SATO Corporation, Press release, 6th March 2019 at 9:00 am

SATO's Annual Report and Sustainability Report has been published. One of the highlights of the year was the launch of the digital OmaSATO service. It helped us make housing services accessible by our residents any time and any place. We also brought our Customer First service model to maintenance companies' day-to-day operations, which makes a big difference as regards the smoothness of the daily lives of SATO's almost 50,000 residents.

The work carried out throughout the year was reflected in improvements in all of SATO's key figures. The occupancy rate strengthened each quarter of the year and customer satisfaction improved in all measured areas.

More than 86% would recommend OmaSATO

To make it even smoother for customers to take care of their housing-related matters, SATO took a digital leap during the reporting year and developed a new mobile OmaSATO service which was launched in August 2018.

- More than 250 SATO residents took part in the design and further development of OmaSATO. At the end of the reporting year, the service had more than 8,000 users, and one of our focus areas in 2019 will be to continue developing it further, say SATO President and CEO Saku Sipola.

According to a survey commissioned by SATO, 83% of OmaSATO users rated the usability of the service as either good or excellent. More than 86% of respondents would recommend OmaSATO to other residents. Features regarded as the best include submitting defect reports, checking one's own rent payment information and accessing the home building's resident bulletins.

Customer comes first in maintenance too

Maintenance staff encounter SATO residents on a daily basis and their service attitude makes a big difference as regards the smoothness of daily life and resident satisfaction. During the reporting year, SATO cooperated more closely with its partners to make sure that maintenance also takes place with an excellent service attitude in accordance with Customer First thinking.

Collaborating on a project to tackle homelessness and unemployment

During the reporting year, SATO collaborated on a project with the NGO No Fixed Abode and the Rehabilitation Foundation to help participants find two of life's essentials - a home and a job.

- We found it important to also participate in efforts to tackle these serious societal issues, unemployment and homelessness. At year-end, nine persons participating in the project were living in a SATO home, and our collaboration with No Fixed Abode and the Rehabilitation Foundation will also continue in 2019, Saku Sipola says.

SATO's Annual Report 2018 is also the company's Sustainability Report, drawn up for the fifth time in line with the GRI Guidelines. Take a look at the Annual Report and Sustainability Report at: https://

Take a look at what we did over the year:

OmaSATO put housing services in residents' pockets - 86% of users would recommend the service http://www.kotona.fi/in-english/users-recommend-omasato

Customer comes first in maintenance too http://www.kotona.fi/in-english/maintenance-matters

A home and a job http://www.kotona.fi/in-english/a-place-to-go-home-to

For more information please contact:

SATO Corporation
Miia Eloranta, Director of Marketing and Communications, phone +358 201 34 4497 or +358 50 441 4221, miia.eloranta@sato.fi 

www.sato.fi

SATO is one of Finland's leading rental housing providers. SATO aims to offer a comprehensive choice of rental housing and an excellent customer experience. At year-end 2018 SATO owned around 25,900 apartments in Finland's largest growth centres and in St. Petersburg.

We promote sustainable development and initiative through our operations and work in open interaction with our stakeholders to generate added value. We operate profitably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our housing stock through investments, divestments and repairs.

The SATO Group's net sales in 2018 were EUR 290 million, operating profit EUR 273 million and profit before taxes EUR 231 million. The value of SATO's investment assets was roughly EUR 3.9 billion.