What Essence Communities does

Essence Communities is a Brisbane-headquartered Build to Rent (BTR) property management operator and a subsidiary of UniLodge Australia Pty Ltd, the long-established Australian purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) operator. The company was established as UniLodge's dedicated BTR arm and delivers end-to-end management services for institutional BTR owners, including core property management, facility management, on-site property teams, quality management systems, marketing and lease-up, pre-opening and commissioning, consulting and advisory services, and a resident experience / community curation layer operated through branded platforms such as Indi and WeAreLiving. Its operational footprint spans Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Brisbane, with planned expansion into Adelaide and Perth, and it also services New Zealand clients.

The firm's service offering is delivered through an integrated technology stack: third-party property management systems (StarRez, Console, and Yardi, selected client-by-client), the Keyvision resident mobile application, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as the enterprise resource planning backbone, and Power BI for analytics and reporting. Essence Communities operates a white-label / multi-brand model, allowing institutional owners to maintain their own resident-facing brand identity while outsourcing operations. Revenue mechanics are predominantly fee-for-service management contracts with institutional BTR developers, owners, and investors, supplemented by facility management, commissioning, and advisory fees.

Essence Communities has mobilized 15,000+ apartments on behalf of institutional BTR owners within a roughly two-year window and is preparing a pipeline of additional property openings in 2025–2026, including The Archive Melbourne, Caulfield Place, WeAreLiving Zetland, The Raleigh, and 50 Quay St Brisbane. The company is privately held; revenue is not separately disclosed from its parent UniLodge Living Group, which reports 130+ properties and 40,000 residential beds across its combined PBSA and BTR operations.

Name

Essence Communities

Legal name

Essence Communities

Website

https://essencecommunities.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Essence Communities is a Brisbane-based Build to Rent property management operator and subsidiary of UniLodge Australia. It delivers end-to-end BTR services including property and facility management, leasing, consulting, and resident community curation for institutional owners across Australia and New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Build to Rent Property Management

NAICS

Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Build-to-Rent (BTR) Community Management (BPAJAFAC)

Keywords

• Build to rent management
• Property management services
• Facility management
• Resident community curation
• Property marketing leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Manukau City

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Property Management Services: Day-to-day property management including rent collections, lease administration, tenant relations, and compliance. Core revenue stream from managing BTR buildings for owners.
2. Consulting and Advisory Services: Design advice, technical expertise, financial modelling, feasibility studies, ramp-up forecasting, and specification decisions for BTR developments. Offered from initial design through construction to commissioning and stabilization.
3. Facilities Management: Maintenance, cleaning, security, and landscaping services to ensure properties are well-maintained and safe.
4. Marketing and Leasing Services: Data-driven marketing campaigns, lead generation, property leasing, and occupancy optimization for BTR properties.
5. Pre-opening and Commissioning: Pre-opening phase services including management team recruitment, staff training, defect management, builder handover management, commissioning oversight, and lease-up campaign marketing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Essence Communities is a Build to Rent (BTR) property management operator that provides end-to-end services for institutional property owners, developers, and investors across Australia and New Zealand. Core offerings include day-to-day property management, facility management, marketing and lease-up, pre-opening and commissioning, BTR consulting and advisory, on-site property teams, quality management systems, and resident community curation, supported by an integrated technology platform.

Product overview

Essence Communities is a Build to Rent (BTR) operator and property management company operating a platform-plus-services model. The core offering consists of property management, facilities management, quality management systems, marketing and lease-up services, and resident community curation supported by technology integrations. Key service modules include BTR Consulting and Advisory Services for project optimization, Pre-Opening and Commissioning for new developments, and the BTR Resident App (Keyvision) for resident engagement. The company manages a portfolio of sub-brand properties under three main property brands: Indi Properties (Indi Sydney, Indi Footscray, Indi Southbank) and WeAreLiving Properties (WeAreLiving Dickson, WeAreLiving Zetland, WeAreLiving Queens, WeAreLiving Preston), plus individual properties including Caulfield Place, The Archive, Wentworth Quarter, The Raleigh, West Tower at Melbourne Quarter, and 50 Quay St Brisbane. All properties operate under the company's integrated technology ecosystem including property management systems (StarRez, Console, Yardi), Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP, and Microsoft Power BI analytics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Indi: Premium Build to Rent property brand featuring apartments in Sydney and Melbourne locations including Indi Sydney, Indi Footscray, and Indi Southbank
• WeAreLiving
• The Archive
• The Raleigh
• Caulfield Place

