The 2018 ORA Elite 1%: The Nation's Top 100 Properties by Online Reputation

The wait is over for the most-anticipated ORA Power Ranking: the fifth-annual Elite 1% ORA Power Ranking of properties by online reputation, this one for 2018.

Based on their ORA (Online Reputation Assessment) scores, 1,234 properties have earned the Elite 1% distinction. This is out of a total database of over 101,000 properties we monitor for online reputation across 19-plus review sites and ILSs. The footprint of properties we research for ORA has grown a significant 42% since 2017. (To view the complete list of Elite 1% properties, visit https://www.jturnerresearch.com/ora-elite-2018.)

Scroll down to see the crème de la crème—the top 100 properties of the 2018 Elite 1% list.

The top performer for 2018 is The Courts of Devon (Gaithersburg, Md.), managed by The Bozzuto Group, with an ORA of 98. The property reached No. 1 by working its way up from the fifth position in the 2017 Elite 1% ranking. Park Place One Apartments (Philadelphia), managed by Fidelity Management, made a return appearance from last year's second place to take the No. 2 spot in 2018, as well. Claiming the third position is 500 Crawford (Houston), managed by Finger Cos., a new entrant to the Elite 1% club. Both properties also registered an ORA of 98 each.

To be eligible for the Elite 1% ranking, a property had to register a minimum ORA score of 89 and have at least 12 online reviews across various review sites and ILSs. For properties with the same ORA score, the property with the higher number of reviews ranked higher. The national average ORA is 61.56. The ORA score is the multifamily industry’s standard to measure and benchmark a property’s online reputation.

With online reputation holding a premium influence in apartment shoppers’ decision-making process, properties seem to be working diligently to outrun each other to be recognized in the ORA Elite 1%. The 2018 Elite 1% ranking is much more competitive than 2017's. The data below speak for themselves!

• In 2017, 977 properties made the Elite list, while the 2018 pool grew by 257, to 1,234 properties—a 26% growth in the number of Elite 1% properties since last year.
• There are 656 new entrants to the 2018 Elite 1% club.
• Of 2017's 977 Elite 1% properties, 578 made it again last year.
• In 2017, 512 properties scored above 90; in 2018, 918 exceeded that mark.
• The national average score in 2017 was 59.70, 1.86 points lower than today's figure.

In terms of management companies, 66 of the 1,234 Elite properties are privately managed. The top five management companies with the most 2018 Elite properties are Greystar (112), Bozzuto (53), Five Star Senior Living (39), RAM Partners (30), and Lincoln Property Co. (26).

The top five states with the highest share of Elite 1% properties are Texas (118), California (108), Florida (91), North Carolina (81), and Virginia (68).

About the ORA Power Rankings
Developed by J Turner Research, the ORA Power Rankings are a monthly, independent ranking of apartment properties and management companies based on their Online Reputation Assessment (ORA) scores. A property or management company is not required to be a J Turner Research client to qualify for this ranking, which is published by J Turner’s media partner Multifamily Executive. To learn more or to request your ORA score, visit www.jturnerresearch.com/about/what-is-ora-score.

Methodology
The ORA score is an aggregate compilation of a property’s ratings across 19-plus review sites and ILSs. Each month, J Turner Research monitors the online ratings of more than 101,000 properties nationwide. Using a statistical model, a single score based on a scale of 0 to 100 is assigned to each property. This score serves as a benchmark to compare a company’s individual properties and portfolios nationally, regionally, and against the competition.