September is National Preparedness Month, making it the perfect time to rethink what readiness really means for multifamily property managers.

In this episode of Management Diaries, MHN’s Denile Doyle sits down with Stacy Brown, Vice President of Property Management Enablement at Real Property Management, to dig into what preparedness really looks like for today’s operators.

Here are a few highlights from this episode:

• How to evaluate your properties with a clean lens (6:51)

• Why operators should make sure their people are “on green” (9:35)

• Where to standardize vs. customize in a preparedness strategy (14:19)

• Back-to-basics communication tips for stronger planning (19:03)

• Why practicing realistic scenarios is the only way to stay ready (24:56)

One in eight Americans go to bed hungry each day, while 92 billion pounds of food is wasted annually. Hunger is a blind disease, and food insecurity is rampant across the country. But the multifamily industry can play a key role in combating this phenomenon.  

When people move, they tend to throw away a lot of food. This is when your onsite staff can provide them with a food collection bag and encourage them to donate the items they don’t plan to take with them. A Move for Hunger partner from a transportation company will come to pick it up and deliver it to a local food bank. Doing good is that easy!

For Bridget Foley, altruism is part of her DNA. Today, she’s Director of Multifamily Memberships for nonprofit Move For Hunger, which mobilizes transportation networks and the multifamily industry to deliver surplus food to communities in need. "Doing good in my life has always been my driving force," she told Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Valean in this month’s Mission Success: Women in Multifamily podcast.  

Immersive marketing is rapidly transforming how prospective renters discover and connect with apartment communities. From interactive tours to fully immersive media platforms, today’s marketing landscape is all about meeting renters where they are—digitally.

In this month’s episode of Multi-Housing News’ Top Marketers podcast, Izzy Carunungan, industry principal at Yardi and former chief marketing officer and LCP Media—a visual media company recently acquired by Yardi—joins MHN Senior Associate Editor Corina Stef to explore how immersive marketing in multifamily is evolving and why it’s becoming essential in the renter journey from first click to signed lease.

With a multifamily marketing career dating back to 2005, Izzy brings a rare blend of experience from both the operator and vendor sides. He held senior marketing roles at Greystar and Bozzuto and led marketing efforts at LCP Media. Today, he drives strategic initiatives to advance Yardi’s visual media and digital content solutions. His deep understanding of branding, leasing strategy and resident engagement allows him to bridge the gap between property management and cutting-edge tech.

We also explore how the pandemic accelerated adoption of immersive leasing tools, and why virtual staging, 3D site maps and VR tours are now standard in successful marketing campaigns. Tune in to discover how immersive marketing strategies like gamification, augmented reality and interactive experiences are shaping the future of multifamily marketing.

• Defining immersive marketing (1:36)
• Evolution of virtual tools in multifamily (2:57)
• Impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior (5:07)
• Effective immersive tools and their benefits (6:54)
• Case study: success with VR in leasing (9:34)
• Future trends in immersive media (13:14)
• Getting started with immersive marketing (17:16)

When it comes to student housing management, operators often need to adopt a more targeted approach due to the sector’s unique leasing cycles and seasonal “turn” periods. Operators need to have a deep understanding of regional fundamentals while still upholding branding consistency. With 60 years of experience in the field and over $2 billion of student housing assets under management, Campus Apartments believes that an “all-size-fits-all” strategy doesn’t work for the sector.

For this episode of Student Housing Unlocked, Dan Bernstein, president & chief investment officer at Campus Apartments, joins me as we unpack the evolving demands of student housing and how operators are navigating an operationally intensive sector. Bernstein emphasizes the importance of vertical integration, good partnerships and feedback-driven community building as key strategies for long-term success.

With students and parents expecting more than just campus proximity and technology-driven amenities, our conversation explores how Campus Apartments is reshaping the student living experience through wellness-driven programming, design and a deep understanding of regional campus cultures.

Here’s what we discussed about:

• What’s fueling rent growth and why value is key (01:10)
• How Campus Apartments is redefining “home” for students (04:00)
• What amenities students value and will pay more for (05:30)
• Why one-size-fits-all doesn’t work in student housing (07:29)
• Partnerships that make an impact (09:02)
• Managing the intense demands of “turn” season (12:00)
• The core values behind Campus Apartments’ culture (15:00)
• How AI is beginning to transform student housing (15:31)
• What outsiders often get wrong about student housing (17:08)

For property managers who want a seat at the table, it starts with thinking differently about your role and showing the value you bring beyond the day-to-day operations.

