J Turner Research introduces the Einstein Best of Awards, recognizing the top 25 properties that excel in the five areas of on-site operations valued most by apartment residents—Customer Service, Communication, Cleanliness, Maintenance, and Security. Powered by J Turner Research’s proprietary artificial intelligence, Thought Analysis, and text categorization tool, Einstein, this ranking goes beyond the surface level to recognize the communities setting the gold standard for resident experience in these categories.
The Leaders in Each Category
- Customer Service: Aspire at Silverleaf, managed by Greystar, in St. Augustine, Florida;
- Communication: FirstStreet at Ballpark Village, managed by Mark Taylor, in Goodyear, Arizona;
- Cleanliness: Los Robles, managed by Independence Realty Trust, in San Antonio;
- Maintenance: Sunset Winds, managed by Waterton, in Henderson, Nevada;
- Security: Carlton Arms North, managed by The Mahaffey Co., in Tampa, Florida.
The top 10 properties in each category are listed below. For the complete list, visit the 2025 Einstein Best of Awards.
Eligibility
- To ensure sentiment was reflective of current resident satisfaction, we analyzed reviews over the last 18 months (January 2024 to June 2025). Properties that did not have reviews dating back at least one year were not considered.
- To be considered for this ranking, properties must not have received any online complaints in the respective operational category. Further, we determined the winners by the highest ratio of compliments.
The average Online Reputation Assessment (ORA) score of the winning 125 properties is 84.57. These properties have improved their ORA scores by 6.96 points over 18 months.
Looking Beyond the Stars
Today’s renters—especially millennials and Gen Z—act as internet sleuths who are looking beyond the star ratings to heavily scrutinize the review content. A single complaint in any of these critical operational areas—customer service, communication, and security, etc., that impacts the daily life—can deter prospects, regardless of a property’s overall ratings. In contrast, a property that consistently goes above and beyond to deliver memorable experiences in these areas gains an edge over its competitors.
“Through the Einstein Best of Awards, we aim to celebrate properties that are not just chasing five-star reviews but are avoiding complaints completely, showcasing how they delight residents with superlative service, facility standards, and safety protocols on a day-to-day basis,” says Turner Batdorf, vice president of J Turner Research. “This ranking goes beyond the stars—it’s a celebration of the everyday operational excellence that helps strengthen the trust residents place in your property. In 2026, we will launch a new ORA algorithm that factors in review content to reflect this shift even more deeply.”
Based on an analysis of a sample of 642,600 received in 2025, the percentage of reviews that discussed each of these categories in all online reviews, regardless of the star ratings, were as follows:
- Customer Service: 78.8%
- Communication: 21.3%
- Cleanliness: 12.5%
- Security: 10.2%
- Maintenance: 33.4%
The percentage of reviews that feature a complaint for each of these categories for 2025 are:
- Customer Service: 17.1%
- Communication: 11.2%
- Cleanliness: 5.9%
- Security: 7.3%
- Maintenance: 10.5%
J Turner Research is seeing Customer Service and Communication mentions at an all-time high. Residents are equating good service and communication to their overall satisfaction level much more than something like the quality of amenities at the property.
About Einstein Best of Awards
J Turner Research utilizes its categorization tool, Einstein, to rank the properties based on an aggregation of their open-ended feedback. Using our proprietary AI Thought Analysis, all open-ended feedback is skillfully categorized into 22 operational categories specific to the multifamily industry. Having analyzed over 12 million reviews, Einstein provides unparalleled access into multifamily properties’ operations. To learn more, visit Einstein.
