How To Name Your Apartment Community So It Attracts The Right Residents
Excitement is building around the new development going up in the neighborhood and you’re finally seeing your vision come to life. Now comes one of the most important aspects of establishing your new apartment community – the name.
How do you choose? Where do you begin?
Here, we will uncover all the factors that go into naming an apartment community, so you can be sure to get yours just right.
Did you know that the apartment name can make all the difference in getting residents in your doors? It’s true – 77% of purchases are made based on brand names (source: crowdspring.com). So, getting your apartment name right is crucial to its success.
Your apartment name must check all these boxes in order to attract residents.
#1 – Of Course, It Needs to Be Unique.
72% of the best brands have names that are acronyms or completely made up (source: crowdspring.com).
You’ve already put so much thought and energy into making your new development something truly special, give it a name that is equally special.
Sure, you could very easily just recycle some popular words found in apartment names – like park, village, place, etc. – and slap them together to form your new name. There’s probably even a list circulating out there that offers a formula for name selection. We say throw that list out the window. Or better yet, find that list and make sure your name contains none of those words.
If you want to stand out from the millions of other apartment homes out there, be different, even a little…dare we say, bold.
#2 – But Not Too Unique.
You’re right, we just said to go bold with your apartment naming; however, it’s important to remember it needs to be easy to pronounce and not so abstract that people don’t even know what it says or means.
It’s tough to find the balance between being original and also not going so far out there that people don’t understand it and are turned off by its unusualness. Keep it short, sweet, and simple.
#3 – Research Your Local Area.
There’s really nothing worse than nailing down an apartment name only to come across another apartment community (or even a different business) with the same name right down the street. You may have thought of something you think is totally rare, but you’d be surprised by how many names have already been used before.
Do a quick Google search to make sure your name isn’t being used anywhere else in your town or city. Even if another one exists somewhere else, you may want to change it slightly, as it may get confusing in search results. Make sure there is something that distinguishes your name from anything else out there.
#4 – Align With Your Brand Identity.
Your brand identity is essentially your community’s personality. You can learn more about apartment branding in this comprehensive article we put together. But for the sake of naming alone, consider how you want your apartments to be perceived by potential residents. Is it:
- chic and luxe,
- hip and trendy,
- earthy and organic,
- traditional and charming?
Also consider who you’re trying to attract –
- young professionals,
- empty nesters,
- families with kids?
All of these elements give your apartment community its vibe, its character, its identity– you get the idea.
Choose a name that fits all those great adjectives you use to describe the apartment community itself.
#5 – How Will The Name Feel in 10 Years?
You know all those trendy words, phrases, slang, or acronyms that become a natural part of our lexicon?
Avoid them. At. All. Costs.
If you think of an acronym or word that sounds super cool, do a Google search to see if there is alternate meaning that the kids are throwing around these days.
Also think about how your apartment name will sound in 10 years. Do you think it will be dated and in need of a refresh? Come up with an apartment name that will still be in style as time passes and newer communities pop up in the neighborhood.
#6 – Make Sure It Doesn’t Sound…Awkward. Focus Group It!
To take point #5 even further, make sure you choose an apartment name that can’t be misinterpreted, or that doesn’t sound like a bad or embarrassing word.
Run the name by others, see how it looks written, consider what people might call it for short, or what it would be as an acronym – basically explore every angle, so it means exactly what you want it to and nothing else. A small focus group should be considered here.
#7 – Make It Easy to Remember Using These Three Rules.
People who are on the hunt for a place to live are probably online searching day in and day out. And then they end up typically looking at several units in person in one day. Give your apartment community a name that is easy to remember at the end of the day.
Shorter names are obviously more memorable – so, try to have just one- to two-word names.
Names that have alliteration are fun to say and can easily jog the memory, for example “Palazzo Place” or “Atwood Apartments.”
Also, pick out a unique element of your property’s appearance and use that in the name – for example, “Brickstone” or “Red Roof” or “XYZ on Fifth.”
#8 – Research The Domain with These Tricks.
Once you’ve chosen a name, make sure to go to GoDaddy.com to see if a domain that makes sense is available, too.
Keep in mind:
- Make it easy to type
- Keep it as short as possible
- Avoid hyphens
- Keep the .com extension
So, what if a domain isn’t available for the name you chose? You don’t necessarily have to go back to the drawing board. Come up with a domain name that incorporates your apartment name with the addition of another keyword or phrase, like “rentals,” “apartments,” “apts,” live,” or “living.”
The ideal domain names follow one of these naming conventions:
- YourName.com
- [YourName]Apartments.com
- [YourName][Neighborhood].com
- [YourName]Apts.com
- [YourName]Living.com
- LiveAt[YourName]
If you’ve played around with numerous variations and a domain still isn’t available, you might want to rethink your community name.
#9 Avoid Anything Controversial.
A former president may have been from your town, and maybe even has a pretty great name that would work well as an apartment community name. You might want to rethink that idea.
Someone, somewhere may misinterpret your apartment name as a political stance, which you certainly don’t want to do.
It’s best to steer clear of any political or religious connotations.
#10 Hire a Multifamily Marketing Expert.
When you want it done right the first time, choose a partner that specializes in multifamily marketing. This will save you time and money. A good partner will have direct experience naming apartment communities. Ask to see some of the names they’ve created.
To Sum it All Up
Choosing a name for your new apartment building is the first step in branding your community. You’re essentially giving a personality, or identity, to a massive project in which you’ve already invested so much.
It may seem challenging, but can also be fun. Take your time to really explore apartment names that differentiate your apartment community from all the rest out there.
Once you’ve chosen a few apartment names that have potential, run them through Google to scope out any competition and see how they might rank.
Maybe even show family and friends to get a feel for how people respond to them. If you find yourself with something that meets the criteria we’ve outlined above, we’re pretty confident you’ve got yourself a good apartment name.
Written by Josh Grillo
Josh Grillo is a #1 Best Selling Author, Speaker and Co-Founder of Resident360.