In this episode of Management Diaries, MHN’s Denile Doyle chats with Kelley Brine, president of Rose Valley Management, to explore how property managers can go beyond day-to-day operations and take on a more strategic role.

Here are a few highlights from this episode:

• How shifting from an operational mindset to an ownership mindset can influence long-term strategy (3:14)

• Why the small interactions add value, and how they reflect the kind of care and investment that owners expect (5:01)

• Why understanding the story behind the data is just as important as the numbers themselves (8:17)

• How leaders can empower their teams simply by asking the right questions (12:09)

• Why property managers should know their communities deeply and use their insights to shape smarter, more resident-focused decisions (19:26)

With tight supply and inelastic demand, manufactured housing is one of the most resilient and strategic sectors in the real state landscape, according to Kristin Millington, a Managing Director in the Manufactured Housing and Self Storage groups of Crow Holdings Capital. "I think it’s one of the most unique supply and demand stories that we see in real estate," Millington said in the July episode of the Mission Success: Women in Multifamily podcast series. "In all of the product types that I’ve touched, this is the only one where you don’t worry about the threat of new supply."

Press play for the entire conversation!

In this episode, Joe McDiffitt, Managing Director of Property Management at Coastal Ridge Real Estate, joins MHN’s Denile Doyle to share lessons from overseeing a diverse portfolio that includes student housing and traditional multifamily properties.

Operators need to have a strong framework, understand their residents and be responsive when things change, shares McDiffitt.

Managing multiple property types shouldn’t be siloed. Deploying resources where needed and being attentive to the leasing cycle of each property type can prevent teams from being overwhelmed and unprepared.

And despite key differences in these two markets, McDiffitt says they can still inform each other. Here are a few highlights from this episode:

• Key operational differences between student housing and traditional multifamily (4:40)

• How Coastal Ridge applies data from its multifamily portfolio, such as renewal conversion ratios, to improve student housing performance (8:19)

• Aligning the preleasing cycle with on-site teams to ensure smooth execution during peak periods (10:05)

• Where it makes sense to share resources across property types to improve efficiency (13:29)

• How relationships, mentorship and discipline can help you succeed in the industry (17:54)

"You need culture to create a thriving company,” is the phrase that shaped Amy Steadman’s career. While studying at UCLA, she heard one of her professors say this and it stuck with her ever since. Today, she's MidPen Housing's Chief People Officer, even though she doesn't have a multifamily background. But it's precisely that outside perspective that's helping her come up with creative solutions that contribute to MidPen’s mission. To her, HR is a strategic business partner that focuses on creating meaningful connections among the company’s nearly 700 employees spread over 12 counties in California. How does she do it? What are the principles that guide her work? Tune in to find out from this podcast hosted by MHN Senior Editor Laura Calugar!

1 in 5 Americans plan to quit their job this year, with 1 in 2 even considering switching industries, accord to a recent study from SideHustles.com. If multifamily is on their radar, they will definitely need some guidance through all of the different career paths that the industry has to offer.

To cater to the needs of those entering or currently in the residential property management industry, the National Apartment Association recently launched a career mapping tool that anyone can access, free of charge.

MHN Senior Editor Laura Calugar invited Tiana Heath, senior manager of Industry Relations within NAA, to talk about all the features this tool encompasses and how it can help professionalize the apartment industry during a turbulent time in the job market.

Campuses and student housing are no longer just a place to sleep for students, but rather the space that promotes connection and supports overall mental health. Whether it’s through fostering a sense of inclusivity, offering tailored amenities, or design, student communities are now embracing a more wellness-centric approach by integrating certain amenities and decisions that help them connect, study and feel better.

As we acknowledge Mental Health Awareness Month, I interviewed Beryl DePalma Alder, AIA associate and senior project designer at Moody Nolan, about what it means to design student housing projects with wellness in mind. Since well-being is not limited only to amenities and green spaces, Alder shared some insights on integrating natural light, biophilic design, adaptable layouts and certain colors into communities to foster connection and support students’ mental health.

Even the smallest architectural or design decisions can make or break an environment. If done right, thoughtful design creates a sense of belonging and reduces stress. “Design is preventive care,” believes Alder and it can help reduce burdens by incorporating wellness into the daily lives of students.

Here’s what we talked about:

• What is purposeful design? (1:45)
• Elements that can make or break thoughtful design (03:20)
• A closer look at Moody Nolan’s work (07:02)
• How can wellness-focused design make a difference? (10:42)
• What’s in and what’s out for thoughtful design (13:30)
• Incorporating nature and flexibility into student housing (15:12)
• Amenities that shine (18:10)
• More listening, less designing (22:23)