We're all familiar with the power of online reviews. For most of us, sites like Google and Yelp help inform many of our daily decisions. Prospective residents looking for an apartment community are no different, which means that a positive online reputation is key to making a good first impression.
But with so many online review platforms available to apartment residents, it can be challenging for properties to monitor their reputation across multiple sites. That's where the ORA (Online Reputation Assessment) score comes in.
If you're in the multifamily industry, regardless of your role, you've probably heard the term ORA score. So, let's break down what an ORA score is and why it matters to apartment communities.
What is an ORA score?
Pioneered by J. Turner Research, the ORA score provides a benchmark that measures a community's overall online reputation. ORA scores aggregate data from across the web and combine overall rankings from all online review platforms to come up with one cumulative score.
This score offers one clear metric for all key players in the multifamily industry to keep a pulse on who has a healthy online presence with consistent and solid reviews across the board. And research shows that consistency matters to prospective residents!
Why an ORA score matters
In a study conducted by J. Turner (The Cost of Losing Connection, 2021), apartment residents indicated that they were likely to visit a variety of online review sites before visiting a prospective property. At Apartment Life, we provide tracking on Google reviews to our clients each month.
65% of prospective residents choose to visit a property based on its online reputation score. (J. Turner Research)
In the multifamily industry, not only does a positive online reputation play a large role in attracting new residents, but it also correlates to:
- Higher rates of resident retention
- Increased staff satisfaction (resulting in less staff turnover)
- Higher overall property value
That's good news for everyone in the community, from residents all the way up to owners!
Our client, Knightvest, saw 81 new reviews in 30 days — going into peak leasing season!
“Over the past month, through a focused partnership with Apartment Life, we’ve seen a strong lift in online reviews—81 positive reviews across our Knightvest communities in just a few weeks. That kind of result doesn’t happen by chance. While we’ve always valued how Apartment Life Coordinators build community onsite, we recently aligned more intentionally around one of our key KPIs: increasing online reviews. By linking the positive resident experiences they’re already creating to our digital reputation, they helped elevate our efforts in a meaningful way. At the core, we want residents to feel known and appreciated—and to be inspired to share their experience. This partnership continues to show what’s possible when community engagement and online strategy work together to drive real impact in both leasing and retention.”