lifestyle community engagement...201 firstservice residential 3 defining community lifestyle...

21
The Art of Fostering Lasting Relationships in Your Community LIFESTYLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:

Upload: others

Post on 08-Jul-2020

8 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

The Art of Fostering Lasting Relationships in Your Community

LIFESTYLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:

2www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Humans are social creatures. In fact, studies have shown that we are hard-wired for connection. Throughout history, people have fulfilled this innate need for belonging

through familial bonds and by seeking to reside in tight-knit communities of like-minded individuals. Today, this same truth remains. Although some people remain closely connected and may not stray far from the towns in which they were born, others move across the country in search of better opportunities and new experiences.

Each year, more and more people migrate to the Lone Star state from all over the country. As one of the fastest growing states, Texas has welcomed more than 1.3 million new residents since 2010.1 Each of these Texas transplants is looking for that special place to call home. Even though location may be one of the biggest factors in their decision tree, what will probably win out in the end is finding a welcoming community where they can meet new people and enjoy a community experience in alignment with their choice of lifestyle.

Whether moving locally or trekking across the country to realize the American dream, it’s likely that most people will select life in a community that is governed by some type of a homeowner association (HOA). HOAs in various forms have been around since the 19th century, and the reasons for their existence remain the same. HOAs help to protect property values and create desirable places for people to live.

Moving into a community with a well-managed HOA presents homebuyers with the unique opportunity to get involved, to engage in new experiences and to make connections that become lifelong friendships. Even for the smallest of communities, there is tremendous value in developing lifestyle programming. “Lifestyle brings people together while strengthening bonds that increase camaraderie and community pride,” says Terry Bascher, vice president of onsite management for FirstService Residential Texas. “Homeowners who love where they live, share common interests, and become friends are more likely to take care of their home and the community. It’s a win-win.”

In this white paper, we explore how these desired connections directly affect your association at large and how you can create a thriving lifestyle program to foster lasting relationships within your community.

Introduction

“Homeowners who love where they live and are friends with their neighbors are more likely to take care of their home and the community.”

3www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Defining Community Lifestyle

Life·style [lahyf' stahyl] -n. 1. The way in which a person or group lives; a way of life

Our choice for where we live and how we engage with others in our community is a composite of our motivations, needs and wants. More than

ever, homebuyers are choosing to live in communities with others who share their common interests and where they can enjoy social interactions.

For some people, community lifestyle is defined by engagement in events and activities. For others, it’s defined by the indulgence in luxuries and conveniences. Lifestyle is many things to many people, but overall, it comes down to this: like-minded people connecting and engaging through shared interests and priorities. Each year the National Association of Realtors conducts a survey of homebuyers to determine the reasons for purchasing in specific communities - community experience is always among the top ten.

Although community events are an important component in developing a positive community experience, there are several other key pieces that are vital to success. Elements like welcoming new residents, developing special interest groups, clubs, amenities, and community outreach initiatives offer additional opportunities for resident engagement. Organization and communications also play a key role.

4www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Interest Groups and ClubsWhether bonding over the latest Steven King novel or meeting every Monday morning to admire nature on local neighborhood trails, clubs and groups are a great way to nurture shared interests among residents. Often, these groups will form organically as a willing homeowner steps up to lead the charge for a specific interest. However, a good management company can help to facilitate the development and support the growth of such groups that often aren’t sustained because the initial organizer moved or for whatever reason may lack the time to continue. Before introducing interest groups in the community, the board should develop clear guidelines that regulate how a club or group is formed and what the requirements are for its operation. This will allow the board to oversee activities and prevent any groups or clubs from misrepresenting the community. Like any well-run organization, it’s important for the group to establish specific rules and regulations to keep things functioning smoothly and to set clear expectations with members.

AmenitiesYes, amenities are often an important factor on a homebuyer’s checklist, but have you ever considered amenities as a catalyst for engaging the residents in your association? Naturally, they will draw a crowd on their own as residents enjoy the perks of homeownership in their HOA. However, amenities are also great venues for bringing residents together to participate in community events, such as an annual Memorial Day party at the pool, a fish fry at the community pond or a 5K race along your walking trails so fitness enthusiasts can help raise money for a local charity.

