
The insights in this article come from utilizing J Turner Research’s text categorization tool, Einstein. Einstein is a proprietary tool that aggregates data collected from J Turner Research’s Thought Analysis AI. Thought Analysis delves into individual thoughts within open-ended commentary left in reviews to provide data that Einstein can use to come to practical conclusions about on-site performance. Having analyzed over 7.5 million reviews dating back to 2003, Thought Analysis skillfully categorizes each thought within each review into one of 22 operational categories specific to the multifamily industry. Alongside indications of whether each thought is mentioned positively (a compliment) or negatively (a complaint), the frequency data on this commentary is summarized by Einstein to show owners and operators what drives satisfaction/dissatisfaction. For more information, please visit here.
Resident satisfaction is trending positively, and it is because of improvements in staff interaction with residents post-COVID, not amenities.
In June 2024, J Turner Research wrote an article for MFE that detailed how resident satisfaction was trending in an optimistic direction. Despite resident sentiment within online reviews getting more negative each year between 2020 and 2023, the early data of 2024 suggested that residents were beginning to have their needs better met. This was primarily a result of marked improvements in operational areas that most multifamily operators would consider the pillars of multifamily: customer service, communication, and maintenance. However, we cautioned that the data should be taken with a grain of salt only because the second half of the calendar year typically trends more negative. We called for operators to ensure resources were devoted to the importance residents were now placing on staff interaction.
Now, in January, it begs the question: How are we actually doing?
Online review data in 2024 was objectively more positive than the previous two years. In fact, of the 436,074 reviews we analyzed in 2024, there were 50% more compliments than complaints. This compliment-to-complaint ratio was the best the industry had seen since 2021 and indicated the first increase in sentiment since 2019 into 2020. Moreover, 2024 tied 2019 for the third-highest review sentiment on record since J Turner Research first started tracking this data in 2003, only trailing the peak pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.

What the Industry Is Doing Better
J Turner Research believes the success can be correlated to the multifamily industry figuring out better processes on how to deal with and treat residents post-COVID.
Our industry changed completely. Management companies, sometimes on the fly, had to learn how to deliver a home, something personal and emotive, with a fraction of the face time. Many operators felt forced to begin incorporating staff members off-site and willingly trialed new technologies to handle touring, day-to-day communication with prospects and residents, and even decision-making; they had to maintain resident satisfaction while improving efficiency in an ever-tightening market.
However, there was a simultaneous underground shift—residents were also dramatically changing both behaviorally and psychologically. One simple example was that Americans increased their package ordering 200% in comparison with 2018 (per Forbes and Contimod). Clearly, the on-site teams could not continue operating under the status quo to deal with that much additional volume.
Then, there were examples of psychological changes. Many people developed what author Jay Baer in his book “The Time to Win” described as “a need for speed,” where two-thirds of people began to believe that the speed of service was just as important as the price. For instance, look at the increased usage of services like DoorDash and Amazon Prime. These businesses sell themselves on speed, convenience, and transparent communication, and people love it.
Naturally, and perhaps unfairly, our residents began getting used to that standard. CMSWire calls it “The Amazon Effect,” where “the expectations that Amazon has created for convenience, speed, and service have placed immense pressure on all companies to reevaluate their customer service strategies.” Pair that with the University of Colorado’s report that 59% of people are spending more time at home than before, and you detect a major issue: COVID was producing seismic shifts that necessitated dramatic changes to the way multifamily needed to operate.
In hindsight, it is very understandable that multifamily would not be able to push all the right buttons immediately. But the success of 2024 is a sign the industry has ultimately begun to figure it out. The data shows that improved sentiment originated from better performance in some of the most frequently mentioned and most fundamental operational areas like customer service, communication, and maintenance.
In contrast to the trends of recent years where the second half of the year produced upticks in complaints in these fundamental areas, performance steadied, indicating that management companies have likely improved processes. Tools like chatbots, artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, new leasing methods, and centralization take time to implement, especially when our product is so personal. This review data is the first evidence of clear improvement.
These were all the operational areas that saw less complaints and more compliments across all reviews in 2024 compared with 2023.

