Forum recap | Inside Funnel’s vision for the future: AI, centralization, and a renter-centric® operating model

Nikki Hand Chief Customer Officer, and Chris Brennand VP of Product and Design, on the solutions that power the new operating model

At Forum—an invite-only summit for property management executives who are believers in a better operating model—Funnel unveiled the vision for where multifamily is headed, what renters will expect, and how technology can empower both teams and residents alike. 

The messages were clear: 

• Centralization isn’t coming. It’s already here. 
• AI is the force multiplier.

With executives representing 12% of professionally managed apartment homes in the room—Funnel’s Chief Customer Officer Nikki Hand and VP of Product and Design Chris Brennand took attendees on a guided tour of what’s new, what’s next, and how their renter-centric® platform is helping shape the future of operations.

“We’re not just changing systems—we’re changing outcomes,” said Hand. “We’re building software for the humans of multifamily.”

“We’re not just changing systems—we’re changing outcomes. We’re building software for the humans of multifamily.”

—Nikki Hand, Chief Customer Officer, Funnel

The shift from property-centric to renter-centric

If there’s one phrase that dominated the roadmap session, it was “renter-centric®.” As Brennand explained, traditional multifamily systems are still built around properties. “Multifamily is one of the last industries that puts the property, not the customer, at the center of the data model,” he said.

What does that mean in practice? Take a renter prospecting across three communities from the same management company. In a property-centric world, that creates three duplicate records—three separate workflows for teams to manage. “It’s inefficient for operators, and it’s a terrible experience for the renter,” Hand said, recalling her own frustrating leasing experience as a renter prior to joining the Funnel team.

The low-hanging fruit here is better, cleaner data, the ability to easily cross-sell, and a vastly improved customer experience.

But where this gets super exciting is the ability to work prospects and residents across your entire portfolio rather than on a single property model (aka centralization + specialization).

“The best analogy is Marriott Bonvoy,” said Brennand. “You don’t become a new customer every time you check into a different hotel. Why should renters?”

“The best analogy is Marriott Bonvoy. You don’t become a new customer every time you check into a different hotel. Why should renters?”

— Chris Brennand, VP of Product and Design, Funnel

AI, elevated: the new Funnel AI suite

Hand and Brennand announced a series of exciting AI updates for current + potential customers alike:

• AI-Powered CRM:  Our award-winning CRM now comes with time-saving AI Message suggestions and Call summaries. These advances will be embedded into teams existing workflows at no additional cost.
• Prospect AI: The AI trusted by multifamily (SMS + email) is now powered with generative AI, and all AI customers will now get a Sierra-backed chat solution. 
• Voice AI: Never miss a call again. Whether it’s used as a first line of defense or for overflow / after-hours questions, Voice AI has your prospect calls covered. Note: plans to expand into resident experiences

Introducing Resident AI

And now, for the first time, AI is extending beyond prospects and into the resident journey—starting with rent reminders and renewals.

• Rent Reminders: Reduce delinquency by automating payment + late notices, and answering resident questions 
• Renewals: Automates renewal decision-making and lease execution. Let AI handle the straightforward renewals so your renewal specialists can focus on the ones requiring a more personalized touch.

“This isn’t AI for AI’s sake,” Hand emphasized. “We’re using AI where it creates clear operational leverage and a better experience.”

“This isn’t AI for AI’s sake. We’re using AI where it creates clear operational leverage and a better experience.”

— Nikki Hand, Chief Customer Officer, Funnel 

Fighting fraud, improving UX

With fraud on the rise, Funnel is expanding its identity verification tools. “We’ve offered ID verification during online leasing for a while,” said Brennand. “Now we’re bringing that upstream—before the tour.”

When a prospect schedules a tour, they’re prompted to verify their ID via photo and biometric selfie. This protects communities from bad actors and reduces wasted time for onsite teams. Crucially, it’s all built directly into Funnel’s multifamily CRM—no third-party logins or disconnected workflows. Watch our ID verification in action here. 

Redesigning for efficiency: MyQueue and task management

Last year’s Forum introduced MyQueue—a dashboard tailored to each user’s role and daily responsibilities. This year, Funnel is doubling down with improvements that reflect user feedback.

“High-performing agents told us, ‘MyQueue’s great, but I want to do more,’” Brennand said.

New updates include:

• A simplified visual layout to reduce cognitive load
• Calendar-based views for appointments and amenities
• Persona-based filters and advanced sorting
• Guest card sentiment tagging and next-action suggestions

In addition, Funnel is building a new ticketing system for more complex workflows. Think: tagging, commenting, resolution status—all integrated within the CRM. “It’s the first time we’re enabling intra-agent collaboration directly inside the platform,” said Brennand.

