Communication is vital to a community’s success.  It enables boards and managers to operate the community more efficiently and increase transparency with residents.  However, boards and managers often struggle with keeping residents informed in an ever-changing world.  Which HOA communication tools can you use to meet your resident’s expectations? How do you choose the right tools for your community\’s unique needs?

The importance of having multiple HOA communication tools

It’s important to have multiple communication channels in your community outreach. Let’s first dive into the reasons why this is important. 

Increase Reach

Your message will get across more effectively when you utilize tools that resonate with your residents.  It’s a good idea to let your residents choose how they prefer to hear from you.

Increase Engagement

Residents will feel included when they are informed in a way that works best for them.  They are more likely to tune in to what is going on in the community and become engaged.  Using multiple communication methods to keep your residents engaged makes you more likely to reach a quorum in your annual board meetings.

Meet Different Needs

Different needs call for different communication methods. For example, some of your residents might like to receive text message reminders for upcoming board meetings.  You may also have different groups of residents who would like to receive newsletters in an email format vs print.

Protect

The lack of communication or not using the right channels can increase your community\’s risk of getting sued by homeowners.  Your community can save thousands of dollars in litigation costs when communicating frequently and clearly.

Comply

Every community’s governing documents or state laws differ, so it’s important to understand what they require to comply. For example, a Florida law that went into effect in 2019 requires condo associations with over 150 units to post documents on a password-protected site or portal.  By contrast, Nevada now requires all community associations to send postal mail for all communications and other electronic means they already use.

10 HOA Communication Tools

Now that you understand the role of good communication in your community, we’ll dive into various forms of communication you can use.  You can click on any communication method in the table of contents to learn more about it. 

1) Email

Email is a quick, convenient, and inexpensive way to communicate with your residents. It\’s also one of the best ways to send out mass communications.  Its non-intrusive nature and the fact that almost everyone has an email address means you can communicate respectfully with the largest percentage of your community. 

Use cases for HOA email communications:

• Notices – Send notices about important things happening in the community.
• Reminders – upcoming events, maintenance alerts, or payments due.
• Events – Invitations to board meetings or other social in-person or virtual events.
• Customer service – Updates on resident support requests, maintenance, violations, or architectural change requests.
• Newsletters – Digital newsletter showcasing the community’s culture, achievements, upcoming events, and more.

When to avoid email communications in your HOA:

• Urgent communications – Emails often get buried, which means it\’s not a viable option for emergencies when time is of the essence.

How Pilera\’s email platform can improve your communications:

• Rich text editor – You can create professional-looking newsletters with images to send to their community.
• Documents – Attach files that you need to include in an announcement. 
• Unlimited emails – Many email providers limit how many emails you can send in 24 hours.  Since Pilera doesn’t limit the number of emails, you can email a single community or your entire portfolio in just minutes.

2) Automated phone calls

An automated phone calling system translates your text into an audio message to place hundreds of calls in minutes.  It’s a great method to incorporate into your communications mix because almost everyone in the United States can access phone lines.  It’s also a great option for elder demographics who may not have text or email.  For your community, automating phone calls reduces costs and increases staff efficiency over traditional methods like placing individual phone calls. 

Use cases for automating phone calls in your HOA:

• Emergencies where timing is very important.
• Reminders.
• Maintenance alerts.

When to avoid automated email phone calls:

• Non-urgent communications – Since phone calls are the most intrusive form of communication, it\’s important to use them sparingly and respectfully. For example, email is a better form of communication for letting residents know their work order is completed.

Automated phone calls through Pilera:

Managers can easily send out automated phone calls through Pilera.  Since Pilera is a web-based application, there’s no hardware or software to install.  Simply type in your content, and Pilera will automatically translate it into a phone call in English or Spanish for your residents.  Real-time analytics in the app shows if a person picked up a call or a voicemail was left, so you know the phone call was made. 

