Apartmentalize 2025: Inside the sessions driving multifamily’s future
AI and centralization take center stage—the industry is no longer playing catch-up.
Historically multifamily has had a reputation of being slow to adapt. But if this year’s Apartmentalize was any indication, that chapter is officially closed.
Multifamily is no longer shying away from new innovation. In fact, it’s demanding more.
There is renewed energy around advanced technology, and a clear appetite for solutions that go beyond patchwork point solutions to improve an outdated operating model.
AI is not seen as a threat, but as a practical tool. Centralization isn’t just an owner-operator strategy, it’s a rising priority among third-party managers.
Standing-room-only sessions on AI and centralization signaled that operators are moving beyond survival mode and taking a proactive approach for the future of their organizations. They’re rethinking how teams work, how technology supports the renter and resident experience, and what it means to build communities that are not just efficient—but connected, mission-driven, and built to last.
Future-proofing multifamily leadership
In the old 1:100 operating model of the past employee retention was a long-standing challenge in multifamily, no denying that. This too is shifting, with a clear career path for many positions, through the rise in role specialization and shared services.
But how do you keep employees long enough to usher them into a bigger, better career path?
According to Terresa Porizek, Executive Vice President of Organizational Development at Lantower—a Funnel CRM + AI customer— it all comes down to empowering your team with opportunity and feedback.
Lantower, a 7,900 unit portfolio primarily focused in the Sunbelt region, centralized its operations with the goal of improving the employee and resident experience, and saw role specialization as a business and talent strategy.
“We quickly learned that we needed those specialized roles to improve the experience at every phase of the customer life cycle,” Proizek said. “That business strategy and people strategy go hand-in-hand in love.”
“We quickly learned that we needed those specialized roles to improve the experience at every phase of the customer life cycle,” Proizek said. “That business strategy and people strategy go hand-in-hand in love.”
Instead of the legacy one-lane climb from leasing professional to regional manager regardless of team member’s natural inclinations and talents, Lantower’s centralized model turns the org chart into a multidirectional map, with leasing, renewals, applications, and finance now intersecting to give employees multiple on-ramps to advancement. In this new model, team members play to their strengths, which is shown to improve retention.
“When you share learning experiences you create greater partnerships, trust, and build a platform where team members can lean into each other, and create a greater resident experience, and deliver on your business strategy,” said Proizek said, adding that overall company turnover at Lantower has decreased since implementing the new model.
By anchoring every role to shared competencies—results focus, clear communication, and conflict management—Lantower is proving that when you modernize structure and invest in people, you don’t just keep talent longer; you give them more places to grow.
Learn more about Lantower’s centralization strategy from Forum.
Third-party centralization + momentum
One of the most noticeable shifts at this year’s Apartmentalize was the growing influence of third-party managers—and the rising momentum around centralization in their world. As third-party firms take on a larger share of professionally managed units, it’s no surprise that interest in centralization has skyrocketed.
Centralization sessions were some of the most popular all week—many standing-room only. Operators weren’t just curious; they were actively looking for playbooks and lessons learned from people who have done it before.
In the closing session of Apartmentalize, Melody King, Chief Operating Officer at BH, and Kevin Owens from RKW Residential pulled back the curtain on what centralization actually looks like for third-party managers. They shared how their teams are redefining roles, leveraging AI, and building flexible operating models that deliver both consistency and scalability.
“We think about [centralization] as an evolution of the business,” Owens said. “Every day we should be thinking about what we can do better, more efficiently. We have a fiduciary responsibility to our owners to do that.”
“We think about [centralization] as an evolution of the business,” Owens said. “Every day we should be thinking about what we can do better, more efficiently. We have a fiduciary responsibility to our owners to do that.”
Their message was clear: centralization for third-party firms isn’t one-size-fits-all, but it is essential. Read the complete panel recap here.
Generative AI: Shifting thinking
It is a bit of a tradition at Apartmentalize to poll the audience before each AI panel: “Who here is worried AI might take their job?”
This year in a packed session on generative AI hacks, something different happened. Instead of the usual sea of raised hands, there was a long pause. A few hands slowly rose after some coaxing from the panelists, but most stayed down.
The silence said more than any keynote address could. Multifamily isn’t afraid of AI anymore—we are ready to use it.
With more than 40 sessions on AI throughout Apartmentalize, the key message is AI isn’t here to replace you. It’s here to amplify your impact. The future isn’t automation for automation’s sake—it’s about working smarter, not harder.
