Student Housing Experts

We create out-of-the-box student housing brands that make a powerful statement for each community, resonate with the students and reinvent the industry norm.

About Us

The Student Housing market is unique in so many ways, and success often greatly depends on the marketing – that is where we come in.

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Who We Are

The Serendipit team specializes in all things student housing. We understand the needs, wants and communication styles of today’s college student. We continuously innovate our marketing mix for the student housing market. We live, sleep and breathe creativity to develop the most effective campaigns for each market. Our team has established a proven track record of consistently achieving occupancy rates above 95%. In fifteen years of working in the industry, Alexis has never leased a property under 95%. We simply do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Where We’ve Been

  • Arizona State University
  • Arizona State University – Downtown
  • Auburn University
  • Bowling Green State University
  • Brown University
  • California Polytechnic Institute
  • Coastal Carolina University
  • Colorado State University
  • College of Charleston
  • East Carolina University
  • Florida State University
  • Iowa State University
  • Louisiana State University
  • Montana State
  • Murray State University
  • North Carolina State University
  • Old Dominion University
  • Purdue University
  • Ryerson University
  • Sam Houston State University
  • Savannah College of Art and Design
  • Temple University
  • University of Akron
  • University of Arizona
  • University of Arkansas
  • University of California – Riverside
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Illinois
  • University of Louisiana
  • University of Miami at Ohio
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Missouri
  • University of North Carolina
  • University of North Texas
  • University of Richmond
  • University of Rochester
  • University of South Carolina
  • University of South Carolina – Upstate
  • University of Texas – Dallas
  • University of Texas – San Antonio
  • University of Texas – Austin
  • University of Texas – Tyler
  • University of Wisconsin – Madison
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Western Kentucky University
  • York University

Our Skills

100%Strategy
100%Design
100%Promotions
100%Execution

Meet Our Team

Serendipit is made up of a team of energetic, motivated and creative marketing and PR professionals. The company is led by owners Alexis Krisay and Melissa DiGianfilippo who have instilled their passion and excitement about student housing into the company.
Alexis Krisay

Alexis Krisay - VP of Marketing





With a true passion for student housing, Alexis Krisay founded Serendipit in 2008 with just one client - a major student housing developer and operator. Alexis started her student housing career on the ground floor as a leasing agent in Tucson, Ariz. and worked her way up to regional marketing director, managing a portfolio of more than 20 properties across the U.S. Before starting Serendipit, Alexis also worked for an international marketing agency in digital marketing, and then in marketing and operations for a high-end residential real estate sales company. Alexis has instilled her passion and experience for student housing marketing into the Serendipit team and has led the firm to be recognized as one of the leading marketing agencies in the industry.

Today, Serendipit has contributed to the successful lease up of over 75 communities nationwide and is seen as a valued partner in the eyes of some of the nations leading student housing owners and management companies.


Melissa DiGianfilippo

Melissa DiGianfilippo - VP of Public Relations





With a background in and passion for public relations, Melissa DiGianfilippo joined Alexis as a partner in Serendipit in 2009, overseeing all of the firm’s public relations activities. Melissa has led the firm’s student housing clients to earn millions of dollars in positive media coverage, and has successfully managed the reputation for many student housing communities through crisis situations. Prior to joining Serendipit, she worked for an Internet startup company where she handled the product marketing, media relations, social/viral media efforts and more. Melissa also spent a number of years as PR Director for a large commercial real estate investment company, and also worked in public relations for a Phoenix-based PR agency where she handled the day-to-day media relations, community outreach and crisis communication for local and national real estate clients.

Services

At Serendipit, we believe in strategy through creative discovery. There is no magic formula or method by which we derive our strategic vision - it’s about you. It’s about discovering how we can translate new ideas and inspirations into results for your student housing community. Our goals are your goals, whether they are financial, operational or technological. Our team accepts the challenge and will exceed your expectations.

Brand Development

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Leasing Training

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Grassroots Marketing

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Campaign Management

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Public Relations

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Leasing Center Design

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Brand Development

Serendipit creates brands for today’s modern student. Whether starting from scratch, or tasked with revamping an existing community identity, we develop a full brand strategy.

We incorporate in-depth research, local student profiles, market differentiators, and trends to personify the student population. We create a community name, brand mantra, positioning strategy and design a logo. Our brands tell a story and convey a lifestyle that resonate with students and parents, and that effectively leases up a community.

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Design

Are you ready to make a visual impact with your community’s brand? Our team of designers will take you through the art of discovery, while creating new and refreshing concepts to represent your brand’s identity. We dig in deep to fully understand your design needs and turn the vision for your community into reality.

  • Website design
  • Vehicle wrap design
  • Billboard design
  • Digital ad campaign design
  • Print ad campaign design
  • Product packaging design
  • Flyer design
  • Logo development

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Social Media

On average, 85% of college students are on social media multiple times daily. We understand that each market is unique, and we create a custom social media plan for each property including a variety of platforms and applications. We build conversations with students online with action-driven posts, visually branded content, and by implementing a multifaceted engagement strategy. We forge a relationship with fans that makes them feel comfortable and appreciated, and solidifies their decision to sign a lease.

