The Multifamily Hangout

Debbie Phillips is an entrepreneur and real estate professional with over 30 years of industry experience. Debbie has a multi-faceted career managing diverse real estate assets including developing world-class leadership development programs and talent management strategies
In addition to her private consulting, Debbie serves as an Adjunct Professor for numerous universities including Georgia Institute of Technology, The New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego, California and Realtor University in Chicago, Illinois. Debbie is actively involved in industry organizations and serves in advisory roles for housing, education and workforce development. As a keynote speaker, nationally acclaimed author, her passion is promoting careers in the real estate industry.

Debbie completed her Ph.D. from Georgia Tech, where her research focused on Resident Satisfaction and Employee Engagement as she developed an Employee Engagement Model for the Multifamily Housing Industry. Debbie also holds a Master of Science degree in Housing & Consumer Economics, with an emphasis on Senior Housing, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer Journalism, both from the University of Georgia.
Debbie believes in the philosophy, "you can dream, build and create the most beautiful place in the world, but it takes PEOPLE to make the dream a reality." Debbie’s mission is developing top tier talent that adds value to an organization through increased employee engagement.

Bob Knakal is a sales broker selling investment properties in New York City since 1984. It is generally accepted that Bob has brokered the sale of more properties (2,300) in New York City than any individual broker ever.

Bob was Chairman and Founding Partner of Massey Knakal Realty Services, New York’s #1 building sales firm. He started his real estate career in 1984 at CB Richard Ellis where he met Paul J. Massey Jr. They both left CB in 1988 to form Massey Knakal.

From 1988 through 2014, Massey Knakal closed over 6,000 transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $23 billion.

To date, Bob has been personally responsible for the sale of over 2,252 buildings (generally considered to be the highest total ever for a single broker in New York) and over $21 billion in sales.

On December 31, 2014, Cushman & Wakefield acquired Massey Knakal. At Cushman & Wakefield, Bob acted as Chairman of New York Investment Sales. He was ranked the top originating investment sales broker at Cushman & Wakefield in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Since 2009, Bob has written a weekly column on the New York City Real Estate Market called Concrete Thoughts for the Commercial Observer.

Bob graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1984.

In 1999, at the age of 36, Bob was named to Crain’s New York Business’s Forty Under Forty/New York Rising Stars list for his outstanding achievement in the New York City business community. He is a two-time winner of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Robert T. Lawrence Award in the Most Ingenious Deal of the Year contest.

​Jindou Lee is the CEO and co-founder of HappyCo, a PropTech company specializing in real-time property operations and asset management software.

Before founding HappyCo in 2011, Jindou led the User Interface team at Midway Games, contributing to titles like Mortal Kombat and Gauntlet.

He holds a Bachelor of Visual Communications (Design) from the University of South Australia. Beyond technology, Jindou is an avid real estate investor and enjoys spending time with his family.

Kirk Downey is a seasoned professional in the multifamily real estate industry, recognized for his extensive experience and leadership. He has served as a Director and Board Member at the National Apartment Association (NAA), contributing to the advancement of the apartment housing sector.

Throughout his career, Kirk has been instrumental in various capacities, including moderating panels at industry events such as the NAA Apartmentalize conference in San Diego, where he engaged with experts to discuss pressing topics in multifamily housing.

Whitney joined The Preiss Company in 2022 and serves as the Senior Vice President of Innovation and Technology.

She is responsible for the development of revenue generating technology initiatives serving the TPCO portfolio and broader multifamily markets. 

Whitney has an innate and recognized passion for driving innovative technology—paired with operational best practices—to maximize performance. Her customer-first leadership approach delivers market-specific solutions focused on increasing revenue, managing risk, and decreasing expense through technology.

Prior to TPCO, Kidd co-founded the connectivity scoring company, ROVR Score which provides owners and operators a platform to monitor, score, and promote the quality of internet connectivity at multifamily communities.

As an active partner, she oversaw the operations, sales, and go to market strategy for the organization, expanding to 50,000 student housing beds, 16,000 multifamily units, and 75 communities in the first year of business.

Gary Gregory is the Vice President of Operational Initiatives at RADCO, leading centralization and strategic operations to drive efficiency, resident satisfaction, and financial performance. A seasoned leader and speaker, he is also the founder of The Gary Gregory, LLC, where he inspires personal and professional growth through his SUPERFANTASTIC philosophy.

An author of multiple books, including The SUPERFANTASTIC ME and The WORST Leadership Manual Ever!, Gary delivers keynotes, presentations, and seminars on leadership and personal development. Based in Dallas/Fort Worth, he continues to impact the multifamily industry and beyond.

Vice President at H2 Real Estate in Birmingham, Alabama.
In her role, Katelyn oversees 189 properties, 2,439 units, and 350,000 square feet of commercial assets. Her influence extends across the industry:
President of the Greater Birmingham Apartment Association (GBAA).
Active member of the National Apartment Association (NAA) Independent Rental Owners (IRO) Committee.
Board of Directors Member for the Alabama Apartment Association (AAA).
Katelyn is passionate about empowering others through education. She regularly leads seminars on Budget Preparation, Leasing Strategy, and Professionalism in the Workplace, sharing her expertise to help others grow in their careers and make a lasting impact on their communities.

Carlyle Swafford’s multifamily career spans a diverse range of responsibilities, combining Corporate and On-site Operations experience.

His expertise is built on three decades of coaching, leading, and executing effective management, marketing, strategic financial planning, acquisitions, and third-party management.

The communities and teams he has managed include REIT-based portfolios, Conventional and Military Housing, Low-Income Tax Credit, and HUD communities.

Carlyle’s success is rooted in his ability to connect with individuals at all levels of management. He has led organizations as a member of the Executive Team, collaborated with Support Departments and Community Teams, and executed strategies designed to maximize NOI goals. His efforts have consistently improved successful assets, prioritized extraordinary customer service for both internal and external customers, and repositioned challenged communities while enhancing coaching and team building.

Over his distinguished career, Carlyle has earned multiple Multifamily Industry Certifications, including CPM and ARM through IREM; HCCP and SHCM through NAHB; C3P through Spectrum; CAM through NAA; and the Military Designation CDPM II through PHMA.

Adrian Danila and Chris Moreno explore the key trends and opportunities shaping 2025 in multifamily real estate and beyond.

🌟 Topics include:

They dive into:
🔍 Intentional curiosity and learning from diverse perspectives.
💡 Open debates that fuel innovation and creativity.
🚀 Technology's role in enhancing operations, safety, and resident experiences—while balancing progress with risk management.

Reflecting on purposeful living, Adrian and Chris share insights on adaptability and making the most of every opportunity.

🎧 Tune in on Spotify and discover strategies for thriving in multifamily real estate in 2025. Don’t miss it!

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David Perez is the Senior Vice President & Head of Residential at RMR Residential.

He oversees operations, management, and support functions, focusing on leveraging technology, processes, and data to achieve business objectives. David emphasizes the importance of people as key assets and upholds high standards of professionalism and accountability in daily operations.

Since joining RMR Residential in 2017, David has applied his expertise across operational, strategic, and transactional disciplines.

He previously held leadership roles at EY, Houlihan Lokey, AirServ Corporation (a subsidiary of ABM), and Slalom Consulting, gaining extensive experience in financial advisory, operations, and strategy for Fortune 500 clients.

David holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Georgia and is a certified Scrum Master. He serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Georgia Student Finance Commission, supporting educational goals and financial literacy in Georgia.

Outside of work, David enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and supporting the Atlanta Braves and UGA Football, with a passion for building high-functioning teams.