Products and services

• Build to Rent Property Management Core property management service handling day-to-day operations including rent collections, lease administration, tenant relations, compliance, marketing and leasing strategies, community engagement, and staff training for institutional property owners.
• Build to Rent Facility Management Facility management service overseeing property physical assets including maintenance, cleaning, security, landscaping, vendor and contractor management, compliance, sustainability, energy efficiency, and budget management.
• BTR Property Team Professional on-site property management team services including General Manager, Property Manager, Assistant Property Manager, Leasing Manager, Leasing Executive, Accounting and Marketing Staff, Resident Community Manager, Facilities Manager, and Maintenance Coordinator.
• BTR Quality Management Systems Quality Management System (QMS) ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality services through documented processes and procedures, staff training, compliance monitoring, and performance reporting.
• Marketing and Lease-Up Data-driven marketing and leasing strategies including market understanding, targeted marketing campaigns, performance monitoring, lead generation and management, tailored leasing strategies, and collaboration with local partners.
• BTR Consulting and Advisory Services Advisory and consultancy services working as governance partners to optimize project feasibility, appeal to end-users, and ensure efficient operations. Includes design advice, technical expertise, financial modelling, feasibility studies, revenue estimation, operational cost forecasting, and key systems decisions.
• BTR Pre-Opening and Commissioning Pre-opening and commissioning services for the period leading up to practical completion, including recruiting management and leasing teams, staff onboarding and training, defect management, builder handover management, commissioning oversight, and lease-up campaign marketing strategy.
• BTR Resident App (Keyvision) Resident mobile application (Keyvision) serving as a central communication hub for property management interactions, maintenance requests, community building, event participation, property information access, online payments, personalized experience customization, and digital key functionality.
• Resident Experience and Community Curation Community curation services creating engagement plans, organizing community events and activities, maintaining resident communication, providing social spaces and resources, incorporating resident feedback, building local partnerships, and utilizing resident app and community portal.
• Corporate Relocation Services Premium Build to Rent accommodation services for corporate relocations including furnished and unfurnished apartment options, flexible lease terms, and personalized assistance for relocating employees in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra.

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UniLodge Australia Pty LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEssence Communities is a subsidiary of UniLodge Australia, the leading operator of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation in Australia and New Zealand. UniLodge provides the parent company infrastructure, brand equity, and operational expertise that Essence leverages for BTR property management services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stockland: One of Australia's largest residential developers with a stated BTR strategy. Represents both an addressable institutional owner for property management mandates and a competitive operator as the BTR market matures.
• Mirvac Group: Major Australian diversified developer with a dedicated Build-to-Rent platform (Mirvac Living). Competes with Essence by vertically integrating ownership and management, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne where Essence manages rival institutional assets.
• Greystar Real Estate Partners: Global leader in residential rental property management with deep BTR operating capability. Larger and broader than Essence, but benchmarked as the upper bound of how scale-driven BTR operators monetize management, technology, and resident services.
• Lendlease: Large Australian developer expanding into BTR via its investment platform. Operates some buildings directly and contracts third-party managers elsewhere, making it both a potential customer and competitive threat to Essence.
• JLL Residential (Australia): Global property services firm with residential management and BTR advisory capability in Australia. Competes with Essence for institutional management contracts and provides a benchmark for technology-driven large-scale residential operations.
• CBRE Residential / Property Management: Global real estate services heavyweight offering residential property management in Australia, including landlord advisory and operational services. Competes for the same institutional BTR mandates as Essence and represents the 'full-service incumbent' alternative.

Emerging players

• Haben Property Group: Australian BTR specialist focused on institutional-grade rental housing assets. Niche but meaningful overlap with Essence given shared institutional client base and a regional rather than national footprint.

Direct peers

• Sentinel Real Estate: Australasian multi-asset-class property management firm with significant BTR mandates across Australia and NZ. Comparable operating model (regional property manager serving institutional owners) and overlapping institutional client base.
• Cedar Pacific: Specialist Australian Build-to-Rent owner, developer, and manager with thousands of apartments across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Closest Australian pure-play to Essence in BTR operations, lease-up, and resident experience focus.

Regional players

• Australian Unity's Independent & Assisted Living: Australian operator managing residential and retirement communities with adjacent resident-services capabilities. Less direct BTR overlap but comparable model of large-scale institutional residential operations and resident experience focus in the Australian market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/essence-communities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Essence Communities