Ensuring a Seamless Resident Connectivity Experience

A Bright Future for Bulk Internet and Tech-Enabled Multifamily Housing

Denver Hollingsworth

February 3, 2025

While the quality and affordability of an apartment are chief concerns for residents, reliable, trusted property management is still a high priority. In a 2023 AppFolio survey, 45 percent of unsatisfied renters cited “seeking a better property manager” as a reason they were planning to move.

It’s clear that property managers have their work cut out for them to provide the best experience for their residents they possibly can. Key to that is a seamless resident connectivity experience—one that provides internet access immediately upon arrival, as 71 percent of renters demand. Here are three ways you can do just that to provide the best resident experience possible.

Provide a Move-In-Ready Experience

Did you know that 89 percent of renters cite high-speed internet access as one of the most important amenities they look for? That places it higher than common requests like garbage disposals, dishwashers, microwaves, and walk-in closets. That’s why providing move-in-ready internet—only possible through a bulk model—is such a key step in satisfying your residents’ needs.

With a bulk internet deployment, you can provide a true move-in-ready connectivity experience to your residents. That’s because a bulk internet offering is available to residents immediately upon move-in, with a quick and easy setup. Plus, not only is a bulk internet service more convenient, but it is also often cheaper compared to retail models. Alternatively, in a retail deployment, residents need to handle a lengthy setup process—from calling a service provider, getting set up, picking up the necessary equipment, and more—before they can access a reliable connection. 

Of course, it’s not as simple as accepting the first bulk internet offering you come across. There are around 2,900 internet service providers (ISPs) in the US, meaning that you have plenty of options at varying levels of quality. Make sure to research your available options thoroughly to ensure that you’re getting the most for your—and your residents’—money. 

For our part, Onboard excels at negotiating with service providers to get the best deals for our partners and their residents, ensuring premium services at reasonable prices. As one real estate firm COO said, “Onboard’s expertise in negotiating telecom contracts, and their close integrations with the nation’s leading service providers, not only streamlined the negotiation process but also relieved the firm’s team from the complexities of telecommunications contract management.”

Ensure Dedicated, Personalized Support for You and Your Residents

We’ve covered why bulk internet is key to a move-in-ready experience, but how do you support a successful bulk internet amenity program—long after initial implementation? Not only is proactive, transparent communication essential, but how can you ensure you provide your residents with dedicated amenity support, without overburdening your on-site staff? 

For one, the majority of issues often arise on move-in day, when residents are overwhelmed by a slew of tasks on their to-do lists and are rushing to get access to the internet as quickly as possible. These issues can be a headache for on-site staff, who usually don’t have the time—or expertise—to support these technology problems. 

Similarly, service providers may be experts on the service itself, but they may not know every detail about your community’s specific bulk amenity program. From amenity costs to package details and information about how the program is customized to each resident’s specific needs, they may not have insight into everything needed to fully support your residents. Plus, a third-party support team dedicated to managing your amenity program can provide exclusive offerings, like cancellation reimbursements or service discounts, that are unique to each community. 

With a dedicated partner like Onboard, your on-site team and residents would have access to personalized support tailored to your community’s specific tech amenity offering. For our part, Onboard manages thousands of data points about every resident in a community to ensure the amenity and follow-up communication is tailored to their needs. We also provide comprehensive support beyond negotiating and implementing the technology itself, offering seamless ongoing support that packages the technology into a marketable offering, gives residents a better experience, and boosts property value. We don’t leave you to struggle through managing a technology your staff might not be familiar with alone—we are a dedicated resource for your team at every step of the process.

Our dedicated support team also knows the ins and outs of your property’s services and communicates directly with residents to resolve any issues. For example, when Bowman Station partnered with Onboard to manage its bulk internet amenity offering, residents could go to Onboard directly with concerns about technology-related disruptions. This dramatically reduced the time and effort that on-site staff had to spend on managing tech-related issues while also driving operational efficiencies for the service provider.  

“The quick response and assistance offered to new applicants and current residents has been stellar,” said Lynn Sullivan, Bowman Station property manager. “We love having the experience and customer service from Onboard to yield prompt and efficient results.”

Deliver Transparent Communication

Data privacy is a growing concern among Americans, with many expressing worries about being monitored or having their information compromised. When working with bulk internet, you’re bound to come across these concerns. The best way to address them is with transparent communication.

“While many residents may appreciate the added convenience of bulk internet, some residents may harbor legitimate concerns regarding privacy, security, and service reliability, necessitating candid and transparent discourse,” explains Larry Furr, Onboard’s executive vice president of product. “By delivering regular updates, addressing inquiries, and actively seeking resident feedback, property owners and their on-site teams can foster an environment of transparency and collaboration, thereby shaping a favorable perception of the program and the property overall.”

At Onboard, we help properties provide transparent communication across a variety of channels, including automated email communications, personalized landing pages specific to each property, and actions strategically targeting individual residents. Because we have insights into each resident’s actions, we empower you and your team to meet every individual where they are in the process, improving their experiences with not only the amenity program itself but also your property and staff. Plus, each custom landing page managed by Onboard provides residents with secure, easy access to their technology amenity package. 

Creating a seamless connectivity experience for your residents is the best way to attract new residents and keep them happy and living in your property for years to come. If you’re ready to implement a bulk tech service—without burdening your on-site staff with managing it all—Onboard is ready and able to help. Contact us today to discuss your property’s needs and see what Onboard can do to prepare your property for the future.

About the Author

Denver Hollingsworth

Former marketing lead at Comcast, with a decade of of marketing and communications experience in MDU/telecom. Currently serves as Vice President of Marketing at Onboard.