Even if you never considered amenities to be such an important piece of the lifestyle puzzle, remember that they actually play an integral part in resident engagement. So be sure that you are maintaining and updating them as necessary to keep residents coming back and connecting with one another.

5www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

A community with a rich and dynamic neighborhood lifestyle creates value to the people who call it home. However, for many community associations, creating opportunities

for engagement can seem like a full-time job, and for good reason. Providing unique experiences that result in lasting memories for your homeowners requires planning. Tasks such as vendor negotiation, event promotion and generating volunteer involvement require a specific skill set and can be time consuming. The time commitment, as well as the expertise involved in developing and maintaining a robust lifestyle program can be daunting, which is why many associations find it a worthwhile investment to employ a shared or full-time lifestyle manager.

The benefits of a manager who is dedicated to customizing lifestyle programming for your community are far reaching. Here are a few of the top reasons community associations opt to hire a lifestyle manager:

Events with your community in mind.Each community is unique and requires varying types and levels of engagement. A qualified lifestyle manager will work with your association board and homeowners to identify the types of events and activities that fit best with your resident culture. Designing a lifestyle program that appeals to all ages and interests is vital to enhancing resident experience and ensuring a sense of belonging for all residents.

Lifestyle Engagement Managers Can Make a Big Impact

Upcoming Events

6www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Building a sense of community pride.Lifestyle programming can extend beyond just your neighborhood. Partnering with local charities and municipalities can make a big impact with the residents of your community. By engaging homeowners in causes that benefit the larger community it helps to develop a strong sense of local pride. A professional lifestyle manager can help to facilitate connections with area organizations and provide residents with a broader sense of awareness for how they can give back to make their community a better place.

Leveraging connections with area vendors.The most costly part of hosting an event or activity is identifying and hiring reliable vendors, goods and services. This is where a lifestyle manager will add significant value. With extensive local, and in some cases national resources at their disposal, a lifestyle manager employed by a professional management company can pass along discounts and connections to make your events more robust and cost effective.

Creating community connections.As the creative engine that keeps resident-experience programming moving forward, a dedicated lifestyle manager will continuously look for ways to bring everyone together. Building and strengthening connections between homeowners produces lasting friendships and pride in ownership that enhances community culture as well as property values — a lifestyle manager can facilitate programming designed to do just that. Ultimately, this pivotal role is what defines lifestyle experience for your community.

WE OUR COMMUNITY

7www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Planning Engaging Events

Everyone loves a well-planned get-together, and your residents are no exception. Bringing neighbors together in a

social setting not only gives them something to look forward to; it’s also one of the best ways to achieve community spirit. But how will you know if the events you’re planning are meeting the collective interests of your homeowners?

Ask Them!A survey is a great way to gather information from your homeowners about the types of events they would be most interested in attending. Below are some sample questions to get you started:

• What is your favorite [community name] community event from the last 12 months?

• What other types of events would interest you? (Ex: adults only, family oriented, pet friendly, free, etc.)

• What time of day/day of the week would you prefer events to be held?

• How far would you be willing to travel for an offsite event?

• Would you be willing to volunteer at an event?

• Do you have any ideas or suggestions for upcoming events? If so, please provide them.

Be sure to leave enough space for ideas, comments and other feedback.

Additionally, a follow-up survey after an event will help you gauge residents’ satisfaction and understand how you can execute the next one even better!

Once you have the real scoop on what your residents are passionate about, you will be much better equipped to plan events that will be well attended. This information can also help you map an event plan that is tailored to your community.

To encourage participation and maximize the results of your

survey, try creating a contest around the survey. For instance,

“Complete this survey, and you will be entered in a drawing for a

$50 Visa gift card!”

SU

RVEY

8www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Planning the Social CalendarThis may be the fun part, but planning and executing an event also can take a lot of time and effort. Be sure to think ahead and to give yourself ample time to pull together all the details. In some cases, you may need to plan a year in advance. For instance, functions that coincide with popular holidays like Christmas or the Fourth of July should be planned well in advance to ensure that you don’t have to scramble. You definitely don’t want to wait until November to be renting that Santa suit.

If your community is new to social events, you may want to start small with two or three simple holiday event ideas, and take it from there. For communities with a more-established events calendar, use your survey results to test the waters on something different. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and engage volunteers to help create new experiences for your residents. With assistance from your lifestyle director or association manager, your social events calendar can be a big hit.

