The Lease-Up

Denile Doyle chats with Cassandra McFadden, vice president & global head of sustainability at Cortland, about how sustainability is becoming a meaningful lever for long-term performance across multifamily.

McFadden recounts what it took for Cortland to earn top GRESB ratings and how the company has applied a policy-to-practice approach, from waste diversion to utility management to resident education.

How does she manage misconceptions about sustainability? The right language and goal alignments, says McFadden, can help you counter the naysayers and get the results you want for your firm.

Here are some of the topics we cover:

• (5:26) What drove Cortland’s GRESB journey from 2 to 5 stars
• (10:18) What residents actually notice when it comes to sustainability
• (17:12) Earth Month initiatives that resonate with residents
• (22:30) The two metrics that matter most in proving real sustainability impact.
• (25:19) Why the industry struggles to price sustainability improvements

Digital marketing success is no longer defined by clicks alone. As platforms grow more complex and AI becomes increasingly embedded in campaign execution, today’s top marketers are being challenged to think more strategically, balancing performance metrics with long-term business impact.

This episode of Multi-Housing News’ Top Marketers podcast, explores the dos and don’ts of digital marketing, the importance of aligning digital strategies with broader business objectives and how AI is reshaping the way marketers measure and optimize performance. As digital marketing continues to evolve, the conversation centers on blended metrics, transparent communication and maintaining strategic alignment across teams.

Joining us is Aaron Donofrio, senior manager of Digital Media at Fairfield Residential, a San Diego-based multifamily owner, developer and property manager. Donofrio leads paid media strategy across Fairfield’s national portfolio, overseeing performance-driven campaigns that support everything from luxury lease-ups to stabilized and affordable housing communities.

With a background in political digital media, he brings a data-first, audience-focused approach to multifamily marketing, translating complex performance metrics into clear insights that drive ROI and property-level success. Known for his collaborative style, Aaron works closely with cross-functional teams to deliver media strategies that are both highly effective and strategically aligned.

Key topics include identifying the most meaningful metrics for campaign evaluation, the continued importance of human judgment in an AI-driven landscape, strategies for addressing underperforming campaigns and the nuances between upper-funnel branding efforts and lead generation initiatives.

• Introduction to Digital Marketing Journey (1:38)
• Defining Success in Digital Marketing (5:42)
• Evaluating Digital Media Campaigns (7:40)
• Balancing Optimization and Performance (16:37)
• Human Side of Digital Marketing (21:04)

“You have to believe it to see it—not the other way around,” said Lynn Jerath, founder & president of Citrine Investment Group, in this anniversary podcast episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily. MHN Senior Editor Laura Valean sits down with Jerath for a deeply personal conversation that goes well beyond titles and transactions.

As Mission Success: Women in Multifamily enters its sixth year, this episode is a reminder of the series’ original purpose: spotlighting women who are shaping the industry with intention and clarity, and asking not just what they do, but why they do it.

Welcome back to Management Diaries. Jim Cunningham, president of Marquette Management, sits down with MHN’s Denile Doyle to discuss where he believes AI truly adds value for property managers.

Cunningham unpacks what thoughtful adoption really looks like when it comes to new technology. He explains how AI is adding value across Marquette’s portfolio, where its limitations show up and why there is such a thing as too much tech.

He also stresses that operators have a responsibility to implement AI carefully. What seems like a game changer at the corporate level can turn into a bad idea once site teams start using it at the property level.

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

• (3:38) Getting real about what AI can’t do—and will never be able to do
• (6:10) Lessons learned and challenges from testing different tools
• (9:09) Why Marquette is shifting its approach to AI integration
• (17:50) The unintended consequences that can surface when teams use AI

With nearly 40 properties in the U.S. and the U.K., Korman Communities—now in its fifth generation of family ownership—has long been at the forefront of lifestyle-driven rental housing. Across its communities, the share of renters by choice continues to climb, spanning young professionals, mid-career movers and a rapidly growing demographic of downsizers.

In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Valean sits down with Lea Anne Welsh, COO of Korman Communities and president of its high-end AVE brand, to explore how the American Dream has changed.

What are the forces that will shape the multifamily landscape in 2026? Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Valean asked George Ratiu, vice president of research at the National Apartment Association, to answer this question and many others in the final episode of this year’s NAA Insights podcast series.

