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As the U.S. continues to face a severe shortage of affordable rental housing, much of the conversation centers on financing, development pipelines and the number of units being delivered. But for residents, the experience is also shaped by what happens inside the communities.
For Lydia Liley, owner of Arrivare Interiors, thoughtful interior design can help affordable housing feel livable, durable and dignified without adding unnecessary cost. A registered interior designer with more than a decade of experience in multifamily design, Liley works at the intersection of budget discipline, material performance and resident experience.
In the July episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, she talks about why interior designers should be involved early in the development process, before project teams default to contractor-selected finishes or miss opportunities to elevate a space within budget. Sharing insights from her work on multiple projects across the country, she also discusses how lighting, flooring patterns, paint sheen, wood tones and even grout color can create warmth and visual interest without requiring custom materials.
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Federal housing policy is constantly shifting, making it challenging for multifamily owners, operators and property managers to keep up with every proposal, rule change and court-tested uncertainty.
Multi-Housing News Executive Editor Laura Valean reached out to Nicole Upano, assistant vice president of Housing Policy & Regulatory Affairs at the National Apartment Association, for a timely regulatory roundup on the federal actions multifamily professionals should have on their radar.
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AI is shaking up many aspects of the multifamily industry, from marketing to leasing to operations, but one aspect that’s less discussed is how the tech can be applied to apartment building construction.
To learn more about how AI has already been deployed in multifamily projects, along with what the future potential is, MHN Associate Editor Matthew Kaufman turned to James Garner, a member of the Construction Professional Group Panel at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, or RICS. He’s also the Head of AI and Data at Gleeds.
Here are some highlights from their discussion:
(1:17) AI’s early construction impact(4:36) Today’s biggest AI wins(7:00) Keeping humans accountable(8:38) Making data AI-ready(11:47) Culture over cost(13:14) Four AI mindsets(16:25) AI meets robotics(23:30) Investor and insurer reactions(27:35) Responsible AI standards -
This month, Mission Success: Women in Multifamily Host Laura Valean sits down with Lissette Calderon, founder & CEO of Neology Group, and one of the few women leading large-scale residential development in South Florida.
Calderon reflects on leaving investment banking, a decision that once felt like failure but ultimately became the first time she truly trusted herself. She also revisits the risk of launching her first project, Neo Lofts, at 28, the fear of losing her lender after 9/11 and the conviction behind her long-term bets on the Miami River and Allapattah neighborhoods in Miami.
Beyond the buildings, Calderon speaks candidly about the responsibility developers carry toward residents, investors, teams and communities. She also talks about being a woman in real estate, why ambition should never be downplayed, and how much her late father has influenced everything she has achieved.
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For the current and next generation of students, showcasing a polished lifestyle across a property’s social media channels is no longer enough. Since social platforms are often where prospects first discover student housing communities, the most effective campaigns are the ones that make students feel like they already understand what it would be like to live there before they even schedule a tour.In this episode of Student Housing Unlocked, MHN’s Senior Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu is joined by Maggie St. Geme, vice president of marketing at Subtext Living, to discuss what it takes to build a social media strategy that feels authentic and resident-first. St. Geme breaks down how Subtext turns brand identity into content across its Local, Verve and Ever communities, while keeping each property’s voice connected to its residents, neighborhood and on-site team.The conversation also highlights the approach behind LOCAL Nashville’s Silver-winning social media strategy at last year’s MHN Excellence Awards. Rather than making the property the main character, the campaign leaned into Nashville, the Midtown neighborhood and the residents, turning them into the main characters of the community, instead of amenities. From hyperlocal storytelling and short-form video to curated giveaways, St. Geme explains why social media now plays a role across every stage of the leasing process.
Here’s what they talked about:
Defining success in social media (01:36)Building trust with renters (02:37)Creating an authentic brand voice (04:12)Subtext’s three content filters (05:44)Turning brand identity into content (07:46)Creating a viral reel (08:50)LOCAL Nashville’s award-winning strategy (11:25)Balancing polished and organic content (15:00)The power of short-form video (16:47)On-site teams as content engines (17:50)Applying lessons across the portfolio (19:22)Measuring social media’s success (20:51)Trends that will shape student housing marketing (22:58) -
Kerry Fedigan’s story begins far from real estate, in the halls of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and later in her own thriving speech pathology practice. But life, as she shares with striking honesty in this podcast, rarely follows a straight line. A deeply personal family challenge prompted her to step away from her business. What followed wasn’t a calculated pivot, but an unexpected opening into real estate that would ultimately redefine her career.
In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, Multi-Housing News Executive Editor Laura Valean sits down with Fedigan, now director of sales at Sun Homes. She leads sales at One Kingsland, a townhouse-condominium community within Sleepy Hollow’s Edge-on-Hudson, where her relationship-first approach has translated into strong momentum.
