After a sedate start to the year, mergers and acquisitions in the multifamily industry are again gaining significant interest, according to a panel of analysts and executives at the Blueprint Conference in Las Vegas. M&As had dropped off by nearly 70% in the last year.
The top storylines in multifamily this week are promoting responsible pet ownership, amenity versatility, brand messaging, tomorrow’s renters, data visualization, EVs and natural disasters, future rent growth, where the jobs are going and rising multifamily insurance.
For perhaps the most accurate depiction of what to expect in the coming years, they can examine the student housing sector. These students represent the next wave of conventional renters, after all, so their unique preferences and behaviors should not be overlooked.
The top storylines in multifamily this week are retaining residents through choice, ESG, emergency response for residents, centralization, data-based decisions, tech for reducing burnout and turnover, operational efficiency challenges, Q4 deals and economists distort the record on rent control.
Although renewals are a vital component of the leasing lifecycle, operators have long approached them with a less-than-optimized process, one that relies heavily on overextended site teams performing a series of manual tasks, often without the sufficient time and energy to do so.
Today’s owners/operators face a choice: either embrace sustainability now and be well prepared for upcoming changes or delay and struggle to catch up later. Ignoring ESG will become increasingly difficult as demands begin to arrive from multiple sides.
The top storylines in multifamily this week are renters driving innovation, co-living and the affect on housing, tips for hiring the right people, pet technology, package management, bicycle amenities, the multifamily construction pipeline, distress in the CRE market and the revival of small multifamily homes.
While a smooth-running property is part of the equation, the most important component to driving renewals is to think of retention more holistically and provide residents with true optionality at the point of renewal. Retention can and should be about more than just keeping a resident in their current home.
Renters are modern. They expect to be able to manage their lives from the palm of their hand, and that includes their living spaces and rental experience. Today’s renters demand flexibility, affordability and options. They want it provided by their apartment community — and they want it now.
The top storylines in multifamily this week are pet inclusiveness, optimizing your waste programs, location and apartment branding, AI and property management, urban tech, parking problems, the current state of CRE, fall maintenance checklist and slowing rent growth.