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Out of 159 multifamily industry respondents to the 2017 MFE Community Concept Study, performed by The Farnsworth Group for Multifamily Executive, 57 are currently installing “next generation” lighting products in their multifamily properties.

Of that number, 56.1% are currently installing LED lights, and 79.2% are considering installing them. Other lighting choices are much less in use: Only 7% of respondents are installing incandescent lighting, while 5.3% are installing CFLs.

When asked to rate the impact of next-generation products on the resident experience on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 indicating no impact and 10 indicating a high impact, respondents rated lighting fixtures at a mean of 7.72, fifth behind Internet/WiFi-connected products (8.72), security and door locks (7.99), utility management products (7.88), and HVAC systems (7.80).

On the financial end, next-generation lighting fixtures ranked second-highest overall among multifamily professionals by return on investment. When asked to rank the top three product categories with the highest ROI, lighting fixtures made the list for just under 30% of respondents: 8.8% ranked them first, 9.3% rated them second, and 11.3% rated them third.

Appliances ranked first more often than any other product category and appeared in the top three for over 40% of respondents.

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The survey, conducted by our data partner on the 2017 MFE Concept Community, The Farnsworth Group, examines usage and perceptions regarding next-generation building performance. This year’s survey, which received responses from 159 multifamily builders, developers, and architects, sheds light on current conditions for industry professionals by addressing the following questions:

  • What are the current trends in next-gen products?
  • Which next-gen products are industry pros currently installing or considering installing?
  • What efficiencies are being promoted to residents about these products, and how are they being communicated?

Given the myriad variables involved in producing housing, it’s always smart to prepare for the future. With that in mind, the 2017 Concept Community examines processes and products that can help close the gap on code, land, labor, and materials challenges by shaving time and cost from the construction process.

Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll share additional tidbits and stats from the survey in anticipation of the annual Multifamily Executive Conference, which will be held this year in September in Las Vegas.