Property management isn’t just about managing spaces. It’s about fostering environments where residents feel a genuine sense of belonging.
Science has proven there’s a simple, yet powerful way to instantly cultivate connectedness and trust – and it’s physical warmth.
In this blog, we’ll explore a scientific study that sheds light on the link between tactile temperature and feelings of interpersonal warmth (that pleasant, content feeling you get during a positive interaction with someone).
Understanding this connection can be the secret to building stronger multifamily communities - and at the end of this blog, we’ll share one simple trick that can revolutionize your community-building efforts.
The Origins
The concept of “warm” and “cold” personalities dates back to 1946, when researcher Samuel Asch demonstrated the transformational power of using the two terms as personality traits in first impressions.
Simply stated, when you meet someone, your brain almost immediately decides whether that person is warm and friendly, with good intentions, or cold and distant, with negative intentions.
The “warm-cold dimension,” along with competence, are the two main components of a first impression. The warm-cold assessment is the immediate “first pass” as to whether someone is a friend or a foe, and competence is the “second pass” evaluation of whether someone has the capacity to act on the intentions you perceive.
So why do we naturally use terms like "warm" or "cold" to describe people? Asch hinted at something interesting – our brains love drawing from concrete physical experiences to make sense of abstract psychological concepts.
Think about it. When you hold a hot cup of coffee, it feels comforting, right? That physical warmth activates memories of other feelings related to warmth, including trust and comfort. Take formative early experiences with caretakers who provide shelter and safety, for example.
In plain talk, if you've got a toasty beverage in your hand, you're more likely to feel connected and trust the people around you. Conversely, if you're cold, you'll feel more distant and guarded.
The Science
Now, let's delve into the neuroscience of it all.
Research has proven that the insular cortex, a region of the brain, processes both the physical and the psychological versions of warmth information.
To put it simply, the insular cortex is involved in both feeling warm physically and deciding if someone is trustworthy or not. It's like your brain saying, "I feel safe and warm – this person must be okay."
The Study
In 2008, based on Asch’s theories and the knowledge of the insular cortex’s functions, a team of researchers set out to test the hypothesis that tactile experiences of physical warmth activate feelings of interpersonal warmth - and that interpersonal warmth subsequently influences judgments of and behavior toward other people.
In the first experiment, participants who were asked to briefly hold a cup of hot coffee perceived the person who handed it to them as significantly warmer than those who were asked to hold an iced coffee.
The second experiment extended these findings to participants' own behavior. Under the guise of product evaluation, participants were asked to review a hot or cold therapeutic pad. As a reward for their review, participants were given the opportunity to select a gift certificate for themselves or gift one to a friend. Not surprisingly, 54% percent of heating pad evaluators gifted their reward, in comparison to only 25% of cold pad evaluators.
The Opportunities
At this point, you’re probably wondering how any of this relates to multifamily.
But, if you stop to think about it, understanding the immense impact of physical warmth on interpersonal perceptions and behavior can be a true game-changer for property management.
A coffee amenity, the ultimate source of physical warmth, may seem simple and unassuming, but it has the incredible power to build trust and likability in your community.
Want to immediately build rapport and trust with prospective residents? Hand them a warm drink before starting a tour.
Want to help residents build relationships? Host tasting events where everyone has a hot beverage in hand.
Want to generate a positive connection with your on-site team or candidates? Treat them to a warm drink during team-building activities and interviews.
Recognizing the profound influence of physical warmth on interpersonal warmth opens up exciting possibilities for community-building. With the help of coffee amenities like SipWithMe, property management leaders can turn the simple act of sharing coffee into a powerful tool for community development, making properties not just spaces to inhabit but communities to belong to.
Interested in cultivating connectedness with coffee at your property? Learn more about how SipWithMe can help you elevate your resident experience, decrease your operating expenses and build a stronger community.
In the latest episode of the "Multifamily Excellence" podcast, WithMe Founder and CEO Jonathan Treble interviews Girish Gehani, the COO of Trilogy Real Estate Group.
Trilogy Real Estate Group is a vertically integrated multifamily powerhouse, boasting a remarkable $4.5 billion in transaction volume across 14 thriving U.S. markets.
During the interview, Jonathan and Girish dive into an array of industry topics, including the game-changing strategies that have propelled Trilogy to success.
One of the most interesting insights Girish shares is the invaluable role supplier relationships can play in learning about and understanding key trends in multifamily.
He notes, "I've probably learned more from our third-party supplier partner relationships than I have from people who are sitting on my side of the table."
But why are these relationships so invaluable for property managers?
Girish explains that suppliers like WithMe engage with a multitude of clients, resulting in a unique and well-rounded vantage point of the industry. Supplier relationships have the ability to extend far beyond transactions, offering owner-operators a frontline view into market demands, operational intricacies, resident preferences and potential areas of innovation.
Girish emphasizes, “I spend a lot of my time creating those relationships in a true and authentic way, and it's been invaluable.”
This sentiment rings true for the team at WithMe. As a supplier, we are often boots on the ground, meeting with property managers all across the U.S. To deliver superior products and services, we closely monitor the operational challenges our clients face. As a result, we accumulate many data points that offer valuable insight into various parts of the industry.
