Apartment amenities have long been treated as an arms race—flashier, trendier and more eye-catching than the competition. But that approach is starting to look outdated.
At the National Apartment Association's Apartmentalize conference in New Orleans this week, several multifamily operators made a different case: the amenities that matter most aren't the ones that photograph well—they're the ones residents actually use.
What Residents Say Versus What They Use
"You have to look at the data on what they said they wanted versus what they actually use," said Josh Hinchley, vice president of leasing and marketing for Sentinel Management Company.
That gap between intention and behavior can be expensive. Hinchley recalled a property in a downtown arts district that installed a pottery-making urn in a common space, leaning into the neighborhood's creative identity. It made sense on paper.
"But nobody used it," he said. "So, we eventually [bit the cost] and invited the local artists in to use it."
The experience underscores a broader shift happening across the sector. Operators are moving away from amenity decisions driven by aesthetics or competitive pressure and toward a more disciplined, performance-based approach.
For Shana Whitehead, managing Director of build-to-rent operations at RangeWater Real Estate, the lens is straightforward: every amenity has to justify itself.
"Does it lead to retention, ancillary income, or lease conversion ratio improvement?" she said. "That's what the corporate office wants to know. You don't always want to get an amenity just because your competitor has it."
From Nice-To-Have to Must-Have
Even seemingly obvious bets can fall flat. During the pandemic, when remote work surged, RangeWater converted a clubhouse into a co-working space, expecting strong demand.
"But none of our residents were talking about [the workspace], and no one was using it," Whitehead said.
In contrast, more practical, everyday needs are proving far more reliable. Pet-friendly features, for example, have become a priority. With roughly 40% of the population owning pets, she said that elements like green space for dog walking are no longer nice-to-haves—they're expected.
At the same time, some of the most valued "amenities" aren't physical at all. Speed of service—how quickly management responds to resident requests—is increasingly shaping the resident experience.
"It's become an amenity," Whitehead said.
That shift puts more weight on operational execution, not just capital investment. It also reinforces the importance of actually listening to residents—and not just at a surface level.
"Their opinions are your reality," she said, noting that teams need to dig into survey data rather than skim it.
Measuring Performance and Scaling Impact
Measuring whether amenities are working also requires tighter alignment with vendors. Whitehead said supplier partners should be evaluating performance through the same lens as ownership—whether that's retention, revenue or leasing velocity.
Hinchley agreed, adding that the most valuable partners are the ones who come to the table with data in hand.
He pointed to vendors who proactively share performance metrics, sometimes before on-site teams have reviewed them.
"This makes the supplier rep look very impressive," he said.
Technology amenities bring their own challenges. According to Sarah Bonder, vice president of sales and head of sales operations at Livly, adoption often hinges on simplicity.
On-site teams, she noted, aren't always tech experts, so tools have to be intuitive and scalable to gain traction.
She also framed the role of amenities a bit differently. The goal isn't incremental impact—it's amplification.
Amenities shouldn't perform like "1+1 = 2," Bonder said, "but more like 1+1 = 11."
That doesn't mean aesthetics are irrelevant. Well-designed spaces can still drive traffic and help attract prospects. But on their own, they rarely justify the investment.
"Pretty [amenities] don't always pay the bills," she said. Still, they can indirectly support revenue by shortening lease-up timelines and improving retention.
Taken together, the message from operators is clear: amenity strategy is becoming less about keeping up appearances and more about measurable results. The properties that get it right aren't necessarily the ones with the most amenities—but the ones with the right ones.
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