As we bid farewell to 2023, J Turner Research has summed up the flagship ORA Power Rankings published by our media partner, Multifamily Executive, in this calendar year in a single compilation. Click here to download the 2023 Year-End Summary.
For a decade, the Online Reputation Assessment (ORA) score has been recognized as the multifamily industry’s gold standard to measure and benchmark a property’s online reputation. Each month, we track the lifetime online ratings and reviews of 140,000-plus properties nationwide across multiple review sites and ILSs. The national average ORA score in November was 63.44.
Multifamily Review Volume in 2023 Grew by 14%
At the end of 2023, we recorded a lifetime volume of 16.34 million reviews across 140,070 properties, representing a 14% increase from 2022.
The market share of the dominant review sites and ILSs based on the total volume of reviews (16,341,243) as of November is as follows: Google is the leader with a 36% market share, followed by ApartmentRatings.com at 21% and Modern Message at 13%.
Which Companies Won the Top ORA Honors in 2023?
The Elite 1% Properties of 2022
- Park Place One Apartments, managed by Fidelity Management, in Philadelphia, came in No. 1 with a 99 Online Reputation Assessment score (ORA). A total of 1,984 properties earned the Elite 1% distinction.
- Top 100 Student Housing Properties for 2022: Privately managed 312 College Avenue in Ithaca, New York, was the top student property for 2022 with a 99 ORA. (J Turner monitors 3,000-plus off-campus student housing properties.)
- Top 10 Student Housing Managers for 2022: Based on the Student Housing Business list of the Top 25 Managers of Student Housing for 2022, Dinerstein Student Housing took the top spot for managers for the fifth consecutive year with a 76.92 ORA.
- The top REITs ranking includes private, public listed, and public non-listed REITs published by NAREIT. The top REIT for 2022 was Elme Communities with an 83 ORA.
Top Properties in the 50 States and D.C.
- Washington, D.C., remained at the top for apartment residents for the ninth consecutive year, with an average ORA of 67.96. The top property in D.C., Hanover 8th Street managed by Hanover Co., scored a 98 ORA.
2023 Division Ranking Winners (Divisions 1, II, III, IV, and V)
Three New Additions in 2023
Top 10 Most-Improved NMHC 50 Managers by ORA
Improving a company’s online reputation is a team effort between marketing and operations. Companies that internally work together to consistently listen to and strategically act upon the feedback shared by residents both online and offline can ultimately provide an elevated resident experience. An improved resident experience leads to a better and more positive online reputation, as measured by J Turner’s ORA score.
The Related Cos. secured the No. 1 spot for the most improved NMHC 50 manager for 2023. It improved its ORA score by 10.98% from 60.12 in April 2022 to 66.72 in April 2023.
Division V
We introduced Division V (companies managing 2,000 to 4,999 units) as we understand that companies managing varying unit counts face unique challenges. The top company in Division V for 2023 was NuStyle Development, with a 96.20 ORA.
The Rising 1K
In August, we introduced the Rising 1K: ORA Power Ranking—a list of multifamily properties that have significantly improved their ORA scores since January. Including ties in ORA scores, 1,184 properties made the 2023 Rising 1K list.
The No. 1 property in the inaugural Rising 1K ranking to make the most significant improvement in its ORA score was The Marlowe Lake Boone Apartments, managed by Greystar, in Raleigh, North Carolina. With an ORA of 90 in July, the property improved its score by 49 points since January.
The properties included in this inaugural list needed a minimum 15-point increase in their ORA score from January to July.
Coming Soon
In January, we will announce the much-awaited Elite 1% properties for 2023. Stay tuned!
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 various review sites and ILSs. Each month, J Turner Research monitors the lifetime ratings of more than 140,000+ properties nationwide. Using a statistical model, a single score based on a scale of 0 to 100 is determined for each property. The ORA score serves as a benchmark to compare a company’s individual properties and portfolios nationally, regionally, and against the competition.