Student Housing Insight

wes@studenthousinginsight.com
  • 4.6 (19)
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Connecting you with the people who bring student housing to life.

  1. Sep 25

    Brandt Stiles - Profiles in Student Housing - SHI 1043

    🎙️Episode Summary What does it take to develop student housing while keeping residents at the center of its growth? In this Student Housing Insight profile episode, Wes speaks with Brandt Stiles, co-founder and co-CEO of Subtext, about his path from a working-class upbringing in St. Louis to accounting and real estate development. Following Subtext’s delivery of five communities totaling 3k+ beds for the 2026–27 academic year, Brandt reflects on the career decisions, financial uncertainty, and early development lessons that shaped the company’s approach.   Brandt explains how assembling smaller land parcels, hiring ahead of growth, and prioritizing the resident experience have supported Subtext’s expansion. The conversation examines the challenges of rising construction costs, affordability limits, and diverging university enrollment trends, including why Subtext is pursuing acquisitions where new development no longer makes financial sense. He also discusses potential student housing conversions, the importance of evaluating future supply, and his belief that delivering value for residents supports investor returns. For professionals in development and operations, this episode offers a practical perspective on growing without abandoning the strategy behind the business.   ⏱️Time Stamps: 00:00:00 — Introduction and Episode Preview 00:06:00 — Delivering Five Communities and Mobilizing the Team for Move-In 00:12:00 — From St. Louis Roots to Accounting and Real Estate 00:15:00 — Navigating the Financial Crisis and Building a New Strategy 00:17:00 — The First Development Deal and Assembling Prime Locations 00:21:00 — Delivering Through COVID and Hiring Ahead of Growth 00:23:00 — Market Selection, Affordability, and Acquisition Strategy 00:27:00 — When Converting Student Housing to Conventional Apartments Makes Sense 00:29:00 — Career Advice: Prioritizing Resident Value 00:31:00 — Subtext’s Long-Term Growth Goals and Closing Takeaways     🤝 Sponsor Spotlight Teal Systems This episode is brought to you by Teal Systems, a provider of managed central plant infrastructure designed specifically for #StudentHousing and multifamily developments. Teal delivers reliable hot water, heating, and cooling through a “central plant as a service” model. Their systems are monitored 24/7 using proprietary Beacon technology, allowing issues to be identified and resolved before they impact residents. For operators and developers, this means fewer headaches, lower operational risk, and more predictable performance. 👉 Learn more: https://www.tealsystems.com   📎Resources Mentioned: Student Housing Insight: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/ ShopTalk: https://www.shoptalk.info/

  2. Sep 18

    StarRez Global Summit 2026 - SHI 1042

    🎙️Episode Summary: Recorded at the StarRez Global Summit 2026 in Atlanta, this episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast features host Wes Deese alongside Sarah Maxson from Core Spaces, Kevin Mara from Brailsford & Dunlavey, and Teddy Abdelmalek from HHRedstone. Drawing on College House data and their experience in housing operations, development, and university advisory work, the panel examines pre-leasing trends, affordability, and the relationship between on-campus and off-campus housing. The conversation explores why some students are choosing lower rents over walking distance to campus, how floor plans and university size influence performance, and why athletic conference affiliation alone cannot determine an investment’s potential. Viewers will also hear about the public-private partnership (P3) pipeline, financing challenges, and housing’s role in mixed-use campus developments. Core Spaces shares its approach to flexible study areas, wellness amenities, and Lite and pod layouts that accommodate different budgets, before the panel closes with examples of financial literacy and NIL education supporting students where they live.   ⏱️Time Stamps: 00:00:00 — Student Housing Value: Introduction and Summit Panel 00:11:00 — Pre-Leasing and Rent Trends for 2026–27 00:18:00 — Affordability and the Student Housing Outlook 00:24:00 — Floor Plan Demand and Larger Apartment Trade-Offs 00:28:00 — University Size, Campus Proximity, and Housing Choices 00:35:00 — Power Four vs. Non-Power Four Markets 00:42:00 — P3 Housing: Financing and Development Pipeline 00:48:00 — Designing Study Spaces and Wellness Amenities 00:51:00 — Lite and Pod Layouts for Different Budgets 00:56:00 — Supporting Student Success Through Financial Literacy and NIL   🤝Sponsor Spotlight: Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams. Learn more about Allegion and the Campus-to-Community Student Living solution here: https://lp.allegion.com/student-housing.html   📎Resources Mentioned: Student Housing Insight: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/ ShopTalk: https://www.shoptalk.info/ College House: https://collegehouse.com/ P3 Resource Center, powered by Brailsford & Dunlavey: https://p3resourcecenter.com/ StarRez and CollegePads: https://www.starrez.com/solutions/off-campus-housing-platform

