Nick Fontaine https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-fontaine-b1b01467/ joins Ashley James https://www.linkedin.com/in/gggwithashley/ to discuss the evolution of property management, leadership insights, and the impact of technology like AI on the industry.

They share personal stories, industry trends, and practical advice for professionals in real estate, emphasizing the value of creativity, community, and leadership.

In this episode:

Career progression in property management
Impact of AI and technology on leasing and management
Leadership skills and team building
Industry trends and company growth at Greystar
Community engagement and resident experience
Creative event ideas and their impact
Team leadership and hiring strategies
Use of AI and technology in property management
Handling unique on-site situations and stories

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background of Nick Fontaine
03:12 Career Journey and Growth at Greystar
06:25 Challenges in Leasing and Sales
09:05 Team Dynamics and Employee Retention
12:10 Work-Life Balance and Company Culture
15:05 Industry Insights and Networking Opportunities
18:08 Technology in Property Management
21:16 Experiences at Industry Events
24:23 Conclusion and Future Outlook
36:35 Enhancing Resident Engagement Through Creative Events
39:47 The Role of Technology in Property Management
42:51 Personal Growth and Career Development in Property Management
46:52 Building Relationships and Community in Property Management
50:23 Navigating Challenges and Decision-Making in Management
54:54 The Importance of Team Dynamics and Leadership
58:12 Engaging with the Industry and Networking Opportunities


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Ashley James https://www.linkedin.com/in/gggwithashley/ and Chief Brand Strategist at Spherexx https://www.linkedin.com/company/spherexx/, Lia Nichole Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianicholesmith/ sat down at Podcast Palooza 2026 to vibe over branding, industry connections, strategic patience, and the innovative use of AI in real estate and multifamily.

If you're tired of surface-level hustle and crave real, honest strategy, this episode is your wake-up call.

In this episode:

- Brand strategy and storytelling
- Industry networking and relationships
- The importance of patience and delayed gratification
- Innovative use of AI in real estate
- Overcoming branding and marketing challenges

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene
02:48 Building Connections in the Industry
05:58 Branding and Presentation Challenges
09:05 Strategic Thinking and Delayed Gratification
11:54 Women in Real Estate and AI Innovations

Spherexx is an award-winning partner that serves thousands of clients nationally, providing cloud-based marketing technology to meet the demand for integrity, imagination, innovation, and results-driven website design, touchscreen kiosks, and software solutions.

Learn more about Spherexx: https://www.spherexx.com/

🔔 Click subscribe to @MultifamilyMediaNetwork on YouTube and stay up to date on our growing lineup of multifamily industry leaders and must-hear conversations!

📰 Sign up at https://www.multifamilymedianetwork.com/ to receive our newsletter and explore our library of podcasts and blogs from today’s multifamily experts!

The leasing funnel is broken — and PERQ is fixing it. Josh Medley https://www.linkedin.com/in/medleyjoshuaj/, VP of Product at PERQ, sits down with Ashley James https://www.linkedin.com/in/gggwithashley/ to unpack how AI-driven marketing technology is helping multifamily operators generate better leads, close leases faster, and finally make sense of their data. This is the future of leasing automation, and
- it's already here.

Key Topics:
-AI-driven lead generation
-Data analytics for property management
-Leasing process automation

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to PERQ and Family relations
03:00 Understanding PERQ's Technology and Marketing Focus
05:49 The Role of AI in Lead Qualification
08:47 Enhancing the Leasing Experience with PERQ
11:51 Data-Driven Insights for Property Management
14:36 The Importance of Integrations in SaaS Solutions
25:30 Navigating the Tech Landscape
26:22 PERQ's Roadmap and Future Innovations
29:06 Enhancing Marketing Attribution
31:18 The Role of AI in Marketing
33:50 Training AI for Accurate Insights
36:49 Addressing Fair Housing Concerns
38:44 Humorous AI Interactions
41:39 Josh's Journey in Multifamily Tech
43:39 Data Control in AI Search
48:55 PERQ's Market Position and Growth

This Episode is brought to you by PERQ.

PERQ is an AI-powered digital marketing platform that captures and converts high-intent website traffic, Drives 2–3X more qualified leads using proprietary AI. PERQ Optimizes existing marketing spend by feeding real-time visitor data back into paid search campaigns and Integrates with your current website, CRM, and chat tools as well as reduces manual effort and advertising costs while delivering clearer ROI.

To learn more about PERQ: https://bit.ly/4bQrHqP

🔔 Click subscribe to @MultifamilyMediaNetwork on YouTube and stay up to date on our growing lineup of multifamily industry leaders and must-hear conversations!

📰 Sign up at https://www.multifamilymedianetwork.com/ to receive our newsletter and explore our library of podcasts and blogs from today’s multifamily experts!

“Don’t hire a consultant—they’ll just sell you whatever gives them a kickback.” Sound familiar? In Episode #4, I unpack the consultant myth and why it’s become such a common industry narrative.

The reality: every company profits from what it sells. The difference is whether the recommendation is aligned to your outcomes. We cover how strong consultants help you avoid expensive mistakes, choose the right partners, and get expert support without committing to a full-time headcount.

#multifamily #podcast #propertymanagement #consulting #advisor #construction

"Be Kind... of a b*tch" Episode 3 of GGGwithAshley featuring guest Cris Kimbrough

00:00 GGG ep3 Be Kind...of a b*tch
02:48 Cris's Origin Story
06:52 Digital Infrastructure in Real Estate

Episode 2 of Gadgets, Grit, and Growth with Ashley James is live: “Self-Guided.”

I took a self-guided tour at a property in Phoenixville, PA and gave my honest, real-time take on the Tour24 experience — the good, the awkward, and the opportunities for property management teams to make it even better.

Yes, there was dancing.

Yes, I took my shoes off.

And yes, I shared real feedback on how self-guided tours can better support leasing and the resident experience.

If you’re in PropTech or Multifamily, subscribe for practical insights, honest conversations, and real-world tech perspectives.
Subscribe to Gadgets, Grit, and Growth for more episodes.

Welcome to Gadgets, Grit & Growth, a PropTech podcast focused on multifamily innovation, real estate technology, go-to-market strategy, and leadership in the evolving world of property tech.

In this first episode, Ashley James, Founder & CEO of Strategic PropTech Advisory, shares her background, her journey through multifamily operations, smart access, startup growth, and PropTech, and what listeners can expect from the show each week.

With nearly 20 years of experience across multifamily, PropTech, smart access manufacturing, and business growth, Ashley created this podcast to deliver practical insights for founders, operators, technology partners, and industry leaders navigating
the future of real estate technology.

Each week, the show will cover:
•PropTech trends impacting the multifamily industry
•Go-to-market strategy for PropTech startups and SaaS companies
•Multifamily operations and resident experience
•Smart access, operational efficiency, and innovation
•Leadership, founder grit, and business growth
•Conversations with experts shaping the future of property management technology

If you are looking for a podcast about PropTech, multifamily, real estate innovation, SaaS growth, and the strategies driving smarter communities, this show is for you.

Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring actionable insights, industry perspectives, and real conversations about growth, technology, leadership, and the future of multifamily real estate.

#PropTech #Multifamily #RealEstateTechnology #GTMStrategy #SmartAccess
#PropertyManagement #BusinessGrowth