Something felt different at AIM this year. The energy wasn’t just about product launches or flashy tech demos. It was about intention. Conversations felt grounded, honest, and, at times, deeply personal. People weren’t just trading strategies or flexing results. They were opening up about what wasn’t working, what they were uncertain about, and what they were still figuring out.
Across sessions and roundtables, one truth kept surfacing: this industry doesn’t just need better tools. It needs better conversations. Ones that make room for complexity. Ones that remind us we’re all navigating change, uncertainty, and pressure. Often all at once.
For many, AIM wasn’t just a glimpse into the future of multifamily. It was a moment to exhale. A space to learn out loud. A chance to be surrounded by people building, rebuilding, and rethinking the future with varying degrees of clarity, confidence, and questions.
What stood out most was how open people were to connecting without pretense. Founders spoke honestly about starting over. Leaders shared what they’re unlearning. Industry titans admitted they’re in uncharted waters and are using their expertise to lift others up.
That’s when the real takeaway clicked: it’s not just about who’s in the room. It’s about who’s willing to see you, advocate for you, and build with you. Even if the path ahead is uncertain.
This isn’t a recap of AIM. It’s a reflection on where we are, where we’re stuck, and what it might take to move forward with more clarity, empathy, and intention. Together.
Nurture Boss was proud to sponsor Kadi Mancuso Rice’s attendance at AIM, but the reflections she shared are entirely her own and too insightful not to pass along. Kadi is a Multifamily Marketing Executive with over a decade of experience leveraging data-driven marketing strategies to drive growth and optimize financial performance.
Leasing in a World of Digital Overload
Multifamily teams today face a paradox. Some are stretched thin and asked to do more with less. Others are flush with tech but lack the change management to make it meaningful. AI is a prime example. Some teams avoid it out of fear it will replace them. Others jump in headfirst without a clear plan, proper training, or the autonomy to use it well.
Take lead volume: in theory, more leads should be a win. In practice? It often creates more stress. Prospects get lost in the shuffle. Leasing teams are overwhelmed. And conversions stall not from lack of demand, but because communication breaks down before trust is built.
Meanwhile, renter behavior is evolving fast. According to Google, AI Overviews are changing how people search: fewer queries, but more qualified clicks.
Search volume is projected to drop 25% by 2026 as chatbots and AI summaries replace traditional browsing. Even now, Google usage is already down 6%, with platforms like TikTok stepping in especially among Gen Z renters, 10% of whom are using it as a search engine.
At AIM, several leasing challenges echoed across sessions:
- Follow-up is delayed or inconsistent
- Messaging feels transactional and lacks personalization
- Onsite teams are stretched too thin to lead with strategy
AI Leasing Won’t Take Jobs — They’ll Take Mundane Tasks
During the “Beyond the Theory: Building Real Campaigns with Generative AI” session, Kristi Fickert and Justin Jones nailed it: AI shouldn’t replace leasing agents. It should empower them. A stat that stuck with me: teams that deeply integrate AI see a 45% reduction in perceived mental load and are 2.5x more effective at creating value.¹
That’s the kind of technology we need, tools that reduce friction, not just add functionality.
Behavioral-based automation is one example. When follow-ups are triggered by a prospect’s actual actions — not a one-size-fits-all drip — the impact is immediate. Communities see faster response times, higher engagement, and stronger lead-to-tour conversion. And the best part? No extra lift for onsite teams.
With Nurture Boss, hundreds of properties are using AI to create personalized, automated sequences that drive impressive results. Properties using Nurture Boss’s conversational AI are 36% more likely to turn tours into applications than those that don’t use Nurture Boss.
Smarter follow-ups → better outcomes. If we want leasing to feel more like a relationship and less like a task, we have to move away from rigid templates and toward adaptive, real-time systems.
Retention Isn’t Just a Renewal Letter Anymore
Too often, retention strategies start after trust has already eroded. Operators at AIM voiced a common frustration: residents don’t feel seen until it’s time to decide whether to renew. By then, it’s often a scramble to regain trust that should have been built all along.
So let’s reframe the question. What if the renewal journey started not 90 days before lease end, but on move-in day? What if multifamily operated like hospitality? Treating every lease like a long-term hotel stay?
