This guide walks you through the Prism Surveys module — a feedback collection tool built directly into Prism. In this guide, you'll learn how to create surveys with dynamic, self-maintaining audience lists, schedule one-time or recurring sends, and view real-time results organized by property or company. The article covers survey focus options, question types, audience building strategies, recipient experience, and common use cases to help you gather actionable insights from tenants, vendors, and your team without manual list maintenance or external tool
In this article: Overview · Survey list & templates · Before you start · Creating a survey · Building your audience · Recipient experience · Statistics tab · Use cases · Tips · Troubleshooting · FAQ
Applies to: Property Managers · Asset Managers · Operations Teams · Tenant Experience Teams
See It In Action
Key Terms
Dynamic Audience: Auto-updating recipient list based on filters. New users matching criteria are added automatically; departed users are removed.
Survey Focus: Determines how results are organized — Property (by building), Company (by vendor/org), or General (no specific context).
Distribution List: Static, hand-picked recipient list. Does not update automatically.
{variable} placeholder: Dynamic field that displays the respondent's property name or company in survey headlines.
Overview
Your tenants have opinions about your building. Your vendors have feedback on working with your team. And right now, most of that insight never reaches you — or it arrives buried in a SurveyMonkey export three weeks after the fact.
Prism Surveys changes that. It brings feedback collection directly into Prism, where your properties, people, and data already live. Your audience builds itself. Results are connected to your buildings. And the whole thing runs without you having to touch it.
🔗 Connected
Audience built from live Prism data — no manual lists
⚡ Efficient
Recurring sends, self-maintaining lists, no maintenance
📊 Insightful
Live Statistics tab tied to your properties and people
Who can create and receive surveys?
Survey creators are Prism users with access to the Surveys module. Survey recipients can be any Prism user — tenants, vendors, and team members targeted through the audience builder.
⚠️ Current limitation
Only existing Prism users can receive surveys. People without a Prism account cannot respond.
Workaround: Ensure all intended recipients are added to Prism before sending. Tip: See Bulk Import: Users for instructions on how to upload users from a spreadsheet.
Your Survey List & Templates
Navigate to Surveys in the left-hand navigation. Your survey list is organized by status:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | Currently open — responses are being collected |
| Scheduled | Built and ready — will send automatically on the configured date |
| Draft | Work in progress — not yet sent or scheduled |
| Past | Closed surveys with completed results you can still review |
Templates
Below your survey list you'll find your Templates section. Templates are pre-built surveys — questions, descriptions, and structure already written — that you can reuse as many times as you want. Use a template to skip the build-from-scratch step and go straight to customizing for your specific audience.
Before You Start
📋 Prerequisites for creating a survey:
- Access to the Surveys module in Prism
- At least one active property in your Prism portfolio
- Recipient users must have active Prism accounts
- Clear objective for what feedback you're collecting
💡 Planning tip: Before building, determine your survey focus (Property, Company, or General) and target audience. This shapes your entire survey structure.
Creating a Survey
Select Create Survey from the top of the Surveys page. The survey builder opens in four steps: Focus → Questions → Audience → Schedule.
Step 1: Choose Your Survey Focus
The first thing you'll set is the Survey Focus. This tells Prism what your survey is about and shapes how your analytics and results are organized.
| Focus | What it means | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Responses are tied to specific properties in your portfolio | Tenant satisfaction, amenity feedback, building experience surveys |
| Company | Responses are organized by vendor or property management company | Tracking feedback on company performance or work done |
| General | No property or company context — flexible use | Internal team surveys, event feedback, ad-hoc pulse checks |
💡 Why this matters
Choosing the right focus means your results arrive pre-organized. A Property survey automatically ties every response back to a building — so you can compare properties, track trends by location, and filter results without any manual sorting.
Step 2: Name, Describe & Add Questions
After choosing focus, give your survey a clear name and description. These are what respondents see, so make them specific.
Survey naming best practices
| Good | Why | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 Tenant Satisfaction - {property} | Specific, dated, uses variable | Building Survey | Vague, no context |
| May 2026 Amenity Feedback - {property} | Clear purpose and timeframe | Feedback Form | Too generic |
| Vendor Performance Review - Q2 2026 | Professional, time-specific | Survey #3 | No meaningful context |
| Move-In Experience - {property} | Event-specific with variable | New Tenant Survey | Less precise |
Using a template
Select a template and the name, description, and full question set fill in automatically. Customize from there — add or remove questions, edit answer options, adjust the title.
The {variable} placeholder
When using a Property or Company focus, the survey headline field supports a {variable} placeholder. Prism automatically replaces it with the respondent's actual building name when the survey is sent or a company that the respondent worked with. A survey titled "How are we doing at {property}?" becomes "How are we doing at Riverside Tower?" for a tenant at Riverside Tower — making every survey feel personally relevant.