Leveraging Committees Committees already represent shared interest groups. Partner with each of your groups on at least one event per year. This will not only boost morale for existing committee volunteers, but it may also encourage others in the community to join one of these committees.

Event Calendar

9www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Let’s face it; there is no one-size-fits-all lifestyle program that works for every community. In fact, communities that have the most successful programs build their events and

activities around the specific interests of their residents. The traditional events are your community’s staples and probably the ones that generate the most anticipation. And that’s ok. Your annual “Breakfast with Santa” and “Summer Splash Bash” are popular for a reason.

However, as the culture of your community evolves, so should your lifestyle event program. Offering a variety of events each year will keep your association members excited and looking forward to the next gathering. Seek new ways to accommodate the popular interests in your community by flexing those creative muscles. And consider something less conventional – something new!

Low-Cost, No-Cost EventsCommunity events don’t have to be costly and extravagant to pack a punch. In fact, we’ve found that sprinkling a few smaller, intimate events into your calendar will appeal more to residents who don’t usually attend the larger events. For some people, big events can be overwhelming, and they may find it hard to make connections at these functions. On the other hand, a smaller event might present the perfect environment for them to strike up a conversation with the person standing next to them.

Thinking Outside the Box

ADMIT ONE

Courtesy of My Community Theatre

Private Screening

“My Fair L ady”

Starring : Audrey Hepburn / Rex Harrison / Stanl ey Hollo way

8:00 P.M.FREE

Saturday, May 27th

ADMIT ONE

Courtesy of My Community Theatre

Private Screening

“My Fair L ady”Starring : Audrey Hepburn / Rex Harrison / Stanl ey Hollo way

8:00 P.M. FREE

Saturday, May 27th

Leveraging relationships with local businesses for

sponsorships can help offset the cost of any

event, big or small.

10www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Low-cost and no-cost ideas can help stretch your budget while enhancing your events calendar and appealing to different interests within your association:

• Geocaching is a modern-day, outdoor treasure-hunting game that uses GPS-enabled devices to locate virtual “treasures” that have been left behind by other players. Although geocaching is something you can do almost anywhere, there are probably several treasures already hidden in or near your community. Assemble a group of residents to see how many you can find and replace with your own treasures.

• A community clean-up is a simple activity that will reinforce resident pride while simultaneously improving the appearance of the community. This event can coincide with something like Earth Day. In some cases, your local town or city may even sponsor your supplies.

Lifestyle programs that utilize existing onsite space or local offsite facilities are another way to bring residents together. For example, you could use your clubhouse to hold game nights, movie nights or classes on how to do home improvement projects or prepare for retirement. The quality of your event is not tied to the money spent, so dig deep and think outside the box to maximize the value of your lifestyle program.

11www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Connecting with the Larger Community

As important as it is for residents to feel good about their own neighbors, it is also crucial to remember that your HOA

is part of a larger community. Your board can do a lot to help residents feel like active members of their town or city. Here are a few suggestions:

Communicate local happenings.Let HOA members know what is going on in your local community, schools and businesses:

• Get on your town or city’s email lists so you are aware of events and happenings that might interest the residents in your community.

• Invite new businesses in town to do a presentation to your residents. If you ask nicely, they might even agree to sponsor refreshments or a raffle prize to encourage more participation.

• Work with local schools to identify needs, such as school supplies for underprivileged kids, playground clean-up or books.

Give back locally.Your HOA’s residents will feel more like a part of their larger community if they get involved in charitable initiatives close to home. Partner with your local city office and non-profit organizations to find out what you can do to help and how you can work together to make an impact. Anything that makes residents feel good about themselves as a group will also help them to feel good about their community.

Be a good neighbor.National Good Neighbor Day is observed annually on the fourth Sunday in September. Take this time to promote being a good neighbor. Engage the teens in your community to do yard clean-up on their street, organize a block party to celebrate or round up a group of residents to volunteer at the local children’s hospital for the day.

EVENT IDEA: Assist the local food pantry by

hosting a food or clothing drive in which different parts of the

community compete to see who can donate the most (i.e., different floors in a high-rise,

different streets in a single-family community or different

buildings in a condo community).

12www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Spreading the Word

Good communication is one of the most important parts of the event planning process. After all, no one will attend your event

if they know nothing about it, right?