The Staff-Resident Relationship Moves the Needle More Than Amenities
When resident satisfaction trended down between 2020 and 2023, one of the biggest frustrations within reviews was communication. Complaints about communication went up 14% between 2020 and 2023, and operational areas like communication and financial clarity skyrocketed to some of the biggest drivers of negative feedback. In contrast, 2024 showcased communication compliments at their highest rate ever, appearing in 10% of all reviews and being mentioned within 12.81% of 4- and 5-star reviews.
To provide context, this is double the rate of 2015, meaning that not only is multifamily doing a better job of delivering strong communication, but residents care more about it and have greater appreciation for when we succeed. It is very plausible that the industry’s investment of time and resources into how to properly leverage tools like chatbots and centralized leasing is finally paying dividends.

While the increase in compliments and decrease in complaints is to be applauded, it should still be noted that complaint rates are not as low as the levels we saw pre-COVID. To clarify, there are still a lot of residents who are frustrated with post-pandemic communication.
Public relations expert Priyanka Agarwal, director of public relations at J Turner Research, states, “The review commentary I read indicates frustration. … Residents [get] frustrated with their calls going to voicemail or an automated service.”
Our belief is that this new data shows that tools like chatbots and operative investments like centralized leasing can objectively be successful. However, it must be done thoughtfully and supported by an on-site team that steps in to communicate with residents willingly and effectively as needed. Failures in that respect often produce negative feedback online.
This increased sensitivity to communication is consistent with what the data shows about residents’ attention to how helpful, nice, and empathetic the staff is. A whopping 70.72% of multifamily reviews mention something about customer service. Residents care about their relationships with the people tasked with providing them a home and evaluate their performance—whether it be in the leasing office, on the maintenance team, or in their communication—as a sign of how good their overall living experience is.
In contrast, amenities are continuing to be mentioned less frequently in reviews. Not only do they not hold nearly the driving force of 4- and 5-star reviews (19.3% compliment rate in 2024 compared with a 23.31% lifetime compliment rate), but they are not being mentioned nearly as much in general. In 2024, only 20.32% of reviews talked about amenities, down from the 21.53% rate of 2023 and the 22.11% lifetime rate. The downward trend suggests a shift, and the simultaneous increase in discussion about customer service and communication suggests that amenities are less likely to be the sole reason someone is satisfied or dissatisfied at their community in 2024 than in previous years. It truly is all about service.
Early Predictions for 2025
While the 2024 data indicates a positive trend in satisfaction and highlights the importance of customer service, we also want to forecast 2025. There are three operational areas we predict will be critical performance factors for properties and companies wishing to maintain or strengthen their online reputations this year: financial clarity, pet waste, and parking.
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) decision to exclude multifamily from junk fees rule has big ramifications on reputation: Generally speaking, residents crave transparency, but especially with their monthly billing. Over one-third, 35.12%, of 1- and 2-star reviews in 2024 had complaints related to a lack of clarity around charges, fees, and finances.
This was up 9% compared with 2023 and 18% versus lifetime numbers. It is an increasingly large frustration for residents because they expect clear and transparent communication at all touch points. While there are plenty of properties that are good about being upfront and avoiding complaints altogether, the FTC ruling means these fees do not need to be included in the advertised rent. While many operators in the industry are happy about this for obvious reasons, it does expose properties’ online reputations if proper communication protocols are not in place.
Pet waste should be an area of increased focus: Complaints about pet waste have gone up every year since 2020. They were up 26% within 1- and 2-star reviews year over year and are up to their highest level since 2014.
This is alarming considering services like Poo Prints (2011 commercial origin) and Poop-N-Scoop (2016 origin) seemed to largely reduce negative feedback in this area. However, it is possible that the increased ownership of dogs post-COVID has caught up to multifamily, necessitating increased attention and additional operative adjustments. Zillow reports that 40% of apartment renters now own a dog, up from 31% in 2019.
Parking concerns correlate to communication sensitivity: Complaints related to a lack of parking and/or frustrations with parking policies were up 10% year over year and were mentioned in 16% more 1- and 2-star reviews.
This increase in complaint rate trends back to 2020. Interestingly, occupancy has gone down over this same time period, suggesting it is likely more a result of communication pitfalls than a space issue. Parking policies need to be more transparently communicated and fair in 2025, or reputation will suffer.
Save the Date
On Feb. 25, J Turner Research will announce the 11th annual Elite ORA Power Ranking—the nation’s top conventional and student properties with the most stellar online reputation based on Online Reputation Assessment (ORA) scores for 2024. To register for the LinkedIn Live event, visit Elite2024.
The 2024 Elite ORA Power Ranking will recognize the following:
- The Elite 1% conventional properties for 2024;
- The top 100 student housing properties for 2024; and
- Management companies with the highest percentage of properties in this ranking.