Advertise on podcast: The Lease-Up

Great revenue management starts long before a property sets a price. It starts with the marketing that brings the right renters in the door. Multifamily marketing has changed a lot. It used to mean print ads and leasing training. Now it's a data-driven, strategic job, and the most effective marketers are the ones who understand operations, pricing and the numbers behind every signed lease. This episode of Multi-Housing News' Top Marketers podcast looks at where marketing and revenue management meet, and why bringing the two together can turn traffic into real results. Joining us is Heidi Jehlicka, vice president of marketing for The Bainbridge Companies. She leads all corporate and community-level marketing, branding and public relations, supporting acquisitions, new developments, lease-ups and the company's growing national footprint. With over 25 years of experience in multifamily and real estate, she began her career in hospitality—a background that heavily shapes her customer-centric approach to sales, service and the overall resident experience. Jehlicka is also a Certified Revenue Manager, which is unusual for a marketing leader. She calls herself an "operations marketer." She explains how a revenue management lens changed the way she builds budgets, manages lease expirations and judges whether marketing is working. Her focus is on the moment a prospect says yes to the price and the apartment, not just on foot traffic. The conversation covers how to handle the pressure of a lease-up, why a strong brand can protect pricing power, and why luxury brands never go on sale. Jehlicka also explains how to spot false signs of success in digital reporting, from spam calls to vanity metrics. Key topics include closing the gap between marketing and revenue management, treating the CRM as the source of truth, performance-driven partnerships with digital vendors, adapting strategy in soft markets, using concessions strategically, repositioning and rebranding acquisitions, and why marketers should step outside their comfort zones and learn every side of the business. From Hospitality to Multifamily: An Unplanned Career (1:02)The Revenue Manager in the Marketing Seat (5:00)Lease-Ups and the Brand-Revenue Connection (10:55)Beyond Vanity Metrics: Data That Drives Revenue (14:56)Soft Markets, Concessions and Acquisitions (18:43)The Orchestra: Art Meets Science (24:00)

Technology has become one of multifamily operators’ greatest allies, but do residents really want more of it? What they want are easier rent payments, faster answers, clearer maintenance updates and greater control over their experience. In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, MHN Executive Editor Laura Valean speaks with Ellie Norton, president of Rentyl Apartments & Homes, about what residents actually expect from technology. Drawing on nearly three decades of experience across the owner-operator and supplier sides of the industry, Norton explains why adoption metrics alone reveal little about whether a platform is working. The conversation also moves beyond technology to explore the experiences that have shaped Norton as a leader. She reflects on what working in sales taught her about gaining buy-in, how motherhood and special-needs advocacy changed the way she recognizes potential in others, and why she no longer thinks of work-life balance as an even division between competing priorities.

Passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was only the beginning. Now comes the harder part: turning its provisions into policies that actually affect housing production, financing and day-to-day apartment operations. In this episode of NAA Insights, Multi-Housing News Executive Editor Laura Valean sits down with Nicole Upano, assistant vice president of housing policy & regulatory affairs at the National Apartment Association, and Owen Caine, assistant vice president of federal legislative affairs, to examine what comes next as the new federal housing law enters the implementation phase.

In this episode of Management Diaries, I talk with Cindy Clare, chief operating officer at Bell Partners, about how property managers can approach that balance more strategically. We talk about what makes a budget credible and which expenses owners are likely to scrutinize most. She explains why the strongest budgets start with understanding what the owner is trying to achieve and what to do when their rent-growth expectations are a stretch for the market. Here are some highlights from our conversation: 2:10 — Start with the investment thesis 3:11 — Nail down owner expectations first 4:21 — Back every number with data 9:31 — Which line items owners will question 13:16 — Give owners options 14:27 — Resident expectations and amenity spend 20:40 — When owners want rent growth you can't hit 23:41 — How to minimize revisions 26:06 — One boring thing worth taking seriously

As development costs and financing conditions continue to shape what gets built, student housing companies are looking for more flexible ways to expand. For LV Collective, that has meant expanding beyond its Austin roots and building a vertically integrated national platform that brings investments, development, operations, design and marketing under one roof. Today, LV Collective has roughly 7,500 beds and $2 billion in projects under construction, according to the company’s CIO Chris Kott. In this episode of Student Housing Unlocked, Kott joins Senior Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu to discuss the fundamentals guiding the company’s growth strategy and how its integrated platform supports both ground-up development and acquisitions. Here are the topics discussed: LV Collective’s evolution and national growth strategy (01:38)How vertical integration influences investment decisions (04:29)Supply, demand and university market selection (05:41)Market warning signs and the value of campus visits (07:05)Competition from conventional multifamily (09:08)Choosing between development and acquisitions (10:30)The investment case for College Station (12:22)Tailoring projects to individual university markets (14:50)Safety, wellness and community in the resident experience (16:12)LV Collective’s next phase of expansion (17:46)

As a multifamily professional, technical expertise can get you in the right room, but it’s your communication skills, presence and trust that often determine what happens next. In the September episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, MHN Executive Editor Laura Valean sits down with Pamela Eyring, president & owner of The Protocol School of Washington, to examine why the skills often dismissed as “soft” may be better understood as “power skills” in a relationship-driven industry. Eyring explains how small details—from the way a leasing office greets a prospect to how an executive communicates in a high-stakes meeting—shape perceptions of both the individual and the company. She also discusses the gaps she sees among young professionals entering multifamily and why mentorship, coaching and clear expectations can help translate technical knowledge into workplace readiness.