3) Text Message/SMS

Text messages have one of the highest open rates of all communication tools.  According to studies, 99% of all text messages are read within just 3 minutes of receiving them. Text messaging is becoming a preferred communication method because it’s fast, convenient, and cost-effective. 

Use cases for HOA text messaging:

• Short and concise messages.
• Regular reminders.
• Maintenance alerts.
• Emergencies.

When to avoid using text messaging in your HOA:

• When you need to send out detailed messages. Longer messages can often be seen as intrusive to individuals.
• As we mentioned, residents may become frustrated when a company sends them too many text messages. Thus, it\’s important to use this form of communication when needed and clearly inform residents of what type of messages they will be receiving text messages for.

Text messaging through Pilera:

Pilera’s communication platform lets you send text messages in the resident’s preferred language.  You can then view analytics in real-time to see who received the text message.    

4) Postal Mail

Even with many online communication tools available, traditional methods like postal mail can still be effective.  In a study by DMA, 56% of Americans say they like receiving direct mail.  Residents can also save letters they receive in the mail for reference whereas texts and emails can get buried rather quickly. 

Use cases for postal mailing in your HOA:

• Cater to resident preferences – Send letters to individuals who do not have an electronic communication preference in your system.
• Increase engagement with printed newsletters – Create a newsletter to share what is happening in the community, highlight achievements, and promote upcoming events.  You can also use newsletters to direct residents to other online channels you use such as social media or a resident portal.
• Non-urgent communications – Send any correspondence that is not time-sensitive.  

When to avoid using postal mailing in your HOA:

• Urgent communications – Postal mail can take days to reach a resident. Even when they receive it, it can take many more days for a resident to read your letter. Thus, it\’s not a viable option for urgent communications.
• Concerned about high costs – Since postal mail is a more costly form of communication, it\’s important to set aside a budget. If your community is more concerned about reducing costs, use more digital communication options. The cost of a single outgoing postal mailing could equal many months of other digital options.

Pilera\’s PDF letter generation feature:

Automated solutions can reduce a lot of manual work to mail out letters. Recently, Pilera introduced a new PDF letter generation feature that makes it easy for managers to prepare their letters for postal mail.  You can add a header and footer, customize recipients, and generate letters in bulk.  These letters can then be uploaded to a third-party solution such as SouthData to mail to residents.  

5) Resident Portal

You may not think of a resident portal as a form of communication, yet it can be one of the best ways to bring important community information in one place.  It’s also a great way to connect with your most engaged residents. As a self-service tool, residents can update information and request support from managers or board members without calling the office. The resident portal also gives them a way to receive information from you with very minimal effort and upkeep on your part. 

Use cases for a resident portal as an HOA communication tool:

• Online payments – Residents can look up their financial information without contacting the office. 
• Customer service – Enable residents to request services like work orders, support, or approval for architectural requests.
• Event notifications – Inform residents about upcoming events, such as board meetings, to improve attendance.  
• Document sharing – Post documents to keep residents informed about community policies.

When a resident portal may not be an ideal means of communication:

• Demographics – If most residents in your community aren\’t tech-savvy, getting them to use a resident portal could be a challenge. In this scenario, traditional methods such as postal mail or other electronic options like a phone call may serve their needs better.

Pilera\’s resident portal

Many HOA software platforms include a resident portal in their product offerings. Pilera\’s resident portal enables residents to manage their communications preferences and view a history of communications and updates to their work orders, support, ACR requests, and more in one place. Residents can also get instant answers to questions like guest or pet policies through a knowledge base.

6) Collaborative HOA Software

Communication between board members and their management team is vital so that they can make decisions that are in the community’s best interests.  HOA Software helps to improve communication and collaboration between the board and managers.

