Blog

 An interesting theme has been developing for much of this year about how AI is changing how leaders think about the technology they are using.

For a number of years, AI has promised to sweep everything before it. In tech terms, it probably will, but we are clearly in the early innings of that transformation in multifamily. Expectations remain relatively immature, and while AI is already ubiquitous in multifamily technology stacks, it remains far from clear what AI is actually supposed to do for operators.

Today, NAA Apartmentalize wraps in New Orleans. It was a fun few days in the Big Easy, despite some particularly colorful summer weather. I could have done without the tornado warning early on Thursday morning, but that's life on the Gulf Coast!

Another fantastic AIM Conference is in the books. Each year, the event grows in both scale and influence, and this year was no exception. The content program reflected an industry learning quickly in a fast-changing technology environment. Much remains unsettled about what this means for apartment marketing, but several sessions explored important emerging questions. Unsurprisingly, the growing role of LLMs in apartment search took center stage.

I like a good user conference. When done well, the format allows a level of thought and discussion that industry events cannot match. The need to cover a broad enough range of topics to attract an audience and to get sponsors, members, etc. on the stage limits how deep a content program can go.

Spring is in the air, and in multifamily, that means it’s almost time for AIM, one of the very best weeks in the industry’s calendar. Each year, leaders, innovators and innovative leaders get together in ever-increasing numbers to share the latest ideas and network between walks on the beach.

Each year, the release of the 20for20 Annual Survey generates fresh perspectives on what is happening in the multifamily industry. Beyond the paper’s focus on leaders of operations and technology, it is from reviewing findings with institutional owners, technology company founders and investors, for example, that some of the most interesting ideas emerge.

Since the new edition of the 20for20 Annual Survey was published, there have been many conversations about this year’s findings. Unsurprisingly, most focus on AI, and they cover perspectives from operations and tech leaders, to technology company leaders, investors and developers. As usual, those conversations add perspective to the findings that are worth considering on this important topic.

 We think about years a lot in business. It is the period of the P&L, the period over which we think about tax, salaries, bonuses, you name it. Our focus on what happens over the course of 12 months can sometimes obscure the longer narrative that plays out over multiple years. That has been the experience pulling together this year’s 2026 edition of the 20for20 Annual Survey.