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Advertising

From direct mail pieces to online banner ads, we recommend a combination of advertising tactics, utilizing both new and traditional strategies. No idea is too big or small for Serendipit. The more out-of-the-box, the better. With the use of social media, video campaigns, vehicle wraps, digital printing and more, we take your advertising presence to the next level.

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Leasing Training

A community’s leasing consultant is a often the first interaction that a student has with the community. To ensure that the community is represented by nothing but the best, Serendipit offers a full-fledged training program. For past clients, we’ve restructured sales and customer service training programs to appeal specifically to the college demographic. We’ve also created tiered incentive programs to motivate the rock star qualities in each leasing consultant.

Serendipit arms the leasing staff with the best tools to ensure the highest possible level of customer service and professionalism. A large portion of the training focuses on teamwork, motivation and follow-up. We also focus on achieving team and individual lease goals, fostering positive energy and creating an environment in which all team members can thrive. Residents will enjoy interacting with our team members and most of all, being a part of a fun, lively, enjoyable atmosphere.

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Grassroots Marketing

Whether it’s a flash mob or driving a 40-foot. branded RV around the local hot spots, we create major buzz surrounding your community through off-the-wall marketing tactics. We leverage street teams, community ambassadors, vendor partnerships, and mascot programs to take the market by storm. Our peer-to-peer grassroots program ensures our leasing message sounds genuine to students, because it’s coming from students.

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Campaign Management

From creating the concept of a campaign to managing the step-by-step actions to execute it, Serendipit creates interactive campaigns to focus on strategic sales cycles, such as new leases and renewals. These overarching campaigns guide everything from events and collateral to advertising and contests. Campaigns are geared towards the interests of current and future residents. Utilizing prolonged interactive campaigns achieves the desired results of the main marketing goal.

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Public Relations

We pride ourselves in our ability to communicate a community’s message through the media - in print publications, blogs, TV, radio and more. Public relations plays an important role in the success of any student housing lease up, and we have the experience to earn media placements that garner the best possible attention. Not only can we target media with effective messages that students may see, read and hear, but we can also target outlets that will reach parents. Importantly, we have the know how and experience to navigate through potentially detrimental crisis situations and come out on top.

Crisis Communications

Crisis situations can occur in any business at any time, but the student housing industry is especially susceptible. When you bring together hundreds or thousands of college students to live in a luxurious off-campus housing community, you can expect that residents will be irresponsible at times and that situations will occur that are beyond your control.

It’s vital to have a solid crisis communications strategy in place to protect a community’s valuable reputation to ensure you can continue to lease up your property. Serendipit’s team of PR professionals is skilled at handling these stressful crisis situations, from message management to media relations to stakeholder communications.

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Leasing Center Design

The minute that a student steps into your leasing center, they form an immediate opinion about the community. We know that today’s college student wants to feel at home, while still enjoying a hip and trendy atmosphere. That is why we plan and design the leasing center appearance from start to finish. We create an overall experience that includes furniture, décor, and lighting that is cohesive with your community’s brand.

Pinterest IconCheck out our Pinterest board for examples.

Portfolio

Check out our student housing design projects

Testimonials

Campus Suites has been working with Serendipit Consulting since early 2009. Alexis and her team are a group of high energy, creative, and forward thinking professionals who get the job done and have fun during the process. The positive energy is contagious and we have been most pleased with their marketing and social networking expertise as it’s been applied to our business.

Melissa has been managing our company’s PR needs as we grow and diversify. She is on top of timelines and opportunities and we’ve been most pleased with the exposure. An unexpected bonus has been their many referrals of other quality professionals which has saved us both time and money.

The Serendipit team really understand our business and passionately works to exceed our expectations.
-Deborah Fitzgibbon, Executive Vice President of Campus Suites
Thank you so much for all of the hard work you put into our project. It turned out to be amazing. In under 3 weeks, we were able to lease up 75% of our beds! That is incredible. Our brand is now all students are talking about. I very much look forward to working on the next project together. Your team has done a phenomenal job, and you were a real pleasure to work with.
-Ron Kutas, Principal at LifeStage Capital, LLC
Alexis, Melissa, and the Serendipit team have been nothing short of an amazing partner to me and to Asset Campus Housing. If we need something, they are there in the trenches with us to ensure that each property stands out in the marketplace. They know the drill, they get it, they roll up their sleeves to get the job done. They are quick, dependable and most importantly they are great people that do a great job.
-Joe Goodwin, VP of Marketing at Asset Campus Housing
We came to Serendipit with high expectations for one of our new student housing developments in the Auburn market and it is safe to say that they exceeded every expectation from start to finish, in every aspect of the project. From initial brand creation and strategy, to current ongoing marketing efforts, Serendipit has truly acted as our in-house marketing department, constantly generating new and innovative ideas.

