A boutique apartment operator in Denver and Colorado Springs, Urban Phenix, has partnered with a lifestyle apartment amenity company, Amenify, to offer different types of on-site lifestyle experiences to residents, according to a release.
Urban Phenix, a boutique apartment operator in Denver and Colorado Springs, is partnering with Amenify to offer daily dog walks, apartment cleanings, massages, and personal training sessions. Urban Phenix is also building local partnerships with nearby gyms and yoga studios.
“We are thrilled with our properties’ participation rates. It’s wonderful to see that over 70% of our residents are enjoying their upgraded lifestyle with these amenity services” Nick Lazzarra, President of Urban Phenix, said in the release.
As competition for residents continues, there is a growing need for multifamily buildings to differentiate themselves from the pack, according to the release.
Apartment amenity issue big for millennial renters
“Data is showing that apartment renters’ checklists are growing, and this is especially true for millennial renters. No longer is high-speed internet or a Visa gift card enough to attract new renters. Renters are overwhelmingly choosing properties based on lifestyle services that improve their move-in experience by instantly plugging them into a local community and ecosystem of on-demand services,” the release states.
Per their website, Urban Phenix focuses on ‘renovating assets to create a modern apartment experience’ and they are spending the money to deliver on this mission. At Urban Phenix’s Sloan property, all new residents will receive one of three apartment amenity options upon lease signing:
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- Six months of dog walks, or
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- Six months of personal training, or
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- One year of cleaning services (multiple per month)
Real estate industry experts in the apartment world refer to these services as “soft amenities” opposed to more capital intensive “hard amenities” like club rooms and big screen TVs.
Dog-walking, in particular, is becoming a focal point for renters.
As the apartment world is seeing an increase in pet ownership, recent data suggests pets are a key factor impacting leasing velocity. According to Richard Melton, an Urban Phenix onsite manager, the most popular service is dog-walking. The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) delivered a report at Optech 2017 stating 72% of pet owners were interested in having a community dog park, followed by 60 percent wanting a pet-washing station, and 56 percent being interested in a pet daycare service.
Amenify, is a property-centric real estate technology company that white labels their amenity program and provides hotel-style concierge and support. Amenify does all the work, including resident communications and vetting service providers, making it easy for properties to elevate their brand without monopolizing their staffs’ time and resources.
Amenify creates a white-label program that seamlessly plugs into the operating software used by the property. There is virtually no work for the on-site team, other than leveraging the amenity program as a sales tool for prospective residents.
“Residents choose communities that offer convenience and value, and it’s more effective to deliver an experience with software than to build things onsite. We believe in creating a win-win,” Everett Lynn, CEO of Amenify, said in the release.
Based on initial pilots with Amenify, Urban Phenix is expanding the program to all of its Denver communities in 2018.
Amenify, a privately held company founded in 2016, is a next-generation property-centric marketplace that makes it easy for apartment buildings to offer a suite of local services and experiences. For more information, visit www.amenify.com.
