The Lease-Up

Though her official title is Director of Development, Marquette Cos.' Ann Reckelhoff plays a huge role in all aspects of projects, including branding and design, construction management, hiring and operations, management and lease-up.

In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, Reckelhoff reveals to Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar what it takes to be successful in today’s complicated economic context. With extensive experience in both development and operations, Reckelhoff admits that the people that she surrounds herself with are a key ingredient of her accomplishments.

Welcome to Management Diaries, MHN’s podcast on multifamily property management. In this episode, Denile Doyle talks with Miguel Gutierrez, COO at CAPREIT.

Gutierrez leads business strategy for CAPREIT’s full apartment portfolio, which comprises more than 100,000 residents. Every decision he makes for the communities he oversees centers around resident satisfaction and retention.

With an ongoing goal to provide a positive resident experience, when it’s time to consider value-add upgrades or new services, his starting point is always renter preferences—from aesthetics to tech to sustainability.

Here are some of the topics we cover:

• Why knowing your market, including trends and demographics, is a precursor to choosing upgrades or new services for your community (4:15)
• How improvements that combine convenience and sustainability can save money in the long term and support residents (8:48)
• Managing the challenges that come with implementing upgrades or new services (11:55)
• The correlation between reduced maintenance calls and the likelihood of a lease renewal (17:51)
• A $26 million reminder of the significance of the work at hand and the importance of staying focused (23:04)

Each team has their strengths. And a great marketer knows how best to utilize these to create an authentic brand. That’s one of the ways that Carol Greenspun, director of marketing and operations, RailField Partners, helped put the company on the map.

Greenspun has been with RailField Partners since 2021. She has more than 20 years of marketing consulting services background and has previously held marketing management positions with consumer-packaged goods companies and privately held firms.

When she first joined the company, Greenspun set up a lot of little things–LinkedIn profiles, email signatures, etc. But she had a much bigger role, too. She was tasked with getting RailField Partners the attention it deserved. In this Top Marketers podcast, Greenspun and Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg discuss her strategies for elevating the brand to garner national recognition.

Tune in to hear the two talk about:

·      Greenpun’s background as a marketer (1:00)  

·      Getting the ball rolling for the RailField Partners brand (3:45)

·      The differences–and similarities–of working with consumer-packaged goods versus real estate (6:45)

·      Primary strategies that Greenspun uses now (9:00)

·      Marketing to your team and ensuring timeliness (12:50)

·      How to get marketing to be a priority (18:00)

·      An upcoming project that gets Greenspun excited (19:30)

The high interest rates and overall lack of stability are generating "a very significant reset" in the multifamily investment market, according to Robin Potts, partner & CIO in Canyon Partners Real Estate’s Los Angeles office.

However, Potts expects sales to pick up later this year, when rates will likely come down. But even though that will encourage banks to loosen their lending standards, Potts sees prolonged opportunities for alternative lenders who have now established a more permanent role in the multifamily investment market. In this Mission Success: Women in Multifamily podcast episode, Potts and Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar discuss all facets of the investment market today and how things might evolve.

Welcome to Management Diaries, MHN’s podcast on multifamily property management. In this episode, Denile Doyle talks with Jackie Impellitier, vice president of operations at ZRS Management.

With a property management career that spans more than 25 years, Impellitier guides her team to deliver a frictionless leasing experience for prospects. She shares her insights on how property managers can streamline the leasing process and meet prospects and residents right where they are.

Here are some of the topics we cover:

• How technology clears the way for property managers to spend more time engaging with residents (3:31)
• The importance of being adaptable and accommodating your prospects' needs (10:40)
• Why a centralized leasing team is the transformative shift property management teams need (12:10)
• Finding a balance between efficiency and quality customer service (15:37)
• Strategies for effective communication with prospects and new residents (22:05)

In the real estate industry, sometimes things can go wrong no matter how much you prepare. That’s why having a good public relations team is key. Whether its prepping for plan A, going to plan B or dealing with an absolute crisis, Seth Linden, president of Dukas Linden Public Relations, knows how to best execute a good playbook.