Use cases for HOA software as a communication tool:

• Keep track of important community action items – Board members can create and assign tasks to managers (and vice versa) during a board meeting for further research and completion. 
• Better understand community operations – Boards want to know if tasks are being completed promptly.  Managers can share reports with board members detailing how many maintenance, ACRs, violations, and support tickets are open or have been completed.
• Process architectural change requests – Board members can comment and approve/reject architectural requests.  
• Share important documents – Managers can share documents with board members only.  

Pilera\’s Collaborative HOA Software

Managers and board members can collaborate on various projects through Pilera’s HOA Software and specifically, the Board+.  Board+ helps managers and board members to improve accountability and compliance through task management, architectural request management, and rule violations tracking. Email notifications are automatically sent out to boards and managers when work is assigned to them. They can also post comments and updates as each item on their task list progresses, so everyone is on the same page.     

7) Social Media

Social media is a great tool for informing residents and cultivating a sense of community.  It’s a fast way to communicate with residents.  Social media also reduces communication costs over other traditional methods because platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are free to use.  

Use cases for social media in your HOA:

• Event invitations – Invite residents to in-person or virtual social events.  The Facebook Events feature lets you post event details, notify your followers, and view live RSVPs.   
• Share Event Photos – Bring back the good memories and fun of any events you’ve hosted by posting photos on platforms like Facebook or Instagram.  
• Support the community – Keep your community informed of any local causes and businesses they can learn about and support.  
• Educate your community – Share expert tips on different topics such as how residents can maintain their properties during each season or ways they can get involved with the community. 

As you’ve seen in these examples, there are many ways to connect with residents through social media.  However, check with your governing documents and local laws on what information can be shared. 

Disadvantages of social media in your HOA:

• It\’s public – Because of its public nature, many boards and managers are skeptical of using social media. All conversations are open for anyone to see unless using a private group such as Facebook Groups.
• Out-of-control conversations – Residents may use social media platforms to share their frustrations about the community and its operations. Conversations among residents and board members may, at times, spiral out of control. This could lead to friction in the community among boards and residents and even liability.
• Loss of privacy – When you\’re on a public platform, the community\’s information and issues become public, leading to a loss in data privacy.

When done right, social media can be a great way to keep residents connected. If your community wants to utilize social media, monitor the conversations and reduce friction. To do this, be sure to assign someone the responsibility of monitoring conversations and taking discussions offline before things get heated.

8) Resident Discussion Board/Forum

As we mentioned earlier, many communities use Facebook Groups or Nextdoor to communicate without the oversight of management or board members. If the board and management aren\’t seeing complaints, they can\’t address them before it gets out of control. If your community is looking for a better way to facilitate resident discussions but also manage community issues internally more effectively, a Discussion Board is a good choice. Discussion Boards are available within a password-protected resident portal where residents can communicate with each other and managers/board members gain better oversight into community issues.

Use cases for discussion board in your HOA:

• Exchange ideas on home improvements
• Provide feedback on community amenities
• Get recommendations for products and services
• Find ways to stay connected with other community members, such as through a book or gardening club.
• Gain insights on issues or topics that matter most to your residents, how they feel about it, and ways to improve the resident experience.

With Discussion Boards such as Pilera\’s, you can assign moderators to oversee conversations, remove inappropriate topics or comments, submit private comments for other managers/board members to view, and publish rules to create a more enjoyable experience for your community.

9) Virtual Meeting Solutions

Many communities have transitioned to virtual meetings and social events in the past two years.  The convenience of being able to join a meeting or event from any location has led to communities seeing an increase in attendance at their monthly or annual board meetings.  

Use cases for a virtual meeting solution in your HOA:

• Host Monthly Board Meetings – Discuss current agenda items, resolutions, and next steps in your monthly board meetings.  Invite residents to join the virtual meeting and dedicate some time for residents to voice their opinions or ask questions.
• Social events – Host fun virtual events such as trivia or other events.  
• Emergency meetings – Setting up and inviting attendees is simple if a board needs to call an emergency meeting. Board members can attend the meeting from any location.

