A Marketing Mentality for Today’s Association Boards

Today's smart Association Boards have added a role for themselves and their communities. As their properties age and other local association communities are developed, these Boards have adopted a marketing mentality similar to that of a developer. Boards with this marketing mentality have recognized that neighboring communities are very successful in selling their residences quickly with solid appreciation in resale values. These Boards don't want to see their own communities left behind. And when the real estate market cools and/or interest rates increase, this focus on marketing becomes all the more important.

Here are some of the ideas that you can use if you are part of a Board with a progressive marketing mentality:

Entrance Areas: This means going beyond just changing color. It requires enhancing plant material, upgrading signage or lighting, and taking other steps to change the first look into your community;

Architectural Review: See to it that inspections keep in mind the nature and condition of neighboring residences and surrounding property which can impact resales;

Landscape Enhancements: Have the courage to thin out association landscape material (shrubs, trees, bushes) close to homes and add quality stock where necessary to improve the appearance of each home and the common areas;

Exterior Colors and Textures: Use newer colors, textures, and building materials for the exteriors of those residences (when they are an Association responsibility), rather than simply trying to replicate what the original builder/developer built;

Realtor Guidance: Invest some time with the two or three Realtors who are most active in your community and learn from them what helps and hurts the sales of the residences in your community;

Association Financial Information: Take the time to prepare some educational material that explains all that is included in the association budget and covered by those association fees - - with particular emphasis on the programs and services that a future owner would either pay much more for in a non-association community or that would be difficult to obtain independently;

Local Attention: Find ways to draw attention to your community through its residents, municipal officials, schools and other local institutions. Try such things as hosting local voting, sponsoring a kids' program or charity event, supporting a police or fire department event, attending municipal meetings, and courting local newspapers;

Coordinated Signage: If your association possesses this authority, coordinate “For Sale” or “Open House” signage and better yet, create community-specific signs for Realtors to use to give a uniform appearance;

Website Public View: Move beyond thinking of your website as an internal communications device for your current owners and spend the money to create a few web pages that are easily found and entertaining to the public, some of whom are considering moving to your area and may seriously consider your community;

Help with the Homes: Find a way to provide information to owners about what their neighbors have had done to enhance the insides of their residences that might apply to other homes to keep them more “current” when competing and newer homes in other local associations;

Association Marketing Brochure: If your community is large enough to afford it, have a community-based task force design and create a brochure that demonstrates the amenities, features, location, and other benefits for those who are members of your association and give those out to local Realtors (you might actually be able to re-use some of the elements found in the developer's materials);

Operations with a Public Relations View: Keep in mind that nothing can be more damaging to all your community marketing efforts than a bad story in the public domain caused by a Board that pushes an enforcement or governmental matter beyond that which is reasonable.

Most Association Boards do a fairly good job with their traditional roles of maintaining their communities. They do have some sensitivity about the living experience of their neighbors. Adding this new dimension of marketing mentality to their focus is essential to the long-term success of their community.

Steve Castle, CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM®
President
Mid-Atlantic Management
Plymouth Meeting, PA