  3. Sep 12

    Gen Z Doesn’t Want Your Job. Now What? - SHI 1041

    🎙️Episode Summary Gen Z is reshaping the student housing workforce, and understanding what this generation wants from work is becoming essential to recruiting, retention, and leadership development. In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, Host Wes Deese sits down with Cardinal Group executive and author Sly Brandon to discuss his third book, The Gen Z Executive. Drawing on his experience in student housing operations in the United States and the United Kingdom, Sly explores the “quiet reset” in how younger employees approach careers, loyalty, autonomy, and work-life balance. Together, they examine how the pandemic, the gig economy, and digital tools have influenced a generation that is both living in student housing communities and helping operate them. The conversation connects those workforce changes to practical decisions for student housing owners, operators, and managers. Wes and Sly discuss the pressure on regional managers, the need for stronger mentoring, and how centralized services can create career paths beyond the traditional progression from on-site work to portfolio management. They also explore how AI and self-service technology can reduce friction in the resident experience while giving teams more time for hospitality and leadership development. Sly’s central challenge is to listen more closely, give frontline employees ownership within clear guidelines, and make leadership changes that improve the everyday experience of community assistants, interns, and the residents they serve.   ⏱️Time Stamps 00:01:30 — Intro 00:06:10 — Sly’s Introduction 00:15:01 — Gift Unveiling 00:18:46 — The Quiet Reset: Why Gen Z Is Rethinking Corporate Careers 00:24:15 — Is Gen Z Lazy, or Are Our Work Standards Outdated? 00:32:40 — What If Your Next Generation Doesn’t Want to Lead? 00:35:55 — Is the Real Retention Crisis Your Manager’s Experience? 00:41:38 — A Career Path That Doesn’t Require Climbing the Corporate Ladder 00:49:59 — Does Great Work Really Require a 40-Hour Week? 00:54:23 — Stop Making Employees Ask Permission for Everything 00:59:35 — Will Gen Alpha Wait for an Apartment Tour? 01:00:47 — Whose Monday Gets Better Because of Your Leadership? 01:03:20 — Outro & Final thoughts   🤝Sponsors Spotlight: Smarter Furnishings provides turnkey furniture solutions for student housing, including manufacturing, inventory, delivery, and installation, with options for residential units, amenity spaces, and common areas. Planning a new development, renovation, or furniture refresh? Visit Smarter Furnishings to Connect with the team and discuss your project. https://smarterfurnishings.com/ 📎Resources Mentioned: The Gen Z Executive by Sly Brandon: the featured book on generational expectations and leadership; includes the four translations discussed in the episode. Chapters 6 and 11 are specifically referenced. https://www.genzexe.com/ Crashing Up by Sly Brandon: his first book, discussed through its account of his personal journey and leadership development. https://slybrandon.com/book/ Student housing companies and platforms Student Housing Insight: the podcast, professional networking platform, and source for upcoming SHI events. https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/ ShopTalk: SHI’s monthly webinar featuring legislative and policy updates, leasing data, operator observations, and topical discussions. Register for updates and explore prior webinars. https://www.shoptalk.info

