Student Housing Insight

🎙️Episode Summary

How are student housing no-shows trending, and which technologies are catching operators’ attention at OPTECH? Wes speaks with Student Housing Insight ambassador KrisAnn about her transition to the vendor side with Leap and her first OPTECH experience. She shares a notable contrast: while many operator partners have reported more no-shows, Leap has seen a decrease among the residents it covers, with fewer than 2% of its policies resulting in no-shows.

The conversation also explores AI’s prominence on the exhibit floor and Leap’s decision to bring in an AI consultant. Drawing on her experience in property operations, KrisAnn discusses her interest in tools that could help on-site teams, sessions featuring Erica White and Whitney Kidd, and Donna the robot. As virtual tours and AI chatbots become commonplace, she looks to OPTECH for a glimpse of the next innovations that could become part of everyday property management.

⏱️Time Stamps:

00:00:00 — OPTECH Introduction and Moving to the Vendor Side

00:01:00 — Student Housing No-Shows and Leap’s Coverage Experience

00:02:00 — AI, Standout Sessions, and What’s Next in Property Technology

📎Resources Mentioned:

Student Housing Insight: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/

ShopTalk: https://www.shoptalk.info/

Leap: https://leapeasy.com/

🎙️Episode Summary

In a competitive student housing market, how can operators attract residents and encourage renewals while managing costs? Kevin, CEO and founder of Casa Perks, discusses how the company’s incentive platform supports leasing and retention. He shares feedback from customers seeking to coordinate their strategies across entire portfolios, reduce spending, and make their leasing efforts more cost-effective.

The conversation also explores how customer feedback led Casa Perks to expand beyond resident incentives with a dedicated module for influencers and brand ambassadors. Kevin explains how that offering gained traction and earned consideration for an industry innovation award. For student housing teams evaluating resident rewards and ambassador programs, the interview offers a brief look at how these efforts can support broader leasing and retention goals.

⏱️Time Stamps:

00:00:00 — Introducing Casa Perks and Industry Innovation

00:01:00 — Supporting Leasing and Retention While Managing Costs

00:02:00 — Expanding Incentives to Influencers and Brand Ambassadors

📎Resources Mentioned:

Kevin Bradt’s LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bradt-7223572

CasaPerks:

https://www.casaperks.com/

RETTC - OPTECH 2026:

https://rettc.org/events/optech-2026

Student Housing Insight:

https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/

ShopTalk:

https://www.shoptalk.info/

🎙️Episode Summary

What does it take to develop student housing while keeping residents at the center of its growth? In this Student Housing Insight profile episode, Wes speaks with Brandt Stiles, co-founder and co-CEO of Subtext, about his path from a working-class upbringing in St. Louis to accounting and real estate development. Following Subtext’s delivery of five communities totaling 3k+ beds for the 2026–27 academic year, Brandt reflects on the career decisions, financial uncertainty, and early development lessons that shaped the company’s approach.

Brandt explains how assembling smaller land parcels, hiring ahead of growth, and prioritizing the resident experience have supported Subtext’s expansion. The conversation examines the challenges of rising construction costs, affordability limits, and diverging university enrollment trends, including why Subtext is pursuing acquisitions where new development no longer makes financial sense. He also discusses potential student housing conversions, the importance of evaluating future supply, and his belief that delivering value for residents supports investor returns. For professionals in development and operations, this episode offers a practical perspective on growing without abandoning the strategy behind the business.

⏱️Time Stamps:

00:00:00 — Introduction and Episode Preview

00:06:00 — Delivering Five Communities and Mobilizing the Team for Move-In

00:12:00 — From St. Louis Roots to Accounting and Real Estate

00:15:00 — Navigating the Financial Crisis and Building a New Strategy

00:17:00 — The First Development Deal and Assembling Prime Locations

00:21:00 — Delivering Through COVID and Hiring Ahead of Growth

00:23:00 — Market Selection, Affordability, and Acquisition Strategy

00:27:00 — When Converting Student Housing to Conventional Apartments Makes Sense

00:29:00 — Career Advice: Prioritizing Resident Value

00:31:00 — Subtext’s Long-Term Growth Goals and Closing Takeaways

🤝 Sponsor Spotlight Teal Systems

This episode is brought to you by Teal Systems, a provider of managed central plant infrastructure designed specifically for #StudentHousing and multifamily developments. Teal delivers reliable hot water, heating, and cooling through a “central plant as a service” model. Their systems are monitored 24/7 using proprietary Beacon technology, allowing issues to be identified and resolved before they impact residents. For operators and developers, this means fewer headaches, lower operational risk, and more predictable performance.