Linden has been president of the firm since 2014, previously serving as executive vice president. In his current role, he heads up client communications counsel, client programs, media coaching, crisis management and more for everyone from non-profits to small organizations to Fortune 500 companies.

In this Top Marketers Episode, Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg and Linden talk about what it means to be a good PR rep, and also what it means to be a good client. From thought leadership to content creation, there is always more to be done from a PR perspective.

Follow along as the two delve into:

·      Linden’s background in journalism and path to a career in PR (1:00)

·      Learning the ins and outs of the industry (5:00)

·      The best, as well as the more complicated, clients to work with (6:15)

·      A discipline to media coaching and messaging (10:00)

·      The importance of being a thought leader (11:45)

·      Transparency with your team and the media (15:50)

·      Crisis prep and building out a response team (17:20)

·      The differences between working with multifamily versus CRE clients (19:15)

·      What good content looks like (22:15)

·      How to be a valuable industry partner to real estate clients (24:15)

Together with husband Elde, DeLisa Guerrier owns a successful real estate development and investment firm in Nashville, Tenn. Guerrier Development is all about intentional development and long-term impact. Alongside partners, DeLisa and Elde delivered hundreds of workforce apartments and continue to focus on improving local families’ lives by building attainable housing on land owned by churches. Press play to hear her story!

"Survive 'till '25" seems to be this year’s mantra for the commercial real estate industry. And this also applies to multifamily. "Operational efficiencies will be the spotlight this year,” Paula Munger told Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar in this episode of the NAA Insights podcast series. The National Apartment Association’s vice president of research revealed details about other issues affecting the multifamily industry, but toward the end of the conversation, Munger touched on the positive signs she sees in the economy

The distinct landscapes of multifamily and commercial real estate marketing require different and nuanced approaches. Further, marketing techniques within a smaller boutique firm and a larger national company also vary significantly. Andrew Fredricks, central region director of marketing at Avison Young, knows how to navigate each circumstance with ease.

Fredricks has been with Avison Young since 2015. He has more than 15 years of experience in the marketing and journalism world and has overseen campaigns for hundreds of assets across different sectors and property types.  

Throughout his career, Fredricks has mastered the ins and outs of marketing for different types of real estate. In this episode of Top Marketers, tune in to hear Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg and Fredricks discuss how his role now centers around aligning himself and his team as strategic partners to the rest of the firm.

Follow along as the two dive into:

·      Fredrick’s background and current multifamily work at Avison Young (1:00)

·      The differences between marketing in a boutique firm versus in-house (5:20)

·      What it looks like to work on apartment deconversion campaigns (10:00)

·      Going back to more antiquated marketing techniques (12:45)

·      How marketing for multifamily varies from marketing for commercial (16:10)

·      Why multifamily marketers act as translators (18:15)

·      The importance of aligning marketing as a strategic partner (23:00)

For first episode of the Multi-Housing News’ quarterly podcast featuring guests from the National Multifamily Housing Council, President Sharon Wilson Géno discusses her thoughts on what 2024 holds for multifamily.

Wilson Géno holds more than 30 years of experience in the housing industry under her belt. Having served counsel both in-house and outside for various organizations, she is well versed in housing law and policy, government and non-government contracts, nonprofit organizations, legislation and policy around affordable housing and more.

 In this episode, Wilson Géno and Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg discuss rent control, rental fraud and other multifamily trends that will impact the industry in the year ahead.

Listen in as the two talk about:

· What 2024 might bring for multifamily (1:00)

· Impactful trends and opportunities taking place this year (3:30)

· How interest rates might influence the multifamily landscape (7:15)

· NMHC’s recent study on rent control (10:00)

· An NMHC survey on the rampant rise of rental fraud (15:30) 

· Policy changes Wilson Géno hopes to see (21:30)

· A new Digital Discrimination Rule and the harm it may bring (22:40)

Recorded January 25, 2024

The student housing market has been keeping strong fundamentals, despite the uncertainty around capital markets. Although the transaction volume is down, some experts argue that student housing is recession-proof and remains resilient amidst current challenges, anticipating an uptick in 2024. Newmark’s Vice Chairman and Head of Student Housing Ryan Lang believes that this year might even be the best one on record for the sector. In our second episode of Student Housing Unlocked with Multi-Housing News’ Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu, Lang delves into the current trends and challenges in the sector and shares how the market is performing in terms of investment. Lang, who has 14 years of experience in the field, touches on the main factors that attract investors to these assets, from acceptance rate to the “flight to quality” movement. He also shares some insights on how to navigate the complex student housing landscape.