Fedigan reflects on a reality that will feel deeply familiar across the multifamily and real estate industry in general: the constant tension between professional ambition and being present for the moments that matter most at home. There’s no perfect balance, she admits, only choices, trade-offs and the quiet determination to show up where it counts. That mindset continues to shape how she leads today.
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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 -
As multifamily operators navigate shifting renter expectations, rising competition and rapid technological change, large portfolios are uncovering behavioral patterns and operational insights into renter behavior that smaller firms may not yet see. At scale, data becomes more than a performance metric; It becomes a window into how renters think, search, compare and ultimately decide where to live.
From digital trust and pricing sensitivity to tour behavior and response times, today’s renter journey is becoming increasingly nuanced. Operators are no longer competing solely on amenities or location. They are competing on speed, transparency, convenience and authenticity across every touchpoint.
What’s emerging is a broader shift in multifamily marketing: the convergence of marketing, centralized operations, customer experience and technology. The operators best positioned for the future are those learning how to connect these functions into a seamless renter journey, while still maintaining a local, human touch.
This episode of Multi-Housing News’ Top Marketers podcast explores what large-scale multifamily platforms are learning about renter behavior and how those insights may shape the next phase of leasing, marketing and resident engagement.
Joining us is Josh Draughn, senior vice president of marketing and centralized operations at Hillpointe. A recent hire at Hillpointe, Draughn brings nearly two decades of experience spanning multifamily marketing, centralized operations and technology strategy. Before joining Hillpointe, he held leadership roles at Greystar, Cortland and Weidner Apartment Homes, where he helped oversee large-scale marketing initiatives and operational systems across tens of thousands of units.
Throughout the conversation, Draughn discusses how renter behavior has evolved over the past two decades, why authenticity now outweighs overly polished branding, how AI and centralized operations are reshaping leasing strategies and what operators can learn from analyzing millions of renter interactions.
Key topics include how data-driven marketing, renter trust and centralized operations can better interpret renter behavior at scale, transform multifamily leasing in an era where authenticity beats polish.
From Indiana Jones to Multifamily Marketing (4:31)What Renters Really Think at Scale (9:09)The Laughter Stat: 1.6M Calls Analyzed (11:00)Why Polished Marketing Backfires (20:43)Reddit, Speed & the Modern Renter Journey (19:00)Tech, Trust & the Future of Leasing (22:28) -
Arqline Property Management was formed in 2026, after residential technology platform Alfred acquired and merged RKW Residential and A Residential (formerly Quarterra Living).
For this episode of Management Diaries, Arqline President Kevin Owens shares how the firms navigated the integration, and why aligning people and processes turned out to be harder than aligning the tech.
He discusses the three-part framework his company uses to decide what can be automated, what to centralize and what should stay with a human.
Owens prefers simplicity over complex tools or systems. As he puts it, “Things can sound really smart when they're complex. They also aren't very easy to execute."
Here are a few highlights from this episode:
(5:18) Why cultural alignment was a critical part of the merger(11:37) How structured feedback loops drive better outcomes(13:29) Why following through matters more than the feedback itself(20:22) What operators need to pay attention to moving forward(17:45) What “Property Management 3.0” looks like and what it means for operators -
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.
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Creativity is becoming a decisive advantage in New York City multifamily marketing, where intense competition and shifting renter expectations demand more than traditional campaigns. In a city defined by high supply, fast-moving lease-ups and demanding renters, standing out requires more than attractive amenities.
Across the country, multifamily teams are rethinking how to attract and retain residents, but nowhere is the need for originality more urgent than in New York. From luxury high-rises to mixed-income communities, successful campaigns increasingly rely on authenticity, hyperlocal insight and experiences that resonate beyond traditional advertising.
What’s clear is that creativity in New York City multifamily marketing isn’t about flashy campaigns. It’s about clarity, originality and understanding renter behavior—whether for a luxury apartment, a boutique rental, or a large mixed-use project.
This episode of Multi-Housing News’ Top Marketers podcast explores how innovative approaches to New York City multifamily marketing translate into measurable lease-up results.
Joining us is Michelle Easterlin, vice president of leasing and marketing at Avery Hall, who also manages high-profile Brooklyn projects including 544 Carroll, a luxury rental bridging Gowanus and Park Slope. With a fashion background and years of experience in New York City multifamily marketing and leasing, she brings a consumer-driven perspective that blends creative branding, problem-solving and on-the-ground strategy.
Previously, Easterlin led leasing for Nancy Packes and advised on One Boerum Place, while her brokerage experience at Compass and Douglas Elliman generated over $150M in GCI.