Question types
| Question Type | What It Does | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Star Rating | 1–5 or 1–10 scale with star icons | Overall satisfaction; quick sentiment checks |
| Likert Scale | Strongly Agree → Strongly Disagree | Measuring sentiment on a specific statement |
| Yes / No | Binary choice | Simple qualification questions |
| Multiple Choice | Select from a defined list | Structured options (amenities, service types) |
| Open Text | Free-form written response | Capturing qualitative feedback and suggestions |
| File Upload | Respondent attaches a file | Vendor documentation, photos of an issue |
| Conditional Follow-Up | Comment box shown only if answer meets a condition | Targeted follow-up on low scores |
Step 4: Scheduling Your Survey
| Option | When to use |
|---|---|
| One-time | Single send on a specific date. Best for: event follow-ups, move-in/out surveys, one-off pulse checks. |
| Recurring | Automatic send on a repeating schedule. Options: weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual. Best for: tenant satisfaction, vendor performance, team pulse. |
Set a due date (how long respondents have to complete the survey — 5–7 business days recommended) and select the appropriate timezone for each property.
💡 Set it and forget it
A recurring quarterly tenant satisfaction survey goes out automatically every quarter — to whoever is currently in the building at that time. No maintenance, no reminders, no manual sends.
Building Your Audience
The audience builder is where Prism Surveys earns its place. Instead of uploading or maintaining a contact list, you filter your live Prism data and the system builds — and maintains — the recipient list for you.
Dynamic vs. Distribution List
| Audience Type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Dynamic | Prism builds the list from your filtered data and keeps it up to date automatically. New tenants are added when they join; departed tenants are removed. Set it once and never touch it again. |
| Distribution List | Send to a specific, hand-picked list of contacts. Use when you need precise control over exactly who receives the survey. |
Building a Dynamic Audience
When using Dynamic, choose your organization type and apply filters. The recipient count updates in real time as you build.
| Filter | What it does |
|---|---|
| Organization Type | Target Tenants, Vendors, or Property Management Team |
| Property | Narrow to one or more specific properties in your portfolio |
| Floor | Target respondents on specific floors within a building |
| Company | Filter by company name |
| Job Function | Target by role — e.g. Property Manager only |
Audience Groups
You can add up to three audience groups within a single survey — one per organization type. For example: Group 1 = Tenants, Group 2 = Property Management Team, Group 3 = Vendors. All three groups receive the same survey in a single send.
Example
Running a building satisfaction survey? Add tenants in Group 1 and your on-site management team in Group 2. You get tenant feedback and internal perspective in one survey send — with results organized by group.
Anonymous Responses
Toggle on anonymous mode to hide respondent names and email addresses from results. Respondents see a note confirming their response is anonymous. Use this when candor matters more than attribution — for example, team feedback surveys or sensitive satisfaction checks.
💡 When to use anonymous mode:
- Internal team pulse checks
- Sensitive workplace feedback
- Vendor performance reviews where attribution might inhibit honesty
- Any survey where response rate matters more than follow-up ability
The Recipient Experience
Understanding what respondents see helps you design better surveys and set realistic response rate expectations.
| Touchpoint | What happens |
|---|---|
| Email notification | If email notifications are enabled for your survey, respondents receive an email with a direct link to the survey when it's sent. |
| 'Surveys for You' card | A dashboard card appears on the respondent's Prism homepage. It's visible the moment they log in — no hunting required. One click opens the survey form. |
| Mobile responsive | Surveys are fully readable and completable on any device — phone, tablet, or desktop. |
| Save & continue | Respondents can save progress and return later. Partial responses are preserved exactly where they left off. |
Viewing Results — Statistics Tab
Navigate to your survey and select the Statistics tab. Results update in real time as responses come in.
| View | What you see |
|---|---|
| Overview | Total recipients, responses received, completion rate, and aggregate scores for rating questions. |
| By Recipient | Every person who received the survey, their completion status, and a summary of their answers. Use this to follow up with specific individuals. |
| By Question | Aggregated responses for each question. For open text, every individual response appears in a scrollable list — no digging required. |
| CSV Export | One-click export of all responses as a structured CSV file, ready for reporting or further analysis. |
💡 Focus shapes your results
If you chose Property Feedback or Company Performance as your survey focus, responses are automatically organized by building or company — no manual sorting needed. Compare data, filter, and track trends across your portfolio from the Statistics tab.
Common Use Cases
| Use Case | Survey Focus | Audience | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenant Satisfaction | Property | All tenants at target property | Quarterly |
| Vendor Performance | General | Property mgmt team members who work with vendor | Quarterly or post-service |
| Move-In Feedback | Property | New tenants (first 30 days) | One-time |
| Move-Out Feedback | Property | Departing tenants | One-time |
| Building Amenities Feedback | Property | All tenants in building | Semi-annual |
| Team Pulse Check | General | Internal property management team | Monthly |
| Event / Amenity Feedback | General or Company | Event attendees or amenity users | One-time, within 48 hrs |
Tips for Better Response Rates
💡 Benchmark response rates:
- Tenant surveys: 25-35% typical
- Internal team surveys: 60-75% typical
- Event feedback: 40-50% typical
- Move-in/Move-out surveys: 45-60% typical
Best practices to maximize responses:
- Keep it short. Under 10 questions is ideal. Under 5 is even better for high-volume audiences.
