The Lease-Up

Elizabeth Ambacher, NAA's vice president of meetings and expositions, and Clark Ebbert, director of conference education discuss what’s on the agenda this year and what it says about the evolution of apartment operations.This year’s educational programming, shaped by direct input from NAA’s advisory board, reflects the challenges operators are facing right now. AI remains a major focus, but the conversation has evolved from “What is AI?” to proving ROI and scaling adoption.Listeners can save $150 on registration with promo code "MHNPODCAST" through May 26.Here are a few highlights from this episode:(3:19) Why centralization and automation haven't delivered as cleanly as operators expected(4:20) Doing more with less is the No. 1 challenge members bring to NAA(9:21) The shift from fixing things faster to building systems that break less(12:31) Why "we want less" is really code for "we're overwhelmed by options"(15:55) Three keynote speakers bringing perspectives from outside the industry

From fighting food insecurity to advancing housing affordability, Rebecca Ely has built her path around one core idea: Real change happens when you connect resources with the people who need them most and invite others to step into that mission.Now Director of Resource Development at Operation Pathways, the resident services arm of The NHP Foundation, Ely operates at the crossroads of affordable housing, philanthropy and community impact. In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, MHN’s Laura Valean sits down with Ely to explore what leadership actually looks like behind the scenes, from navigating expectations as a woman in the industry to now contributing to a broader shift where resident services are finally being recognized as essential, not optional.

What keeps great employees from leaving, especially when they have every reason and opportunity to do so?In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Valean sits down with Christine Gilmore, vice president of learning and development at Bell Partners, to unpack one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: retention. And not just any retention—the kind that keeps your best people engaged, growing and, most importantly, staying.

Student housing’s fundamentals are as familiar as ever: high occupancy, steady demand, a pipeline that’s still selective, but the real story in 2026 is where the wins are concentrating and how investors are underwriting them. Harrison Street Asset Management, one of the largest owners in the sector, is leaning into that shift with strategic moves and fresh momentum.In this episode of Student Housing Unlocked, Senior Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu is joined by Beau Garot, co-head of education transactions in North America at Harrison Street Asset Management, to unpack what that activity says about the market right now. They also touch on why flagships remain the focus, the redefinition of affordability and what precision looks like as debt gets more attractive and competition returns.Here’s what they discussed:Three trends shaping 2026 student housing (01:24)Why owner–operator alignment matters more right now (02:00)Rent growth normalizes, efficiency matters (04:35)Debt is improving and competition is returning to deals (05:32)How they’re reading demand today (06:25)Concentrated supply, bigger projects (07:39)The “Power Four Plus” thesis (08:43)Testing demand durability before the asset (09:45)How does precision underwriting look in practice? (10:56)2026 advice: don’t overpay (14:09)

In this episode, Cerwin Thompson, VP of facilities at RPM Living, and Avery Rouse, regional maintenance director at The Breeden Co. discuss how they’re navigating the staffing challenges in maintenance operations and the strategies they’re implementing. <br>Both leaders started in on-site roles and worked their way up to corporate leadership. Now, they see technicians entering the talent pipeline who lack some of those basic skills that are so important for day-to-day community maintenance. <br>Focusing on the fundamentals and sequential training is what’s needed to strengthen teams from the ground up. <br>Here are some of the topics we cover:(3:20) The current state of the maintenance workforce(5:04) Recruiting strategies that work(7:58) How to prevent burnout and create support systems(9:53) Which factors most impact retention(14:37) How training can reveal employee mentality and buildcollaboration(18:00) Why rushing promotions without basic skills can leadto failure(26:36) What the industry needs to do differently

Denile Doyle chats with Cassandra McFadden, vice president & global head of sustainability at Cortland, about how sustainability is becoming a meaningful lever for long-term performance across multifamily.McFadden recounts what it took for Cortland to earn top GRESB ratings and how the company has applied a policy-to-practice approach, from waste diversion to utility management to resident education. How does she manage misconceptions about sustainability? The right language and goal alignments, says McFadden, can help you counter the naysayers and get the results you want for your firm. Here are some of the topics we cover:(5:26) What drove Cortland’s GRESB journey from 2 to 5 stars(10:18) What residents actually notice when it comes to sustainability (17:12) Earth Month initiatives that resonate with residents(22:30) The two metrics that matter most in proving real sustainability impact.(25:19) Why the industry struggles to price sustainability improvements

Welcome back to Management Diaries. Jim Cunningham, president of Marquette Management, sits down with MHN’s Denile Doyle to discuss where he believes AI truly adds value for property managers.Cunningham unpacks what thoughtful adoption really looks like when it comes to new technology. He explains how AI is adding value across Marquette’s portfolio, where its limitations show up and why there is such a thing as too much tech. He also stresses that operators have a responsibility to implement AI carefully. What seems like a game changer at the corporate level can turn into a bad idea once site teams start using it at the property level.Here are some highlights from our conversation:(3:38) Getting real about what AI can’t do—and will never be able to do(6:10) Lessons learned and challenges from testing different tools(9:09) Why Marquette is shifting its approach to AI integration(17:50) The unintended consequences that can surface when teams use AI

What are the forces that will shape the multifamily landscape in 2026? Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Valean asked George Ratiu, vice president of research at the National Apartment Association, to answer this question and many others in the final episode of this year’s NAA Insights podcast series.This episode also dives into the expenses most likely to pressure NOI, the conditions needed for transaction activity to accelerate, and the role multifamily AI and analytics will play in driving operational efficiency next year. For owners, developers and managers preparing budgets and strategies, this conversation provides a clear look at the dynamics that will define multifamily in 2026.