Virtual meetings will likely continue in the future because they offer a convenient and safe way to build a sense of community.  The availability of many meeting software solutions, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, and others, make it easy to conduct organized meetings.  Check out our recent blog post on how to improve improving your board meeting, including tips on running successful virtual meetings.  

10) Website

A community website is one of the most effective HOA communication tools to keep your current and prospective residents informed. A well-organized website that answers residents’ questions can reduce calls to the office and improve operations.  It also improves resident satisfaction because they can now access important information related to the community on their own time. 

Use cases for a community website in your HOA:

• Community culture – Talk about the community lifestyle, such as what it is like to live there. This information will help prospective residents to learn more and make informed decision. 
• Amenities & policies – What type of amenities the community has, hours of operation, and rules. 
• Community Activities – List any activities your residents can participate in, such as a book club, and when they occur.
• Events – Share a calendar of upcoming events your residents can participate in. 
• Rental properties listing – List properties for rental with descriptions and photos so you can help prospective buyers make a decision. 
• Dues/Rent Payment – Allow your residents to make payments conveniently online.  
• Private web pages for board members and residents where you can post documents and other information specific to each user role.  

Situations when a website is not the most ideal form of communication:

• Requires an internet connection – Websites are not viable in an emergency if an internet connection is unavailable.
• Requires upkeep of information – Residents will not find it useful if you don\’t keep a website fresh with new, relevant information.

Pilera\’s HOA website feature

From popular content management systems to HOA-specific platforms, there are many website options available.  Through Pilera’s HOA-specific website, you can build a professional-looking website without needing technical experience.  Here are some ways in which Pilera’s websites can take your online presence to the next level:

• Mobile-friendly site – Your residents can view community information on their own time on any device or location. 
• Optimized for SEO – This makes it easy for current and prospective residents to find the community on search engines.
• Custom content – Websites are easy to build and manage without technical experience.  
• Secured content – Create private pages for your residents and board members only.  
• Integrated with other Pilera features such as calendars, documents, marketplace, and payments. 

HOA Website Examples

Our clients have created beautiful, professional, and informative websites for their communities.  Here are a few examples to inspire a community website of your own:  

• Longboat Harbor in Florida – https://longboathoafl.pilera.com/ 
• Old Town Villages – https://oldtownvillagesfl.pilera.com/
• Equinox on the Battenkill – https://equinoxbcavt.pilera.com/ 

Conclusion: HOA Communication Tools to Inform & Engage Your Residents

When boards and managers can effectively communicate with residents and one another, they can improve operations and increase resident satisfaction. Using various HOA communication tools enables you to reach every resident in the best way for them. It’s important to clearly inform your residents what you will use each communication method for. 

All of the HOA communication tools we highlighted have their own unique uses:

• Email is a diverse tool for sending updates, reminders, and even more detailed information in an e-newsletter. 
• Phone calls are essential during emergencies and for resident demographics who do not have text or email.  
• Text messages can be instrumental during emergencies and can be used for non-intrusive reminders and updates. 
• Postal mail is useful when a resident doesn\’t have electronic means of communication and for non-urgent, transactional communications.
• Community websites and resident portals provide a one-stop shop for residents to access all community information. 
• Social media, discussion boards, and virtual meeting solutions take resident engagement a step further when everyone can have productive conversations about the community in real-time.  

When there are so many HOA communication tools available, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.  However, you don’t need to use every tool out there.  It’s more essential to use tools that cater to your residents’ needs and comply with your governing documents and local laws. Try a combination of these tools today and you will surely see increased resident satisfaction.

About Pilera

Pilera Software is the premier property management software that has helped thousands of community managers and back-office personnel improve communication and customer service. Request a personalized demo so you can learn how Pilera’s community management suite can increase work efficiency for your company.

