The decision to rent an apartment used to come with a simple calculus — find something affordable and sign the lease. Landing one with a pool and a clubhouse was a bonus. That calculation, according to two Conway apartment developers, has fundamentally changed.
“It used to be, I live in an apartment because I couldn’t afford to buy a house,” said Brent Salter, president of Engage Management. “That’s not what we see today.”
What developers are seeing instead is a renter who is choosing apartment life and expecting it to reflect that choice. That shift in mindset is quietly reshaping what gets built, how it gets finished and how it gets managed across Conway’s growing multifamily market.
“I think more people are making the apartment their home rather than looking at it as an apartment,” said Adam Harrison, vice president of Trinity Development, which operates Encore at Lewis Ranch and The Reserve at Tucker Creek among other properties. Encore at Lewis Ranch sits adjacent to Lewis Ranch development, while The Reserve at Tucker Creek is situated along the Kinley Trail and Tucker Creek in west Conway. “They want something that’s nice because that may be their home.”
That expectation, both developers say, has set off a steady escalation in what apartment communities are expected to offer.
“It used to be the clubhouse, the pool and a small fitness center, and that was top tier,” Salter said. “Now it is the clubhouse with a cafe and a coffee bar and meeting rooms. The little fitness center is now a full on gym. It used to just be a pool, and now it is a resort-style pool.”
Salter said the progression has not stopped at pools and gyms. Dog parks, pet washing stations, yoga rooms, package centers and outdoor living spaces with fire pits and grills have become standard conversation in new development planning. Golf simulators, he added, are among the latest amenities appearing in higher-end communities nationally.
Harrison said Trinity has seen similar requests at its properties. Pickleball courts are being requested with enough frequency that he expects the next Trinity project to include one. Encore at Lewis Ranch Phase Two, which Harrison said is targeting its first buildings for completion in late 2026 or early 2027, will introduce the company’s first dog park and dog washing station.
“Animals are more and more a part of people’s lives, and they’re not going anywhere,” Harrison said. “We’re going to have to learn to accommodate them.”
The interior of the unit itself has undergone an equally significant transformation. Where laminate countertops and white appliances were once unremarkable, granite and quartz surfaces, stainless steel appliances, LVP flooring and under-mount sinks have become the baseline for new construction.
“The interior finishes of apartments have kind of mirrored what the interior finishes of homes have done,” Salter said. “Everything has gradually gotten nicer because of people’s expectations.”
Harrison described the shift in similar terms at Trinity’s properties, where vinyl plank flooring has replaced carpet in common areas, and lighting packages and appliance finishes have been upgraded across the board.
“More of a home feel than an apartment feel — that’s kind of changed over the last 10 years or so,” Harrison said.
Beyond finishes and facilities, both developers pointed to something less tangible and perhaps more consequential — reshaping the rental experience: community.
Harrison said Trinity actively works to create touchpoints between management and residents at Encore at Lewis Ranch, whether through morning donut giveaways, gift card contests or organized events on the property.
“The traditional way was, yes, pay your rent and let us know if there’s a problem,” Harrison said. “Our whole approach to management and community involvement has had to evolve with the times. You evolve with it, or you’re left in the dark.”
Salter described a similar philosophy at Engage, framing events and programming not just as amenities but as tools for retention.
“The root of the amenities package is to get someone to sign the lease,” Salter said. “But why you are seeing more of these event-based amenities is to try to increase resident retention. When it’s time for your lease to renew and you can go down the street and get a similar apartment for a couple bucks cheaper, it’s not strictly a commodity anymore.”
Salter said the benefits extend beyond lease renewals. Residents who know their neighbors, he said, tend to look out for one another, creating communities that are both safer and more stable.
For all the investment going into what happens inside apartment communities, both developers said the most powerful amenity may still be what surrounds them.
“In my mind, any apartment property that can be within walking distance of other commercial uses, that, to me, is the best amenity,” Salter said. “Instead of putting in the cafe, why not have your apartments near a coffee shop?”
Salter said Engage has intentionally oriented its development strategy around that principle. Centerstone, the company’s development on Dave Ward Drive, sits within a mixed-use corridor that includes gyms, shops, restaurants, a pharmacy and a coffee shop, putting those services within easy reach of residents. At JLofts, the company’s downtown Conway property, Engage actively seeks partnerships with neighboring businesses to offer residents discounts and exclusive perks, connecting residents to the commercial life already surrounding them.
Harrison pointed to The Reserve at Tucker Creek as a case study in location-driven demand. The property has no pool, no gym and no on-site office and still maintains a waiting list.
“It’s close to work, close to Kroger, close to Walmart, close to the bike trail,” Harrison said. “We built little gates that go out to the bike trail, and people are in and out of those things all day, every day.”
For Conway’s apartment developers, the throughline across all of it, the upgraded finishes, the community events, the carefully chosen locations, is the same. The renter has changed, and the product has had to change with them.