In this episode of Management Diaries, Diana Pittro, executive vice president at RMK Management, joins MHN’s Denile Doyle. We talk about leasing, resident retention and how the role of the leasing professional has changed over the years, going from a side hustle to a respected profession that requires skills and experience. When hiring leasing staff, Pittro looks beyond energy or a bubbly personality. For her, the right attitude sets the tone for meaningful resident connections. “The world is full of different people, so sometimes that connection is easy to identify, but sometimes it isn’t,” says Pittro. Here are some highlights from this episode:(10:56) Why turnover continues to challenge operators, and how transparency and strong training can help.(13:09) How using secret-shopping reports and performance tracking can identify gaps and reinforce best practices without penalizing employees.(17:59) The key elements that enable a leasing staff to make a great first impression.(27:00) The importance of asking the right questions during the resident renewal process.(32:21) What Pittro is prioritizing for her leasing teams in 2026.

In this episode, I sit down with Village Green CEO Diane Batayeh to talk about leading a 106-year-old company.Our conversation goes beyond operations, diving into lessons from Batayeh’s decades-long career, including getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, learning from “fresh mistakes” and mentoring the next generation of leaders. Batayeh shares how she bridges resident expectations with investor priorities and why transparency and data always factor into her decision-making.She talks about the risks and tough decisions that come with leadership and her role as a steward for investors. Here are some highlights from this episode:(5:04) Early lessons that taught Batayeh how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable (11:34) Why intentional reputation management matters in today’s social media environment (15:30) How defining what’s urgent vs. what’s lasting to investors leads to better decisions and ROI (22:30) The unusual move that proved Village Green’s long-term commitment(27:16) The risk property managers underestimate the most(32:20) How investors’ mindset has shifted from five years ago

Guided by seven fundamentals, dubbed return on environment, Mary Cook Associates is known for bringing art and science into the spaces the firm designs, driving measurable results for both residents and its collaborators. In the student housing space, rather than focusing on current trends, the firm positions itself as a “design choreographer” by co-crafting experience beyond just interiors.In this podcast episode, I’m joined by Josh Kassing, Mary Cook Associates’ Senior Vice President, as we delve into the main factors reshaping student housing design. Rather than following a checklist and trying a “one-size-fits-all” approach, Kassing believes that student communities should speak to their residents through flexibility, tailored experiences and design finishes.At the same time, the whole process should combine a clear-eyed look at research, feedback and operations, so it appeals to the next generation of students who are no longer impressed just by flashy features. Kassing believes that student housing design should be a coordinated system and that aligning its intent with day-to-day use improves outcomes for residents and operators.The conversation also touches on the need for tailored solutions in the sector, including the firm’s “Built to Spec” collaboration with Morgan Li, launched in April this year. Instead of relying on the “catalogue effect” when designing a space, customized furniture can solve common space problems and add to the students’ experience.Here’s what we touched on:MCA’s growth story and why student housing surged (01:15)Student vs multifamily: how are these different? (03:29)Wellness and mental health as a holistic matrix, not checklists (07:41)Pairing programs with real execution (09:07)The “unseen experience”: designing downtime between programmed moments (10:07)Student housing design with a Gen Alpha focus in mind (12:27)Why “one-size-fits-all” doesn’t work for student housing (15:51)Targeting identity through thoughtful design (19:07)Built-to-spec furniture with Morgan Li: ending the “catalog effect” (23:00)What’s “return on environment” about? (33:52)Next wave: ditch precedent, observe real behavior and AI’s “internet” moment (37:44)

Multifamily fundamentals continue to be strong, with record demand and annual absorption at high levels, Newmark’s second-quarter multifamily capital markets report found. Investors continue to favor the Sun Belt, but some Rust Belt markets like Milwaukee and Columbus have also been showing strong absorption. "Because of affordability and stable employment basis and perhaps lower supply growth in these markets, we have seen more investors move into those Rust Belt markets," Karaffa told Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Valean in this month’s Mission Success: Women in Multifamily podcast episode.Press Play to listen to the entire conversation!

September is National Preparedness Month, making it the perfect time to rethink what readiness really means for multifamily property managers.In this episode of Management Diaries, MHN’s Denile Doyle sits down with Stacy Brown, Vice President of Property Management Enablement at Real Property Management, to dig into what preparedness really looks like for today’s operators.Here are a few highlights from this episode:• How to evaluate your properties with a clean lens (6:51)• Why operators should make sure their people are “on green” (9:35)• Where to standardize vs. customize in a preparedness strategy (14:19)• Back-to-basics communication tips for stronger planning (19:03)• Why practicing realistic scenarios is the only way to stay ready (24:56)