Key topics include how innovative multifamily leasing strategies, authentic branding and community engagement can drive performance in the highly competitive New York City rental market.
From Fashion to Real Estate (01:35)Defining Creativity in NYC (04:23)NYC Market Reality Check (06:47)Authentic Marketing That Sells (10:10)Resident Events That Retain (16:54)Selling Lifestyle Over Units (20:13) -
Savas Karas, COO & Chief Transformation Officer at CAPREIT, discusses why so many tech-forward initiatives stall or fail in property management.
(3:31) Why you should begin with the end in mind before launching any initiative(4:53) The importance of failing fast and redeploying resources quickly(7:52) How observing on-site teams can reveal hidden friction and inefficiencies(18:06) Why skipping change management derails transformation efforts(19:21) Why one-and-done training doesn't work and what to do instead(26:20) How to define success as an organization before investing in change
With more than 30 years of management and technology leadership experience, he shares his approach to aligning strategy with execution, from observing on-site teams firsthand to eliminating the hidden workarounds that drain employees.
Listen to hear his advice on where to start if your organization has never had a formal change management plan. Here are some of the topics we cover: -
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.
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At a time when housing affordability debates are often driven more by perception than data, taking a closer look at what’s actually behind a rent payment matters more than ever. The National Apartment Association’s Dollar of Rent tool provides a clear, data-driven view of the expenses tied to operating a multifamily property, drawing on tens of thousands of audited, property-level financial statements.
In this episode of NAA Insights, host Laura Valean, senior editor at Multi-Housing News, sits down with Leah Cuffy, director of advocacy research at NAA, to explore how the tool can be used in practice.
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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) -
Few people in the multifamily industry have a better bird’s eye view of multifamily tech than Kevin Donnelly, executive director and chief advocacy officer of the Real Estate Technology and Transformation Center. In this inaugural episode of MHN Tech Pulse, Donnelly outlines the state of multifamily technology and speculates what the next few years will look like.
“We’re in a period of acceleration, and I don’t really see that slowing down,” Donnelly tells Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Matthew Kaufman. The industry veteran sees technology as a key tool in addressing the nation’s housing and affordability crisis, and he views AI in particular as a way to increase efficiency while leading to better renter experiences.
Here are some highlights of the conversation:
(00:58): An overview of RETTC and its goals
(03:05): Donnelly’s background
(06:02): Where the industry stands with tech adoption
(08:23): Operational & economic pressures driving tech investment
(10:46): Policy pressures
(14:06): The role of AI
(21:47): What’s next?
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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
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With a background spanning architecture, design, cultural tourism, teaching and public service, Innovative Housing Opportunities CEO Rochelle Mills brings a holistic lens to development—one that views housing not simply as "heads and beds," but as a catalyst for thriving, high-performing communities.In this deeply personal conversation with MHN Senior Editor Laura Valean for the Mission Success: Women in Multifamily podcast, Mills opens up about the realities of working in affordable housing, sharing hard-earned lessons on leadership, bias, responsibility and why mission-driven work must be grounded in honesty, resilience and hope.
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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 -
Digital marketing success is no longer defined by clicks alone. As platforms grow more complex and AI becomes increasingly embedded in campaign execution, today’s top marketers are being challenged to think more strategically, balancing performance metrics with long-term business impact.
This episode of Multi-Housing News’ Top Marketers podcast, explores the dos and don’ts of digital marketing, the importance of aligning digital strategies with broader business objectives and how AI is reshaping the way marketers measure and optimize performance. As digital marketing continues to evolve, the conversation centers on blended metrics, transparent communication and maintaining strategic alignment across teams.
Joining us is Aaron Donofrio, senior manager of Digital Media at Fairfield Residential, a San Diego-based multifamily owner, developer and property manager. Donofrio leads paid media strategy across Fairfield’s national portfolio, overseeing performance-driven campaigns that support everything from luxury lease-ups to stabilized and affordable housing communities.
With a background in political digital media, he brings a data-first, audience-focused approach to multifamily marketing, translating complex performance metrics into clear insights that drive ROI and property-level success. Known for his collaborative style, Aaron works closely with cross-functional teams to deliver media strategies that are both highly effective and strategically aligned.
Key topics include identifying the most meaningful metrics for campaign evaluation, the continued importance of human judgment in an AI-driven landscape, strategies for addressing underperforming campaigns and the nuances between upper-funnel branding efforts and lead generation initiatives.
Introduction to Digital Marketing Journey (1:38)Defining Success in Digital Marketing (5:42)Evaluating Digital Media Campaigns (7:40)Balancing Optimization and Performance (16:37)Human Side of Digital Marketing (21:04) - Daha fazla göster
