There’s nothing like conference season! Days stretch into weeks on the road, and it’s been fantastic to see so many familiar faces at events around the country. After a whirlwind few months on the road to start 2025, attending RETCON, Multifamily Social Media Summit, AIM, SHB Interface, several EliseAI Executive Leadership Conferences, and participating in the Apartment Association of Metro Denver conference, I wanted to share some reflections while they're still fresh. The conversations I’ve had with leaders in both the multifamily and student housing industries revealed consistent (and exciting!) themes that I believe will shape our industry throughout 2025 and beyond.
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Takeaway One: We're Nearing a Tipping Point with AI Adoption
The difference in operator sentiment around AI compared to previous years is remarkable. It very much feels like 2025 is becoming the tipping point for AI acceptance in multifamily. When I was trying to get Operations and Marketing teams on board with AI in years past there was significant hesitation, something I successfully overcame in my roles at both BH Management and Cardinal Group Management.
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Today, I’m encouraged by the widespread acceptance that AI is here to stay and will be an essential part of the multifamily tech stack moving forward. AI and automation technology can have significant impacts on resident, prospect, and onsite team experiences, with EliseAI’s products boosting staff retention rates at GoldOller Real Estate Investments, serving as an example of what better technology can do to solve key onsite painpoints. This step forward ensures that the contemporary leasing experience keeps up with the demands of the modern consumer, and makes sure our industry fully embraces the “on-demand economy.”
The questions I heard during this whirlwind conference season have evolved from "Should we use AI?" to "How do we evaluate different AI vendors?" and "What's the right balance between humans and AI?" This shift represents tremendous progress for our industry, as operators large and small embrace AI and automation to deliver better qualitative and quantitative results.
I am excited and encouraged by these developments, as I think more and more operators are seeing the strategic value of AI solutions—a trend that’s been reflected in the successful metrics and data points we’ve seen so many of our clients share recently, including GoldOller, Kittle Property Group, SRG Residential, Mill Creek Residential, and more.
Takeaway Two: A Big Desire for Best Practices
One of the most encouraging trends I'm seeing is the increasing number of operators asking me directly: "How did you do this? What would you recommend? What's an EliseAI best practice?"
This is a significant evolution in how the multifamily industry is thinking about AI technology. They recognize that AI products represent new technology they've never had to manage, implement, or report back to their ownership groups about. More so than ever, operators are looking to us not just as a vendor but as a strategic partner who can guide them through this transformation. This role as a strategic partner, as supported by our fantastic Customer Success team and new Client Services offerings, is one of the primary reasons I was so excited to join the EliseAI team after my many years scaling centralized teams at both multifamily and student housing operators.
Takeaway Three: Automation, Automation, Automation
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If "centralization" was the industry buzzword from 2022-2024, "automation" is clearly taking its place in 2025. This shift is music to our ears at EliseAI, as we’ve consistently been the first company to launch new AI and automation modules spanning from ResidentAI to VoiceAI to our new Maintenance App.
Today, 500+ operators are leveraging EliseAI’s products across millions of units of rental housing nationwide to automate onsite processes, from lead management to rent collection to renewal conversations. Our solutions are perfectly positioned to address this growing demand, and new offerings like the Maintenance App, Lease Audits, AI-Guided Tours, and more continue to expand the scope of our processes we automate.
One quote shared by Arthur Kosmider, Senior Director of Marketing and Customer Experience at LeFrak, during a panel our Miami Executive Leadership perfectly captured this sentiment: "Automate the routine, and humanize the exception." Arthur did a truly fantastic job concisely describing our value proposition - our AI handles the vast majority of routine conversations, freeing up team members to address more sensitive or critical issues that truly require human attention. We are proud to work with multifamily leaders like Arthur who understand the impact AI and automation technology can have on delivering differentiated prospect and resident experiences.
Takeaway Four: Defining Your Advantage in a Post-AI World
“If every operator onboards EliseAI, how do we maintain our competitive advantage?” I heard this question from several multifamily leaders during this whirlwind conference season, and I expect it will only become more common as more and more operators become EliseAI users. So, how can management companies and owner/operators alike stay differentiated in an AI and automation world?
The truth is that AI is only as good as the team members managing it. The competitive advantage comes from how well the onsite and corporate teams are optimizing their AI products and leveraging all available features effectively. Properly managing the information your AI incorporates into its answers and properly configuring what messages are handed off to human agents are key differentiators in performance between clients using the same underlying technology. As I always like to say, you should be treating AI like a bright new hire, and it’s only how well you train them that will make the difference.
Our new Sales Agent 2.0 update offers huge benefits here too, since it allows for customizations that reflect each community’s unique value proposition and messaging. As AI tools continue to become more powerful and more customizable, incorporating the defining characteristics of your communities into your AI’s available knowledge is key to maintaining a competitive edge.
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One of my fellow panelists at the Apartment Association of Metro Denver (AAMD) TechCon conference put it perfectly: "You can give me the best race car in the world, but other drivers wouldn't have to worry about me beating them, because I don't know how to leverage the technology. Your advantage is how well you utilize the technology." This may have resonated with me so acutely because I’m an avid F1 fan (Go McLaren!), but I believe the underlying message rings true - powerful new technology will only serve to widen the gap between operators, rather than narrow it.
Takeaway Five: Strong Student Housing Fundamentals Are Driving Optimism
The data points across the conferences paint an encouraging picture for the student housing industry in particular. We're seeing healthy levels of new supply, with new deliveries down from prior analysis periods. This controlled growth is helping maintain market stability.
Rental rates are rising with occupancy holding steady - nationally we're observing 3-5% year-over-year rent growth across all unit types. It's particularly noteworthy that this rent growth is outpacing conventional multifamily, highlighting the resilience of the student segment.
Enrollment trends are positive, particularly at schools in the South and Southeast regions. This demographic strength provides a solid foundation for continued demand.
While 2025-2026 pre-leasing is what I'd call "tempered," it remains on track to hit targets and is in line with pre-pandemic leasing velocity. This suggests a return to more predictable, sustainable patterns after years of pandemic-driven disruption.
Finally, cap rates remain strong and consistent, with expected premiums being paid for new vintages and assets closer to campus. Investors continue to recognize the value proposition of well-positioned properties in our space.
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Putting It All Together
As I reflect on these whirlwind weeks of conferences, I'm even more convinced that EliseAI is perfectly positioned to lead the industry through this period of rapid technological transformation. The multifamily industry is ready for what we offer, and we are passionate about continuing to innovate, educate, and deliver solutions that truly move the needle for our clients.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on these observations - feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, drop me an email at Jacob.kosior@eliseAI.com, or share your thoughts with me at one of our upcoming Executive Leadership Conferences. Together, we can continue to drive the future of multifamily operations forward!