👉 Learn more: https://www.tealsystems.com

📎Resources Mentioned:

Student Housing Insight:

https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/

ShopTalk:

https://www.shoptalk.info/

🎙️Episode Summary:

Recorded at the StarRez Global Summit 2026 in Atlanta, this episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast features host Wes Deese alongside Sarah Maxson from Core Spaces, Kevin Mara from Brailsford & Dunlavey, and Teddy Abdelmalek from HHRedstone. Drawing on College House data and their experience in housing operations, development, and university advisory work, the panel examines pre-leasing trends, affordability, and the relationship between on-campus and off-campus housing.

The conversation explores why some students are choosing lower rents over walking distance to campus, how floor plans and university size influence performance, and why athletic conference affiliation alone cannot determine an investment’s potential. Viewers will also hear about the public-private partnership (P3) pipeline, financing challenges, and housing’s role in mixed-use campus developments. Core Spaces shares its approach to flexible study areas, wellness amenities, and Lite and pod layouts that accommodate different budgets, before the panel closes with examples of financial literacy and NIL education supporting students where they live.

⏱️Time Stamps:

00:00:00 — Student Housing Value: Introduction and Summit Panel

00:11:00 — Pre-Leasing and Rent Trends for 2026–27

00:18:00 — Affordability and the Student Housing Outlook

00:24:00 — Floor Plan Demand and Larger Apartment Trade-Offs

00:28:00 — University Size, Campus Proximity, and Housing Choices

00:35:00 — Power Four vs. Non-Power Four Markets

00:42:00 — P3 Housing: Financing and Development Pipeline

00:48:00 — Designing Study Spaces and Wellness Amenities

00:51:00 — Lite and Pod Layouts for Different Budgets

00:56:00 — Supporting Student Success Through Financial Literacy and NIL

🤝Sponsor Spotlight:

Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams.

Learn more about Allegion and the Campus-to-Community Student Living solution here: https://lp.allegion.com/student-housing.html

📎Resources Mentioned:

Student Housing Insight: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/

ShopTalk: https://www.shoptalk.info/

College House: https://collegehouse.com/

P3 Resource Center, powered by Brailsford & Dunlavey: https://p3resourcecenter.com/

StarRez and CollegePads: https://www.starrez.com/solutions/off-campus-housing-platform

🎙️Episode Summary

Gen Z is reshaping the student housing workforce, and understanding what this generation wants from work is becoming essential to recruiting, retention, and leadership development. In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, Host Wes Deese sits down with Cardinal Group executive and author Sly Brandon to discuss his third book, The Gen Z Executive. Drawing on his experience in student housing operations in the United States and the United Kingdom, Sly explores the “quiet reset” in how younger employees approach careers, loyalty, autonomy, and work-life balance. Together, they examine how the pandemic, the gig economy, and digital tools have influenced a generation that is both living in student housing communities and helping operate them.

The conversation connects those workforce changes to practical decisions for student housing owners, operators, and managers. Wes and Sly discuss the pressure on regional managers, the need for stronger mentoring, and how centralized services can create career paths beyond the traditional progression from on-site work to portfolio management. They also explore how AI and self-service technology can reduce friction in the resident experience while giving teams more time for hospitality and leadership development. Sly’s central challenge is to listen more closely, give frontline employees ownership within clear guidelines, and make leadership changes that improve the everyday experience of community assistants, interns, and the residents they serve.

⏱️Time Stamps

00:01:30 — Intro

00:06:10 — Sly’s Introduction

00:15:01 — Gift Unveiling

00:18:46 — The Quiet Reset: Why Gen Z Is Rethinking Corporate Careers

00:24:15 — Is Gen Z Lazy, or Are Our Work Standards Outdated?

00:32:40 — What If Your Next Generation Doesn’t Want to Lead?

00:35:55 — Is the Real Retention Crisis Your Manager’s Experience?

00:41:38 — A Career Path That Doesn’t Require Climbing the Corporate Ladder

00:49:59 — Does Great Work Really Require a 40-Hour Week?

00:54:23 — Stop Making Employees Ask Permission for Everything

00:59:35 — Will Gen Alpha Wait for an Apartment Tour?

01:00:47 — Whose Monday Gets Better Because of Your Leadership?

