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BROADBAND COMMUNITIES
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www.broadbandcommunities.com
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MAY/JUNE 2017
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Apartment Dwellers Value
Internet Service
A new survey of property owners shows that renters place a high value on technology
amenities – but many owners still struggle to keep pace with residents' demands.
H
igh-speed internet and Wi-Fi are
among the most important amenities
to apartment dwellers – even more
than in-room laundry facilities – when they
make rental decisions, according to a survey
from XFINITY Communities, Comcast's
multifamily development services division. e
survey report, "Networking with Residents:
Technology Drives the Multifamily Industry,"
examines the importance of technology in
the multifamily industry. Survey respondents
included 205 property managers, building
owners and real estate developers across the
United States, not only in Comcast service areas.
Among those surveyed, 87 percent said
technology played an extremely or very
important role in keeping residents satisfied,
with 75 percent reporting that the majority
of new and prospective residents ask about
communications services (internet, phone, TV)
prior to renting.
"Property managers and developers
are balancing the requirement to provide
sophisticated technology for their residents with
the challenges of providing the latest network
infrastructure," said Mike Slovin, vice president
of XFINITY Communities. "Residents expect
a high level of services, and in an increasingly
competitive rental market, the need to provide
new services and upgrade existing ones
intensifies."
KEY FINDINGS
e report's key findings include the following: