Hiring feels harder across multifamily, even as we post more roles, buy more tools, and screen more candidates. We dig into the hidden reason why: most hiring systems can’t see how people think. Resumes capture history, interviews reward polish, and personality tests surface preferences. None of them reliably predict how someone will communicate under pressure, make decisions with incomplete data, or manage resident conflicts when the stakes are real.

We walk through a practical shift to thinking-based hiring, starting with property-specific success profiles. Each asset is its own strategic business unit - lease-ups demand urgency and sales intent, stabilized communities need relationship depth and compliance, and urban or affordable properties carry distinct communication realities. By defining success precisely for a site and role, we can align expectations and evaluate what actually matters on day three, day thirty, and day three hundred.

From there, we show how to identify thinking patterns that forecast behavior. Conditional thinking depends on external levers like concessions, while ownership thinking activates internal strategies like re-engaging cold leads. With these signals in hand, AI-driven precision interviews generate targeted questions that probe real decision-making and tradeoffs, turning generic interviews into high-signal conversations. We also strip out process clutter - automated resume parsing, centralized information, and consistent workflows- so teams move faster with more confidence.

The payoff is clear: better alignment, faster hiring, lower turnover, stronger culture, and improved resident experience. If you’re ready to replace guesswork with insight and match the right minds to the right properties, subscribe, share this episode with your team, and leave a review telling us which thinking patterns you plan to hire for next.

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

Centralized recruiting can look efficient on a dashboard and still fail the people doing the work. We sat down with the leadership team at Baron Properties to unpack how they moved away from a single gatekeeper and toward a human-centered, AI-assisted hiring model that puts decision power back where performance happens: on-site and at the regional level.

We walk through the real problems that sparked the change - resume floods, slow responses, and culture misfires, and the new mechanics that solved them. Adaptive interviews generate tailored questions that probe genuine skill gaps. Property-specific job profiles capture the competencies and success factors that make one site different from the next, so the same candidate can be a great fit in one place and a poor fit in another. Managers enter conversations with context and confidence, and candidates feel seen rather than filtered by a black box.

What makes this story different is the partnership. Instead of buying a rigid ATS and hoping it fits, Baron collaborated with product leaders to iterate fast, integrate cleanly, and train community managers to own the pipeline. Small frictions like interview no-shows or integration quirks were solved in hours, not quarters. The early results are clear: better candidate quality, faster decisions, and teams energized by hiring people who truly match their culture. The longer-term gains like retention, engagement, resident satisfaction are already lining up behind this shift.

If you lead multifamily teams and feel stuck between efficiency and empathy, this conversation offers a third path: decentralize decision-making, centralize insight, and let adaptive AI support the humans who carry the brand every day. Listen, share with a colleague who owns hiring outcomes, and tell us where you stand on centralization vs. empowerment. And if this resonated, subscribe and leave a review. We read every word.

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

Every exceptional leader has something in common - they've surrounded themselves with trusted advisors who sharpen their thinking and protect their blind spots. Yet in the multifamily industry, most professionals make critical decisions based on sponsored panels and sales pitches disguised as education. This disconnect between how successful leaders actually grow and how our industry approaches professional development is costing companies dearly.

The Multifamily Innovation Council addresses this gap through what we call member-led growth. Unlike traditional networking groups or content platforms, we've created an environment that functions like your personal Fortune 500 advisory board - except every member is in the trenches facing real operational pressures just like you. They're making technology decisions, managing teams, balancing budgets, and navigating market shifts without the luxury of perfect information.

What makes the council unique is our commitment to integrity. There are no sponsors, no pay-to-play panels, no hidden agendas - just operators, marketers, investors, and business leaders aligned around growth, trust, and execution. Members join for different reasons - some to build their personal brand, others to influence leadership within their organization, many to navigate specific challenges like AI implementation or operational transformation. But they all recognize that "better" doesn't happen alone.

The power of this approach reveals itself through what we call the network effect. As our carefully curated membership grows, the experience improves for everyone. Conversations deepen, guidance becomes more precise, and the collective wisdom expands. Many members can point to a single connection made through the council that completely transformed their business trajectory or career path.

Ready to stop learning from those who paid to speak and start growing with peers who share your commitment to excellence? Visit multifamilyinnovation.com and click Join Now to become part of a community that's elevating the standard of leadership in multifamily.

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

Ever wonder why 75% of major organizational transformations fail? Dr. David White, cognitive anthropologist and transformation expert, reveals the hidden dynamics blocking your company's change efforts.

Most leaders approach transformation by focusing on people: hiring new talent, reorganizing departments, or implementing top-down mandates. Yet the real barriers to change lie in what Dr. White calls "dominant logics" - the deeply embedded ways of thinking that have driven your organization's past success but now actively block its evolution.

These dominant logics aren't abstractions - they manifest in concrete business practices. Your budgeting processes, strategic planning methods, meeting structures, and decision-making frameworks all quietly reinforce the status quo, making transformation nearly impossible without systemic intervention.

Through fascinating examples, Dr. White explains how risk-averse cultures might excel in quality control while suffocating innovation, or how customer-centric organizations can become trapped in patterns that prevent necessary pivots. The paradox? The very dominant logics that created your success now prevent you from adapting to changing market conditions.

Transformation requires more than surface-level changes. Dr. White outlines how organizations must map their entire system of practices, identify where dominant logics are helpful versus harmful, and develop leadership teams capable of implementing sustainable change. This isn't a quick fix - it demands patience, objectivity, and the willingness to examine practices leaders themselves may have created and championed.

Whether you're navigating digital transformation, implementing AI, scaling rapidly, or managing a merger, this episode provides crucial insights into why your smart, experienced team keeps hitting invisible barriers. Discover how to diagnose your organization's cultural DNA and craft transformation strategies that actually stick.

Visit https://www.culture-logics.com/ to connect with Dr. White, or explore his book "Disrupting Corporate Culture" for deeper insights into breaking through organizational barriers to change.

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

Communication failures are silently sabotaging multifamily operations. Between overflowing inboxes, missed text messages, and information scattered across multiple platforms, your teams are spending countless hours searching for information while important details fall through the cracks.

In this eye-opening discussion, Jim Rostel, COO at Anchor Northwest Property Group, shares a harrowing story about facing a lawsuit eight months after a property disaster, only to discover critical communications were inaccessible after an employee left the company. This real-world example highlights how our industry's fragmented communication approaches create serious business liabilities that extend far beyond day-to-day frustrations.

Jason Griffith, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Synco, explains why property management needs specialized communication tools rather than generic platforms built for every industry. "Most people are using the same software for communications that the local dog kennel, barbershop, and Department of Defense use," he notes. "It has nothing to do with property management, which is why the current way of doing business causes so much pain."

The conversation reveals how centralizing communications creates transparency from "boardroom to boiler room," allowing executives to monitor critical situations in real-time without micromanaging. We explore how features like instant translation help diverse maintenance teams communicate effectively, and how integrating communications from other alert systems eliminates inbox overload.

Most compelling is Jim's insight on implementation: the executives initially most resistant to change became the platform's biggest champions once they experienced the benefits. "This is one of those questions like as an executive, once you make the move to a new way, why would you go back?" he asks.

Whether you're considering centralization initiatives or simply tired of information falling through the cracks, this discussion provides a practical framework for rethinking your communication strategy. How much more could your team accomplish if they weren't constantly searching for information across multiple platforms?

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

The toughest challenge in business today isn't technology adoption or market volatility - it's navigating meaningful organizational change. Dr. David White, cognitive anthropologist and transformation expert, joins us to reveal why roughly 70% of change initiatives fail despite good intentions and substantial resources.

Drawing from his 30+ years working with organizations like Microsoft, IBM, and many others, Dr. White shares the groundbreaking insights that led him to pursue a doctorate in cognitive anthropology after witnessing repeated transformation failures. His research uncovered a critical blindspot: businesses fundamentally misunderstand what culture is and how it operates. While most leaders focus on values, behaviors, and mindsets, Dr. White demonstrates that culture actually lives in the tacit, taken-for-granted knowledge that manifests through business practices.

The fascinating paradox Dr. White illuminates is that an organization's greatest strengths often become its most formidable barriers to change. The "dominant logics" that created success—whether prioritizing certainty in manufacturing or rapid iteration in software development—frequently become over-applied across domains where they no longer serve the company's evolution. These logics remain largely invisible until you attempt to change them, at which point resistance emerges from seemingly rational business practices.

Through vivid examples and practical frameworks, Dr. White shows how to diagnose these underlying cultural patterns by asking powerful questions like "How do you define success?" or "What makes someone a rock star in your organization?" and listening for revealing patterns. Rather than treating transformation as a mere project or technology implementation, he guides leaders to recognize when fundamental questions about purpose and identity - "What business are we in?" - need addressing.

Looking to drive meaningful change in your organization? This conversation offers crucial insights that go beyond simplistic change management models to help you understand the invisible forces shaping your company's future. Subscribe now for our upcoming series exploring how to identify barriers to change, craft effective strategies, overcome common pitfalls, and sustain transformative change that sticks.

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

Unlock the secrets to transforming the multifamily housing sector with us as we chat with Larry Gorman, the visionary president of LeaseHawk. Discover how innovations like self-guided tours and centralized leasing offices have not only revolutionized operational efficiency but also set a new standard for the industry. Larry's journey, from overcoming challenges in the hospitality sector to spearheading cloud-based solutions in multifamily housing, offers a wealth of insights and inspiration for anyone looking to optimize their property operations and drive profitability.

We explore the art of cultivating a culture where innovation thrives, highlighting the importance of viewing failure as an opportunity for growth rather than a setback. Through compelling case studies and metaphors, such as a child learning to walk, we illustrate how incremental experimentation can lead to groundbreaking solutions. By fostering an environment where small-scale tests are encouraged and collaboration with stakeholders is prioritized, we demonstrate how the multifamily sector can successfully embrace a mindset of continuous improvement and creativity.

As we journey through the rapidly evolving world of communication technologies, Larry sheds light on how tools like virtual assistants are reshaping leasing processes and addressing the challenges of vacant units. We dive into the transformative future of CRM systems powered by AI, emphasizing the potential to democratize business leverage and unlock employee potential. With Scottsdale as an emerging hub for connection and collaboration, listeners are guided on how to tap into LeaseHawk's resources for further exploration and innovation in the multifamily sector. Join us for an episode filled with insights that could redefine the way you view innovation and efficiency in housing.

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

Unlock the secrets to transforming financial performance and compliance in the multifamily industry with insights from Michael Bowman, the visionary CEO and founder of Resident Radius. Discover how Michael's journey from an operator to a supplier partner has informed the creation of innovative cash management solutions that tackle financial evictions, late payments, and more. By listening to this episode, you'll gain an understanding of how Resident Radius builds a resident-centric approach that aligns seamlessly with owner and operator policies.

Building a platform from scratch is no small feat, and Michael shares his strategic blueprint for success. Learn about the shift from licensed software to platform development, emphasizing organic growth and the importance of an offshore team in Ireland. Michael highlights the critical role of client partnerships, addressing pain points, and ensuring user-friendly customization. This episode guides you through the strategic onboarding process and the art of communicating positive change to maximize property management efficiency.

With a focus on technology integration, this episode explores the transformative impact on property operations, particularly in cash management and regulatory compliance. Michael discusses the necessity of agile systems in keeping pace with shifting legislation, such as California's security deposit laws. By partnering with specialized tech solutions, operators can maintain excellence while respecting the multifamily industry's human element. Tune in to witness Resident Radius's success story and look forward to future collaborations and insights at their upcoming summit.