Great development marketing starts long before a project has a name, a logo or even an architect. Increasingly, marketers are involved at the earliest stages of development, helping developers understand market demand, evaluate sites and make decisions about everything from unit mix to the overall resident experience. This episode of Multi-Housing News’ Top Marketers podcast explores how marketing can shape development strategy from the ground up—and how a deeper understanding of the market can help determine what ultimately gets built. Joining us are Sarah Patton and Dan Parker, co-heads of Compass Development Marketing Group in New York. With more than 18 years of experience in new development, Patton brings an owner’s perspective to projects, working across pre-development, design, architecture, marketing, sales and leasing while keeping an eye on the financial bottom line. Parker, who co-heads the group’s new development business, is involved in every phase of the development process. He works closely with architects, designers, creative agencies and public relations strategists to assemble multidisciplinary teams and help each project establish its own identity and appeal to New York’s increasingly sophisticated pool of buyers. The conversation looks at how that expertise can shape the physical product, from unit mix and apartment sizes to amenity programming and design. Patton and Parker discuss how developers can distinguish between lasting shifts in renter and buyer preferences and trends that may quickly lose their appeal—and why understanding the audience should come before deciding what to build. Key topics include bringing marketing into the process before site selection, using market intelligence to shape development strategy, optimizing unit mix and amenities, balancing trends with long-term appeal, building brands that resonate with buyers and renters, influencing neighborhood evolution and fostering stronger collaboration among developers, architects and marketing teams. From the Ground Up: Marketing Before the Building (0:00) Unit Mix, Amenities and the Trend Trap (7:32) Changing a Neighborhood One Building at a Time (14:59) One Team: Rentals Meets Sales (18:30) Community, Privacy and the Next Decade (23:46)

RPM Living Chief People Officer David Lynch talks with MHN’s Denile Doyle about the connection between how companies support their on-site teams and the experience those teams create for residents. Lynch pushes back on the idea that an employee will leave for another company for 50 cents and that’s the whole story. He firmly believes that it goes beyond that. He also breaks down his “skill-will-ability” approach to hiring and training and explains how executives can improve consistency in processes. Here are some of the topics we cover: (3:42) Where property management teams are feeling the most pressure right now(7:12) His perspective on how multifamily measures success(12:16) What investing in employees looks like beyond pay(15:09) Why defining your company culture should come before hiring and training(16:46) The "skill-will-ability" test and what employers can truly train for(19:08) Why the people doing the work should help shape the process

After more than two decades working across real estate banking, structured finance, lending and investment management, Elizabeth Roy has learned to look at a deal from more than one angle. Now, as the newly appointed chief investment officer of American Landmark Apartments, she's bringing that perspective to a multifamily market where capital is expensive, supply dynamics are shifting and investors are being forced to rethink what creates value. In this episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, Roy joins Multi-Housing News Executive Editor Laura Valean to discuss the experiences that shaped her investment philosophy, from navigating multiple real estate cycles to evaluating opportunities through both the debt and equity sides of the capital stack.

Strong multifamily branding isn't built through campaigns alone. In today's apartment industry, long-term success depends on understanding changing renter expectations, listening to resident feedback and delivering a consistent brand experience across every touchpoint—from digital interactions to everyday life inside the community. This episode of Multi-Housing News' Top Marketers podcast explores how a hospitality-driven multifamily brand scales its marketing and communications while preserving a consistent voice and resident-first culture across expanding markets. Joining us is Ashley Cerasaro, executive vice president of Communications at AVE, the hospitality-inspired apartment brand from Korman Communities, a fifth-generation family-owned real estate company. Today, AVE's portfolio spans more than 6,000 apartments across 20-plus communities nationwide. Over the past 14 years, Cerasaro has helped shape the company's multifamily brand strategy, overseeing public relations, resident communications, online reputation management, social media, corporate messaging and brand positioning. Most recently, she played a leading role in AVE's national brand evolution and redesigned digital platform, initiatives that reflect the company's rapid expansion and the growing demand for flexible apartment living. She also helped develop AVE's resident survey program, which has contributed to the company's industry-leading resident satisfaction rankings for four consecutive years. Key topics include maintaining brand integrity across many touchpoints, aligning communications with on-site operations through training and cultural leadership, using resident feedback and survey data to shape amenities and messaging, redesigning a digital platform to support seamless search and adopting AI for efficiency and faster insights without losing authenticity. From Journalism to "The Voice of Ave" (1:18)Shift from Persuasion to Trust (6:34)Service is the New Marketing (13:12)Listening That Changed Design (18:57)AI vs. Authenticity (20:35)

