Resident Intelligence is the practice of connecting reputation, marketing, and leasing signals to explain why apartment communities win or lose leases. HeyNeighborly delivers it, powered by its Resident OS platform.
Yes. In Apartments.com's survey of nearly 27,000 renters, published in July 2026, 96% said reviews are important to their decision. SatisFacts Research's 2024 renter study found that 75% of renters check a community's online reviews before making contact. By the time a leasing office hears from a prospect, that prospect has already read the reviews.
HeyNeighborly does social media, Google Business Profile and review work for apartment communities. This post covers what renters do with reviews, what they expect from a reply, and what a property management company can check first.
What do renters do with the reviews they read?
They use them to cut communities from the list. In Apartments.com's survey of more than 15,000 renters fielded in late 2025, over half said they will cross a property off if they have concerns about negative ratings and reviews. In the SatisFacts 2024 study, 70% of renters filtered for and read negative reviews during their most recent search.
A spotless record does not help. In the same study, 64% said they would not trust a rating and review site if all or most of the reviews were positive. The Apartment Association of Metro Denver, summarizing the study, reports that the average star rating renters say they need to consider a community is 3.82.
My read: a 5.0 is not the goal. A believable rating with problems visibly handled reads better to a renter than a perfect one.
What makes a review useful to a renter?
Detail. 80% of renters say the most helpful element of a review is the detailed information, not the stars, and 72% rank "from a verified resident currently living at the community" second. The Metro Denver summary adds that only 23% rated a 5-star rating as an important element of a review.
Renters read for specifics such as maintenance, noise, parking and staff. The themes that repeat across your reviews are the pitch a prospect hears.
How fast do renters expect a reply?
Within two business days. 76% say a company should respond to a negative review in that window, and 69% say the same for a positive one. 72% feel a company has great customer service when it responds to reviews, and 73% feel it does not when it stays silent.
Renters can also tell when a reply is boilerplate: 74% say they are confident they can recognize a canned or automated response, and 85% of Gen Z renters say so. Google's guidance for businesses is plain too: replying to reviews shows you value feedback, and more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.
An illustration of the difference (not a real review):
- Boilerplate: "We're sorry to hear about your experience. Please contact the office."
- Specific: "Thank you for flagging the dishwasher. Maintenance has the request and the part is on order. The office will call you with a date as soon as the part arrives."
The second one only works if the facts were checked first. At HeyNeighborly, replies are written after checking details with the site team.
What does Resident OS show an operator about reviews?
Reviews for a community appear in Resident Signal, inside the HeyNeighborly client portal that Resident OS powers. Operators can see which reviews have been answered and which are waiting. They can also see the community's RSQ (Resident Signal Quotient), a 0-100 score, and what is moving it.
An operator can also type a question into the portal, such as "What did residents love this month?", and get an answer with the dated records behind it. HeyNeighborly's team does the work: reading reviews, confirming facts with the site team, writing and posting the replies. Resident OS is where the operator sees the result. It does not post or reply on its own.
What can a property management company check first?
Pick one community and read its last ten reviews. Note the oldest one with no reply. Check whether two replies could be swapped without anyone noticing. Then ask the site team whether the most common complaint is one they already know about.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 5.0 rating the goal?
No. 64% of renters distrust a review site where most reviews are positive, and they say they need roughly a 3.8 to consider a community.
Should we reward residents for reviews?
Most renters say no to incentives: 83% said they would not write a positive review for reward or loyalty points. Simply asking is another matter. 64% said they would post a positive comment if their community asked, and 70% said they had never been asked.
Who writes the replies at HeyNeighborly?
HeyNeighborly's team, after confirming details with the site team.
If you run a property management company, book a social media audit with HeyNeighborly and we will go through how your communities read to a renter searching on a phone.
Sources
- Apartments.com, How Renters Decide: Top Considerations in 2026 (July 14, 2026): nearly 27,000 renters; 96% say reviews are important.
- Apartments.com, Survey: How Today's Renters Choose a Place (Feb 21, 2026; fielded Nov-Dec 2025; 15,000+ adults planning to rent): over half would cross a property off over negative ratings and reviews.
- SatisFacts Research, 50 Renter Stats Every Multifamily Professional Needs to Know (Online Renter Study, Jan 2024): 75%, 70%, 64%, 80%, 72%, 76%, 69%, 73%, 74%, Gen Z 85%, 83%, 64%, 70%.
- Apartment Association of Metro Denver, Top 10 Most Valuable Elements of an Online Review (Apr 5, 2024): 23% five-star, 3.82 average.
- Google Business Profile Help, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google: replying to reviews; reviews and ratings.
