Categories
Insight

2021 – A Year in Review

With 2021 drawing to a close, we’ve taken time out to reflect and share what we’ve learned this year.

Buying, Selling, and Swapping

Across our client base we saw an increase in residents joining ‘marketplace’ forums, set up to enable residents to easily sell and promote their items to their neighbours within their building. At the start of the year, and as lockdowns were slowly being lifted, we regularly saw games consoles, handmade jewellery, cooking equipment, chairs, sofas, and desks being listed. The marketplace is one of the most actively used forums across our client base, helping residents to find exactly what they need right on their doorstep.  


Some of our clients have also chosen to set up ‘I’m happy’ and ‘I’m not happy’ forums in their Spike Living portals. Residents can then post issues or praise accordingly. Although this might sound risky, it gives operators the right to reply to any complaints and keeps the problem contained. Moreover, it offers residents complete transparency which often translates into trust and loyalty. 

Greater Importance Placed on Health

Rather than the usual January spike in gym bookings and exercise classes, we saw this happen much later in the year, which coincided with the majority of lockdown restrictions being lifted. 


This had a continued knock-on effect where gym bookings remained unusually high all the way through to August, where they then dropped down to pre-pandemic levels. Interestingly, Yoga and meditation classes were the most popular sessions being booked amongst residents, which really emphasises the importance placed on both physical and mental health.

In-Person Socialising

We also saw in-person event bookings increase over 1500% in March compared to January, when stay-at-home orders in the UK were lifted. Bookings rose a further 112% in July when all restrictions were lifted, and then tailed off slightly in August.

We’ve seen Christmas events, such as wreath and mince pie-making classes being held much earlier this year, with residents eager to get together to celebrate once again.

Continued Rise in Internet Shopping

Our software processed more than 100,000 deliveries per month in 2021 and as we head towards the end of the year, we’re seeing that number rise considerably. Our Spike Living software can take away the stress of online shopping by ensuring that when parcels get delivered, residents receive real-time alerts when they are ready to collect from the front desk, eliminating the need for constant calls to the concierge or worrying whether their parcels will be left in a safe place.

Summary

Yet another year has gone by when people have spent lengthy amounts of time being at home – and there’s no doubt that this has created a long-term change of mindset when it comes to what is important about where we live. It’s not just the obvious – room to move, fresh air, access to the outdoors – in fact, as the amenities and facilities being provided by operators are becoming less differentiated, so the decision on where to live is becoming less and less about the building and the actual physical space, and more about how a tenant can see themselves building a life there.


The challenge for developers is how to set themselves apart in an era when good facilities are increasingly common; and here at Spike we see community engagement playing an increasingly important role in attracting and retaining tenants. Our Spike Living portal is much more than just an easy way to book a slot in the gym or check if the concierge has received a parcel – it can help residents to find friends, join clubs, expand their interests, and become part of a community. It can help them to book the resident’s lounge, find a good cleaner or get a discount on a round of drinks in a nearby bar – all of which creates the kind of glow that makes a tenant feel they belong.

2022 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GUIDE

To help you hit the ground running in 2022 our Customer Success Team have put together a handy monthly guide which will hopefully provide you with some suggested content you could be sharing with your residents throughout the year.

Download a copy of our 2022 Community Engagement Guide below.

Categories
Case Study

Canada Israel Joins Forces With Spike Global to Create a Community for Young Professionals in Wembley

Wembley Point, an iconic building and long-standing feature of the Northwest London skyline, is being transformed into a modern live/work space. The landmark three-sided, 22-storey tower block on Harrow Road, Wembley, is one of the London Borough of Brent’s oldest skyscrapers. The state-of-the-art Build to Rent scheme, now known as WEM Tower, is set to welcome its first new residents in January 2022, and will see its developer CANADA ISRAEL partner with Spike Global, the leading resident engagement and property management software provider, to create a truly local, social community among young working professionals looking to move there.

