Residential Estate Industry Journal 5 | Page 48

COMMUNITY AND COMMUNICATION It is one thing to sell the concept of community living, but creating a real community among a large group of diverse human beings can be a tough challenge. An estate with a strong community keeps the value of the property high and the residents happy, so building a healthy community is a vital component of estate management. How do you create a successful community? A community is built on the relationships between residents, estate managers and the HOA, and like any relationship, communication is the key to success. A happy community is one that is dynamic, where information is transparent and easily accessible, and all parties play a role in the responsibilities and decision making to achieve a common goal. It has functional structures to share knowledge and to air and resolve grievances. Effective communication with busy consumers who live in a world of information overload and instant gratification is difficult to achieve. The benefits of using a community portal Traditionally, residents of an estate could be part of a Facebook or WhatsApp group, both of which are fine for commenting or airing one’s views, but are not good mediums for actually solving real issues. This often creates a disconnect between residents and the estate management, and, like all social media, can become very antisocial and not conducive to promoting harmony. These groups generally do not grant the estate management any control over the content shared. 48