How Property Developers Can Combat Christmas Loneliness Through PropTech
The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness. However, for many tenants, especially those living alone, it can also be a season marked by feelings of loneliness. ‘Indeed, the results of a 2018 survey looking at loneliness during Christmas time in the UK revealed that 17% of people felt more lonely over the festive period,’ say The Conversation.
Luckily, property developers have a unique opportunity to go beyond bricks and mortar and to create connected communities among their residents.
In this blog, we'll explore how property developers can leverage PropTech to foster connections and eliminate loneliness among tenants during the festive season.
The Loneliness Challenge
Loneliness is a pervasive issue, and can be exacerbated during the holiday season when we are bombarded with images of happy groups of people and large families, celebrating together.
For tenants living in multi-unit developments, the challenge of the housing provider is not just about providing comfortable living spaces, but striving to create an environment where residents feel a sense of belonging.
Property developers can play a crucial role in addressing this issue in a number of ways, including the incorporation of technology solutions that facilitate social interactions and community building.
PropTech Solutions for Connected Communities
Using the latest technologies might not seem an obvious choice when it comes to the task of eliminating loneliness. The relationship between our declining mental health and the emergence of social media is a contentious issue, after all.
However, there are certain applications whose tools and features can have a positive impact on our mental wellbeing and work to bring us together rather than pull us apart.
Community Engagement Platforms
There are PropTech platforms that developers can invest in, such as our resident engagement and property management app, Spaciable Living, which have been designed to connect residents with one another.
Spaciable Living includes a Chat feature, which can serve as a virtual community where tenants can communicate by posting updates, images, sharing experiences, and organising events or group activities.
PropTech that offers features such as event calendars and group messaging, as Spaciable Living does, can bring neighbours together to help foster a sense of community.
Virtual Social Events
At this festive time of year, landlords can build excitement for their tenants by organising virtual holiday events. These events can be hosted on video call apps and platforms, such as, Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or WhatsApp, and provide an excellent means to bring tenants together, especially for those who may not be able to travel or have no family nearby.
Property developers can use PropTech to organise these online gatherings, such as virtual holiday parties, game nights, or cooking classes, all of which create opportunities for tenants to socialise and build connections. Using apps like Spaciable Living, landlords can send Notifications across the whole development to announce these events and invite residents to attend.
Neighbour Matching Events
As a landlord, you can help connect tenants with similar interests and lifestyles. Whether it's a shared hobby, fitness routine, or similar cultural background, you have the chance to identify potential connections and encourage meaningful interactions.
One way to help your tenants form lasting friendships is to host events where neighbours can get together to meet and get to know each other.
The type of event you host should depend largely on who your tenants are. As Landrent Resources explain, ‘For example, if you have young families living on-site, a movie night could be an enjoyable event, while a wine and cheese gathering may be too formal for the occasion.’
They go on to advise, ‘To gain some insight, consider holding a survey to get an understanding of what type of event your tenants would find appealing and enjoyable.’
To gauge what event your tenants would enjoy, you could use tools such as Spaciable Living’s Survey feature, which can also be used after the event to find out whether your tenants enjoyed the experience.
If you find that more than one of your proposed ideas for an event are popular, then it might be worth considering hosting two events. This will naturally bring those with similar ideas of fun together, working as a great first step to friendship.
Community Bulletin Boards
Utilising digital bulletin boards, such as the Digital Signage feature on Spaciable Living, allows landlords to post announcements, share resources, or help tenants seeking companionship during the holiday season.
These digital signs are an extremely effective way to get your tenants interested in an upcoming event. ComQi reveals, ‘Studies have shown that digital signage has a recall rate of 83% and captures more than 400% more views than static displays.’
These digital signs can be used to notify tenants about Meet the Neighbours events or other group activities that could bring your tenants together.
Holiday Assistance Programs
Property developers can help their tenants and create meaningful relationships by co-ordinating holiday assistance programmes, where tenants can volunteer to help one another with tasks like food shopping, putting up their Christmas decorations, or even providing companionship during the festive season.
There is a natural tendency to want to help others at Christmas, as revealed by social psychology lecturer, Dr Elle Boag, in a report by the BBC: ‘We are intrinsically compelled to help other people but there's something about Christmas time which fuels that desire.’ So, to facilitate volunteer programmes such as this over the festive period will bring joy and be beneficial to both the giver and the recipient.
Using a digital platform like Spaciable Living allows you to streamline the organisation and execution of such initiatives, using either the Chat or Notifications features.
Benefits of Connected Communities
There are many benefits to be had from working to transform your developments into connected communities. As argued by Factory School, ‘Community building can help reduce social isolation and improve mental health by giving people a sense of belonging and community.’ For landlords, the benefits are most applicable to three key areas.
Reduced Loneliness
By actively promoting community engagement, property developers can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness among their tenants. The festive season can be a difficult time for those of us who live alone, and yet can also provide the perfect opportunity to form new friendships that will outlive the Christmas period.
Plus, building connections and fostering a sense of community can contribute to improved mental wellbeing, improving the quality of life for your residents year-round.
Enhanced Tenant Satisfaction
A sense of belonging enhances tenant satisfaction. Happy and connected residents are more likely to renew leases and speak positively about their living experiences, contributing to a positive reputation for the landlord.
As reported by Nelda Schulte in an article titled, ‘Why Building Community is Good Business for Landlords’: ‘Building strong ties that bind residents together has been proven to reduce crime, improve the neighbourhood, reduce rental turnover, lessen complaints,’ and ultimately make life more enjoyable for those living on one of your developments.
Improved Property Value
Properties with a strong sense of community are often more attractive to potential tenants, so it’s a good idea to evidence the sense of community you’ve created, possibly using features such as digital signage to advertise upcoming group events, so that these can be seen by potential tenants viewing one of your properties.
This community aspect on your developments can lead to increased demand and, consequently, improved property values.
PropTech investments that prioritise community building, such as Spaciable Living, can yield long-term benefits for property developers.
Finally, during this festive season, property developers can seize the opportunity to go beyond traditional roles and truly impact the lives of their tenants.
Leveraging PropTech to create connected communities fosters a sense of belonging and addresses the pervasive issue of loneliness, especially at Christmas. By investing in these innovative solutions, property developers can build not only structures but also vibrant, supportive communities where tenants thrive socially and emotionally, making the holiday season a time of warmth, connection, and shared joy.