Keeping residents informed is one of the most essential functions of an HOA. As residents become more involved in their community, they expect transparency and up to the minute information from their community leaders. That\’s why placing communications at the center of your HOA operations is crucial to a community\’s success. Excellent communication fosters a positive community culture and increases resident, board, and manager satisfaction. When HOA communication is done the right way, it also saves managers and board members an incredible amount of time and energy to focus on bigger projects.

In this blog article, you will learn how to:

1. Identify topics to cover in your message
2. Designate responsibilities
3. Use a mix of modern technology and traditional communication methods
4. Craft the right message
5. Monitor the results of your communication efforts
6. Collect feedback from your residents
7. Create a communications policy

Identify topics to cover in your message

Before you begin communicating with your community, it\’s important to understand your audience. As a board member or a community manager, you\’ll need to communicate with owners, tenants, other occupants (who live in the community but aren\’t primary owners), tenants, other board members, and community managers. Then, identify the kind of information that is useful to them and will enrich their experience in the community. Consider creating a table like the one below, so you can keep track of the messages you need to send, who needs to receive them, and how often.

Designate responsibilities

Assigning responsibilities on who will be communicating with residents ensures that no communication falls through the cracks. Additionally, assigning communication tasks brings consistency to the messages you send. Within the association or management company, it\’s often most effective to assign responsibilities by role or expertise. This way, a board or staff member with the most knowledge in a particular area can lend their expertise to the message and make sure it is accurate and consistent. For example, a maintenance manager can send notices about water shutoffs, a board treasurer can send emails about late payments, or the community manager or board president can send a message about emergencies.

Use a mix of modern technology & traditional communication methods

Each person in your community has unique communication needs – a resident with a busy work schedule may prefer a quick text message whereas a resident who owns a flip-phone prefers to get a phone call. Therefore, using a mix of modern HOA communication tools and traditional methods gives you the flexibility to reach every resident. Consider these options to communicate with residents:

Resident Portal

A resident portal is a central place for residents to access all important community information such as documents, events, financial balances, and more. In addition to accessing pertinent information, residents can update their contact information and preferences. Having a self-service portal saves time for board members and managers, as they are fielding fewer phone calls. Through Pilera\’s mobile-responsive resident portal, residents can access community information and update their contact information on any device or location.

Website

Having a community website to showcase the community culture, upcoming events, and contact information is another great way to keep current residents connected with the HOA. On a community website, residents can view the latest information, access documents, learn about upcoming events, and make payments. A website also presents the community with an opportunity to attract prospective buyers. Pilera\’s HOA website solution is mobile-friendly, customizable, and easy for non-technical staff to maintain. Additionally, website administrators can integrate the website with many of Pilera\’s portal features such as documents, events, payments, and more for a seamless resident experience.

Phone, Email or Text Communication

Sending out message blasts through phone, email or text increases the effectiveness of your communication. It also saves the HOA money and time as they no longer have to print and stamp messages only. However, it\’s important to note you should treat each method of communication differently. There are instances where one communication method is more effective than another.

Phone Call

When sending out emergency messages, the key is to get the message out instantly. In this case, an automated phone call is more effective and immediate than an email.

Text Message

If you need to send an important but short message, text message can be a great tool to use. According to studies, people read text messages within five minutes of receiving them.

Email

When sending a message that isn\’t urgent, such as updates to the community\’s CC&R\’s, consider sending an email. Pilera\’s HOA communication tool enables managers/boards to send mass phone, email, and text messages to hundreds of residents within a few minutes.

Default to the resident\’s communication preference when possible

One of the best ways to reach residents is to allow them to choose how they want to hear from you so that they are more likely to receive your message. In Pilera\’s resident portal, residents can select email, phone, text, or direct mail as their communication preferences and update their contact information.

Direct Mailers

Direct mail is still a good way to get information across to your residents in 2021. Some residents in your community who are not as technologically savvy may prefer to receive information through the mail instead of email. With direct mail, residents can also read the information at their own convenience whereas their emails may get buried. Direct mailers are a good way to send general information to this audience such as late payment notices, information on upcoming maintenance activities, or invitations to upcoming events.