In the first episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily in 2024, Village Green CEO Diane Batayeh and MHN Senior Editor Laura Calugar dive deep into how lifestyle preferences and demographics have evolved, touching on how apartment operators have adapted throughout the years to meet the needs of diverse populations.  

Whether or not it’s apparent, all great marketing decisions are rooted in psychology. And when it comes to multifamily real estate, understanding the science behind marketing strategies can be the tipping point of getting a leased signed and resigned.

In this episode of Top Marketers, Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg is joined by Christine Gustafson, the vice president of marketing and public relations at The Breeden Co. Gustafson has been with The Breeden Company since 2020 and holds more than 20 years of executive and business experience under her belt. But the secret to Gustafson’s success as a top marketer? Her understanding of psychology.

When you walk through the doors of a Breeden Co. property, there are a thousand tiny details. Each one holds significant importance, but why? In this episode, Rothberg and Gustafson break down the importance behind the small things and how bringing psychology into marketing decisions can transform the outcome entirely.

Follow along as the two discuss:

·      Gustafson’s background and decisions she’s happy to have made (1:00)

·      Why the psychology of marketing is comparable to the psychology of dating (5:30)

·      The four Ps of marketing (9:30)

·      Elements that make up the leasing recipe (10:40)

·      The psychology behind a prospective resident (15:00)

·      Integrating psychology throughout a property tour (16:45)

·      How to close a prospect (23:30)

·      The direct results of integrating psychology into marketing (28:45)

·      Internal impacts of implementing psychological marketing strategies (33:30)

Welcome to Management Diaries, MHN’s podcast on multifamily property management. In this episode, Denile Doyle talks with Marc Kotler, president of the New Development Group at FirstService Residential.

As a 25-year property management veteran, Kotler helps developers maximize the value and marketability of new multifamily developments, advising them in areas including planning and design, amenity programming, financial and budget recommendations, and operations.

Here’s a sample of the topics covered:

• The value of educating developers on how a building operates (3:37)
• The pro forma budget as a window into a project’s profitability (5:50)
• Choosing the right amenities and activating them (10:00)
• The correlation between resident experience and building reputation (12:57)
• The importance of regular communication with all stakeholders to keep projects moving forward (17:21)

Stephanie Johnston fell into the multifamily business when she was in college. She needed a job, so she got hired at the student housing community she lived in. Then she spent seven years in the fascinating student housing industry, but now she serves as a division president with RPM Living. Johnston oversees all property operations across the company’s Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, as well as their affordable portfolio. She specializes in capital improvements, associate development, budgeting, and market analysis.

In this podcast discussion with Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar, Johnston dives into the ins and outs of property upgrades, touching on what residents want most in their apartments and the amenities they expect.

The list of new and upcoming tools for multifamily marketers is evolving every day. AI chat bots, virtual leasing agents, virtual tours… how does anyone keep up? Well, one top marketer knows.

Daphne Corbin is the vice president of marketing for The Life Properties. She first joined the company in 2019 with more than eight years of multifamily experience under her belt. At The Life Properties, she oversees marketing and branding initiatives for the company’s entire portfolio, along with advertising, website development, reputation management, trend analysis and more.   

In this episode of Top Marketers, Corbin and Rothberg dive into how The Life Properties is staying ahead of the curve. Listen in as Corbin discusses exactly what she wants out of her virtual assistants and why she isn’t afraid to make some changes along the way.