Get residents engaged by spreading the word about what’s happening in your community. Using a variety of channels will ensure that everyone receives the latest updates. Social media, your community website, emails and text messages are great ways to share upcoming event news, but don’t underestimate the impact of more traditional methods, too. Below are a few tips on how to successfully get the word out to your community.

Social MediaThe average person spends nearly two hours per day browsing social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.2 With that kind of immersion it should come as no surprise that most people also look to social media for the latest in current events, news, local happenings and yes, even updates from their HOA. Here are a few different ways social media can work to improve event attendance and participation:

• Post details about upcoming events. Be sure to promote the event on multiple dates leading up to the event and at different times of the day in order to increase chances of appearing at the top of the newsfeed.

• Recap the event with pictures of homeowners having fun and engaging with one another. Attendees may like or share their photos creating follow up engagement. It also shows those who didn’t attend what they missed and may help to encourage participation in future events.

• Thank your volunteers for helping out. People like to be recognized. This small gesture will go a long way.

• Highlight a club or group in your HOA to drive participation. Use this channel to let your residents do the promoting for you. Create a post and encourage club members to share it with their friends.

13www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Websites, Emails and Text Messages Where do most of us go for immediate information? You guessed it, online. Association websites help to keep your community marketable to both current and future homeowners by showcasing events and demonstrating how amazing it is to live there. Your community website is also a convenient place to give all the details about upcoming events, allow residents to RSVP and do a volunteer signup.

Email is also a great way to provide information since it has become a more popular way to communicate than postal mail. Some community websites also enable you to send resident text alerts, which puts the ability to send reminders and event updates right at your fingertips.

NewslettersWhether printed or electronic, traditional newsletters are still something that many people like to receive. They provide a fast and easy way to get all the latest HOA news in one place. Be sure to showcase photos of past events as well as details about upcoming activities. Your newsletter is also a great place to thank volunteers and businesses. If your community allows local businesses to sponsor your events, you may even want to offer up ads in your newsletter as an additional value.

SignageThis might seem a tad “old school,” but banners, marquis and bandit signs work. As long as you put them up strategically, signs can actually yield the biggest return. Place them at the busiest entrances to your community or near amenities at least two weeks before the event. Everyone driving in and out of the community or using the amenities will see them. Just remember to keep the details short and sweet so that passersby can quickly read and remember. If you have a community website, have the signs direct residents there for more details.

For the best results, communicate details early and communicate them often.

COMMUNITY BULLETIN

HOME IMPROVEMENT WORKSHOP

SATURDAY 7/15 AT 3:00 P.M.

IN THE AMENITY CENTER

HOME IMPROVEMENT WORKSHOP

SATURDAY 7/15 AT 3:00 P.M.

IN THE AMENITY CENTER

14www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Dallas’ Savannah Makes Strides in Volunteer Recruitment

Savannah, a luxury master-planned community in Dallas that is managed by FirstService Residential, offers an enviable lifestyle program with a variety of exciting events for its residents to enjoy. These events – more than 30 per year, including an annual Fall Festival, a patriotic Independence Day celebration, and even a 50s-themed Sock Hop – have become the cornerstone of lifestyle engagement for this quaint community. But none of this would be possible without the valuable participation of homeowner volunteers. So what’s their secret? They created a plan that takes the guesswork out of the process and nurtures volunteerism.

Seeing a need for more volunteer engagement, the lifestyle manager worked with committee volunteers to initiate a volunteer recruitment program called “The Spirit of Savannah.” At their new homeowner orientations, residents are provided an opportunity to commit to helping at one event per year.

“The Spirit of Savannah is a unique program that allows residents to give back to their community by volunteering for just a short amount of time,” states Patricia Martin, lifestyle director for Savannah. “With this initiative, volunteers who have limited time to serve on a committee can still do their part to help support the successful programming initiated by our great committee members.”

In order to attract volunteers, Martin knows that it is important to clearly communicate expectations. Providing details such as the date, time commitment and the exact activity where help is needed has minimized confusion and made finding volunteers at Savannah much easier.