This episode also dives into the expenses most likely to pressure NOI, the conditions needed for transaction activity to accelerate, and the role multifamily AI and analytics will play in driving operational efficiency next year. For owners, developers and managers preparing budgets and strategies, this conversation provides a clear look at the dynamics that will define multifamily in 2026.

Student housing has been one of the most resilient real estate sectors coming out of the pandemic, but the way it operates has changed significantly. Competition is only becoming higher in the sector and some markets have been outshining others in terms of performance.

In this special episode of our podcast series, Senior Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu talked with Tyson Huebner, director of institutional research at Yardi Matrix, about the key fundamentals shaping the market today. He broke down how preleasing has accelerated and why beds are filled earlier than ever. Huebner also pointed out how new supply and evolving demand patterns are reshaping competition in key university markets.

From understanding university growth plans to tracking development activity, supply volatility and construction costs, Huebner outlined the data points that really matter when evaluating markets and underwriting new deals. Coming from the same standpoint, he offered a grounded outlook on what’s coming next for the sector and why, despite the broader economic headwinds, student housing is still positioned to outperform conventional multifamily.

Here’s what we discussed about:

• Post-2020 shifts and faster pre-leasing (00:53)
• Why student housing outperforms multifamily (03:11)
• Occupancy expectations and near-term outlook (04:18)
• Shrinking pipeline and development barriers (05:14)
• Insights on research intensity, enrollment data and supply (06:40)
• Inside the Yardi 200 benchmark (09:12)
• Emerging markets and primary state schools (10:32)
• Why international enrollment, tuition and school closures matter (11:43)
• On-campus housing, P3s and competition (13:23)
• How will student housing perform further? (15:01)

In this episode of Management Diaries, Diana Pittro, executive vice president at RMK Management, joins MHN’s Denile Doyle.

We talk about leasing, resident retention and how the role of the leasing professional has changed over the years, going from a side hustle to a respected profession that requires skills and experience.

When hiring leasing staff, Pittro looks beyond energy or a bubbly personality. For her, the right attitude sets the tone for meaningful resident connections. “The world is full of different people, so sometimes that connection is easy to identify, but sometimes it isn’t,” says Pittro.

Here are some highlights from this episode:

• (10:56) Why turnover continues to challenge operators, and how transparency and strong training can help.

• (13:09) How using secret-shopping reports and performance tracking can identify gaps and reinforce best practices without penalizing employees.

• (17:59) The key elements that enable a leasing staff to make a great first impression.

• (27:00) The importance of asking the right questions during the resident renewal process.

• (32:21) What Pittro is prioritizing for her leasing teams in 2026.

"Nothing is beneath you," said Jacqueline Kluger in this month’s Mission Success: Women in Multifamily podcast episode.

Originally trained in hospitality management, Kluger began her career with Marriott before realizing she wanted to be on the ownership side of real estate. Since joining Philadelphia-based Post Brothers in 2018, she has helped close more than $1.4 billion in financing and $500 million in sales. Now serving as senior vice president of portfolio management, she oversees investor relations, financial planning, and reporting for the company’s 3,600-unit portfolio.In this conversation with Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Valean, Kluger reflects on the pivotal moments, mindset shifts and leadership lessons that have shaped her journey from hospitality to high-stakes real estate finance, and how embracing every opportunity, big or small, has defined her success.

In this episode, I sit down with Village Green CEO Diane Batayeh to talk about leading a 106-year-old company.

Our conversation goes beyond operations, diving into lessons from Batayeh’s decades-long career, including getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, learning from “fresh mistakes” and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

Batayeh shares how she bridges resident expectations with investor priorities and why transparency and data always factor into her decision-making.

She talks about the risks and tough decisions that come with leadership and her role as a steward for investors.    

Here are some highlights from this episode:

• (5:04) Early lessons that taught Batayeh how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable
• (11:34) Why intentional reputation management matters in today’s social media environment
• (15:30) How defining what’s urgent vs. what’s lasting to investors leads to better decisions and ROI
• (22:30) The unusual move that proved Village Green’s long-term commitment
• (27:16) The risk property managers underestimate the most
• (32:20) How investors’ mindset has shifted from five years ago