Imagine a resident experience so seamless, responsive, and thoughtful, that moving out simply feels inconvenient. Not because of a lease term or incentive, but because the team has become an extension of their ease. Their stability. Their home.
It’s not just a pipe dream. Some operators are already doing this. And it’s in this space — the blend of human touch and smart automation — where real magic happens.
In the “Don’t Fumble the Handoff” session with Becca Nevarez, Kelly Weems, and Heidi Turner, one line hit home:
“Communication is key. Consistency through all touchpoints, channels, and people. Internal communication is just as important as communication with the resident.”
That applies to move-ins, sure. But it’s just as crucial at renewal. Right now, many teams still struggle with:
- Inconsistent post-move-in engagement
- Renewal messaging that feels transactional
- Limited insight into resident satisfaction or turnover risk
The most forward-thinking operators are flipping the script. They’re using behavior-based automation to engage residents before the 90-day mark. Not with spammy mass emails but with thoughtful, tailored communication based on real-time sentiment and action.
That’s what Nurture Boss’s Renewal Workflows are built for — automated, behavior-based messages that nurture relationships long before lease end.
And the results speak for themselves. A RealPage study shows that about one-third of renters begin their apartment search three to four months in advance. Which means if you’re waiting to start a conversation, you’re already behind.
This isn’t about adding more noise. It’s about showing up at the right moment, with the right message, in a way that feels human. When the right technology tracks behavior, prompts action, and supports two-way communication, we stop guessing and start leading with intention.
Great service isn’t a campaign. It’s a culture. And when AI supports that culture, never replacing only amplifying, we create a resident experience that doesn’t just retain. It resonates.
Relationship Building in a Hybrid Era
There was another thread running through AIM: the evolution of how we build relationships in this industry. Many decision-makers are remote. Department silos still exist. And while virtual tools connect us more than ever, they also make it easier to default to surface-level engagement.
But this year, I had deeper conversations. I met more new people than familiar ones. I heard candid reflections from founders. I saw peers open up about transitions and reinvention. The takeaway? Community isn’t a buzzword. It’s a choice we make in how we show up.
Rocky Garza’s keynote captured that perfectly: “We are so concerned about giving people a reason to like us, we don’t give people a reason to love us.”
That line has stuck with me. It’s not just true in leadership, it’s true in how we market, how we serve residents, and how we lead teams. Real trust isn’t built through performance. It’s built through presence. Through honest communication that’s not just polished, but understood.
“We need to communicate in a way that’s able to be understood.”
That’s not just true in leadership. It’s true in how we market. How we serve. How we lead. Real trust isn’t about polish. It’s about presence. It’s not just about saying the right thing — it’s about being understood.
The Power of Sponsorship and Mentorship
Lastly, there was another quiet theme that stood out: the power of sponsorship and mentorship. Sometimes the most pivotal career moments happen because someone said your name in a room you weren’t in yet. That’s why I believe in aligning with companies and people who lead with generosity, clarity, and human connection.
That’s why I continue to be inspired by the team at Nurture Boss. Their approach to growth isn’t just about scaling a product, it’s about cultivating a team that leads with both brilliance and empathy. They’ve brought in some of the kindest, most thoughtful minds in the industry. People who show up curious, collaborative, and committed to building relationships, even when business isn’t yet on the table.
They’re not just building an AI platform. They’re keeping humanity at the core of how they do it. And that’s what sets them apart. In a space where it’s easy to lead with the loudest voice, they lead by listening. They inspire trust before they talk tech. They show up first as people and that makes all the difference.
In the end, Jamie Gorski’s words brought it all home for me: “We’re passionate because we provide homes. If we take care of them, we make their lives better.”
That belief is why we’re here. And it’s why profit alone can’t be the North Star. AI won’t give us empathy. But it can give us time and space to show up with more of it. That’s the opportunity: to pair automation with intention and lead with a people-first mindset. Because in the end, your voice is what builds trust. It’s how you make people feel seen. And in a world where every team has access to the same tech, your voice? That’s your greatest differentiator.
Data Sources: ¹Accenture, Making Reinvention Real with GenAI (); Stanford AI Index Report