  4. Aug 28

    AI-Enhanced, Human-Centered: The Future of Student Housing - SHI 1040

    🎙️Episode Summary In this latest episode, Student Housing Insight Ambassador Anais Estrella, Assoc. Director of OPS at Cardinal Group sits down with Jennifer Love, SVP of Multifamily and Student Housing at Verbaflo, to unpack how AI is reshaping leasing, resident communication, and on-site team roles across the student housing industry. The conversation dives into the real balance between automation and hospitality — how AI can field 85-90% of routine inquiries instantly while freeing on-site staff to focus on the relationship-building and complex problem-solving that only humans can deliver. Jennifer and Anais also tackle head-on the industry's biggest anxieties: whether AI threatens jobs, how to keep interactions transparent and human-feeling for Gen Z renters and their parents, and why voice AI — not just chatbots — is becoming the true test of a platform's sophistication. Beyond the tactical advice, the episode offers a bigger-picture takeaway: AI should be treated less like a one-time software install and more like a new employee that needs ongoing training, feedback, and refinement. Listeners will come away with actionable insights on measuring AI success through outcomes (not just activity), using sentiment tracking to catch unhappy residents before they leave a bad review, and why staying flexible — rather than betting on one "perfect" AI platform — will be the real competitive advantage for property operators in the years ahead.   ⏱️Time Stamps 00:00:00 - Intro & Industry Evolution 00:03:00 - Balancing Trust and Automation 00:06:40 - AI Transparency and Authenticity 00:08:50 - Staffing Models vs. Automation 00:11:15 - Operational Blind Spots 00:14:15 - AI as a Continuous Journey 00:16:15 - Proactive Reputation Management 00:17:55 - Global Tech Adoption (US vs. UK) 00:19:55 - Outro & World Cup Discussion   🤝Sponsors Spotlight: VerbaFlo is a conversational AI platform designed for real estate operators, bringing voice, chat, text, email, and other communication channels together through a single AI-native platform. In student housing, the platform is positioned to help teams automate repetitive leasing, resident support, renewal, maintenance, and communication workflows while allowing onsite staff to focus on higher-value human interactions. Learn more and explore VerbaFlo: https://www.verbaflo.ai/   📎Resources Mentioned: Gallup — Gen Z's AI Adoption Steady, but Skepticism Climbs — Anais references Gallup research stating that 51% of Gen Z uses generative AI at least weekly and discusses the increase in negative sentiment toward AI. Gallup's 2026 research confirms that 51% of Gen Z respondents report using generative AI daily or weekly, while excitement and hopefulness have declined and negative sentiment has increased. Read the research: https://news.gallup.com/poll/708224/gen-adoption-steady-skepticism-climbs.aspx

  5. Jul 17

    He asked students what they pay in rent. 1 Video Hit 120k Views! Elijah Wang Chen - SHI 1039

    🎙️Episode Summary How much do students actually pay for rent, and why does that number often differ from what operators think they're charging? In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, host Wesley Deese sits down with Elijah Wang-Chen, a finance student at the University of Texas at Austin and creator of RateMyRentUT, a student-built platform that brings unprecedented transparency to off-campus housing costs. Elijah shares how his own frustrating apartment search inspired him to create a crowdsourced database where students anonymously compare rents, concessions, utilities, parking costs, and overall housing experiences. The conversation explores what student housing operators can learn from student-generated data, how pricing transparency influences leasing decisions, and why seemingly small issues like elevator reliability can have a major impact on resident satisfaction. Wes and Elijah also discuss the growing role of social media, AI-powered no-code development, and student-led innovation in shaping the future of student housing technology. Whether you're an owner, operator, marketer, or campus housing professional, this episode offers valuable insight into how today's students evaluate value, fairness, and the overall resident experience.   ⏱️Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and Today's Student Housing Challenge 00:03:00 Why Students and Operators Define Rent Differently 00:04:02 Meet Elijah Wang-Chen and the Story Behind Rate My Rent UT 00:06:02 Why Student Rent Transparency Matters More Than Ever 00:08:31 Growing Pressure for Pricing Transparency in Student Housing 00:10:03 Viral Street Interviews Reveal How Students Think About Rent 00:12:14 The Personal Housing Frustration That Sparked Rate My Rent 00:14:05 Discovering They Overpaid and Building a Better Solution 00:15:07 Using Viral Social Media to Collect Student Housing Data 00:17:25 How Rate My Rent UT Lets Students Compare Rent 00:20:52 Why Students Feel They Didn't Get a Good Deal 00:22:19 What Student Housing Data Reveals About Rent Trends 00:26:05 The Biggest Complaints Students Have About Their Apartments 00:28:02 Why Transparency Matters More Than Public Reviews 00:30:06 Student-Led Innovation Is Reshaping Housing Technology 00:31:39 Building the Platform with AI-Powered No-Code Tools 00:32:59 Expanding Rate My Rent Beyond the University of Texas 00:34:24 The Future of Student Housing Transparency 00:35:37 Final Takeaways and Closing Remarks   🤝Sponsor Spotlight:  Opiniion | AI-Visibility As AI increasingly influences where prospective residents search for housing, Opiniion helps student housing operators stay visible where it matters most. Their AI Visibility platform shows how communities appear across leading AI platforms and provides a personalized action plan to improve discoverability, reputation, and online presence. In addition, Opiniion offers reputation management tools and Social Pro to simplify portfolio-wide social media management. Learn more: https://opiniion.com/platform/ai-visi...   🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode: SHI Events Page: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com... ShopTalk.Info: https://www.shoptalk.info/ Rate My Rent UT: https://ratemyrentut.com Rate My Rent Instagram:   / ratemy.rent   The Daily Texan Article: https://thedailytexan.com/2026/05/01/...