Tune in to hear about:

-Corbin’s background, coming from retail sales (1:00)

-The rewarding process of building a marketing team from the ground up (4:00)

-Ensuring the successful onboarding of onsite team members (6:20)

-Implementing marketing into new properties using a brand kit (7:40)

-The tech of the brand kit (10:00)

-How Corbin utilizes virtual tours (11:45)

-Virtual leasing assistants and how they help internally (15:30)

-Selecting a virtual leasing assistant (20:00)

-Keeping up with the ever-changing world of AI (23:00)

-Advice to anyone that’s hesitant to dive into technology (26:30)

High inflation, epic rise in interest rates, declining valuations, looming regulatory changes and a great divide between buyers and sellers—this cocktail of factors has created an unfavorable environment for multifamily transactions in 2023. And Stephanie Wiggins, managing director & head of production for agency lending at PGIM Real Estate, believes there’s not enough daylight left in the year to make up for the loss in volume that the industry has experienced, despite recent improvements in Treasury yields.

However, this hasn't made her less optimistic about the future. She believes that in 2024 the bid-ask spread between buyers and seller will mitigate as they become more realistic about valuations. She feels that experienced borrowers will change their mindset and adjust their expectations about interest rates.

Tune in for the November episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, the monthly podcast series hosted by Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar!

The role that marketing plays in lead generation for multifamily communities might be self-explanatory, but what about resident retention? Further, with so many changes happening to the digital sphere right now-and happening quickly-how do marketers keep up?

James Love, vice president of marketing and brand at Draper and Kramer, Inc., has some answers. In this episode of Top Marketers, Jordana Rothberg, associate editor with Multi-Housing News, talks with Love about how he finds more opportunities to focus on authentic marketing and creativity while utilizing new and upcoming technology to his advantage. From his time making movies to working at a bank, Love knows how to write and market a great story.

With more than 25 years of brand building and go-to market strategy experience, Love has some great insights. Follow along the conversation and listen in as Rothberg and Love dig into:

·      Love’s background in storytelling, from aviation to movies (1:00)

·      Building a marketing department for Draper and Kramer (5:00)

·      How marketing plays a role in resident retention (6:20)

·      Social media as a decision engine (10:00)

·      How technology influences the resident experience (14:00)

·      How the digital sphere can be an advertisement (17:20)

·      A new way to search and an unexpected side story (20:00)

·      Getting back to authentic marketing (26:00)

Welcome to Management Diaries, MHN’s podcast on multifamily property management! In our first episode, Denile Doyle talks with Phillip Boatwright, executive vice president of property management for The NRP Group.

With a 20-year career in property management, Boatwright emphasizes the value of connection and communication in fostering a cohesive team. His insights and support strategies cover everything you need to build and lead your property management team to success.

Boatwright shares his perspective on:

• The key qualities to look for in new associates (5:00)
• Taking a customized approach when it comes to leadership (8:02)
• The importance of effective communication and explaining the “why” (16:40)
• How a focus on understanding lays the groundwork for motivating your team (21:26)
• Why vulnerability makes you a better leader (28:11)

In the current fast-paced environment, student housing has gone through major shifts and it's no longer just a place to stay during college years, but rather a pivotal part of the student experience. Property managers and operators nowadays have the chance to provide students with opportunities for growth and a platform where their voice is heard, believes Rui Barros, Yugo's CEO. 

In the first episode of Student Housing Unlocked with Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu, Barros delves into the current trends in the sector, major shifts when it comes to addressing the students' needs, Yugo's global platform and initiatives, as well as some of the most overlooked aspects when it comes to student housing operations. 

Health care should not define people as they age, and many Baby Boomers want to live independently, with very little support, according to Danette Opaczewski, executive vice president of resident experience and COO of Revel Communities, a division of The Wolff Co. After spending more than 30 years in hospitality, Opaczewski has made it her mission to prove that senior housing is not necessarily nursing homes, and providing residents with freedom of choice contributes to their overall wellbeing.

In this podcast, Opaczewski talks about helping Baby Boomers embrace their independence and debunks myths about senior living.

