item hits that screen.”

Another community that Bristol developed, located near the PGA Tour’s headquarters in Florida, has a putting green in addition to the golf simulator, in an area that previously had been just a grass lawn, McClard says. “It fits into the theme, and we’ve also been able to work it into leasing specials, like an extra $500 off if you putt in three tries. The simulators are more heavily used, solely because they’re inside. You’re protected from the elements.” But for those involved in the PGA, “Being able to go and practice their putting game is really appealing. I’m not sure you would have the same result in the middle of Kentucky.”

Bristol has added meditation spaces in several communities, featuring a meditation pod, which “offers residents a new and fun way to unwind after a long day, or a workout session,” McClard says. “You can pick which programs you want to do. It leads you through guided meditation and has colors that go along with that meditation. The look of them is part of what makes them so fun.”

Doggie Dates

Many properties managed by Sky Properties do “doggie dates” and other events for residents with pets—such as special days when local veterinarians, groomers and pet stores come to a building and set up small stations, so residents get to know them—which Negri says are super-popular.

The dates involve “groups getting together and doing a dog walk, or going down to a dog park, and meeting other dog owners, getting to know your neighbors,” she says. “With everything done digitally, it’s hard to get to know other people. It’s also safer to know your neighbors.”

In terms of actual physical amenities, Sky Properties set up a lending library in the shared laundry room of a 36-unit building in North Hollywood called Valley Vine. The company painted the room a pastel color and put up wallpaper with a laundry line design, then installed bookshelves, Negri says, and loaded them with books purchased at a garage sale for a dollar each.

“We were afraid it would gather dust,” she says. “It turned out to be a great amenity for the building. People would read them while they were doing laundry. We put a place for them to sit down and read.” They originally put in 25 books, which residents are allowed to take out if they want and sometimes contribute their own; along with a stack of magazines, and a DVD player with extra DVDs, some of which had been left behind in storage by people who moved out.  

“We brought them out and used them,” Negri adds. “The residents loved it! They would take books and leave books, magazines and even music CDs. It became a conversation starter for some, as well. One such encounter ended up in a marriage—and, unfortunately, a vacancy. For Sky, it is always important to build sense of community, and this can be done easily and inexpensively at times.”

At another property called 333B, a 69-unit community near downtown Los Angeles, Sky Properties put in a rooftop spa, an upstairs deck for yoga and meditation complete with trees “that made it pretty,” and invited local artists to set up art shows and local businesses come to meet residents, Negri says. That development also has hosted days for pet owners to meet local service providers.  

“We have a dog in almost every unit,” she says. “Depending on a property’s budget, you can go big or go small, but the details are what matter. Little extra touches can go a long way and have always been successful when executed thoughtfully.”

Salt Room and Cold Plunge

A client of Bozzuto, Middle Street Partners, will be opening a two-tower development in midtown Atlanta this spring, dubbed The Juniper and The Reserve at Juniper, developed in partnership with AECOM-Canyon Partners.  

The Juniper will have 320 units across 37 stories, with top-floor amenities like co-working suites, a fitness center and a hot yoga studio. The Reserve at Juniper will have 167 units across 34 stories, with a member’s only social club and wellness component with a full range of programming, along with a rooftop spa that offers a private pool, sauna, cold plunge and range of spa services. Membership to the club is included for residents of The Reserve, while residents of The Juniper will have the opportunity to join for a fee.

Every property in Bozzuto’s management stable holds a Resident Appreciation Day (RAD) one day per year, all on the same day, but with different amenities offered based on the property’s location and resident base, Barnes says.  

“There’s always a theme,” she says. “There might be an espresso bar in the morning, where they bring in a local barista, a live music activation in the evening, and surprise-and-delight activations throughout the day. …The properties put their own spin on the theme and localize it, and they take a lot of pride in coming up with ideas and execution. On social media, we always have a hashtag. The residents take a lot of pride in participating in that. It’s another way we try to subtly connect residents with one another and make them feel a sense of belonging to a larger community—we see them, we appreciate them.”

The eighth annual RAD was celebrated last June 27, with the theme “Camp Bozzuto,” which used the standard #BozzutoRAD hashtag as well as a one-off #CampBozzuto, according to Kelley Shannon, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Customer Experience.  

“We create an internal playbook with ideas for several fun events, surprise and delights, social media assets, giveaways and a photo collection to make it easy on the site teams to create their magic,” she says. “The site teams get very excited and created some truly magical activations. We typically see a nice spike in reviews after RAD as residents are happy and feeling inspired to share their experience of living in their community with others.”

With this and other amenities, “We try to make sure it’s purposeful and has a story,” Barnes says. “It’s all about creating a space where people feel welcome, supported and, hopefully, a part of the fabric of the community. Creating a sense of belonging for residents is part of our DNA.”

Ed Finkel is a freelancer for units.