15www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Martin also acknowledges the importance of volunteer recognition. The community hosts an annual volunteer appreciation dinner to show gratitude to the volunteers who take time out of their busy schedules to help make the community the best it can be. Although not every community has the budget to host a big event for their volunteers, Martin points out that even something as simple as a shout-out in the community newsletter can go a long way in retaining volunteers. “Volunteers feel really good when you recognize their hard work publicly,” explains Martin. “It makes them more likely to want to volunteer again, and it also encourages other residents to get involved.”

The program is now marketed to all residents through the community’s regular communication channels, including the Magnolia Times quarterly newsletter, the weekly e-newsletter, a committee interest form, the lifestyle website and, of course, the new homeowner orientation.

Residents who sign up to volunteer receive an email thanking them for raising their hand and asking them in what capacity they are interested in volunteering as well as what special skills they may have that would benefit the community. Volunteers also receive periodic communications – regardless of whether their services are needed at the time – to let them know that their interest in helping out is truly valued.

When a need does arise, the volunteer is contacted to determine their availability. Every effort is made to match the need to the volunteer’s’ preferences and abilities and to ensure a proper rest/work ratio.

The result is that residents are more involved in their community than ever. Savannah has a long list of people willing to volunteer and no shortages for future events. Since the majority of events no longer require the assistance of additional paid staff, the volunteer recruitment program has also saved the HOA a significant amount of money.

SIGN UPVolunteer

16www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Let’s face it: No matter how much money is in the budget, your community events couldn’t function without volunteers. But attracting and retaining quality help remains a

struggle for most communities. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the Foundation for Community Association Research, 45 percent of residents who live in community associations say they either never volunteer or only volunteer once a year. 3

So what is the best way to boost your volunteer repository? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but the following strategies have yielded the best results in many communities, including Savannah. (See sidebar, Dallas’ Savannah Makes Strides in Volunteer Recruitment.)

Getting (and Keeping) Volunteers

To Attract Volunteers…Residents do not generally make inquiries about volunteer positions unless they know that there is a specific position available that matches their skills and interests. So how else can you solicit volunteers? You have to engage in outreach. Here are a few ways to do this:

• Use a variety of communication channels. One resident might open every email. Another might read the flyers posted on your community bulletin board. Advertise your volunteer openings to homeowners on your website, by email, in your newsletter and in flyers. Post these positions often so that residents have a constant reminder of the association’s needs.

• Make announcements. Every meeting and social gathering is an opportunity to remind residents about volunteer positions. Be sure that someone makes an announcement each time residents get together.

• Ask for help from local youth groups. Many schools, religious organizations and scout groups require that young people provide a certain number of community service hours. Find out if working as a volunteer for your HOA can fulfill some of these requirements.

• Engage online tools. Websites such as signupgenius.com have tools that make signing up easy for volunteers and coordinator.

17www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

To Retain Volunteers…Almost as tricky as getting people to make that initial commitment to volunteer is getting them to come back and help out again. Benjamin Franklin was right when he said, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” Most volunteers lead busy lives and have sacrificed some of their personal time to invest in their community. This should not go unnoticed. Volunteers who feel appreciated are more likely to return. Here are some ideas for making volunteers feel appreciated:

• Host an event just for them. An annual volunteer recognition event – whether it’s a dinner, a party or a special outing – singles out your volunteers and makes them feel special.

• Give out awards. Plaques, gift cards or other items could be awarded for most service hours for the year, most years of service or for going above and beyond the call of duty. Recognizing volunteers’ milestones not only rewards them for their hard work, but it might also trigger friendly competitions the volunteer certificates of appreciation are no small gesture. Giving your volunteers something tangible to show your appreciation can go a long way.

• Say “thank you” in public. Express your gratitude to volunteers in your general communications. Be sure you don’t miss anyone who helped out, and verify the spelling of names so you can thank each individual personally.

• Recognize a “volunteer of the month.” Highlight a different volunteer each month in resident communications – on the community website, in your newsletter, on social media, etc.

Volunteers are the bread and butter of your community. Without them, very little can get done. However, you have to be careful that you don’t burn them out by overworking the same handful of people who are always willing to help out. It takes consistent effort (as well as a bit of creativity!) to keep volunteerism top of mind among residents. Establishing a plan for attracting and retaining volunteers can go a long way in helping you maintain a large enough pool of people.