  6. Jul 17

    Why Everyone at OPTECH Was Talking About AI with Tyler Holmes - SHI 1038

    🎙️Episode Summary At OPTECH, the student housing industry's premier technology conference, host Wesley Deese and Tyler Holmes of PeakMade Real Estate discussed the practical innovations reshaping property operations. A major focus of their conversation was the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence—specifically the shift toward agentic AI. Rather than simply generating content, these advanced AI tools can now automate complex operational tasks and support centralized leasing teams, ultimately freeing onsite staff to focus entirely on delivering exceptional resident experiences. Beyond the impressive demonstrations of robotics and emerging tech, Holmes emphasized that the conference's true value lies in peer collaboration and evaluating real-world use cases. He noted that successful technology adoption comes from exchanging actionable insights with fellow operators, rather than just purchasing the newest software. By learning from one another, organizations can implement proven solutions that drive operational efficiency, generate higher-quality leads, boost renewals, and elevate the overall resident experience. ⏱️Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the OPTECH interview series and overview of the conference's importance to the student housing industry. 00:00:18 - Sponsor message featuring Allegion's Resident Key in Wallet mobile access solution. 00:01:05 - Wes Deese welcomes Tyler Holmes of PeakMade Real Estate and asks for his overall impressions of OPTECH. 00:01:25 - Tyler explains why OPTECH is valuable for learning directly from fellow operators and understanding practical technology implementation. 00:02:00 - Discussion on moving beyond product demonstrations to real-world use cases and implementation strategies. 00:02:30 - Tyler identifies artificial intelligence as the conference's biggest trend and discusses AI-powered centralization in marketing and leasing. 00:03:05 - Conversation shifts to agentic AI and how automation can eliminate repetitive operational work while improving the resident experience. 00:03:45 - Final reflections on robotics, AI innovation, operational efficiency, lead quality, and resident satisfaction. 00:04:00 - Closing remarks and conclusion of the interview.     🤝Sponsor Spotlight: Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams. Learn more about Allegion and the Campus-to-Community Student Living solution here: https://lp.allegion.com/student-housing.html