Advanced centralization: Using AI + technology
Centralization isn’t new at Veritas—it’s been a core part of how their team operates for years.
Long before centralization became a buzzword, the Veritas team was building a centralized operating model out of necessity. David Thomas, Director of Innovations and a Funnel CRM partner, shared how managing a portfolio of over 8,000 units spread across 300 buildings, Veritas had to rethink traditional staffing and workflows to make the numbers work—and that meant getting ahead of the curve.
They turned to technology to create a new kind of operating structure—one that could support role specialization, increase efficiency, and still deliver a consistent renter experience. That’s where Funnel came in.
Originally designed to follow the renter—not the property—Funnel’s renter-centric® architecture was a natural fit for Veritas.
“We started with just Yardi and spreadsheets—then we found Funnel,” Thomas said after the panel. “Having a partner like Funnel was one of the first things that made us realize that we could have tech tools that could do all the things we needed. It checks so many boxes for us, and the success we have had with Funnel has opened the door for a lot of other things.”
“We started with just Yardi and spreadsheets—then we found Funnel,” Thomas said after the panel. “Having a partner like Funnel was one of the first things that made us realize that we could have tech tools that could do all the things we needed. It checks so many boxes for us, and the success we have had with Funnel has opened the door for a lot of other things.”
By streamlining systems and cutting 50 vendors from their stack, Veritas empowered property managers to manage up to 80% more units (jumping from 500 to 900 per manager) without sacrificing service quality.
With cleaner processes and smarter tools in place, maintenance operations also became more efficient—81% of work orders are now completed in a single call. It’s a clear example of how centralization, when done right, isn’t just a staffing solution—it’s a performance engine.
“We don’t look at centralization as cost-saving or payroll,” Thomas shared. “We look at it as a resident satisfaction and employee satisfaction strategy. Make their experience better, and by doing that, the payroll takes care of itself.”
“We don’t look at centralization as cost-saving or payroll,” Thomas shared. “We look at it as a resident satisfaction and employee satisfaction strategy. Make their experience better, and by doing that, the payroll takes care of itself.”
How multifamily heroes create lasting impact
Not every innovation at Apartmentalize came from software or tech stacks—some of the most impactful ideas came from the heart. In the No Capes Needed Fishbowl session, David Williams, CEO of Entryway, a Funnel HOME by Funnel Inc. partner, shared how community service can be more than a feel-good initiative—it can be a talent strategy.
Entryway addresses two critical challenges facing the industry: high employee turnover and housing insecurity. By placing situationally unhoused individuals into stable careers in multifamily, Entryway creates life-changing opportunities while helping operators fill essential roles with committed, long-term team members.
“All organizations have value statements about treating employees well, treating customers well, but I think it’s important to have a value statement about helping people beyond the company,” Williams said. “In our case there is a stickiness with the people we place in organizations, about 15% better than the industry average. Organizations should care about giving back because it creates the culture of an organization that everyone wants to be a part of.”
“All organizations have value statements about treating employees well, treating customers well, but I think it’s important to have a value statement about helping people beyond the company,” Williams said. “In our case there is a stickiness with the people we place in organizations, about 15% better than the industry average. Organizations should care about giving back because it creates the culture of an organization that everyone wants to be a part of.”
The panelists emphasized that giving back to the community creates more than goodwill—it builds a community culture, strengthens retention, and delivers a better resident and employee experience. When residents feel connected through community programs and employees find purpose in their work, renewal rates rise, satisfaction improves, and people stay longer.
Bridget Foley from Move For Hunger, and Kiley Sharp of Apartment Life echoed the message: when residents feel connected and employees find purpose in their work, everyone wins.
Move For Hunger turns food waste into donated meals during the moving process—delivering over 50 million meals to date. Apartment Life combats resident loneliness through programming that fosters real community—boosting renewal rates when even one meaningful connection is made.
What’s next? You decide.
Apartmentalize 2025 made one thing clear: multifamily is no longer waiting for the future—it’s actively building it. From AI-powered operations to centralized operating models and purpose-driven community programs, this year’s sessions showcased an industry that’s ready to move fast, think differently, and lead with intention.
The reputation of being slow to adapt is fading. In its place, a new narrative is emerging—one where innovation is embraced, impact is measured, and progress is shared. The shift isn’t just happening. It’s accelerating. And the operators who lean in won’t just stay relevant—they’ll shape what comes next.