Donicia Irizarry grew up in the real estate industry, climbing the corporate ladder one step at a time. Today, she is the Director of Operations at OneWall Communities, a workforce housing owner, investor and manager in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Among the most challenging things about working in the workforce housing industry today, she mentions the balancing act of offering affordable housing to a renter base that underpins the U.S. economy while still maintaining the properties in this high-cost environment. 

Press play for the September episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, hosted by Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar!

Operational efficiencies, maximizing revenues and staffing and recruitment are the main challenges today for multifamily operators, according to the results of a recent survey from the National Apartment Association, sponsored by AppFolio. Vice President of Research Paula Munger talked to Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar about these findings, focusing on HR/staffing/recruitment issues.

David Ebeling, founder of Ebeling Communications, has been in the public relations industry for over 20 years. Ebeling currently works with local, regional and national firms including brokers, developers, owners, property managers, contractors and consultants.

In this episode of Top Marketers with Multi-Housing News, Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg and Ebeling talk about the ways in which multifamily marketing and the world of PR intersect, work together and ultimately need one another.

Listen in as they discuss:

·      Ebeling’s path in PR (0:45)

·      Where PR meets and aids marketing (4:15)

·      Why integrating PR into marketing now is crucial (7:00)

·      Important content touchpoints (9:15)

·      How PR can lead a consumer towards their next home (10:50)

Melanie La Rocca, a former city official now serving as BFC Partners’ COO, dives into what it takes to move the needle to create more housing options for New Yorkers.

Nicole Jones, the senior vice president of marketing at Veris Residential, brings more than 20 years of real estate marketing and branding experience to the table, primarily focused on multifamily communities. She currently oversees marketing for Veris Residential’s entire multifamily, office and retail portfolio.

What initially drew Jones to the Veris Residential brand is the pillars the company stands upon: its ESG, DEI and philanthropic initiatives. It’s not just about what the larger company is doing to contribute towards a better future, it’s about how its properties and residents are included in its mission.

In this podcast, you’ll listen to Jones and Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg discuss how Veris Residential’s pillars are brought to life and the way Jones incorporates these initiatives into an authentic marketing strategy.

Follow along as the two explore:

• What drew Jones to the Veris Residential Brand (1:00)
• Three key pillars: Properties, People, Planet (3:30)
• Veris Residential ESG initiatives and 2022 report (6:30)
• Implementing ESG into marketing practices (9:45)
• Taking on philanthropic efforts (12:50)
• Integrating the key pillars into the larger brand’s touchpoints (17:15)
• What DEI looks like, internally and externally (21:30)

Less than five months ago, Suzy Alford joined ECI Group as Chief Administrative Officer, a newly created role where she is responsible for the company’s HR, risk management and legal functions. Alford spent the past 12 years with a technology and data company, so she’s not only new to ECI Group, but she’s also new to the multifamily industry. However, she’s not at all intimidated by the steep learning curve she has embarked on. If anything, she’s excited to take on a new challenge. In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily with Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar, Alford talks about the main features of a healthy work culture, and how to translate culture into actions

Kelley Shannon, senior vice president of marketing and customer experience at Bozzuto, first joined the company in 2013. Before her marketing career, Kelley worked in accounting having obtained a license as a certified public accountant and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. After making a pivot, her marketing career has taken her from consumer products to online travel sites.

Jordana Rothberg, associate editor at Multi-Housing News, and Shannon explore how her past in accounting factors into her current role. In this episode you’ll hear about Shannon’s goal for the Bozzuto brand and what it means to create “a love brand.”

Together, the two discuss:

-A career transition from accounting to marketing (1:25)

-The evolution of Shannon’s marketing roles (4:00)

- How a background in accounting aids in multifamily marketing (9:00)

-Analytics and data for driving business (10:45)

-Marketing for multifamily versus marketing for other company types (12:25)

-Bozzuto as a ‘love brand’ and what that means (16:00)

-Shaping the brand along the customer journey (17:40)

-Consistency across a love, ingredient and service brand (22:30)

Motivated by all the inequality aspects visible in the multifamily industry, FCP Vice President of Impact Investing Alecia Hill is relentlessly working to make impact investments the standard across real estate. Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar asked Hill to talk about the trends she’s seeing in creating and preserving affordable housing projects, dispel myths about impact investing and share details about FCP’s approach toward impact investing in the current economic landscape.