01:03:20 — Outro & Final thoughts

🤝Sponsors Spotlight:

Smarter Furnishings provides turnkey furniture solutions for student housing, including manufacturing, inventory, delivery, and installation, with options for residential units, amenity spaces, and common areas. Planning a new development, renovation, or furniture refresh?

Visit Smarter Furnishings to Connect with the team and discuss your project. https://smarterfurnishings.com/

📎Resources Mentioned:

The Gen Z Executive by Sly Brandon: the featured book on generational expectations and leadership; includes the four translations discussed in the episode. Chapters 6 and 11 are specifically referenced. https://www.genzexe.com/

Crashing Up by Sly Brandon: his first book, discussed through its account of his personal journey and leadership development.

Student housing companies and platforms Student Housing Insight: the podcast, professional networking platform, and source for upcoming SHI events.

ShopTalk: SHI’s monthly webinar featuring legislative and policy updates, leasing data, operator observations, and topical discussions. Register for updates and explore prior webinars. https://www.shoptalk.info

🎙️Episode Summary

In this latest episode, Student Housing Insight Ambassador Anais Estrella, Assoc. Director of OPS at Cardinal Group sits down with Jennifer Love, SVP of Multifamily and Student Housing at Verbaflo, to unpack how AI is reshaping leasing, resident communication, and on-site team roles across the student housing industry. The conversation dives into the real balance between automation and hospitality — how AI can field 85-90% of routine inquiries instantly while freeing on-site staff to focus on the relationship-building and complex problem-solving that only humans can deliver. Jennifer and Anais also tackle head-on the industry's biggest anxieties: whether AI threatens jobs, how to keep interactions transparent and human-feeling for Gen Z renters and their parents, and why voice AI — not just chatbots — is becoming the true test of a platform's sophistication.

Beyond the tactical advice, the episode offers a bigger-picture takeaway: AI should be treated less like a one-time software install and more like a new employee that needs ongoing training, feedback, and refinement. Listeners will come away with actionable insights on measuring AI success through outcomes (not just activity), using sentiment tracking to catch unhappy residents before they leave a bad review, and why staying flexible — rather than betting on one "perfect" AI platform — will be the real competitive advantage for property operators in the years ahead.

⏱️Time Stamps

00:00:00 - Intro & Industry Evolution

00:03:00 - Balancing Trust and Automation

00:06:40 - AI Transparency and Authenticity

00:08:50 - Staffing Models vs. Automation

00:11:15 - Operational Blind Spots

00:14:15 - AI as a Continuous Journey

00:16:15 - Proactive Reputation Management

00:17:55 - Global Tech Adoption (US vs. UK)

00:19:55 - Outro & World Cup Discussion

🤝Sponsors Spotlight:

VerbaFlo is a conversational AI platform designed for real estate operators, bringing voice, chat, text, email, and other communication channels together through a single AI-native platform. In student housing, the platform is positioned to help teams automate repetitive leasing, resident support, renewal, maintenance, and communication workflows while allowing onsite staff to focus on higher-value human interactions. Learn more and explore VerbaFlo: https://www.verbaflo.ai/

📎Resources Mentioned:

Gallup — Gen Z's AI Adoption Steady, but Skepticism Climbs — Anais references Gallup research stating that 51% of Gen Z uses generative AI at least weekly and discusses the increase in negative sentiment toward AI. Gallup's 2026 research confirms that 51% of Gen Z respondents report using generative AI daily or weekly, while excitement and hopefulness have declined and negative sentiment has increased. Read the research: https://news.gallup.com/poll/708224/gen-adoption-steady-skepticism-climbs.aspx

🎙️Episode Summary

How much do students actually pay for rent, and why does that number often differ from what operators think they're charging? In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, host Wesley Deese sits down with Elijah Wang-Chen, a finance student at the University of Texas at Austin and creator of RateMyRentUT, a student-built platform that brings unprecedented transparency to off-campus housing costs. Elijah shares how his own frustrating apartment search inspired him to create a crowdsourced database where students anonymously compare rents, concessions, utilities, parking costs, and overall housing experiences.

The conversation explores what student housing operators can learn from student-generated data, how pricing transparency influences leasing decisions, and why seemingly small issues like elevator reliability can have a major impact on resident satisfaction. Wes and Elijah also discuss the growing role of social media, AI-powered no-code development, and student-led innovation in shaping the future of student housing technology. Whether you're an owner, operator, marketer, or campus housing professional, this episode offers valuable insight into how today's students evaluate value, fairness, and the overall resident experience.

