Ready to Streamline Your Operations?
Book a demo to see how EliseAI automates communication, reduces workload, and delivers real results.
Inbound Leasing Calls Automated w/EliseAI
Prospect Calls Handled in EliseAI Call Center
Of All Prospect Communications Automated
Cardinal Group Companies is a fully integrated real estate management, investment, construction, and development firm based in Denver, Colorado. With a growing portfolio of over 49k units across student, conventional, and affordable housing, Cardinal Group has built a reputation for operational excellence, an award-winning culture, and a people-first approach.
Known for embracing innovation, Cardinal Group has consistently been at the forefront of the multifamily industry in adopting new technologies to enhance property operations, elevate the resident experience, and empower team members. Their commitment to tech-forward management and culture-driven leadership has positioned them as one of the most forward-thinking companies in the space.
As a result of their sizable and incredibly diverse portfolio, with thousands of units distributed across multiple geographies and asset types, Cardinal Group arrived at a crossroads: how could they continue to meet unique leasing demands across each market with the precision and attention to detail on which they pride themselves? The challenge to operate efficiently and consistently at scale was exacerbated by elevated consumer expectations, particularly among Cardinal Group’s student residents, as the modern renter has come to expect fast, accurate, and helpful replies around the clock.
Cardinal Group needed a scalable way to strengthen their brand consistency, ensure excellent customer service, and protect leasing velocity across their assets, so they opted to deploy a specialized centralized model. Leadership felt this centralized strategy allowed their onsite teams to focus on relationship-building and touring, while a centralized team rapidly handled leasing inquiries in a professional and prompt manner.
Cardinal Group’s Centralized Leasing team has been a key component of its broader strategy to enhance operational efficiency and the renter experience. The Centralized Leasing team is staffed by dedicated Customer Sales Specialists (CSS) who manage inbound leasing inquiries across the portfolio, supporting chat and call workflows. They leverage EliseAI’s LeasingAI and VoiceAI tools, which handle initial outreach, lead qualification, and follow-up, ensuring 24/7 responsiveness to prospects and reducing burnout. Cardinal Group has been a crucial co-development partner of EliseAI, delivering actionable feedback and insights to ensure the platform and workflows fit their centralized leasing needs.
Cardinal Group is driving better outcomes for its prospects and ownership groups by combining centralized support with conversational AI. They ensure all leads can access fast, consistent communication across channels, freeing up onsite teams to focus on high-touch activities like tours and resident engagement. Staffing requirements are now more flexible based on property needs and traffic patterns. The numbers speak for themselves: Cardinal Group has driven a significant increase in tour bookings and reduction in lead response times, converting to higher conversion rates down the funnel with improved coverage for after-hours and peak-time inquiries.
Cardinal Group Companies is creating a blueprint for innovation and cost-effective operational scaling that other operators can look to for inspiration. Cardinal Group’s model has also become a core differentiator in their business development efforts, demonstrating how centralized leasing can drive performance without adding headcount at the site level.
Today, Cardinal Group plans to expand the centralized team to support more communities and introduce AI-powered workflows across the applicant and resident lifecycles, replicating the success of centralized leasing across the whole resident lifecycle. Further, the partnership between Cardinal Group and EliseAI continues to evolve, and they are joined by their shared focus on creating operational excellence and an incredible employee experience. EliseAI is excited and proud to continue supporting the Cardinal Group Companies' mission to reinvent property management operations, powered by an innovative operating model and best-in-class centralization technology.
Alex O’Brien is the CEO of Cardinal Group Companies, where he has led the organization’s transformation into one of the most innovative and people-centric operators in the real estate industry. Under his leadership, Cardinal launched its CX3 platform - a centralized operating model rooted in delivering exceptional experiences to clients, customers, and team members alike. A former Marine Corps officer, Alex brings discipline, vision, and a deep commitment to culture to every aspect of the business. His focus on operational excellence and tech-forward strategies has helped position Cardinal as a national leader in student and multifamily housing.
Carynes Gitler leads the design and implementation of Cardinal Group’s centralized operations, with a focus on optimizing performance, team efficiency, and customer satisfaction. As VP of Centralized Operations Services, Carynes has played a pivotal role in redefining Cardinal’s leasing workflows through AI and automation. With a background spanning operations, training, development, and technology, she has guided the evolution of Cardinal’s centralized services team to deliver faster, more consistent results while empowering onsite teams to focus on high-value activities.
Kevin Sealy oversees Cardinal Group’s third-party student housing operations, supporting leasing, marketing, and resident experience across a dynamic and growing portfolio. As Vice President of Operations, Kevin has helped drive adoption of AI-powered leasing workflows, enabling faster response times and greater prospect conversion. His passion for value-driven operations and commitment to his team has allowed Cardinal to continue growing its third-party management of student housing assets. Kevin plays a key role in aligning operations with the company's innovation strategy, ensuring every process supports both performance and people.
Book a demo to see how EliseAI automates communication, reduces workload, and delivers real results.