Flyers

Posting flyers in the common areas can help increase awareness of community information when a resident is walking by. Post flyers such as resident portal access and benefits, maintenance activities, upcoming events, and amenity rules.

Social Media

There\’s no shortage of social media platforms to keep your community engaged but it\’s best to connect with them where they are most likely to look for information. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are some of the most popular platforms to share information. Since these are all public platforms, it\’s important to create a policy for what information can be shared and shouldn\’t be shared, how to maintain regulatory compliance, how to manage conversations, and who is responsible for monitoring these platforms and interacting with residents. Let\’s take a look at how you can leverage each of these platforms:

Twitter

Twitter is a great platform to post short updates on your community. You can post information such as upcoming events, maintenance activities, new or updated amenities, and more.

Facebook

Facebook can be used to share important community information and encourage resident engagement. As a popular tool within the platform, board members and managers can use Facebook Groups to help residents connect with one another. When implemented carefully and with constant monitoring by a board member or manager, Facebook Groups can be a useful tool to communicate with residents, encourage discussions, and identify resident sentiment.

Instagram

Instagram is primarily a social media tool for sharing images and short videos, but when done right, can be a great tool for promoting your community\’s culture. Share photos of events, upcoming events, maintenance updates, amenity guidelines, contests, and other updates on what the community is doing.

Craft the right message

Getting your message across in the right way is just as important as how you choose to send a message. Residents are looking for transparency from their community leaders, so it\’s important to give them accurate and honest information. Here are some tips to communicate the right way:

• Be concise – Your messages should be short and to the point. Since residents are busy managing school, work, and or family, they won\’t have enough time to read long messages.
• Show compassion – It\’s important to show empathy whether you are sending an individual message or a community-wide message blast. You can show empathy by recognizing the resident\’s concerns, apologizing for the inconvenience, and letting them know you are happy to help them.
• Encourage open dialogue – The key to fostering a positive culture within your community is to encourage residents to communicate back with you. Provide an outlet for residents to respond back to you through email, phone, or social media. On the resident portal and website, make it easy for residents to get in touch with you.
• Segment your audience – It\’s important to send the right information to the right people so that you are mindful of their time and provide the most relevant content. Your HOA communication technology solution should provide you with advanced segmentation options. In Pilera\’s communications solution, you can create distribution groups and further segment your audience by location and user type.

Monitor the results of your HOA communication efforts

Measuring your current communication efforts will help you to identify elements that are successful or could be improved for the future. Once a month, set aside some time to understand how your current efforts are panning out. Here are some elements to analyze in your communication strategy:

• Email open rates – This metric will help you identify what information residents find the most useful. If your community newsletters are getting high open rates, identify the successful elements such as the type of content or the images you use and repeat the idea in future emails.
• Email or phone unsubscribes – If you are getting a large number of people unsubscribing, it may be an indicator the message isn\’t right or there\’s too much communication.
• Social media and email interactions – When you analyze social media or email interaction with your residents, it\’s important to look out for two things. The first is resident sentiment. How are your residents responding – are they happy, thankful, confused, angry, disappointed? How they respond can help you understand how to communicate better the next time. It can also indicate if you\’re on the right track. The second is common responses or questions. If residents are asking common questions, consider posting more information about it on social media. Additionally, you can create a knowledge base with commonly asked questions or send a message about it.