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

In this episode of the Multifamily Innovation® Podcast, host Patrick Antrim, Chairman of the Multifamily Innovation® Council, sits down with Brad Robins, Principal Product Evangelist at Flex. Flex, a financial tech innovator and official partner of the Multifamily Innovation® & AI Summit, offers a unique approach to providing financial flexibility to renters.

Brad dives into Flex’s mission-driven approach, which empowers renters, reduces pressure on property owners, and contributes to the overall financial wellness of the multifamily industry. As Principal Product Evangelist, Brad explains his role in storytelling and building customer understanding of Flex’s mission, differentiating his focus from the product engineering team. His work emphasizes communication, helping both industry partners and renters understand Flex’s value.

Flex’s product is designed as a financial wellness app, giving renters the option to pay their rent flexibly by splitting payments into two smaller, manageable portions each month. Brad notes that this approach meets renters' needs, especially for those with irregular income or sudden expenses. This unique product-market fit propelled Flex’s rapid growth, reaching over 8 million units across 2,000+ management company partners nationwide. Brad highlights the importance of this growth, emphasizing how Flex’s offering reflects a larger trend set by leading consumer brands, such as Amazon, which now provide diverse payment models to align with consumers’ financial situations.

Collaboration with partners is central to Flex’s product development. Flex is continuously iterating based on feedback from clients in the multifamily industry, such as the suggestion to create a rent payment flexibility option specifically for employees of management companies. This co-created solution reflects Flex’s commitment to its partners and to enhancing its product to better fit the needs of multifamily clients. Patrick and Brad discuss the impact of Flex’s product on multifamily operators, detailing how Flex streamlines rent collections while improving the resident experience. 

Flex’s mission extends beyond payment flexibility, encompassing a culture of genuine support and understanding. By empathizing with renters’ financial challenges, Flex strives to make a difference in the resident experience. 

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/

In this episode of the Multifamily Innovation® Podcast, host Patrick Antrim sits down with Arlene Mayfield, Senior Vice President at PetScreening, to explore how PetScreening is reshaping pet policies and operations across the multifamily industry. With over 7 million units under management and partnerships with more than 24,000 property management companies, PetScreening brings innovative solutions that enhance resident experiences, boost property revenue, and streamline compliance with HUD’s guidelines for emotional support animals.

Arlene emphasizes the importance of trust, communication, and collaboration as the foundation for strong partnerships. These values are essential as PetScreening helps property management companies tackle pet-related challenges and improve overall efficiency. PetScreening’s solution alleviates the burden of HUD compliance for Emotional Support Animal (ESA) requests, removing the legal complexity from property managers and reducing potential liability. Additionally, the service is cost-effective: property management companies can implement PetScreening at no cost, as fees are only charged to residents with household pets, allowing managers to avoid “junk fee” concerns.

With PetScreening, properties gain insightful access to pet demographics, such as tracking bite histories, which help properties understand and mitigate risks associated with pet ownership in their communities. PetScreening’s software can be implemented in a week, with two-way integrations into most property management software, making setup fast and effective. Their system enables properties to capture additional revenue through pet fees while also creating a reliable process to verify ESA claims and deter false documentation.

Arlene also shared PetScreening’s plans to expand into the short-term rental space, enabling pet-friendly travel accommodations and office environments where pets can help increase employee engagement and satisfaction. As she notes, “Pets are the new kids, with more pets now in households than children.” Through its offerings, PetScreening builds peace of mind, with the ESA compliance service not only lifting a legal burden but also offering properties a streamlined approach to managing pet policies.

About the Multifamily Innovation® Council:

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is the executive level membership organization that makes a difference in your bottom line, drives a better experience for your employees, and allows you an experience that keeps demand strong for your company. The council is uniquely positioned to focus on the intersection of Leadership, Technology, AI, and Innovation.

The Multifamily Innovation® Council is for Multifamily Business leaders who want to unlock value inside their organization so they can create better experiences and drive profitability inside their company.

To learn more or to join, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com.

For more information and to engage with leaders shaping the future of multifamily innovation, visit https://multifamilyinnovation.com/.

Connect:
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Patrick Antrim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickantrim/