The Challenge

Kane needed a scalable way to connect on an individualized level with renters across every stage of their journey. Their teams were juggling prospect follow-ups and resident communications, all while trying to maintain a consistent brand voice and high-quality experience across both their owned and third-party communities.

The Solution

By fully adopting Funnel’s end-to-end product suite, Kane’s teams delivered faster, smarter, and more connected experiences. AI helps Kane meet renters where they are, while giving associates more time to focus on the high-touch moments that matter.

The Results

Tour conversion rates from AI-assisted prospects are nearly 2.5x higher than from non-AI interactions. Generative AI message suggestions are used in 1 in 10 CRM messages, helping teams respond faster and more confidently.

KEY INSIGHTS

AI that converts—at 2.5x the rate

“AI never sleeps,” said Allwardt. “But what’s more powerful is how it doesn’t just answer the question—it asks the right follow-up. That’s the difference between just providing information and actually converting a lead.”

And it’s working: AI-assisted leads convert to tours at nearly 50%, compared to under 20% for those without AI interaction.

Kane’s success comes from balancing automation with human connection. Clear handoffs ensure renters get instant answers when they want speed—and real conversations when it counts. Associates stay focused on high-impact work, while consistent workflows raise the bar across every community.

From chaos to clarity: CRM brings order to daily leasing work

Day-to-day leasing work adds up fast: follow-ups, reminders, document reviews, system updates. By putting Funnel’s CRM at the center, Kane turned that flood of tasks into an organized, manageable workflow. Between March–June 2025, task volume surged 77% year-over-year, yet completions climbed even faster, up 83%.

With clear priorities and automated updates, associates always know what’s next. Call summaries generate in seconds, data logs instantly, and reminders trigger without delay. The CRM keeps teams focused instead of juggling loose ends.

Overdue tasks plummeted. In 2024, half of all tasks risked slipping through; by 2025, the ratio improved to 75/25, with 136% more tasks closed on schedule. Funnel gave Kane’s teams more than automation, it gave them structure, stability, and confidence that nothing falls through the cracks.

Confidence-boosting AI, built for your frontline

AI message suggestions and call summaries help associates work faster and with more confidence. “Call recording was great in theory, but no one had time to listen to them. When Funnel rolled out AI call summaries, it was a game changer,” said Allwardt. “I can skim a conversation in seconds and know exactly what happened.”

With message suggestions, teams get a head start without losing their voice.

“About 10% of our CRM messages use the co-pilot suggestion, and I expect that to grow. It’s on-brand, it saves time, and our teams can tweak it to match their personality—we’ve got some big personalities!”

Service sets them apart. Tech just helps them deliver it at scale

In a crowded market like Raleigh, NC—where luxury amenities and prime locations are table stakes—Kane sees resident experience as its true differentiator.

“I truly believe that the resident experience is the last true differentiator between what sets our communities apart from the ones down the street,” said Allwardt.

That philosophy drives Kane’s broader service strategy: investing in consistent, thoughtful communication and weaving care into every touchpoint. While AI supports the leasing journey and frees up team capacity, it’s what associates do with that time that counts.

“Our industry can be really reactive. But when we create breathing room for our teams, we empower them to be more proactive—to follow up, connect personally, and make the experience memorable.”

From applications to leases, Kane raised conversion 18% year-over-year

From March–June 2025, Kane processed 7% more applications than the prior year during the same time period, but what really stood out was the bottom line: 26% more executed leases. That’s an 18% jump in conversion. Kane didn’t just attract more interest, they turned more prospects into paying residents.

That lift came from pairing Funnel’s online leasing solution and AI workflows, with Kane’s service-first philosophy. Online leasing gives renters a modern, e-commerce-style experience: instant income and identity verification, mobile-friendly applications, and fully digital lease execution. When renters can move through the process quickly and confidently, conversion naturally follows.

For Kane, this is proof that the renter experience is the real differentiator. Funnel helps Kane deliver that seamless human-first experience at scale, ensuring that better service leads directly to better results: stronger occupancy, fewer wasted leads, and happier residents.

Smarter screenings, smoother approvals: 49% more applications sailed through screening, 47% faster application approvals

Application screenings are a necessary step, but they’re also a common frustration for renters and teams alike. With FunnelSecure, Kane flipped that experience. During the March–June 2025 period, total applications requiring screening rose 25% year-over-year. Yet instead of slowing down, approvals accelerated: smooth screenings jumped 49%.

At the same time, applications requiring additional verification dropped 30%, a rare win where more volume actually meant less friction. That translated into faster approvals for qualified renters, and a leasing experience that felt proactive rather than punitive. By embedding smarter risk intelligence into the process, Kane showed that strong screening doesn’t have to create unnecessary roadblocks.

Kane streamlined one of the most important steps in leasing: the move from application submitted to decision made. In just one year, they cut that stage nearly in half, delivering decisions 47% faster.

The results: renters moved in sooner, units spent less time vacant, and teams spent fewer hours chasing paperwork. Funnel’s screening absorbed the heavy lifting—flagging risks, surfacing key details, and creating clarity—so associates could focus on high-touch moments rather than playing document detective and fraud fighter. Speed often means the difference between a signed lease and a lost lead, Kane turned decision time into a competitive advantage.

Risk protection: Revenue safeguarded before problems start

Behind Kane’s smoother approvals and faster leasing was an equally critical guardrail: protecting revenue by stopping the wrong leases before they began. Using Funnel’s AI-enabled screening, Kane flagged applications with high-risk indicators for additional screening and prevented them from becoming costly delinquent leases.

The business case is clear: every prevented risk equates to three months of protected rent, based on average eviction timelines. By catching issues upfront, Kane avoided the administrative and financial drag of chasing unpaid balances, pursuing collections, or navigating lengthy evictions.