GlobeSt – How technology is changing multifamily leasing
Centralization, automation, and AI is streamlining processes, creating greater efficiency.
To see how the apartment leasing process is changing, just look at what’s happening with job titles.
Tyler Christiansen, CEO, Funnel, said “You’ll see things like ‘Shared Services,’ VP of Centralization and ‘Multi-Site Lead Manager,’ which signals which way the industry is going.
“You’ll see people with traditional job titles like assistant community manager see that their roles might not be needed at a community, and they are looking to work at companies that have a centralized approach – the best talent is going to the best companies.”
Christiansen was part of a panel at the Blueprint 2023 conference this week in Las Vegas. He was joined by Austin Lo, CEO & Co-Founder, PEEK; Amy Weissberger, SVP Corporate Strategy, Morgan Properties; Steven Maltz, VP, Standardization & Process Improvement, Essex Property Trust; and moderator Shawn Mahoney, Senior Advisor, RET Ventures.
The pandemic allowed apartment companies facing staffing shortages to begin experimenting with centralized operations “and not run their communities like a collection of car dealerships, but as a portfolio,” Christiansen said.
“The pandemic allowed apartment companies facing staffing shortages to begin experimenting with centralized operations “and not run their communities like a collection of car dealerships, but as a portfolio.”
— Tyler Christiansen, CEO, Funnel speaking at Blueprint
Companies like Camden reported saving $4 million on headcount by using a centralized model, the panel shared.
Maltz said Essex is going 100% self-guided touring while Morgan Properties is focused on providing prospects with a variety of touring options, including in-person touring. “Whatever way that serves them best,” Weissberger said.
“We also looked at all of the things that don’t need an actual person to give prospects or residents answers or to solve a problem. You have to educate the team and the residents on how this [non-human] method works.”