⏱️Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction and Today's Student Housing Challenge

00:03:00 Why Students and Operators Define Rent Differently

00:04:02 Meet Elijah Wang-Chen and the Story Behind Rate My Rent UT

00:06:02 Why Student Rent Transparency Matters More Than Ever

00:08:31 Growing Pressure for Pricing Transparency in Student Housing

00:10:03 Viral Street Interviews Reveal How Students Think About Rent

00:12:14 The Personal Housing Frustration That Sparked Rate My Rent

00:14:05 Discovering They Overpaid and Building a Better Solution

00:15:07 Using Viral Social Media to Collect Student Housing Data

00:17:25 How Rate My Rent UT Lets Students Compare Rent

00:20:52 Why Students Feel They Didn't Get a Good Deal

00:22:19 What Student Housing Data Reveals About Rent Trends

00:26:05 The Biggest Complaints Students Have About Their Apartments

00:28:02 Why Transparency Matters More Than Public Reviews

00:30:06 Student-Led Innovation Is Reshaping Housing Technology

00:31:39 Building the Platform with AI-Powered No-Code Tools

00:32:59 Expanding Rate My Rent Beyond the University of Texas

00:34:24 The Future of Student Housing Transparency

00:35:37 Final Takeaways and Closing Remarks

🤝Sponsor Spotlight:  Opiniion | AI-Visibility

As AI increasingly influences where prospective residents search for housing, Opiniion helps student housing operators stay visible where it matters most. Their AI Visibility platform shows how communities appear across leading AI platforms and provides a personalized action plan to improve discoverability, reputation, and online presence. In addition, Opiniion offers reputation management tools and Social Pro to simplify portfolio-wide social media management.

Learn more: https://opiniion.com/platform/ai-visi...

🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode:

SHI Events Page: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com...

ShopTalk.Info: https://www.shoptalk.info/

Rate My Rent UT: https://ratemyrentut.com

Rate My Rent Instagram:   / ratemy.rent  

The Daily Texan Article: https://thedailytexan.com/2026/05/01/...

🎙️Episode Summary

At OPTECH, the student housing industry's premier technology conference, host Wesley Deese and Tyler Holmes of PeakMade Real Estate discussed the practical innovations reshaping property operations. A major focus of their conversation was the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence—specifically the shift toward agentic AI. Rather than simply generating content, these advanced AI tools can now automate complex operational tasks and support centralized leasing teams, ultimately freeing onsite staff to focus entirely on delivering exceptional resident experiences.

Beyond the impressive demonstrations of robotics and emerging tech, Holmes emphasized that the conference's true value lies in peer collaboration and evaluating real-world use cases. He noted that successful technology adoption comes from exchanging actionable insights with fellow operators, rather than just purchasing the newest software. By learning from one another, organizations can implement proven solutions that drive operational efficiency, generate higher-quality leads, boost renewals, and elevate the overall resident experience.

⏱️Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction to the OPTECH interview series and overview of the conference's importance to the student housing industry.

00:00:18 - Sponsor message featuring Allegion's Resident Key in Wallet mobile access solution.

00:01:05 - Wes Deese welcomes Tyler Holmes of PeakMade Real Estate and asks for his overall impressions of OPTECH.

00:01:25 - Tyler explains why OPTECH is valuable for learning directly from fellow operators and understanding practical technology implementation.

00:02:00 - Discussion on moving beyond product demonstrations to real-world use cases and implementation strategies.

00:02:30 - Tyler identifies artificial intelligence as the conference's biggest trend and discusses AI-powered centralization in marketing and leasing.

00:03:05 - Conversation shifts to agentic AI and how automation can eliminate repetitive operational work while improving the resident experience.

00:03:45 - Final reflections on robotics, AI innovation, operational efficiency, lead quality, and resident satisfaction.

00:04:00 - Closing remarks and conclusion of the interview.

🤝Sponsor Spotlight:

Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams.

🎙️Episode Summary

In this episode of the SHI News Wrap up, Host Wes Deese and Co-host Gretta Dare explores the biggest developments shaping the student housing industry, including The Scion Group's acquisition of Student Quarters, continued market consolidation, major public-private partnership (P3) projects, new development activity, and significant investment transactions. Hosts Wes Deese and Gretta Dare examine the strategic implications of these announcements while offering thoughtful commentary on leadership, organizational change, and the future direction of the industry.

