Over 74.2 million homeowners in the US live in a HOA or homeowner's association. 2.5 million of them serve as members of an HOA board or committee.
Successful homeowner associations need participation from these homeowners. Without enough of them, quorum requirements won't be met and the meeting will have to be rescheduled. That pushes back votes on important causes that affect everyone.
Read on to learn how to get more homeowners to attend HOA meetings.
Choose a Convenient Time and Place
The most important thing for any event is the venue, and that's true for HOA meetings. Find a comfortable location that can fit everyone. Make sure it's close enough to the community to avoid long commutes.
Find out what times are most convenient for everyone. Weekdays and evenings are better bets. They're not as likely to conflict with work or school schedules.
Add in options for virtual attendance. It brings in homeowners who may prefer virtual methods or be unable to attend in person.
Share the Agenda in Advance
Effective HOA communication is necessary before, during, and after meetings. Sharing the meeting agenda encourages homeowners to attend because they know what to expect.
Let them suggest items to add to the agenda. Include topics that directly affect them, such as:
- Updates on ongoing projects
- Finances
- Community events
It's also important to put time limits on each topic in the agenda. One of the major reasons homeowners don't attend meetings is because they tend to drag on for too long. You can prevent that by letting them know how long each portion will take. Slot out a start and end time for the meeting itself as well.
Advertise HOA Meetings
One of the best HOA meeting tips is that the more homeowners know about it, the more will come. The best ways to advertise it include:
- Email or text message reminders
- Social media events
- Community bulletin boards
- Newsletters
- Videos
Remind them of the importance of attendance in your advertisements. Include testimonials from other members.
Make the Meeting Fun
There are many community management strategies you can use to make attending meetings more interesting to homeowners. Incentivize them using:
- Free refreshments
- Free childcare
- Raffles, giveaways, or games
- Gift cards or discounts from local businesses
- Social events
- Guest speakers
Don't let them take up too much time or overshadow the meeting's purpose. They also have to be within the HOA's budget.
Let Homeowners Talk, But Keep It Concsice
One of the most difficult HOA leadership skills to learn is guiding conversation. Meetings need to focus on the most urgent topics on your agenda.
Don't shut down other questions from homeowners if they're relevant. It's important to make them feel heard.
It's also the board's responsibility to stop off-topic tangents or conflicts. Stick to your agenda so that no topic is discussed longer than planned.
Hire HOA Management
Encourage more homeowners to attend HOA meetings by choosing the right time and place, sharing the agenda, advertising the meeting, offering incentives, and allowing for concise but fulfilling conversations.
PMI Central Oregon offers full-service HOA management. Contact us today to increase the value of your community's properties and the satisfaction of its members.
