DULUTH, GA — Westplan has selected third party management firm RKW Residential to lease and manage Accent Suwanee Creek near Atlanta. The 253-unit property is made up of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. RKW also has hired Sean Shalpan, formerly a regional manager with Greystar, to support RKW’s growth throughout Georgia. RKW is headquartered in Charlotte with regional offices in Miami, Orlando, Florida, Atlanta and Raleigh, North Carolina. The company manages approximately 30,000 multifamily and build-to-rent units in eight states.
Operations
RealPage has a new app for residents called LOFT that’s designed to take the sting out of several operational pain points. The app comes on the heels of a survey of residents and property managers. The Richardson, Texas-based commercial real estate tech and data company queried more than 75 owners and operators to uncover which service objectives property managers were struggling to meet. The survey show that an overwhelming 97 percent of residents indicated they would be more likely to renew their lease if working with their property manager were as …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ), along with 10 state attorneys general, has filed an amended complaint in its antitrust lawsuit against RealPage. The complaint targets six of the nation’s largest property managers, alleging that the companies used RealPage’s pricing algorithms to share sensitive data and coordinate pricing strategies, which the DOJ states resulted in artificially inflated rents. The DOJ stated that the landlords had colluded with one another by directly communicating with competitors’ senior managers about sensitive topics such as rents and occupancy; conducting “call arounds” to …
As a young lawyer, I passed up an opportunity to work at the SEC (think Bernie Madoff not Nick Saban). I turned the job down because I didn’t want to spend all day thinking about fraud. I’m glad I turned down that job, but I find I still spend a lot of time thinking about fraud. If fraud is using deceit to deprive another of their rights or property, then fraud is everywhere. Some fraud is horrible (Bernie Madoff stole roughly $65 billion over the course of two decades). Some …
Security is a top priority in the multifamily industry. Monitoring and controlling access to a property protects owners and their residents from the impacts of violent crime, theft, vandalism and trespassing. The benefits of an effective security, monitoring and access system run deep. “Access control is not just about security,” says Roger Solomon, a senior associate at Trio Advisory Group. The company offers consulting services on access control, video surveillance and other technologies for commercial real estate properties. “Access control is also about ensuring convenience for residents and staff, enhancing …
ATLANTA — When considering a single-family, build-to-rent (BTR) development or acquisition, the main priority of the developer or investor is to focus on finding a place where people want to live, said Zach Persky, vice president of acquisitions for Quinn Residences. Access to jobs, retail corridors and good school districts are all important factors for potential residents. Persky was one of the speakers on the BTR panel at the 15th annual InterFace Multifamily Southeast conference, which took place Wednesday, Dec. 4 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. Kyle Palmer, …
RICHARDSON, TEXAS — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has closed its criminal investigation into the pricing practices of the rental housing industry, according to RealPage, citing a DOJ notice. In a statement released Dec. 6, the company also reaffirmed its stance that its software platform did not violate antitrust laws. RealPage stated that it cooperated extensively with the DOJ throughout the now-closed investigation, adding that the DOJ did not identify RealPage as a target of the investigation at any point. While the criminal investigation has ended, it remains unclear whether …
DALLAS — Lion Real Estate Group (Lion) has expanded its leadership team with the addition of Deanna Wigley as vice president of operations support. In this role, Wigley will supervise the review and evaluation of new supplier partners, ensure that appropriate resources are in place to facilitate sales transactions and oversee information technology services. She will also serve a key role in risk management and training for regional and community managers. Prior to joining Lion, Wigley served as regional vice president at both Allied Orion Group and US Residential Group. …
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) board of directors has appointed Stephanie McFadden as director of multifamily programs. In her new position, McFadden will oversee the CalHFA lending team, as well as an asset management division that monitors roughly 18,000 units of affordable housing. Most recently, McFadden was the chief leading officer at Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), a nonprofit community development financial institution. Prior to joining LIIF, she served as a senior advisor for the Office of Multifamily Production with HUD, a role that was created …
SOLON, OHIO — TCAM Asset Management, an affordable housing service provider that was acquired by Solon-based property technology firm MRI Software in 2018, is rebranding as MRI Asset Management Services. The company will continue to provide asset management and consulting services to developers, owners and funders of affordable housing. TCAM Asset Management, now MRI Asset Management Services, was originally established in 2009. The company serves clients for roughly 1,600 properties and 176,000 apartments across 48 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.