The Lease-Up

The student housing sector has been keeping a steady pace with a 94.5 percent preleasing rate and more than 41,430 beds under development. Major universities in Texas remain among the top institutions with the strongest fundamentals including rent growth and inventory. However, some investors are looking towards a new strategy: moving away from flagship universities and investing in smaller markets where supply demand is strong, and enrollment remains robust. That’s the case with Palladius Capital Management, which focuses on value-add and core-plus assets in markets with high demographic trends and economic potential. In this episode of Student Housing Unlocked, the company’s CEO Nitin Chexal shares his insights on the key factors that drive the Texas student housing market, as well as his approach to making communities desirable. Here’s what they discussed about: Texas student housing market trends and population-driven demand surge (01:24) Key growth drivers for growth at public and private universities in Texas (02:16) Addressing limited supply: Why strategic markets thrive despite challenges (04:27) Occupancy rates and their link to Texas's growing population and supply-demand (05:30) Policies that sometimes create noise in the sector (07:57) Shuttle-stop properties: A hidden ROI opportunity in student housing investments (09:00) Evolving student preferences for amenities and community features (11:28) Sustainability in student housing: Innovations and eco-friendly initiatives (13:34) Recent acquisitions and market focus in Texas and beyond (15:00) Future outlook: Student housing will continue to grow (16:57)

Marketing for an architecture or design firm looks different than for a multifamily owner or operator. A strong reputation and meaningful marketing material can be the difference between winning or losing out on a potential project. Sarah Wortman, marketing director, MG2, is an expert in ensuring that her company brings all the materials necessary, plus more, to the table. Wortman has been in her current role since March of 2023. She heads up the marketing team for the company as well as provides rigor and support for MG2’s business development strategy while working closely with the firm’s principals. She has background working for multiple design firms ranging from architecture to engineering companies as well as has experience focusing on client solutions and satisfaction through marketing. In this podcast, Wortman and Multi-Housing News Senior Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg team up to talk all about her role as a marketer for a design firm and some of her favorite strategies. Tune in to hear about: ·      Wortman’s background and how she became a marketer (1:00) ·      How academia has helped shape Wortman’s marketing career (2:25) ·      Communicating why marketing is essential during an economic downturn to executives (3:30) ·      How marketing can aid an architecture firm in landing a project (6:50) ·      The criteria clients use to choose an architect (9:35) ·      What it looks like to market for a community throughout all the stages of its life (10:40) ·      The importance of data for a design firm’s marketing team (13:45) ·      Marketing for different types of multifamily and commercial developments (15:30) ·      Some of MG2’s current projects and the media behind them (18:20)

In certain markets across the nation, rental rates have been hurt due to a strong wave of supply deliveries. And yet, the U.S. still faces a severe housing shortage partnered with affordability issues. In this episode of Quarterly with NMHC, Caitlin Sugrue Walter, vice president of research, and Bernard Fulton, vice president for housing policy and regulation, join Multi-Housing News Senior Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg to talk about just that. Caitlin Sugrue Walter’s primary role with NMHC is to conduct research on multifamily trends for the company. Her areas of expertise include apartment market trends, multifamily supply and specialty apartment research topics. Bernard Fulton brings more than 30 years of experience in and around Congress as a policy advisor, legislative analyst, lobbyist, strategist and political organizer. He is well versed in housing affordability, housing supply, finance and capital markets, GSEs and housing finance reform. Tune in to listen in on the implications of this new multifamily stock as well as what policy makers and those in the industry can do to keep the needle moving. You’ll hear: ·      Where new multifamily stock came online and why (1:30) ·      Why so many units hit the market at relatively the same time (3:30)   ·      How long until high-supply markets begin to absorb the excess (4:50) ·      Where multifamily development stands in the future (6:40) ·      Specific policy solutions to mitigate the impediments facing multifamily (10:30) ·      Short term solutions that would make a difference (13:05) ·      How taxes could ease or hurt multifamily cost challenges (14:15) ·      State-wide policies that Fulton hopes don’t move forward (15:40) ·      Sugrue Walter’s thoughts on rent growth sentiment and rent control (17:10) ·      Government programs and vouchers that can help residents find housing (18:05)   Recorded October 2, 2024

As today's residents seek both luxury and a true sense of community, property managers are increasingly turning to on-site apartment coordinators to create cohesive environments. In this episode, Daniel Ebner, president, and Tara Griffin, director of apartment life at Knightvest Residential join me to explore the unique impact of these coordinators who prioritize building authentic connections and fostering resident well-being. Ebner and Griffin share insights into how intentional relationship-building fuels thriving communities, especially in an era marked by remote work and increased isolation. Here are a few highlights from this episode: – The importance of having dedicated resources for community building (5:43) – How on-site coordinators go above and beyond to connect with residents (12:39) – The role that coordinators play in shaping a community’s reputation (17:47) – What drives Knightvest’s commitment to making residents’ lives easier (21:30)

In this Mission Success: Women in Multifamily podcast episode, Jewell Walton, VP of public partnerships with Evergreen Real Estate Group, talks to Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar about her 20-year career, how she learned to deal with stigma surrounding affordable housing and where opportunities lie in the sector. Tune in now!