Over the last year, here are three of the significant trends we’ve observed:
Labor Shortages and Overburdened Teams
Property management firms have been struggling with labor shortages for quite some time now, particularly when it comes to on-site roles, such as maintenance and leasing.
It’s undeniably a complex issue. Operational bottlenecks often stem from understaffed teams, causing delays in addressing resident needs and maintenance issues. This not only impacts the efficiency of operations and quality of service, but it also places an ever-increasing burden on existing staff members, leading to potential burnout.
To combat these issues, the industry has been turning to automation and AI.
Focus on Cost Control
With interest rates and insurance premiums continuously on the rise, property managers are under immense pressure to control costs. The challenge has been finding ways to reduce expenses without compromising service quality.
Seeking vendors and suppliers offering all-inclusive, flat-rate packages can help maintain fixed and predictable costs in an unstable environment. This especially rings true for amenities like coffee and printing, where wildly unpredictable and staggeringly high costs have become the norm.
Pilot Fatigue
The rapid rollout of new technologies in recent years has led to an unforeseen challenge—pilot fatigue.
In times like these, it’s important that property managers exercise a high level of discernment regarding the technologies they adopt. This involves developing a clear evaluation framework, particularly assessing the compatibility of new technologies with existing systems, evaluating their scalability, and ensuring comprehensive training and support for effective staff adoption.
Want to delve deeper into Jonathan and Girish's conversation? Listen to the full podcast episode on your favorite platform. If you like what you hear, be sure to leave a review and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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These are the top 3 reasons that multifamily developers should pursue LEED Certification and implement green building features in their multifamily properties.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green certification program for building design, construction, and maintenance. LEED certification is increasingly sought after by developers across all different industries. Currently there are more than 90,000 certified LEED projects in 167 countries around the world.
In order to obtain LEED Certification, projects earn points based on their ability to implement green building features relating to Location & Transportation, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Indoor Environmental Quality, and more.
These are the top 3 reasons developers should invest in green building and consider LEED certification for their multifamily properties:
Once a multifamily apartment property earns LEED Certification, there's instant brand recognition that helps establish the community as part of a network of leaders in #greenbuilding.
According to AMLI Residential's third annual Sustainable Living Index of over 3,500 residents, nearly 89% of AMLI residents are concerned about climate change and more than 61% of residents said they would be willing to pay more to live in a sustainable community.
As renters become more interested in environmental issues, the demand for sustainable living options continue to rise. LEED Certified properties lease-up as much as 20% faster than buildings that aren't certified. Newer generations of renters are taking green building features into consideration before signing leases and multifamily developers will benefit immensely from going green.
Multifamily properties benefit from green building right away as buildings typically lease-up faster, but benefits also continue well into the future.
Amenity floor at OneEleven – A LEED Gold Certified building managed by Bozzuto.
Green features can increase property value significantly, and LEED Certified buildings generate a 10 percent or greater increase in asset value as compared to average.
Profitability doesn’t stop there. Green properties also generate higher long-term ROI through increased rental income and lower operational costs.
A report on the Los Angeles rental market found that traditional buildings received rental income at an average of $2.16 per sq. ft, while tenants were willing to pay $2.91 per sq. ft for spaces that were LEED certified. That's nearly a 35% increase in rent income each month.
Additionally, LEED buildings have reported lower day-to-day costs. Reported maintenance costs are nearly 20% lower for green buildings on average, and green building retrofits typically decrease operation costs by about 10% in just one year.
The Winter Garden at Essex on the Park
Benefits of green building extend much further than just increased income for the property itself. Green features affect the health and well-being of residents too.
According to the USGBC Standard Issue report, nearly a third of those surveyed indicated they have direct, personal experience with bad health associated with poor environments or living situations. Americans spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, so the connection between green buildings and personal health is important to keep researching.
Essex on the Park is a brand new 56-story high rise in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood that was designed with wellness in mind. The multifamily development features a four story Winter Garden filled with greenery that overlooks Lake Michigan. A guided meditation app is being developed for use specifically in the Winter Garden with aim to create sanctuary for residents.
“The whole green trend in terms of energy efficiency started quite a while back, but that trend has evolved into more of a wellness/health kind of relaxation piece,” says architect, Paul Alessandro in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. “The inclusion of these green interior spaces is an outgrowth of that continuum of design bringing health and wellness into a building.”
The developers of Essex on the Park pursued WELL certification rather than LEED Certification. WELL certification focuses more directly on health and wellbeing for residents, taking in to consideration categories such as air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.
Multifamily developers have begun to implement green features and amenities as younger renters are increasingly focused on wellness, self-care, and reducing stress.
Popular examples include The Roof Crop, a company implements green roof systems to responsibly grow produce used for resident events, and PrintWithMe, a self service cloud printer that makes printing convenient for residents and reduces 550 pounds of individual electronic waste annually at each community.
The #GreenMovement won't be going away anytime soon, so many multifamily developers have begun to invest considerable resources into making their buildings more environmentally conscious and wellness focused.
That summarizes top 3 reasons that multifamily developers should invest in green building features and LEED Certification! Head to the U.S. Green Building Council's website to learn more.