The episode also covers important legislative updates surrounding the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Build-to-Rent policy changes, Entrata's IPO filing, and broader market trends affecting owners, operators, and investors. From technology and public market transparency to housing affordability and operational strategy, this month's news roundup provides valuable context and actionable insights for professionals looking to stay informed on the latest developments in student housing.

⏱️Timestamps

00:01:14 Student Housing Insight Introduction

00:03:00 June 2026 News Wrap-Up Begins

00:03:55 Preview of Sly Brandon Interview and Nashville Recording

00:08:07 Major Industry Acquisition Discussion Begins

00:12:40 Interface Panel: Lessons from Student Housing Mergers

00:19:25 The Scion Group Acquires Student Quarters

00:30:25 How Consolidation Creates Operational and Insurance Advantages

00:35:05 Employee Transition and Integration Challenges

00:39:15 Is Scion Preparing for an IPO?

00:43:40 Maslow's Campus Communities Wins University of Washington Tacoma P3

00:45:45 Core Spaces Announces 3,500-Bed University of Illinois Expansion

00:48:45 New Mountain Capital Investment in Asset Living

00:50:40 Housing Legislation and Build-to-Rent Policy Update

00:57:10 Entrata Files for an IPO 01:00:35 What Going Public Could Mean for Entrata Customers

01:10:45 AI Surveillance Cameras Raise Privacy Questions on College Campuses

01:12:11 Closing Remarks

🤝Sponsor Spotlight: Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams.

Learn more about Allegion and the Campus-to-Community Student Living solution here: https://lp.allegion.com/student-housing.html

🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode

ShopTalk: https://www.shoptalk.info/

Scion Group's Acquisition of Student Quarter/Industry Consolidation in Student Housing:: https://therealdeal.com/national/2026/06/11/scion-group-makes-1-5b-student-housing-bet/

Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Employees: https://therealdeal.com/national/2026/06/11/scion-group-makes-1-5b-student-housing-bet

Core Spaces' 3,500-Bed Expansion Near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/06/02/maslows-campus-communities-uw-tacoma-housing.html?__cf_chl_f_tk=hcDXtaA5bvwupodjYrHtYVJr8zdJA.WfCLZ.5LW4lVw-1783023755-1.0.1.1-yl6GcZslH41H48fQPqA0uqnw3sr9NbIy4sk.lOHzBEg

New Mountain Capital's Acquisition of Asset Living

https://news.studenthousingdaily.com/p/june-11-2026-the-scion-group-to-acquire-student-quarters

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:

Build-to-Rent(BTR) Legislation and Its Impact on Student Housing: https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/senate-passes-21st-century-road-to-housing-act-now-across-the-finish-line

Luxury Student Housing Reshapes College Towns:

https://finance-commerce.com/2026/06/luxury-student-housing-college-town-affordability/

🎙️Episode Summary:

Recorded live from the OPTECH conference floor, host Wes Deese sits down with Scott Manning, SVP of Operations at Article Student Living, to discuss his key takeaways from this year's conference. With more than 23 years of experience in student housing and nearly a decade at Article Student Living, Scott shares how OPTECH provides a valuable opportunity to evaluate vendors, explore emerging technologies, and support the company's ongoing RFP process.

The conversation covers the growing role of AI, virtual tours, and technology integrations across property operations, as well as the importance of maintaining strong vendor partnerships. Scott also discusses an unexpected operational challenge involving pest management and explains how even niche service providers are increasingly leveraging technology to improve efficiency and integration. The episode concludes with reflections on the relationships and industry connections that continue to make OPTECH a meaningful event year after year.

⏱️Episode Timestamps

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:20 – Scott Manning's Background

00:00:45 – Initial OPTECH Takeaways

00:01:00 – Vendor Evaluation & RFP Process

00:01:35 – Technologies Under Review

00:01:55 – Looking Beyond Traditional PropTech

00:02:10 – Pest Management Technology & Integration

00:02:40 – Surprises and Industry Reflections

00:03:00 – The Networking Value of OPTECH

00:03:25 – Closing Remarks

🤝Sponsor Spotlight:

Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams. Learn more about Allegion and the Campus-to-Community Student Living solution here:

https://lp.allegion.com/student-housing.html

🔗Sources & References Mentioned:

2026 OPTECH

https://rettc.org/events/optech-2026

Student Housing Insight Events Page

https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/events