A first for the Wembley area, an all-encompassing resident’s app will be accessed by those who will call WEM Tower home helping to create the sense of communal living that has been missed dearly during the pandemic and lockdowns.


CANADA ISRAEL Group is a real estate investing company specialising in initiating, creating and improving properties in Israel and throughout the world. For over two decades they have been designing the urban landscape in high-demand and dominant locations. CANADA ISRAEL has created a hotel-style living environment for young professionals, with 440 rental homes on offer. Ranging from 25 square metre studios to 39 square metre one-bedroom apartments, the development offers a winning combination of compact, maintenance-free and keenly priced private space in a thriving and well-connected regeneration area with an unprecedented level of services and amenities.


One of the effects of the pandemic has been a change of focus for many younger renters, who are now looking for homes that also provide a sense of community. Rather than being content with a cramped flat share, young professionals are looking for a mix of private space and community living – snapping up apartments that offer more than just a place to reside.

Spike’s property management and resident engagement portal, Spike Living, will be the gateway for residents to access all of the facilities on offer, all with a few taps on their phone. The white-labelled version of the app is completely tailored to WEM Tower, and amongst the many services and amenities available, residents can book private meeting rooms in the co-working space, join a fitness class at the gym, book a cleaning service or hair salon appointment, or get a notification about happy hour at the bar.


Ofer Feldman, Managing Partner at CANADA ISRAEL, explained: “We are creating a high-end residential development aimed at young professionals, with a range of services and facilities that match the scale of ambition shown in other local urban renewal projects, and playing our part in building for Brent’s bright future. Spike’s software is an efficient tool that provides a user-friendly interface to manage everything successfully round the clock. Spike’s technology is connecting everything together and meeting the needs of this generation of renters who are looking for far more than just a place to lay their heads.”


As well as enabling residents to manage their tenancy from their phone and enjoy the wider lifestyle on offer that WEM Tower provides, Spike Living will also connect them with their neighbours – offering a way to make new friends and develop a community.


Jeremy Heath-Smith, CEO of Spike, comments: “Studies have shown that the younger generation are looking for a home that will also be a community, and potentially a workplace and leisure venue as well. WEM Tower provides everything they need for the perfect work-life balance, and we’re proud to provide the technology to enable them to make the most of everything on offer as well as make new friends within their building.”


Built in 1965, the building was the home of London Weekend Television in the 1960s and 70s, before being used for a variety of office purposes. The residential conversion, which will open for viewing in January, will feature eight different open-plan apartment layouts with an exciting urban vibe using industrial materials including engineered oak and exposed concrete. The development is just 100m from Stonebridge Park station in Zone 3, which is served by both London Overground services and the Bakerloo Line, with journey times of just 25 minutes to Oxford Circus.

Categories
Insight

Growing Community Engagement

With face-to-face contact limited over the past year, developers have had to find new and innovative ways of instilling a sense of community for its residents, providing much-needed social interaction, and ensuring key services continued to be accessible. 


It’s proven that residents who are engaged with their local community are often happier than those who are not, so connecting neighbours to one another and allowing them to form meaningful relationships with their local community has now become a necessity rather than just a luxury.

Why Engage With the Community?

When a new resident moves into a new building, they may be unfamiliar with the surrounding area. Connecting them with others in the building, local shops and services, or details that can bring convenience to their lives is a great way of ensuring residents feel engaged from the offset. Many of our clients team up with local businesses to offer exclusive discounts to their residents on anything from cleaning services, dog walkers, to local restaurants.


Holding regular social events is also an important way in allowing friendships between neighbours to blossom – whether that’s online or in-person. Research by Apartment Life found that the more friends a resident has within their building, the more likely they are to renew their lease. Without any friends living in their community, residents only have a 29% chance of renewing. That number jumps to 38% if they have 1-3 friends, and if they have 7 or more friends, there’s a 47% likelihood that they’ll renew.

