Buying a new pair of shorts showed me what the future of the resident experience will look like

I bought a pair of shorts during my workout yesterday.

And it showed me what the future of the resident experience will look like.

Yep, during. Not before class … right in the middle of it.

I was wrapping up a quick workout the other day when I noticed a new message pop up on the screen during the cooldown.

“Shop Denis's look ??” it said.

Similar to this:

Clicking that button fired off an email to my account with direct links to the outfit the instructor was wearing during the workout. Here’s an image of what that first email looked like:

A few (still sweaty) clicks later, and I have a new pair of workout shorts on the way to my door.

Wait ... you want me to sell workout clothes?

Hang with me as we make the hard left turn back to multifamily. But first, let’s look at hotel brands.

It’s no secret that hospitality brands make millions each year from their retail stores. Four Seasons is one example.

Westin is another good one, and they’ve positioned themselves well as wellness hotels and resorts. Their retail store lets you take home that Heavenly Bed and everything else to keep you focused on wellness beyond your stay. The program is so successful, they've even extended it with a storefront on Amazon and other distribution partnerships.

Are you starting to see the opportunity in multifamily? Let's bring it back to you.

Picture with me that you could give every prospect the opportunity to buy the living room set or the artwork on the wall in your virtually staged apartment images on your website. Or the same prospects could do the same on their self-guided tour via thoughtfully-placed QR codes in your mini-model.

Our interior designers go to great lengths to create beautiful spaces in our communities. How often have you heard a prospect say they love that lamp in the model or that funky side table in the resident lounge? Lean into that.

Maybe it’s smart home upgrades that are custom selected for your property. Maybe it’s fluffy beach towels or a grilling kit for the pool. Maybe it’s a cocktail kit or meal kit that ties in with this month’s resident event.

The only limit is your creativity.

The technology to do this is readily available today. And even if you don’t have relationships with local vendors, you could be set up to get paid as a West Elm affiliate by the end of the week.

As for the benefits, there’s a lot to like:

• Seamless ecommerce
• Influencer-led content and/or influencer-curated collections
• Brand partnerships, both with local makers and national labels
• Connecting people with the designs and experiences they want most
• Opt-in communication based on what our customers want to see more of
• Expanding your reach to new potential buyers
• Curating a 360 brand that gives customers more opportunities to associate themselves with you and the status their community provides

Look around you. This isn’t new — it’s already happening in hotels, salons and barbershops, in restaurants, in gyms … almost everywhere. Even my car’s service center has a paid snack bar and retail wall. And with the right approach, it would work extremely well in multifamily, too.

Do I expect every community to do this? Absolutely not. And I’d say *don’t* do it if you’re not already executing the marketing basics well.

But if occupancy is solid and you’re looking for another way to build your brand or layer on a unique experience that deepens the connection between you and your best customers ... you might just find it (and the ancillary revenue it creates) in your version of those workout shorts.