Purpose built student accommodation has never been as desirable, convenient, and stylish as it is right now, and providers are going above and beyond in their efforts to make their residents feel as comfortable as possible.
While best-in-class facilities and bespoke living environments are what will attract residents to a building, a sense of community and belonging is what will keep them staying year after year.Â
Today’s student cohort are digital natives, having been brought up running their lives on their phones. From online banking, ordering their shopping, to managing their social lives, the way in which they participate in communities is no longer solely dictated by where they live, but where they spend their time online too. According to the Student Accommodation Survey conducted by Knight Frank, 86% of students said being able to make friends was important to them and, coupled with the fact that 43% of students that describe themselves as isolated or lonely consider dropping out, facilitating social interaction for residents is vital.
Harnessing online communities
For accommodation providers and operators, technology can play an important part in allowing students to make connections within their own building. 81% of students surveyed in the Student Accommodation Survey see organised groups or clubs as a way to reduce loneliness and isolation, but they may find it difficult or even intimidating to take the first step into accessing these social activities. By utilising resident engagement portals like Spike Student, residents can find others who share similar interests, form their own clubs and forums, as well as understand what events are happening around them. 77% of students said that they wanted good quality communal or social space to improve interaction within halls, and by allowing residents to make connections online, they can then use these spaces to organise social gatherings in the physical world.
The pandemic highlighted the increased need for digital social interaction, and while restrictions around physical contact are coming to an end, online working and socialising is expected to continue at a significant level. The Internet was crucial in enabling friends and family to stay in touch, but it also helped people to discover new ways of forming and participating in communities. ASK4’s latest Connected Living report, Gaming for Good, explores the reasons why video gaming increased dramatically in popularity during lockdown, particularly among students. Of those students that said they played video games during lockdown, 86% said that they had played online with others, with 55% saying that being able to maintain relationships with friends is the reason that they play video games. 36% also said that the reason they game is to make new friends.
ASK4 also recently staged an online gaming tournament for their clients’ student residents, not only to help facilitate this type of social activity and community for their student users, but to help educate their clients on the importance of gaming and digital communities to their residents.
Stress-free interaction
For many students, dealing with a landlord for the first time can be a stressful experience. Nine out of 10 experience some kind of issue with their accommodation, and all too often, novice renters find themselves putting up with all kinds of problems because they either don’t know how to bring them to the landlord’s attention, or, worse still, are simply too afraid to do so in case they are penalised in the future. A massive 81% of students find making phone calls to their letting agents or landlords very stressful. This means that even the smallest problems could eventually lead them to look for accommodation elsewhere.
Spike look to actively solve this issue with the Spike Student app, as they enable residents to manage practical aspects of living (such as keeping track of rental payments, booking laundry slots, checking whether the reception has received their parcel) or report issues to their building manager, all without ever having to make a phone call. From the point of view of day-to-day lettings management, the use of apps can revolutionise communication by enabling students to log problems, make payments and send messages in a stress-free and convenient way.
What’s more, when a resident moves into a building, they may be unfamiliar with the surrounding area. Connecting them instantly with others in their building, as well as with local shops and services, or other details that can bring convenience to their lives, is a great way of ensuring they feel engaged from the offset. Many of Spike’s clients team up with local businesses to offer special discounts to their residents on anything from hairdressers, coffee shops, to local restaurants, all of which can be promoted to residents and driven through the Spike Student app.
Connectivity has been an essential, especially for students, for a very long time, but now there is a real opportunity to harness the Internet to bring residents together, facilitate connections both digitally and in the physical world, and enrich their living experience. Creating these intelligent networks within student accommodation will not only foster community, but it will help residents feel comfortable and like they are in a place that they belong.
Do you really need a residents' app?
ASK4 were joined by Jonny Wootten, Marketing Director of Spike Global to discuss the benefits of a residents’ app, not just for resident engagement, but also to help reach all-important ESG targets. Watch the webinar here.
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