Sarah Wieman, the Vice President of Marketing at Northland, recently joined the company in October of last year after working as the Senior Manager of Branding and Marketing for PRG Real Estate. She brings seven years of real estate focused marketing experience as well as brand management and social media strategy background to the table.

In a discussion with Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg, Wieman talks through her transition from one role to another and the marketing techniques she is focused on deploying at Northland.

Of her many tactics, one of the most empowering is the practice of involving onsite workers in corporate marketing strategies. Wieman and Rothberg discuss what this means and how Northland is going about the process of integrating the onsite team into their everyday marketing methods.

In this Top Marketers episode, here’s what you’ll hear:

·      The transition and similarities from one multifamily marketing role to another (0:45)

·      Northland’s brand (2:25)

·      How to integrate brand into the marketing of individual properties (3:30)

·      Balancing a brand identity through individual property brands and for the overall company (5:00)

·      Empowering onsite teams to participate in marketing efforts (7:50)

·      What Wieman is looking forward to during her tenure at Northland (13:20)

·      A lifestyle perspective on multifamily marketing (14:15)

Launched by the National Apartment Association in 2019 as a recognition program at its core, “20 in Their 20s” is actually more than just a way to acknowledge outstanding results. It is also a way for young professionals at the beginning of their paths in multifamily to create additional connections and build upon their burgeoning careers. Stefani Hurst, NAA's manager of member programs, and Tyler Marker, director of marketing and professional development for Zidan Management Group and one of the recipients of the “20 in Their 20s” awards, talk with Senior Editor Laura Calugar about the young generation’s need for training, mentoring and recognition.

"Employees who have a wider range of skills tend to be more loyal," Laurel Hillocks, Morgan Properties area vice president for Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, told Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar in the May episode of the Mission Success: Women in Multifamily. With today’s shortage of labor, training employees can improve turnover rates as those equipped with different skillsets can easily transition from one department to another, depending on business needs. Tune in to find out more about the importance of coaching and developing future leaders!

Drew Johnson, director of marketing at Gables Residential, is currently in the process of redesigning and redeveloping the company’s website. With that process comes critical decisions about with technologies are best, how to save money, what updates are necessary and maintaining the existing brand.

In a discussion with Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg, Johnson explores how his company navigated these decisions. While the process is still underway at Gables, the anticipated outcomes and challenges that have presented themselves along the way are clear.

Here are some of the key discussion points to listen for:

·      Metrics that indicate towards a redesign (0:50)

·      Keeping up with new technology and CMS options (2:10)

·      Finding the right vendor and software provider (4:25)

·      The umbrella versus subpages debate (7:30)

·      New and exciting upcoming website features (9:00)

·      Anticipated redevelopment outcomes (12:20)

·      Brand refresh and digital identity (13:00)

Lisa Yeh is the chief operating officer of Sentral, a property management company that offers any length of stay, and that recently expanded its portfolio to 10,000 units with a combined value of $5 billion. Yeh is convinced that adding flex living to multifamily elevates the experience for both the owner and the resident. On one hand, the owner can attract multiple types of renters, while the renter can enjoy the benefits of shorter lease terms. Tune in now to find out more about the complexities of managing short-term rental inventories.

Esther Bonardi, VP of marketing at Yardi Systems and head of the REACH by RentCafe business unit, speaks with MHN’s Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg about what she has seen evolve in multifamily marketing during her more than 30-year tenure, as well as what’s ahead for the industry.

In this episode learn about where automation and SEO has gotten multifamily marketing today and where new technologies, such as AI driven search and marketing analytics, have the potential to take the industry in the future.

