SATO's eNPS Hits Record 67 — How Finland's Largest Rental Housing Provider Turned Employee Satisfaction Into Customer Experience Gold
SATO Corporation (Helsinki, Finland; one of Finland's largest rental housing providers; CEO Antti Aarnio; VP Human Resources Merja Hyttinen; approximately 27,500 rental homes across the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere, and Turku; majority shareholder Balder Finska Otas AB; celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2025), has announced that its latest employee satisfaction survey results have reached record levels — with an employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) of 67, up from 63.5 in the prior period. The results reveal a direct and measurable connection between employee wellbeing and customer experience — with SATO's customer encounter rating reaching 4.2 out of 5 and its resident NPS climbing to 59. In a market where rental housing providers live and die by the quality of in-person service interactions, SATO's data makes a compelling case that investing in employee experience is not a cost — it is the mechanism that generates customer satisfaction at scale.
"According to the results, our employees appreciate exactly the things we have been building consistently over the long term: trustworthy and smooth collaboration, a humane culture and work life aligned with our values. The results show that we have done many things right."
— Antti Aarnio, Chief Executive Officer, SATO CorporationThe Numbers — eNPS 67, Customer Rating 4.2, Resident NPS 59
SATO's eNPS of 67 is an exceptional result by any benchmark — a score of 30 is already considered high, and very few companies reach SATO's level. The almost four-point improvement from the previous period reflects sustained, long-term investment in the culture, collaboration, and values that employees say they appreciate most: a warm and relaxed atmosphere, approachable colleagues, trustworthy collaboration, and a humane work culture aligned with SATO's values. The customer-facing impact is equally striking. SATO's proprietary encounters indicator — which measures the emotional impression left by SATO staff in every service interaction — reached 4.2 out of 5 on average, with a rolling 12-month result of 4.23. The resident NPS of 59 closely mirrors the eNPS score — a statistical alignment that supports SATO's own belief that high employee satisfaction strongly correlates with smooth processes and customer satisfaction.
"When employees feel well and collaboration works smoothly, it inevitably reaches the customer too. In the rental housing market, customer experience plays an enormously important role, and we have invested in it for years. It makes a big difference what kind of emotional impression we leave when we meet our customers in different service situations."
— Antti Aarnio, Chief Executive Officer, SATO CorporationSATO's Business Performance and Sustainability Context — Q1 2026
The employee experience announcement accompanies SATO's Q1 2026 interim results — which show the company's growth continuing in a challenging Finnish market environment. Net sales reached EUR 80.1 million (up from EUR 77.2 million in Q1 2025), with an economic occupancy rate of 95.3% and housing investments of EUR 105.5 million — including the acquisition of 602 rental homes from OP Vuokrakoti Ky, bringing SATO's total portfolio to nearly 27,500 homes. SATO's sustainability credentials are equally strong: its sustainability management was ranked number one in Europe in a real estate sector sustainability assessment in autumn 2025, and its 2025 sustainability report — prepared in accordance with ESRS standards — shows significant growth in locally produced renewable energy alongside advancing biodiversity and occupational safety programmes. Together, the people, performance, and sustainability data position SATO as a model for how long-term, values-driven investment in the employee experience translates into measurable outcomes across every dimension of the business.
SATO Corporation announces record employee satisfaction results. Helsinki, Finland; CEO Antti Aarnio; VP HR Merja Hyttinen; ~27,500 rental homes across Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere, and Turku; majority shareholder Balder Finska Otas AB; 85th anniversary 2025. Announced 8 May 2026. eNPS: 67 (up from 63.5 — an improvement of almost four points). Customer encounter rating: 4.2/5 average (rolling 12-month: 4.23). Resident NPS (customers' willingness to recommend SATO as housing provider): 59. A score of 30 is already considered high — very few companies reach SATO's level.
What employees value — the culture SATO has built over the long term. Survey results show employees most appreciate: warm and relaxed work community atmosphere; approachable colleagues; trustworthy and smooth collaboration; humane culture; work life aligned with SATO's values. CEO Antti Aarnio's framing: "The results show that we have done many things right." The eNPS improvement of nearly four points reflects sustained, consistent investment in the employee experience — not a one-off initiative — with the upward trend visible across multiple consecutive survey periods.
The employee-to-customer experience transmission mechanism. SATO's encounters indicator — measuring the emotional impression left by staff in every customer service interaction — directly reflects employee wellbeing. eNPS 67 and resident NPS 59 are statistically aligned, confirming SATO's operating thesis: high employee satisfaction strongly correlates with smooth processes and customer satisfaction. In the rental housing market, where the quality of every in-person service interaction determines whether a resident renews or leaves, this transmission mechanism has direct commercial consequences — occupancy rate, tenant retention, and revenue per square metre.
Q1 2026 business performance context. Net sales: EUR 80.1M (up from EUR 77.2M Q1 2025). Economic occupancy rate: 95.3% (95.0%). Net rental income: EUR 46.2M. Profit before taxes: EUR 17.1M. Housing investments: EUR 105.5M — including acquisition of 602 homes from OP Vuokrakoti Ky (97%+ economic occupancy rate; new, energy-efficient properties in Finland's largest growth centres). Total portfolio: ~27,500 rental homes. Average rent: EUR 18.53/m²/month. Sustainability: ranked No. 1 in Europe in real estate sector sustainability assessment (autumn 2025); 2025 sustainability report published in accordance with ESRS standards; partially assured by Deloitte Oy.
Strategic significance — employee experience as a business performance driver. SATO's results make a quantified case for something that HR practitioners have long argued but rarely been able to demonstrate with this clarity: investing in employee experience is not a wellbeing cost — it is a revenue and retention strategy. The near-identical eNPS (67) and resident NPS (59) scores are the statistical expression of this argument. For HR leaders and C-suite executives in service-intensive industries — where every customer interaction is mediated by a human being whose emotional state directly determines service quality — SATO's data provides a replicable model: build a humane culture with consistent long-term investment, measure its impact at every customer touchpoint, and treat the encounter indicator as a leading operational metric, not a lagging satisfaction score.