- Use a clear, specific survey name. Respondents open surveys they understand at a glance.
- Use the {variable} placeholder in your headline for Property surveys — a personalized title increases opens.
- Set a 5–7 business day due date. Long enough for busy schedules, short enough to stay relevant.
- Use conditional follow-ups on low scores only — don't ask everyone to write an essay.
- Use sections for surveys over 8 questions to reduce abandonment and improve readability.
- Consider anonymous mode for internal team surveys — you'll get more candid responses.
- Send at strategic times — avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons.
- For recurring surveys, maintain consistency in timing so respondents expect them.
Troubleshooting
Why isn't my survey showing up for recipients?
Common causes:
- Survey is still in Draft status — check that it's been sent or scheduled
- Recipients don't have active Prism accounts — verify user accounts are active
- Email notifications are disabled and recipients haven't logged into Prism to see the dashboard card
- Survey due date has passed — check the schedule settings
Solution: Navigate to your survey, check the status (Active/Scheduled/Draft), and verify your audience filters are returning the expected recipient count.
Why is my recipient count zero?
Common causes:
- Filters are too restrictive — no users match all selected criteria
- Selected property has no active tenant/vendor accounts in Prism
- Organization type filter doesn't match available users (e.g., selecting "Vendors" when none exist for that property)
Solution: Remove filters one at a time to identify which criteria is excluding everyone. Verify that users matching your criteria have been added to Prism.
What happens if a tenant leaves mid-survey?
For Dynamic audiences:
- If a tenant's Prism account is deactivated or removed during an active survey, they are automatically removed from the recipient list
- Any partial or completed responses they submitted are preserved in the results
- The recipient count in Statistics adjusts to reflect current active recipients
For Distribution Lists:
- Recipients remain on the static list even if they leave
- Their responses (if submitted) remain in results
- No automatic removal occurs
Can I recover a deleted survey?
No. Deleted surveys cannot be recovered. If you need to preserve historical data, mark surveys as "Past" instead of deleting them.
My recurring survey didn't send on schedule
Common causes:
- No recipients matched the dynamic audience filters at send time
- Survey was manually paused or deleted
- System maintenance window (rare — you'll receive advance notification)
Solution: Check the survey's scheduling settings and audience filters. Review the Activity Log (if available) for your survey to see why the send was skipped.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I survey people who are not in Prism?
A: Not yet. Currently, only existing Prism users can receive and respond to surveys.
Q: Can I make responses anonymous?
A: Yes. Toggle on anonymous mode in the Audience section when building your survey. Respondent names and email addresses will be hidden from the Statistics tab. Respondents see a confirmation that their response is anonymous.
Q: Can I send to a specific hand-picked list of people?
A: Yes. Choose Distribution List in the audience builder instead of Dynamic. This lets you select specific contacts manually rather than using filters.
Q: What's the difference between Dynamic and Distribution List audiences?
A: Dynamic audiences are built from Prism filters and self-maintain — new tenants are added automatically and departed tenants are removed. Distribution Lists are hand-picked and static — you control exactly who's on the list, but it doesn't update automatically.
Q: Can I add multiple groups to one survey?
A: Yes. You can add up to three audience groups in a single survey — one per organization type (Tenants, Property Management, Vendors). All groups receive the same survey in a single send.
Q: What's Survey Focus and why does it matter?
A: Survey Focus (Property, Company, or General) tells Prism how to organize your analytics. A Property survey ties every response to a specific building. A Company survey organizes by vendor or management company. General is flexible and context-free. Choosing the right focus means your results arrive pre-organized — no manual sorting.
Q: What is the {variable} placeholder in the survey headline?
A: It's a dynamic field that Prism replaces with the respondent's actual building name or company when the survey is sent. A headline like 'How are we doing at {property}?' becomes 'How are we doing at Riverside Tower?' for a tenant at that property.
Q: Where do I find my survey results?
A: Navigate to your survey and click the Statistics tab. Results update in real time as responses come in.
Q: Can I edit a survey after sending?
A: Edits to active surveys are limited to avoid data inconsistency.
Q: How long are survey results retained?
A: Survey results are retained indefinitely in your Prism account. You can access Past surveys and their complete response data at any time from the Surveys page.
Q: Can I duplicate an existing survey?
A: Yes. From your survey list, select the survey you want to copy and choose "Duplicate." This creates a new draft with the same questions, focus, and structure. Update the audience and schedule as needed.