Follow along as Bonardi and Rothberg discuss:

·      The changes in the use of chatbots in the last two to three years (1:00)

·      A national study on which sources drive the highest lease volume for the lowest cost (3:10)

·      Search engine optimization to specifically target today’s renter (4:30)

·      Where marketing analytics can take multifamily marketing (9:30)

·      The next big thing: AI driven search (12:15)

·      A tool to get excited about (17:00)

Kelli Carhart was recently appointed executive managing director and leader of capital markets for CBRE’s multifamily business in the U.S. As the first woman to serve in this role, she admits she feels immense pressure, but she’s also very excited to put her 20-year experience in the multifamily industry at her clients’ service. Carhart joined Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar for a special podcast episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, dedicated to Women's History Month.

Since 2020, 15 individuals from underrepresented groups in the rental housing industry are chosen by the National Apartment Association every year to participate in a 9-month-long leadership development program that will help them become better leaders. The Class of 2023 kicked off this year’s program this month, so Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar invited Stefani Hurst, NAA’s manager of member programs, to talk about who the participants are and how exactly these classes are going to contribute to creating a more inclusive workforce in the multifamily industry. 

At Windsor Communities, mission, vision and values directly drive business strategy. From marketing campaigns to corporate culture and recruitment, the brand revolves around these three elements.

In the latest episode of Multi-Housing News’ Top Multifamily Marketers, Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg is joined by Jamie Gorski, Chief Experience Officer at Windsor Communities, a multifamily management company operating 140+ communities across the United States. Together they explore the core fundamentals that drive brand and business strategy and how these can influence the future of a company.

Mission, vision and values, once established, help a company make critical future decisions. Gorski talks about upcoming marketing trends Windsor is navigating, including centralization and the implementation of new technologies, all while keeping these core business tenants at the forefront.

Be sure to tune into:

· What mission, vision and values are, and their importance (1:15)

· Windsor’s creation of its mission, vision and values (2:28)

· How a company’s brand and business strategy is shaped (6:12)

· A new model for operations, marketing and business (11:00)

· The adoption of centralization and new technologies as informed by the brand (13:00)

Diana Bellizzi’s journey to the affordable housing industry was a winding road through other asset classes. Before overseeing all investor relations and relationship management efforts for Hudson Valley Property Group—a New York-based company that owns and acquires affordable housing and mixed-income properties—Bellizzi held a variety of roles in commercial real estate financing. In 2019, she met one of the co-founders of HVPG and their first conversation was "pretty inspirational," as she puts it. She decided to join the team and she couldn’t be more satisfied with her decision. 

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the U.S., so Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar invited Grace Hill Senior Director of Communication & Social Media Stephanie Anderson to talk about the training programs available to multifamily professionals that help them recognize and report suspicious behavior at rental properties.

Ashley Sinclair, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Brand Loyalty at Village Green Holding, a 15-year industry veteran, has expertise in sales and marketing. She has first-hand experience integrating those teams and has seen the positive outcome of this.

In the latest episode of Multi-Housing News’ Top Marketers podcast series, Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg speaks with Sinclair about why sales and marketing are meant to go together.

She’s a daughter of immigrants, the mother of 3-year-old twin daughters, the founding partner of Vive Funds and one of the most charismatic female leaders in the multifamily industry. Veena Jetti is passionate about seeing diversity, representation and inclusion at the top, not just in an organization, but in the C-suite and up. Senior Editor Laura Calugar asked Jetti to share details about her career and the challenges she constantly needs to overcome as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Press play now! 

In this podcast episode, National Apartment Association Assistant Vice President for Industry Research and Analysis Paula Munger told Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar that despite the mild recession that is likely to occur next year, multifamily demand is still expected to be strong, at least for historically recession-resistant subsectors like workforce and middle-income housing. Press play for an in-depth discussion on what to expect for multifamily in 2023!

Scaling up property management operations comes with lots of challenges for managers, particularly in this economic environment. However, Redwood Residential has not been deterred from pursuing its goal: The company’s portfolio now includes more than 6,000 units, but it aims to top 25,000 units in the next five years. How do they intend to do this without impacting the quality of the services they provide? Director of Property Management Delight Merrill revealed details about the company’s growth strategy in the November episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily.

