Author Topic: Social Networking for Coop/Condo Communities  (Read 1982 times)

Offline LordB

  • Resident
  • ***
  • Posts: 33
    • View Profile
Social Networking for Coop/Condo Communities
« on: May 07, 2008, 10:00:38 PM »
I'm have been researching options to improve electronic communication at my coop and discovered that there are a number of relatively new social networking products targeted at homeowners' associations and coop/condo boards.  The most promising options that I have found so far are Lifeat, Villageloop and HOASpace.com. Has anyone had experience with this type of product?  I would also be interested in hearing about the adoption rate that others have seen with internet solutions in general - websites, online groups, etc.

Offline Shelby2

  • Mayor
  • *******
  • Posts: 4955
    • View Profile
Re: Social Networking for Coop/Condo Communities
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2008, 06:39:29 PM »
There's a long article in the Times today that talks about this type of service. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/realestate/18cov.html

(excerpt)
Electronic communication in residential buildings has gotten a lift in the New York region in recent years with so many new condominiums hardwired for the Internet.

But the means to connect residents in buildings of any age can be as simple as creating a Google or Yahoo group, building a group on social networking sites like MeetUp or Facebook, or joining a site like LifeAt.com, which allows members to post profiles and pictures. Another Web site, MeetTheNeighbors.org, is free to join and largely functions as a message board for people who live in the same building or the same neighborhood.

The buildingwide systems have allowed residents to get to know one another, to communicate with building management, to request and track repairs that must be made and to settle disputes.

LifeAt is used in 149 buildings in Manhattan, according to the company. Buildings pay a one-time fee of $6,000 for access to the site. Residents can post personal profiles and classified ads that can be seen by others in the same building, as well as rate local businesses and receive coupons from national retailers like Kohl’s and Sears. The building’s staff members can also contact residents through LifeAt.

In January, Ryan James, 29, moved into Eleven80 — a 317-unit luxury rental at 1180 Raymond Boulevard in Newark that opened in August 2006 — and signed up for LifeAt.

“I was surprised with the level of participation,” said Mr. James, who is vice president for financial services at Unity Financial, on Wall Street. “It goes to show that people are willing to extend, if not friendship, some level of acquaintance and familiarity. In all the buildings I lived in, particularly in New York City, people kept to themselves.”
----------
Click link above for entire article.

judibean

  • Guest
Re: Social Networking for Coop/Condo Communities
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2008, 01:19:39 PM »
My building has a presence on Meettheneighbors.org, but it hasn't taken off as much as I had hoped.  We joined when the website first started back in 2003, and last time I checked, there were only 20 members signed up in a building that has over 100 apts.  The coop board advertised the website through the building's newsletter for over a year, so you can't blame it on a lack of awareness.  I think there is just not a lot of interest in our building.  Having said that, our building demographic is slowly changing as we get younger folks moving in that I would hope to believe are more internet savvy and are not as wary about sharing information online.