Collect feedback from your residents

Getting feedback from your residents on a regular basis can help you to identify and resolve problems, so you can make the community-living experience more enjoyable. When you ask residents for feedback, they will appreciate that their opinion is valued, leading to increased resident satisfaction. Here\’s how to get started with collecting resident feedback:

• Resident satisfaction survey – In every communication you send to residents include a basic resident satisfaction survey asking them what they like about the community\’s customer service and what can be improved. In Pilera, you can create a custom email footer that will display at the bottom of every email communication.
• Deep dive surveys – A month or two before budgeting season, consider sending your residents a survey on different aspects of the community and how it can be improved. Ask them about customer service, amenities, work-order services performed, and more so you can come up with goals for the next year.
• Take action on the feedback you receive – It\’s important to not only ask for feedback but respond to those insights, even if you can\’t fully implement the suggestion. If residents are asking for a new amenity but the budget is too tight, let them know that you hear them and that although it\’s not possible right now, you\’ll consider it in the future.

Create a HOA communication policy for board members & community managers

Now that you have all the above elements in place, it\’s time to create a communication policy that documents it. An HOA communications policy outlines all decisions your community makes about how to communicate, measure efforts, and ask for feedback. Once created, the document should be shared with fellow board members and community managers communicating on behalf of the board members. Additionally, HOA\’s should evaluate their communication policy every year based on efforts from the previous year to identify any opportunities for improvements.

Here\’s what you should include in your communications policy:

• A table displaying topics to communicate about, description, audience, frequency, who is responsible for communicating, and communication channels.
• Establish some do\’s and don\’t\’s for communicating with residents. Provide examples such as \”Be empathetic in your response\” or \”Don\’t be defensive in your response, even if you are correct\”.
• Identify the tone you\’ll use when communicating so that your message is consistent and professional.
• How you will measure your communication efforts so that you can improve future strategy.
• How often the HOA communication policy will be reviewed internally and who is responsible for maintaining the document.

As many HOA communities look to improve their communications, developing a strategy with these best practices in mind can foster a sense of community and save time for community leaders in the long run. If you\’d like to learn more about how Pilera\’s HOA software can support your communication strategy, contact us or email us at [email protected].

Turning prospective HOA and condo associations into clients can be overwhelming and pose a challenge for management companies.  With the property management market becoming more consolidated and saturated with many players, small and mid-sized management companies are finding it difficult to compete.  Many management companies who have lost out on associations learned that upon asking their communities about their decision-making process, the associations loved what they did, but another company had resident-facing software that they needed.  A resident-facing software can prove to a powerful selling factor and give companies an edge over the competition.  Pilera Software is one such management platform that empowers HOA and condo companies to gain more prospective clients by providing them with management and resident tools to more efficiently operate the community. 

Self-service resident portal

In the age of digital information, residents expect to receive up-to-the-minute news and perform various tasks quickly.  Residents will appreciate having a self-service resident portal that allows them to manage updates and occupants in their unit, pay their dues on time, submit service requests, get instant answers from a knowledge base.  This central portal also helps them to stay connected to the community through upcoming events, communication, and the resident directory.

Customer service

Customer support operations are at the heart of any community operation.  Quality customer service results in happy residents and board members that will want to retain your services in the long-run.  Pilera’s help desk product helps managers to stay on top of customer support through ticket creation, assignment, and follow-up dates to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.  The ability to collaborate on a ticket ensures that correct information and direction are being given whereas comprehensive audit tracking keeps everyone knowledgeable on a support ticket.

Property and common area maintenance

One of the most important functions of a community manager is to maintain or increase property values through the specific units (association-responsible) and common area maintenance.  The tracking of work orders from creation to completion allows managers to stay organized and accountable for their work while keeping their co-workers and residents in the loop.  Email notifications to residents reduce calls to the office and allow managers to work on more important projects for the community they’re managing. 

Do you have the tools right for you?

Many of our clients have shared their experience using Pilera’s suite of community management tools and say that the tools have made it easier for them to have a conversation with prospective associations and eventually land their business.  Having the right set of tools that is available 24×7, customizable, and reliable is vital for enhancing your customer support operations and meeting resident expectations. To learn more about how Pilera can benefit your communities today, connect with us at [email protected] or read more about our client’s success stories.