Not Just a Fad

With loneliness up 40% according to the Office for National Statistics, building operators and managers really came into their own during the pandemic, helping to tackle isolation.


Over the past twelve months, building operators have used our resident engagement portal, Spike Living, to keep residents informed about relevant issues, services, events, and health and safety protocols, while residents connected with their landlord, concierge, and neighbours.


Spike introduced specific COVID-19 forums for each of its clients where residents could offer or ask for help. An information centre was created providing updates, sourcing only reliable government links, while a recommended COVID-19 strategy was offered to help them continually adapt.


The forums showcased how neighbours were helping each other through the crisis. From online supper clubs to fitness and wellbeing events, the portal kept communities engaged and informed. We’ve seen conversations on sharing food, how to entertain kids, offering to deliver toilet roll and baked goods or pick up shopping – you name it!


Spike Living also helped local economies stay afloat, with residents wanting to do all they can to ensure their communities survive. Residents used our portal to connect local bakeries, local produce boxes getting delivered to flats, even a local brewery dropping off beer for a virtual tasting session.

Where Spike Global Can Help

Building a successful community may seem like a daunting task, but that’s where Spike can help. Our leading resident engagement and property management solutions can ensure you have the right technology in place to facilitate online and offline community engagement.


Spike’s Customer Success Team can also help with everything from creating awareness for a successful Spike Living launch, to providing monthly content and materials to share with your residents, guaranteeing your community gets the long-term ongoing support it deserves.


Spike’s solutions can be white-labelled and completely tailored to the needs of each development, enabling building operators to create and manage thriving communities, where residents can form meaningful connections.

2022 Community Engagement Guide

To help you hit the ground running in 2022 our Customer Success Team have put together a handy monthly guide which will hopefully provide you with some suggested content you could be sharing with your residents throughout the year.

Download a copy of our 2022 Community Engagement Guide below.

Categories
Insight

ASK4 Joins Forces With Spike Global to Bring Residents Closer Together

Specialist Internet Service Provider ASK4 has formed a strategic partnership with Spike Global, the leading property management and resident engagement software provider, to help bring communities closer together.


The partnership will mean that ASK4 is able to provide its clients with market-leading property management and resident engagement technology solutions. 


Spike has a proven track record for delivering real, tangible results launching and operating property software worldwide. Spike’s resident engagement portal, Spike Living, can be white-labelled and completely tailored to the needs of each development, enabling building operators to create and manage thriving communities, where residents can form meaningful connections. Spike Living also allows residents to stay engaged with up-to-date news and events, book amenities, report maintenance issues, and even get involved with the wider local community by introducing them to local attractions and services.


Working across the residential sector, including build-to-rent, build-to-sell, purpose-built student accommodation, co-living, and later living, Spike’s solutions enable everyone within a building to benefit from the spaces they are invested in. 


Speaking of the partnership, ASK4’s Head of Marketing, Jess Glover, said:

“It is a genuine pleasure to be partnering with Spike Global. We have been impressed by both their technology and their team, and we know that their solutions will make a meaningful difference to our clients. If the last 18 months have taught us anything, it is that community matters, and fostering community within multi-tenant buildings is extremely important for the long-term wellbeing of residents.”


ASK4’s Client Relationship Director, Micha Fell, added:

“We have seen Spike’s solutions in action with a number of mutual clients and not only do they deliver a first-class experience for residents via their app, but they also enable operators to develop their ESG propositions, streamline operational processes and engage new revenue streams. All of which is extremely important in today’s market.”


Speaking for the Spike Global team, Marketing Director, Jonny Wootten, said:

“It is always great to collaborate with like-minded technology companies in the property sector and there is a wealth of common ground between Spike and ASK4. Connectivity and community engagement go hand-in-hand for today’s tenants, and we are delighted to be partnering with a specialist ISP with so much experience and expertise in the multi-tenant building sector.”


You will find the ASK4 and Spike Global team at The Student Accommodation Conference on 8th December. Contact us to arrange a meeting to learn more.