Here's a list of the topics discussed:

• Redwood Residential in 2022 (1:13)
• The growth plan (3:10)
• Growth vs. quality (7:00)
• The role of technology when upscaling property management operations (12:10)
• Hiring additional staff to support growth (14:17)
• Engaging teams (16:58)
• Company culture at Redwood (21:45)
• What it's like to oversee a growing multifamily portfolio (24:54)
• Message to women working in multifamily (29:44)

Fifield Cos. Senior Vice President of Acquisitions, Finance and Development Navi Sandhu joined Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar for this month’s episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, the podcast series dedicated to female leaders in the multifamily industry. Sandhu talks about how valuable time is in development deals today, the adjustments developers need to make when evaluating the viability of new projects, and also touches on construction costs and why she expects a slowdown in capital markets. Toward the end of the conversation, she reveals more about her work as a member of the ULI Chicago chapter.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this episode:

• Key steps to getting development done today (1:08)
• How difficult planning has become (6:07)
• Difficulties in accessing funds for new projects (10:32)
• Securing project financing going forward (13:55)
• How crowdfunding has helped Fifield (16:45)
• Is crowdfunding the future of multifamily investment? (20:14)
• Fifield's entry into the greater Miami market (23:10)
• What it's like to be in charge of multifamily acquisitions, finance and development today (26:14)
• Sandhu's activity as a member of the ULI Chicago chapter (29:35)

Dr. Gina Merritt is the principal of Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures, a company that has more than $300 million multifamily projects in the pipeline. And obtaining financing for all those projects is a major challenge for minority developers, which is why she’s always looking for ways to support her balance sheet. This year she got involved into a unique initiative from the Wells Fargo Foundation. In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, Senior Editor Laura Calugar talks to Merritt about why BIPOC developers are still held with different underwriting standards when trying to access capital for their projects, and also touch on how Dr. Merritt's initiatives support affordable housing residents. Here’s a sample of the topics this episode covers:

• How Merritt developed an interest in affordable housing (01:10)
• Minority developers and discrimination (2:43)
• How the GDHD program will help Merritt’s business (4:49)
• Other developers in the program (8:15)
• The challenges Black and Latino developers face when trying to access capital (10:52)
• How the current financial climate is affecting minority developers (17:30)
• Merritt’s initiatives that help residents (20:29)

In this episode of “Multifamily’s Top Marketers,” Multi-Housing News’ Senior Associate Editor IvyLee Rosario spoke to Joya Pavesi, executive vice president of Marketing and Strategy at RKW Residential, to discuss the latest innovations in multifamily marketing.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this episode:

• Key differences between property types (0:36)
• On-site teams leveraging new technology (3:29)
• What's missing from the technology stack? (5:23)
• Innovations RKW is utilizing (7:22)
• Preparing for the future (10:30)

The continuing market uncertainty is causing concern among investors. Tune in to hear what CP Capital US Vice President of Investment Management Kristi Nootens has to say about maximizing profits in the current investment environment in the August episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, hosted by Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar.

Here’s what else you’ll hear about in this podcast:

· How she got to CP Capital (0:53)

· A typical day at CP Capital (4:24)

· Choosing the right investment partners and locations (5:48)

· Data analysis in decision-making (9:38)

· Current concerns in multifamily (10:45)

· Maximizing profits today (12:43)

· How investors acclimate to the current market uncertainty (14:12)

· Pockets of opportunity in multifamily (15:52)

· Expectations (18:20)

In this episode of "Multifamily's Top Marketers," Multi-Housing News’ Senior Associate Editor IvyLee Rosario spoke to Sarah Bessette, vice president of Marketing at Bell Partners, to discuss some of the major challenges facing multifamily marketers today.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this episode:

• Major challenges (0:39)
• Coming from outside the industry (3:06)
• Best practices for multifamily marketing (7:31)
• Marketing to different groups (13:44)
• Technology overload (17:01)
• Does a holy grail solution exist? (21:09)