VOLUNTEEROF THE MONTH

18www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Making Every Penny Count

One of the key elements of a successful event is smart budgeting. You need to know your financial limits (that is, how much money you have available to spend on your event),

and you need to know how much the event will cost. Most importantly, you have to make sure that the latter doesn’t exceed the former. Once you have a handle on your budget, you can get the ball rolling on all the fun stuff!

Here are some tips for creating an effective event budget:

1. Look at your total annual budget for social events, and see how much money is allotted to this event.

2. Itemize all the costs of the event by getting estimates from each vendor and supplier. For some items, you may need to get bids. Be as thorough as possible so there won’t be any surprises. Remember to include expenses such as mailing out flyers, postage and printing.

3. Once you have outlined your costs, compare the total to the money allocated in your social budget.

4. If your cost exceeds your budget, you will either need to eliminate some of your expenses or find creative ways to fund the difference.

$ 12,315.68

19www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

It’s a good idea to compile all of your budget details in one location, such as a spreadsheet, to keep it organized. After you have entered the cost of each item, you can start booking your vendors and getting your (party) ducks in a row.

If you’re finding it hard to stay within budget you have a few choices:

• Scale down the event.

• See if vendors will negotiate pricing with you, especially those that you use regularly for your events.

• Shop around for better pricing.

• Look for cost-saving discounts online at sites such as Groupon.

• Solicit vendor sponsorships.

• Engage volunteers. (For example, see if high school art students to do the face painting at a family event).

• Ask residents to pay a fee to attend.

Planning ahead with a good budget will keep you on track and ensure that you don’t overspend. But it will only work if you work it, so make sure you stick to it.

Tip: Don’t rob Peter to pay Paul. That is, if you find

yourself going over budget for a particular event, don’t

“borrow” from another event to make it happen.

20www.fsresidential.com © 2017 FirstService Residential

Selecting Vendors

Many events require that you hire vendors. A vendor might supply you with anything from a bounce house to a food truck. Make sure that the vendor you hire is capable of

serving your community safely, effectively and legally. How? Look for these signs that your vendor is a qualified professional:

• They have proper certifications. Most states require licensing for vendors who are providing labor and materials over a certain dollar amount.

• They have proof of insurance coverage. Vendors should have liability insurance to protect your association and any guests who attend your events.

• They have been vetted. A good community management company can recommend vendors that they have vetted.

Choosing the right vendor isn’t always easy, but it’s worth taking your time to make sure you have selected a qualified company or individual. After all, they can make or break your event.

Conclusion

There is tremendous value in establishing a sense of community in your HOA. Having residents feel an emotional attachment to their community creates deeper loyalty and

lasting relationships. When people care about each other, they are more likely to work cooperatively to maintain a happy community and to do what is necessary to make your HOA successful.

Your HOA community depends on great leadership to function at its best. The board can have a huge impact on how deeply residents connect, get involved and sincerely care about each other. Being a board member may not be an easy job, but it can certainly be a very rewarding one, especially when you see your community come together. Use the guidelines in this paper, and you’ll be able to enhance the quality of life for your residents by pointing your HOA toward the kind of community spirit every association hopes to have.

REFERENCES

1 San Antonio Current, More People Moved to Texas in 2016 Than Any Other State December 20, 2016, Retrieved March 29, 2017 from http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2016/12/20/more-people-moved-to-texas-in-2016-than-any-other-state

2 Social Media Today, How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media? Retrieved March 22, 2017, from http://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/how-much-time-do-people-spend-social-media-infographic

3 Foundation for Community Association Research, Best Practices Report # 5: Community Harmony & Spirit 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2017, from http://www.cairf.org/research/bpharmony.pdf

About FirstService Residential

FirstService Residential is North America’s largest manager of residential communities and the preferred partner of HOAs, community associations and strata corporations in the U.S. and Canada. FirstService Residential’s managed communities include low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives, single-family homes, master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities, and rental and commercial properties.

With an unmatched combination of deep industry experience, local market expertise and personalized attention, FirstService Residential delivers proven solutions and exceptional service that add value, enhance lifestyles and make a difference, every day, for every resident and community it manages. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation, a North American leader in the property services sector.

FirstService Residential in Texas provides outstanding, full-service association management to the homeowners and property owners of Texas. We are recognized as one of the leading HOA management companies in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, as well as throughout the state.