  7. Jul 3

    What Happened in Student Housing: May 2026 Wrap-Up - SHI 1037

    🎙️Episode Summary In this episode of the SHI News Wrap up, Host Wes Deese and Co-host Gretta Dare explores the biggest developments shaping the student housing industry, including The Scion Group's acquisition of Student Quarters, continued market consolidation, major public-private partnership (P3) projects, new development activity, and significant investment transactions. Hosts Wes Deese and Gretta Dare examine the strategic implications of these announcements while offering thoughtful commentary on leadership, organizational change, and the future direction of the industry. The episode also covers important legislative updates surrounding the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Build-to-Rent policy changes, Entrata's IPO filing, and broader market trends affecting owners, operators, and investors. From technology and public market transparency to housing affordability and operational strategy, this month's news roundup provides valuable context and actionable insights for professionals looking to stay informed on the latest developments in student housing.   ⏱️Timestamps 00:01:14 Student Housing Insight Introduction 00:03:00 June 2026 News Wrap-Up Begins 00:03:55 Preview of Sly Brandon Interview and Nashville Recording 00:08:07 Major Industry Acquisition Discussion Begins 00:12:40 Interface Panel: Lessons from Student Housing Mergers 00:19:25 The Scion Group Acquires Student Quarters 00:30:25 How Consolidation Creates Operational and Insurance Advantages 00:35:05 Employee Transition and Integration Challenges 00:39:15 Is Scion Preparing for an IPO? 00:43:40 Maslow's Campus Communities Wins University of Washington Tacoma P3 00:45:45 Core Spaces Announces 3,500-Bed University of Illinois Expansion 00:48:45 New Mountain Capital Investment in Asset Living 00:50:40 Housing Legislation and Build-to-Rent Policy Update 00:57:10 Entrata Files for an IPO 01:00:35 What Going Public Could Mean for Entrata Customers 01:10:45 AI Surveillance Cameras Raise Privacy Questions on College Campuses 01:12:11 Closing Remarks   🤝Sponsor Spotlight: Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams. Learn more about Allegion and the Campus-to-Community Student Living solution here: https://lp.allegion.com/student-housing.html   🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode ShopTalk: https://www.shoptalk.info/ Scion Group's Acquisition of Student Quarter/Industry Consolidation in Student Housing:: https://therealdeal.com/national/2026/06/11/scion-group-makes-1-5b-student-housing-bet/ Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Employees: https://therealdeal.com/national/2026/06/11/scion-group-makes-1-5b-student-housing-bet Core Spaces' 3,500-Bed Expansion Near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/06/02/maslows-campus-communities-uw-tacoma-housing.html?__cf_chl_f_tk=hcDXtaA5bvwupodjYrHtYVJr8zdJA.WfCLZ.5LW4lVw-1783023755-1.0.1.1-yl6GcZslH41H48fQPqA0uqnw3sr9NbIy4sk.lOHzBEg New Mountain Capital's Acquisition of Asset Living https://news.studenthousingdaily.com/p/june-11-2026-the-scion-group-to-acquire-student-quarters The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: https://financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=411172 Build-to-Rent(BTR) Legislation and Its Impact on Student Housing: https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/senate-passes-21st-century-road-to-housing-act-now-across-the-finish-line Luxury Student Housing Reshapes College Towns: https://finance-commerce.com/2026/06/luxury-student-housing-college-town-affordability/

  8. Jun 19

    From AI to Pest Control: The surprising tech transforming Student Housing with Scott Manning - 1036

    🎙️Episode Summary: Recorded live from the OPTECH conference floor, host Wes Deese sits down with Scott Manning, SVP of Operations at Article Student Living, to discuss his key takeaways from this year's conference. With more than 23 years of experience in student housing and nearly a decade at Article Student Living, Scott shares how OPTECH provides a valuable opportunity to evaluate vendors, explore emerging technologies, and support the company's ongoing RFP process. The conversation covers the growing role of AI, virtual tours, and technology integrations across property operations, as well as the importance of maintaining strong vendor partnerships. Scott also discusses an unexpected operational challenge involving pest management and explains how even niche service providers are increasingly leveraging technology to improve efficiency and integration. The episode concludes with reflections on the relationships and industry connections that continue to make OPTECH a meaningful event year after year.   ⏱️Episode Timestamps 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:20 – Scott Manning's Background 00:00:45 – Initial OPTECH Takeaways 00:01:00 – Vendor Evaluation & RFP Process 00:01:35 – Technologies Under Review 00:01:55 – Looking Beyond Traditional PropTech 00:02:10 – Pest Management Technology & Integration 00:02:40 – Surprises and Industry Reflections 00:03:00 – The Networking Value of OPTECH 00:03:25 – Closing Remarks   🤝Sponsor Spotlight: Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams. Learn more about Allegion and the Campus-to-Community Student Living solution here: https://lp.allegion.com/student-housing.html   🔗Sources & References Mentioned: 2026 OPTECH https://rettc.org/events/optech-2026 Student Housing Insight Events Page https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/events

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4.6
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About

Connecting you with the people who bring student housing to life.

Information

  • Creator
    wes@studenthousinginsight.com
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2017 . All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Student Housing Insight

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