Village Green Executive Vice President of Operations Matt Guenther chats with MHN’s Denile Doyle about how renewals have evolved since he first started out in the industry and why retention is a year-round effort. He explains what sets the tone for whether someone stays or leaves and the importance of controlling your controllables. Here are a few highlights from this episode: (2:15) How renewals evolved from simple flat increases to a much more nuanced process(4:03) What residents are really weighing when the renewal notice arrives(5:54) The move-in experience and the first service request are the two make-or-break moments(8:24) Why framing renewals as a "happy anniversary" changes the conversation(13:02) The danger of a resident who never tells you they're unhappy(14:42) How conservative increases can boost the bottom line

Across the country, colleges and universities are rethinking how they deliver and finance student housing for today’s students. Aging residence halls, shifting enrollment patterns and rising expectations for the on-campus experience are prompting more institutions to turn to public-private partnerships to modernize housing while managing capital constraints. Gilbane Development Co. has been one of the firms most active in this space, with several projects illustrating how P3s are supporting large-scale campus transformations. Earlier this year, the company secured Western Kentucky University Board of Regents' approval for Elevate WKU, a $350 million project designed to redevelop the university’s residential footprint, with the first phase including a new 1,000-bed living and dining facility. The firm also started work on another multi-phase P3 with the University of Rhode Island, where the company will add more than 1,100 beds to the institution’s flagship campus in Kingston, R.I. That activity reflects a broader shift in student housing. In this episode of Student Housing Unlocked, Senior Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu is joined by Geoff Eisenacher, executive development director at Gilbane Development Co., to discuss why campus housing is no longer just about adding beds. Instead, Eisenacher describes a sector shaped by new expectations for the college experience, with projects increasingly combining housing with dining, parking, infrastructure and mixed-use components. Here’s what they discussed: How is student housing faring today? (01:34)The residential campus experience keeps demand resilient (05:38)Gilbane’s roots in student housing and its current strategy (07:36)Reading enrollment shifts and selecting university markets (09:18)Why colleges are considering P3s (12:39)Elevate WKU and the rise of whole-campus housing strategies (15:37)Balancing university control with private capital (17:43)On-campus P3s vs off-campus purpose-built student housing (20:12)More beds, better beds or a different housing mix? (23:46)Right-sizing amenities around affordability and flexibility (27:42)The next phase of student housing (30:20)

As the U.S. continues to face a severe shortage of affordable rental housing, much of the conversation centers on financing, development pipelines and the number of units being delivered. But for residents, the experience is also shaped by what happens inside the communities. For Lydia Liley, owner of Arrivare Interiors, thoughtful interior design can help affordable housing feel livable, durable and dignified without adding unnecessary cost. A registered interior designer with more than a decade of experience in multifamily design, Liley works at the intersection of budget discipline, material performance and resident experience. In the July episode of Mission Success: Women in Multifamily, she talks about why interior designers should be involved early in the development process, before project teams default to contractor-selected finishes or miss opportunities to elevate a space within budget. Sharing insights from her work on multiple projects across the country, she also discusses how lighting, flooring patterns, paint sheen, wood tones and even grout color can create warmth and visual interest without requiring custom materials.

Federal housing policy is constantly shifting, making it challenging for multifamily owners, operators and property managers to keep up with every proposal, rule change and court-tested uncertainty. Multi-Housing News Executive Editor Laura Valean reached out to Nicole Upano, assistant vice president of Housing Policy & Regulatory Affairs at the National Apartment Association, for a timely regulatory roundup on the federal actions multifamily professionals should have on their radar.

AI is shaking up many aspects of the multifamily industry, from marketing to leasing to operations, but one aspect that’s less discussed is how the tech can be applied to apartment building construction. To learn more about how AI has already been deployed in multifamily projects, along with what the future potential is, MHN Associate Editor Matthew Kaufman turned to James Garner, a member of the Construction Professional Group Panel at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, or RICS. He’s also the Head of AI and Data at Gleeds. Here are some highlights from their discussion: (1:17) AI’s early construction impact(4:36) Today’s biggest AI wins(7:00) Keeping humans accountable(8:38) Making data AI-ready(11:47) Culture over cost(13:14) Four AI mindsets(16:25) AI meets robotics(23:30) Investor and insurer reactions(27:35) Responsible AI standards