Technology

Shelly Peterson Smart Room Package management Multifamily quote

Scalable Solutions for Multifamily’s Growing Package Problem

by Sarah Daniels September 4, 2025

At too many multifamily communities today, managers spend much of their time receiving, safeguarding, retrieving and tripping over a rising tide of parcels awaiting pickup by residents. A range of cages, lockers and other systems promise to ease the package management burden, but most still require staff oversight and may not securely accommodate bulky items or seasonal surges in deliveries. “The sheer volume of packages residents are getting has increased, and that has driven a lot of frustration with package management,” says Shelly Peterson of Smart Package Room, which makes …

September 4, 2025

Industry Voices Operations Technology

TikTok is Fueling a New Era of Real Estate Fraud — Here’s What Operators Can Do About It

by Lynn Peisner August 28, 2025

By Kyle Nelson Fraud is no longer hiding in the shadows. It’s being taught and sold in plain sight — sometimes with hashtags and tutorial videos. Across the multifamily housing industry, operators are seeing the effects firsthand: Fake documents are slipping through and unqualified tenants are being approved, resulting in rising eviction rates. On TikTok, an unexpected market has emerged where users trade tips and tools for falsifying income, employment and identity to gain access to rental housing. This trend is not limited to individual bad actors offering a forged …

August 28, 2025

Industry Voices Operations Technology

To Click or to Connect: Nailing the Balance Between Leasing Tech and Human Touch

by Lynn Peisner August 21, 2025

By Kim Young In multifamily leasing, striking the right balance between automation and human connection isn’t just a technological decision. It’s the difference between signing a lease and losing a prospect forever. According to the 2024 NMHC/Grace Hill Renter Preferences Survey Report, 73 percent of renters expect digital leasing options, yet 67 percent say personal interaction influences their decisions. These numbers tell a compelling story that every operator should heed. As managers, we aren’t merely optimizing workflows. We’re orchestrating living experiences that transform curious browsers into committed residents. Then we …

August 21, 2025

Draper-and-Kramer-Burnham-Pointe-Exterior

Features Operations Technology

How AI Is Helping Streamline Apartment Operations

by Lynn Peisner August 13, 2025

By Kristin Harlow Necessity has sparked innovation across the multifamily sector. Property managers are implementing new technology platforms to streamline leasing, maintenance and resident communications because of rising operating costs, says Jim Cunningham, president of Naperville, Illinois-based Marquette Management, which owns or manages nearly 16,000 units across eight states. Operating costs increased 7 percent last year, according to CBRE. Rising insurance costs are one of the primary drivers. Property managers are also embracing technology to enhance resident satisfaction. Wendy Deetjen, vice president of Habitat’s market-rate portfolio, says that today’s renters …

August 13, 2025

Features Finance Industry Content Midwest Northeast Operations Southeast Technology Texas Webinar Western

Webinar: From Sunk Costs to Strategic Savings — Risk and Insurance Plays to Strengthen Your Multifamily Portfolio

by Sarah Daniels August 11, 2025

The August 6 webinar “From Sunk Costs to Strategic Savings — Risk and Insurance Plays to Strengthen Your Multifamily Portfolio,” sponsored by Foxen, explored practical ways for multifamily owners and operators to address one of their largest cost concerns in 2025: insurance. Industry experts detailed the risks of tenant-caused property damage, the operational challenges of monitoring renters insurance and the benefits of structured compliance programs. Viewers learned about property damage liability waiver programs and tenant legal liability (TLL) policies in protecting owners from uninsured losses. The panel also discussed the …

August 11, 2025

Leasing & Marketing News Operations Technology Texas

RealPage Acquires Flexible Payment Company

by Lynn Peisner July 18, 2025

RICHARDSON, TEXAS — RealPage has acquired Livble, a flexible-payment company, and will incorporate the new payment technology into two of its own software solutions, LOFT and Buildium. LOFT is a resident-facing app RealPage launched in January. LOFT’s payment function allows users to pay their rent traditionally, directly from their bank in one lump sum, or residents can pay in two installments. With the Livble technology, residents now can split up payments into up to four installments per month. RealPage assumes nonpayment risk and manages collections should residents not pay. In …

July 18, 2025

Features From the Magazines Operations Technology

Three Ways the Pandemic Changed Leasing for the Better

by Channing Hamilton May 16, 2025

Looking at the multifamily industry today, it’s easy to forget that many of our current best practices were born of necessity five years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic introduced phrases like “stay-at-home orders” and “social distancing.” As challenging as those times were, some of the adjustments we made ended up reshaping our business for the better. Nearly every aspect of multifamily has examples of these positive pandemic pivots. Here are the three I consider the most significant in the realm of marketing, leasing and how we interact with prospects. 1. …

May 16, 2025

Features From the Magazines Leasing & Marketing Operations Technology

Will AI Take the Place of Leasing Agents?

by Channing Hamilton May 5, 2025

Members of Generation Z — born between 1997 and 2012 — are all in on artificial intelligence (AI). These young renters are not only fluent and reliant upon intelligent technology, but they are also more trusting of it than their elders. Gen Zers are more likely than other age groups to ask questions via chat or text during their apartment rental search journey, according to RealPage data, and they are even more likely to engage if AI is driving the messaging. In fact, 50 percent of Gen Zers say they are …

May 5, 2025

Content Partner Features Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment Industry Content Midwest Northeast Operations Southeast Sustainable/LEED Technology Texas Western

Texas Multifamily HVAC Trends: Why Developers Prefer All-Electric, All-Climate Heat Pumps

by Sarah Daniels April 21, 2025

By Randall Towb of Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) Texas multifamily owners and developers are utilizing all-climate variable capacity heat pumps and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems for heating and air-conditioning (HVAC) needs in their low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise buildings. These systems deliver on both resident satisfaction and building owners’ return on investment (ROI) thanks to key benefits such as energy performance, zoned comfort, design flexibility, quiet operation, reduced maintenance and advanced controls and monitoring. In addition to resident comfort and ROI, these all-electric systems align with growing concerns …

April 21, 2025

Features From the Magazines Operations Technology

Managed Wi-Fi Poised to Surge Due to Combination of Factors

by Channing Hamilton March 28, 2025

Property owners are learning how to provide fast internet at their communities for good reason. According to a 2024 renter preferences survey by the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and Grace Hill, high-speed internet is one of the top requirements for renters today. Ninety percent of respondents said they would not rent without it. Lisa Clark, senior director, MDU sales, with Lumos goes a step further, calling internet the “fourth utility,” behind water, electricity and gas. Consistently strong internet doesn’t just power remote work and streaming services, it’s the fuel …

March 28, 2025

Newer Posts

Older Posts