We feel confident relying on their big ideas and strategic execution because they consistently do whatever it takes to ensure that our property is leased up. Within the student housing industry, there is no other team that I would trust to deliver such thorough and impressive results for our properties.
-Travis Moore, Director of Operations at J.H. Barrett Properties

Case Studies

From helping to lease a property from 0 to 75% in under three weeks to earning over 120,000 impressions in one week on social media, it is safe to say that we’ve done it all. Take a look at a few of these examples and see for yourself.

We're not owners, we're not managers, but we have just as much skin in the game and we don't stop until we achieve an 100% lease up.

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  • Student Housing
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319 Bragg

319 Bragg

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Campus Suites

Campus Suites

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Chenango Place

Chenango Place

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In The News

Check out Serendipit's contribution to Student Housing Industry News

Student Housing Video: Stanhope
admin In the News

Student Housing Video: Stanhope Community located in Raleigh, NC. This lifestyle video was done by Point in Time Studios. Visit website here!

Student Housing Video: Miami Preserve
admin In the News

Student Housing Video: Miami Preserve Community located in Oxford, OH targeting Miami University students. This lifestyle video was done by Point in Time Studios. See full website here!

The Next Generation of Student Housing Virtual Tours

The Next Generation of Student Housing Virtual Tours
admin In the News

It’s crucial that your community’s virtual tour wows the market and catches the students’ attention with something new and fresh. For many student housing communities, renderings and virtual tours are the first representations of the community that are released to the students, so it is crucial that your community’s virtual tour wows the market and catches the students’ attention with something new and fresh. First impressions will make or break the success of your community and with video apps and

Using Social Media to Market Your Student Housing Property

Using Social Media to Market Your Student Housing Property
admin In the News

Using Social Media to Market Your Student Housing Property According to Alexis Krisay, owner and VP of marketing at Serendipit, every post that leads to a call to action has a Facebook tracking code on it, so Serendipit can monitor click-throughs and the post’s success. “We’re really big on evaluating which content was most successful each month.” she says. Most Serendipit posts are not related to leasing. “A lot of student housing communities fail because they are too sales-y on

Capturing Gen Z’s Attention in Student Housing

Capturing Gen Z’s Attention in Student Housing
admin In the News

Are you effectively communicating with Gen Z for you student housing marketing strategy? GlobeSt.com recently caught up with Alexis Krisay, a partner and the vice president of marketing for Serendipit Consulting, a public relations, marketing, branding and event-planning firm with a specialization in the student housing market, to get her take on the latest trends. Click here to read full Q&A.

Three Traffic Drivers to Score Last Minute Leases

Three Traffic Drivers to Score Last Minute Leases
admin In the News

Spring finals have ended and students are leaving town, but leasing efforts should not lose traction. Adjusting your strategy slightly to shift focus more on digital efforts will ensure that you capture those remaining prospects and score last minute leases prior to move-in. The students who have procrastinated finding housing during the year are looking to sign now, and those who have already signed elsewhere are still able to be convinced and swayed with the proper call to action and

Grassroots Marketing in Student Housing

Grassroots Marketing in Student Housing
admin In the News

Grassroots Marketing in Student Housing Lauren Melby is a marketing account executive for Serendipit Consulting, a public relations, marketing, branding and event-planning firm with a specialization in the student housing market. GlobeSt.com recently caught up with Melby to discuss how grassroots marketing can work for your student housing community. GlobeSt.com: How often should you be going on campus? Melby: In order to make sure that your community remains top of mind with students, you must interact with them in their environment as much as possible. While some

How to Win Students and Influence Lease-Ups

How to Win Students and Influence Lease-Ups
admin In the News

There’s lots of choices for student housing, so how do you get those college kids to ink the lease at your project? Building aneffective brand strategy kids can identify with can make or break the lease-up of a project in a competitive market. Here’s three ways to do that in language college kids speak. Serendipit Consulting co-founder Alexis Krisay tells us the first step is to build a strong persona. That means identifiying your community’s student demographics. Alexis says to

Student Housing Goes Beyond Facebook Likes

Student Housing Goes Beyond Facebook Likes
admin In the News

PHOENIX—One of the most common misconceptions within the student housing industry about social media is that “likes” are the most important aspect of an online reputation; however, likes don’t get leases. Likes are essentially an assisted conversion, but the focus should be on direct conversions (signed leases) from social media. Lauren Melby, senior account executive at Serendipit Consulting, tells GlobeSt.com: “Understanding and accomplishing the necessary balance between social media likes and conversions for your student housing community is crucial.” Having

Grassroots Marketing in Student Housing

Grassroots Marketing in Student Housing
admin In the News

PHOENIX—Lauren Melby is a marketing account executive for Serendipit Consulting, a public relations, marketing, branding and event-planning firm with a specialization in the student housing market. GlobeSt.com recently caught up with Melby to discuss how grassroots marketing can work for your student housing community. GlobeSt.com: How often should you be going on campus? Melby: In order to make sure that your community remains top of mind with students, you must interact with them in their environment as much as possible. While some students

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