365 Connect Publishes Case Study on Online Resident Usage in Affordable Housing

NEW ORLEANS, LA - 365 Connect, the New Orleans based, award winning online technology platform provider for the multifamily industry, announced today publication of a Two-Year Study of its Multifamily Internet Platforms: Delivering Resident Services in Affordable Multifamily Housing Utilizing Online Platforms. The study tracks two years of usage by apartment dwellers of Internet-driven leasing and resident platforms. Following activity on 365 Connect’s powerful Online Leasing Centers and Resident Services Portals, the publication delivers the best documentation to date in the multifamily housing industry, detailing the evidence of strong Internet usage by apartment dwellers in affordable housing.

The Case Study follows seven (7) different affordable garden style apartment communities that are required by a State Housing Agency, under their affordable housing finance program, to provide specified services to residents. This requirement is part of compliance and must be reported to the Housing Agency in written form each month. The communities followed are located in various markets in Texas and comprise of a total of 1,812 units.

The data in this study was collected by 365 Connect, L.L.C., an award-winning technology provider of online marketing, leasing and resident services platforms for multifamily communities. The 365 Connect Multifamily Technology Platforms automatically collect and tabulate an extensive amount of data regarding marketing response, leasing activity, resident usage, and management interaction. The Subject Communities’ data was collected over a full two-year period from the beginning of 2010 to the end of 2011, representing a statistically significant period of study.

Data gathered from the 365 Connect Resident Services Platform brought the affordable housing industry its long awaited answer to the question – “Will residents use Resident Services Platforms to access resources, educational content and connect with management?” With Resident Services Platforms being utilized a staggering 558,653 times over a two-year period, the 365 Connect Resident Services Platform proved to be worth its weight in gold. It delivered 14,864 contacts between management and residents, 128,407 views of community news and LearnTV videos delivered educational content to residents an impressive 223,342 times.  

In addition, the 365 Connect Automated Lease Renewal Notice System generated 3,363 renewal notices from which 631 leases were renewed at the subject communities, representing millions of dollars in annual lease revenue. The Get Local Mapping Platform was accessed 11,077 times, delivering residents access and linkage to local resources, such as Schools, Physicians and Grocery Stores.

Furthermore, the Case Study revealed that residents seeking affordable housing are accessing information and inquiring about housing online. The Online Leasing Platform brought more potential residents to the leasing staff than any other form of marketing, with an astounding 497,024 visits over the two-year period. The Case Study further demonstrated that 365 Connect’s Marketing Syndication Platform increased the quality of traffic, delivering a 42% increase in prospect leads and online applications in 2011 over 2010. This data makes a very strong case for the argument that the Marketing Syndication Platform can eliminate the need for traditional third party listing services that are rapidly becoming outdated and redundant.

365 Connect’s introduction of its Mobile Leasing Platform in August of 2010, also gained traction in delivering leasing traffic. Mobile usage appeared to be organic in nature in that the subject communities did not market its mobile websites. The Mobile Leasing Platform produced 43,605 views in 2011, proving the value of a Mobile Leasing Platform to drive additional leasing traffic, delivering prospect leads and “Click to Call” interactions to the community.

The assemblage and publication of the Case Study demonstrates 365 Connect’s commitment to deliver educational information to the multifamily industry.  The compelling data in the Case Study further cements 365 Connect’s role as the leader in creating award winning, leading edge, Web-based technology solutions for the multifamily industry.

The complete Case Study is available by request at: www.365connect.com.

About 365 Connect, LLC: Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, 365 Connect was founded in 2003 by a team of multifamily housing professionals with wide-ranging expertise in real estate development, management and technology. 365 Connect provides web-based technology solutions to the multifamily industry, with a focus on resident and management interaction and doing business in the digital world. Today, 365 Connect is the leader in designing and delivering award winning web-based multifamily technology platforms, with an array of products ranging from online leasing centers and interactive resident platforms to MultifamilyBiz.com, a powerful and robust B2B industry platform. More information on 365 Connect businesses and services is available on the Web at: www.365connect.com