In this episode of Solving for Multifamily, host Robert Gaulden speaks with Joe Summers of Gatewise about modernizing perimeter and gate access with a mobile-first approach. Joe explains how retrofitting existing gates and perimeter systems to connect with a smartphone-based platform delivers a low-disruption, cost-effective upgrade that improves resident convenience and reduces key and fob management for property teams.

What you’ll hear

Door hardware might be small, but in multifamily design, it can make a big impact. In this episode of Solving for Multifamily, host Robert Gaulden welcomes Aida Watson, Senior Industrial Designer at Allegion, to discuss how to balance form and function when selecting hardware for your property. 

Aida shares her approach to blending style, material, quality, and finish with essential considerations like ADA compliance, technology integration, and key system management. She also dives into the latest multifamily design trends — from bold color palettes to wellness-focused amenities — and explains how hardware can complement and elevate these styles. 

Whether you’re designing new builds or refreshing existing spaces, you’ll gain actionable tips to create secure, stylish, and future-ready multifamily environments. 

From fire doors to access control, safety in multifamily buildings is more complex than it seems. With evolving codes and increasing use of electrified hardware, it’s crucial to stay code compliant. 

Lori Greene, Manager of Codes and Resources at Allegion, joins Robert to break down the essentials of building code compliance and its critical role in protecting residents. With approximately 90,000 structure fires in multifamily buildings each year, fire doors play a vital role in containing fires, but only if they meet code requirements. 

More important topics include when panic hardware is required and why it matters, the role of special locking arrangement, and avoiding costly mistakes when modifying fire-rate doors. 

It’s no surprise that college students always have their phone with them, but not always their campus cards. As higher education transitions from brass key locks to mobile credentials, the student experience is becoming more secure.

In this episode, Jeff Koizol shares a front-row perspective on how mobile access is reshaping campus life. With limited on-campus housing, universities are increasingly relying on off-campus development, and with that comes a growing demand for consistent, integrated access experience across both environments. Mobile adoption is becoming an essential element of the modern college experience.

Join Jeff as he explores key topics including, the future of mobile access in higher education, challenges in off-campus housing integration, security benefits of mobile credentials, and more!

On the latest episode of Solving for Multifamily, Robert is joined by Jasmin Snyder, Zentra Marketing Manager, for a deep dive into the biggest trends, surprises, and takeaways from Apartmentalize 2025. From fresh innovations to shifting industry mindsets, Jasmin shares what caught her attention—and what multifamily pros should be paying attention to.

This episode also features a special live segment from Podcast Palooza, recorded onsite at Apartmentalize, capturing the buzz and energy of the event firsthand.

Whether you attended or want the inside scoop, this episode delivers insights and inspiration straight from the front lines of multifamily.

Multifamily operators are navigating a growing landscape of Proptech options, and the challenge of trusting the value of these solutions is becoming increasingly common. As decision-makers seek technologies that improve resident satisfaction and drive operational efficiency, there’s one platform leading the charge to help.

Solving for Multifamily returns for a new season! Welcome back our pioneer host, Robert Gaulden, who has over two decades of experience in security for multifamily. 

As more multifamily property owners seek to modernize their buildings with Proptech, the abundance of choices and platforms can lead to headaches if not managed properly. The push for centralization and automation has grown as renters and property owners alike seek manageable systems across technologies.

Brivo, a smart building company providing cloud-based access control and video surveillance solutions, has set out to alleviate the headache of disjointed systems—with an emphasis on open API, properties can better enable integrations between systems and ensure interoperability.

Join Lee Miller, vice president of sales for Brivo, as he discusses this and more topics including, the push for mobile credentials and face detection in place of traditional keys, creating more amenities and revenue opportunities, and simplifying and unifying technology.

This episode of Solving For Multifamily focuses on Homebase Quext (Homebase.ai), a company founded by Blake Miller that offers a managed Wi-Fi solution for apartment buildings, providing each unit with a private, secure internet connection that residents can access and pay for through a mobile app. Homebase Quext formed after Blake's experience with a public-private partnership to deploy a large-scale public Wi-Fi and smart city project in Kansas City, where he saw the need for smart devices in apartment buildings.

More key highlights from this episode include how Blake got his start in the Proptech industry and the objectives of Homebase Quext, how Proptech can enable operational efficiencies for onsite management teams, the challenges and considerations around retrofitting existing properties with Proptech and more.

In the multifamily industry, reputation and trust can make or break the success of your property, especially when social media and other public forums allow anyone to share their opinion.

On this episode of Solving For Multifamily, we’re joined by Katie Ritter and Jake Hughes from Widewail, a reputation management company that works with multifamily businesses.

Widewail recently published a "Voice of the Resident" report, which analyzed over 400,000 reviews from the top 150 multifamily management companies to identify the key drivers of positive and negative resident experiences.

Key highlights from the episode include a more in-depth look at findings from the “Voice of the Resident” report, data-driven insights to improve resident experience and retention, the importance of frontline employees in creating a good resident experience and more!