From a marketing standpoint, Towne Properties relies on a “source of truth.” What is it? Their CRM. In this Top Marketers podcast, Anne Baum, director of marketing with Towne Properties, talks about what it was like to first identify a source of truth, then clean the data in it and then deploy it for the greater good of the company. Of course, there were some challenges. One of them? Identifying and fixing discrepancies. But after years of practice, Baum knows how to utilize her data systems best. In her role, Baum heads up the marketing department which supports more than 100 properties, four business units and 900 employees. She has been at the company since 2019, having previously served in industries including franchise, non-profit, SMB, reverse logistics and multifamily. Tune in to listen to Baum chat with Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg about all things data. After all, she does joke that data is her middle name. You’ll hear about: ·       Baum’s journey from aspiring archeologist to marketer (1:15) ·       The two things Baum is most focused on in her current role (4:00) ·       How to identify a “source of truth” within a company and why it’s so important (7:00) ·       Towne Properties’ CRM and the data systems the company uses (9:30) ·       Classifying and dealing with data discrepancies (13:30) ·       The process of cleaning data (18:20) ·       What marketers can do to increase lead to lease optimization through data (21:00) ·       How marketers can use data to drive change internally (23:10)

As one of the largest developers and operators of student housing across the US, Landmark Properties has built a reputation for delivering high-quality, innovative communities tailored to students' needs. But when it comes to student housing, it’s also important to know how to navigate risks while still capitalizing on the sector’s strong fundamentals. Despite ongoing challenges in the market, the company delivered over $2 billion worth of properties last year alone and started work on other major projects in prime university markets. In this episode of Student Housing Unlocked, Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu talks with Max LaVictoire, Landmark Properties’ Managing Director of Investor Relations, who discusses the unique challenges of tackling construction costs while maintaining high-quality standards. LaVictoire also shares the firm’s expansion strategy, along with the importance of keeping up with students’ needs. You'll also get a glimpse into their move in the SFR market and what sets this apart from their core focus on student housing. Here are the main topics LaVictoire and Bunescu talked about: Landmark’s strategies for mitigating market volatility in today’s unpredictable student housing market (01:33) The formula for crafting smart investment deals in the sector (03:13) How are the latest trends reflected in Landmark Properties’ portfolio? (05:09) The blueprint for selecting prime university markets and why some campuses shine brighter than others (07:04) How Landmark balances high construction costs with delivering top-tier, student-friendly living spaces (08:28) A behind-the-scenes look at their standout developments, including what makes Syracuse special (09:50) Innovative design and must-have amenities shaping the future of student housing (12:44) Exploring Landmark’s housing brands—The Standard, The Mark, etc.—and what sets them apart (14:00) How can operators keep a high occupancy rate across their portfolios? (15:50) Gathering feedback and a high focus on student-centered living 17:13) The opportunities of expanding into the SFR market with the Everstead brand (19:18) What’s next for Landmark Properties? (21:02) Pro tips for those looking to break into the student housing market (23:07)

Eight years ago, Caroline Kovac had an “aha moment” and decided to follow her passion for design. She founded Design Identity Group, a firm that recently completed its 90th design project.   In this Mission Success: Women in Multifamily podcast episode with Multi-Housing News Senior Editor Laura Calugar, she reflects upon her professional journey and the mentors who supported her. Today, those same mentors she looked up to throughout her career in operations are her clients.

Housing providers have learned to adapt to the rapidly changing policy landscape, but the most recent idea of limiting rent hikes to 5 percent across the country has left many National Apartment Association members discouraged. Nicole Upano, assistant vice president in the organization’s Housing Policy & Regulatory Affairs department, assessed that, were it to pass Congress, the White House’s proposal would result in rental income loss through 2026 of no less than $28 billion. In this episode of Multi-Housing News' quarterly podcast series NAA Insights, Upano talks to Senior Editor Laura Calugar about the potential consequences of a nationwide rent cap.

A multifamily community with a pool and a gym is one thing (and it’s great). But a property with a partnership with the most recent World Series winner? That’s another. In this Top Marketers podcast, Jordana Rothberg, associate editor, Multi-Housing News, is joined by Nicholle Soendker, director of residential marketing, Cordish Living. Together, they talk about Cordish Living’s partnerships that shape its residential communities. The Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals are among the teams at the foundation of these apartment homes where residents are steps away from stadiums or can watch the game from the property’s rooftop infinity pool. But how does a marketer take into account these key partnerships and potential residents come lease-up time? Soendker has the answers. Soendker has been with the Cordish Living team since 2023, previously serving in roles in retail marketing, venue and event management, employee engagement and corporate brand management and communications. In her current role she heads up marketing efforts for the expansion of the Cordish Living portfolio as well as its existing communities. Listen in on this podcast to hear about Cordish Living’s hospitality-driven marketing strategy and follow along as Soendker and Rothberg discuss: ·      Soendker’s background and how she got to Cordish Living (1:00) ·      How Cordish Living is informed by the larger hospitality-driven Cordish Cos. brand (3:30) ·      An existing community with a 50/50 baseball team partnership (6:30) ·      What marketing material looks like in sports-centric residential property (8:00) ·      The upcoming Cordish Living project featuring a partnership with the Texas Rangers (9:30) ·      How a community’s surroundings influence its interior (11:15) ·      Appealing to residents that aren’t sports-oriented (12:45) ·      Establishing a brand in a new market (14:30) ·      Creating bespoke marketing plans for unique communities (16:40) ·      How Soendker begins the lease-up process before the community is delivered (19:45) ·      The role art plays in the resident experience (22:00) ·      Bringing everything back to the brand story (23:50) ·      How partnerships shape Soendker’s marketing techniques (24:30)