The number of professionals working remotely has risen exponentially in the past year mainly due to the COVID-19 health crisis. According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, the percentage of remote workers increased from 20% before the pandemic to 71% after the pandemic. What’s even more revealing is that 54% of those surveyed stated that they would like to continue to work from home after the outbreak ends.
Thanks to the COVID-19 vaccinations, some businesses are beginning to reopen their offices and welcome staff back for on-site work. However, many businesses have decided to remain with a remote work model or implement a hybrid workplace model that blends remote work with in-office work.
That being said, the multifamily industry needs to follow these trends. Although everyone was caught off guard last year and had to quickly improvise a temporary work-from-home office set up in their residence, things are different this year. Now, as more businesses and professionals choose to pursue remote or hybrid work models, the multifamily must adapt their facilities to create environments that better accommodate their working-from-home residents.
Here are a few great ways to ensure that your multifamily property can create the perfect work-from-home-in-an-apartment environment.
In-Unit Workspace
When lockdown forced businesses to work remotely, many professionals had to quickly set up a workspace in their apartment using whatever free space was available at the time.
Overnight, dining room tables pulled double duty as desks and living rooms or bedrooms corners became the new home office area. At first, these solutions seemed fine since remote work was just a temporary situation for a couple of weeks. As the pandemic progressed and the need to work remotely continued, these temporary settings needed to be rethought.
Now that remote work is a permanent or partial policy for many businesses, multifamily properties need to appeal to those professionals working from home in an apartment. Updating currently available units to include a dedicated work from home office setup for prospects looking for a new residence. Whether it’s converting a spare bedroom into a full-size home office or redesigning a section of the living room or dining area to better accommodate a workspace, these updates will go a long way toward capitalizing on the working-from-home market.
Amenity Workspace
Updating available units to better accommodate remote workers who are looking for a new apartment is a must. Still, those updates may feel like a slight to your existing residents who are currently working remotely from their makeshift home office setups.
Adapting existing amenity spaces like community rooms, game rooms or resident lounges gives these current working-from-home residents the space they need to perform their jobs comfortably and effectively. Adding desks, dividers, multiple electrical outlets, and free Wi-Fi and high-speed internet access to these converted spaces create the perfect office environment for remote workers. Plus, residents enjoy the added benefit of leaving their work “at the office” so they can better enjoy their free time in their homes.
Community Events
Some of the biggest side effects many remote workers experienced during lockdown were feelings of burnout and isolation due to home life and work-life being intertwined and the inability to socialize in person with friends, family, and coworkers. To lift their residents’ spirits, many properties hosted community events where neighbors could safely enjoy each other’s company outside or socially distanced inside.
Now that many restrictions have been lifted and vaccinated individuals can safely congregate, it’s a good idea for properties to continue to host community events for their residents. These events can run the range from cookouts during warm weather to pool parties to holiday events to watch parties for big sporting events to movie nights throughout the year. These events give remote work residents the opportunity to socialize, relieve stress, and have a better work-at-home/life balance.
If you’re implementing new work-from-home amenities or wishing to spread the word about your existing working-from-home office setups, our multifamily marketing experts are ready to help you. Contact us today to learn the many ways we can showcase your remote-work amenities on your property’s website!