Unlocking role specialization

As the industry embraces centralization, operators are rethinking how teams are structured. Funnel’s multifamily CRM is designed, and proven to support this shift with many of the leading and largest operators and managers who now operate with role specialization and centralization.

Hand detailed three enhancements of how we are shifting the platform to make centralization even better:

1. Specialized teams: Funnel allows operators to designate specialized groups for tasks like application processing or renewals. Communications from renters are automatically routed to the right group, improving speed and satisfaction.
2. Skill-based routing: For operators with contact centers, Funnel can route calls based on agent skills—such as language fluency or regional expertise.
3. Centralized availability: To support flexible staffing across multiple properties, Funnel’s centralized calendar lets managers assign leasing associates to different communities on different days, with all availability integrated into self-tour scheduling.

“These are the tools that make new staffing models possible,” Hand said. “It’s not just about removing tasks—it’s about putting the right tasks in the right hands.”

Self-serve

One of the biggest themes of the roadmap was configuration. As Brennand put it: “Funnel is powerful and configurable.”

However, this can lead to decision fatigue from our partners, and sometimes the feeling that they can’t change settings as easily as desired after their initial implementation. Funnel launched Project Powers, a cross-functional initiative to make configuration easier, more transparent, and self-service wherever possible.

Among the upcoming improvements:

• A revamped onboarding and configuration platform with role-based permissions
• Human-readable flags and descriptions
• Tools to manage rental options, lease variables, and tracking details without the need to talk to the Funnel team

And for marketers and operations teams who want more visibility into what’s automated and when, Funnel previewed a visual Workflow Studio, a drag-and-drop builder for customer journeys and automation rules.

“You have the recipe. You should be able to cook,” Hand said. “We want to give you the kitchen, not just the meal.”

Building for all lease types

In addition to traditional market-rate units, many operators manage special lease types—Section 8, corporate housing, employee units, military housing, and more. These come with unique workflows, criteria, and documentation.

Funnel is investing in online leasing capabilities to support these complex lease types—bringing automation and compliance tools to historically manual processes. “We’re building the same streamlined experience, regardless of lease complexity,” said Hand.

New tools for residents

Funnel’s ResApp, a modern mobile interface for residents, is evolving too. Already equipped with messaging, maintenance requests, and payments, it now includes:

• Amenity reservations
• Community announcements
• Inventory management for rentable items like parking spots

Funnel is also introducing waitlist functionality, allowing prospects to pre-qualify and be notified when a preferred unit becomes available—similar to daycare waitlists or airline upgrades.

“Our vision is one connected journey—from first click to final renewal,” Hand said.

Watch a video about our amenity reservations here. 

Fee transparency and trust

With new regulations emerging around rental fees, Funnel is making fee transparency a product priority. Over the next year, operators can expect:

• Enhanced quote displays showing all potential fees
• A new cost calculator for upfront affordability
• End-to-end visibility for consumers before they apply

“This isn’t just about compliance,” Brennand said. “It’s about building trust.”

“This isn’t just about compliance, it’s about building trust.”

— Chris Brennand, VP of Product + Design, Funnel 

AI, elevated: Meet Fenix and the new Funnel AI suite

One of the most buzzworthy moments came when Funnel formally announced the launch of Fenix, its standalone AI offering powered by a strategic partnership with Sierra AI (founded by ex-Google Labs leader Clay Bavor).

Simply put, Fenix is about accelerating access to AI-powered efficiency.

Many teams are eager to adopt a modern, centralized operating model—but they’re not quite ready to make the leap to a new CRM.

That’s exactly where Fenix comes in.

Fenix offers a powerful onramp to the future of multifamily operations. It gives customers immediate access to world-class AI tools. When the time is right, Fenix customers have a clear path to the efficiencies Funnel offers.

At the same time, Funnel and Fenix are working hand-in-hand. As Fenix pushes the boundaries of AI, Funnel customers will benefit too by gaining access to the latest innovations as they’re developed.

Final word: empowering teams, not replacing them

Throughout the session, one theme remained consistent: Funnel builds tools for humans, not instead of them.

“Unlike some companies, we’re not trying to replace leasing agents,” said Brennand. “We’re trying to elevate them—to give them superpowers.”

Whether it’s through automation, smart routing, or AI-generated insights, Funnel’s roadmap is a clear step toward a more efficient, more transparent, and more renter-friendly future.