Multifamily Tech Gurus

Kerry W. Kirby
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Technology

The Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series brings you the latest real-world experiences of PropTech innovator Kerry W. Kirby and technologist James W. Lancaster. Kerry and Jimmy live on the technology side of the multifamily housing industry. Kerry has built an award-winning company, 365 Connect, the multifamily industry's leading innovator in AI-driven marketing, leasing, and resident engagement platforms, that he founded over two decades ago, and Jimmy leads product development at the company. Together, they are on the frontline of managing their team of developers, customers, and all the craziness in-between.

  1. 6d ago

    The Marketing Mirage: You Can't SEO Your Way Out of Overpriced Rents

    Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they tackle an uncomfortable reality facing apartment marketers: not every leasing challenge is a marketing problem. When traffic slows, leads decline, or occupancy begins slipping, the immediate reaction is often to increase advertising, replace the website, or question the marketing provider. But sometimes the real problem has nothing to do with visibility; it is the product, pricing, location, or competitive environment renters encounter once they find the property. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy explore what happens when communities expect marketing to overcome fundamentals the marketing team cannot control. From luxury rents in challenging locations to competing properties offering newer units, better amenities, lower pricing, or aggressive concessions, renters ultimately determine whether the value proposition makes sense. SEO can increase visibility, and advertising can generate traffic, but neither can manufacture perceived value when the rent doesn't align with what the market is willing to pay. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "Marketing can create visibility, generate traffic, and put your community in front of more renters, but it can't manufacture value the market doesn't see. If the rent doesn't align with the location, product, or competitive environment, spending more on SEO and advertising won't solve the underlying problem. Before blaming the website, the marketing strategy, or the vendor, operators need to understand what the data is really telling them. Sometimes the renter is finding you just fine—they're simply deciding that what you're offering isn't worth what you're asking." Resources: Creating Digital Velocity Across Each Step of The Leasing Journey

  2. Sep 24

    The Gemini Effect: Google Takes Aim at The Traditional Apartment ILS

    Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they examine Google's bold move to bring AI-powered apartment hunting directly into the mainstream consumer experience. After years of renters relying on Internet Listing Services to search, filter, and compare apartments, Google is now showing a fundamentally different journey through Gemini—one where renters simply describe what they want and let AI find the options that fit. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy connect Google's move to a transformation they have been discussing for months: renters are changing how they discover everything around them. Search is evolving from entering keywords and sorting through pages of results to AI understanding intent, evaluating information, narrowing choices, and delivering personalized answers. Apartment hunting is a natural extension of that shift. If Gemini can help a renter identify communities based on price, location, lifestyle, amenities, commute, pets, and other preferences without starting the journey on a traditional ILS, the question becomes harder to ignore: What happens to the ILS when renters no longer need to go there to search? Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "Google isn't just advertising Gemini—it's showing consumers an entirely new way to find an apartment. That should be a wake-up call for multifamily. The future of visibility belongs to operators who build their own digital ecosystem across websites, content, social, Google Business Profiles, and every channel AI can discover and understand. The ILS isn't going away tomorrow, but its role as the starting point could disappear faster than anyone expects. When AI becomes the apartment hunter, the winners won't be the communities with the most listings—they'll be the ones AI knows, trusts, and recommends." Google Gemini's Apartment Hunt TV Commercial Resources: We are leading the way in transformation across the multifamily industry.

  3. Sep 17

    The Vibe-Coding Hangover: Why Experience Matters More Than Ever

    Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore an unexpected consequence emerging from the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in software development. AI-powered coding tools can generate applications, features, and complex code faster than ever, but as AI-generated code moves from prototypes into production environments, companies are discovering that speed doesn't always translate into quality, reliability, or long-term maintainability. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy examine the growing divide between developers who learned software engineering fundamentals before generative AI and those whose development experience has been shaped largely by AI-assisted coding. While vibe coding can dramatically accelerate development, experienced engineers bring something that can't be generated through a prompt: years of architectural knowledge, security awareness, and the judgment to recognize when seemingly functional code may create deeper problems within an application. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "AI has made it incredibly easy to generate code, but generating code and engineering reliable software are two very different things. The real value of an experienced developer isn't how fast they can type—it's the years of knowledge behind every architectural decision, security consideration, and line of code they review. As vibe coding accelerates software development, that experience becomes more important, not less. AI can give someone incredible speed, but it can't instantly give them the judgment that comes from years of building and maintaining real-world systems." Resources: Tomorrow's Intelligence Built for Today's Renters

  4. Sep 10

    Beyond the Search Box: How Google is Rewiring Apartment Discovery

    Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore how Google is fundamentally changing the way renters discover, research, compare, and ultimately connect with apartment communities. From conversational search and AI-generated answers to Google Maps, Business Profiles, and increasingly intelligent advertising, the traditional renter journey is being replaced by a new discovery model in which fewer interactions require renters to leave Google's ecosystem. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy examine how these changes are disrupting the traditional apartment marketing funnel. Renters are moving beyond short keyword searches and scrolling through pages of links toward longer, conversational questions that generate immediate answers, recommendations, comparisons, and localized results. With more searches ending without a website click, Google Business Profiles are becoming increasingly influential in local discovery, and intelligent agents that can research properties on renters' behalf, the path from discovery to decision is getting shorter. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "The renter journey is moving beyond ten blue links. Renters can increasingly ask Google what they want, receive personalized recommendations, compare their options, and take action without following the traditional search funnel. That changes the rules for apartment marketing. Your website, content, Business Profile, reviews, pricing, availability, and property data must all work together to tell Google one consistent story about your community." Resources: The Future Beyond Search is Driven By Intelligent Visibility

  5. Sep 3

    The Missing Middle: Making Workforce Housing Economics Work

    Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore one of the most overlooked challenges in today's housing market: serving the growing population of middle-income renters caught between subsidized affordable housing and increasingly expensive market-rate communities. Often earning between 80% and 120% of Area Median Income, these renters may make too much to qualify for traditional housing assistance, yet still struggle to afford the rapidly rising cost of conventional multifamily housing. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy examine how a new generation of technology, automation, and intelligent operating systems can help change that equation. From autonomous marketing and leasing workflows to centralized operations, digital resident services, automated communications, and streamlined back-office processes, technology creates opportunities to operate communities with fewer manual tasks and lower administrative overhead. Rather than using innovation solely to add amenities and features, Kerry and Jimmy discuss how technology can become part of the affordability equation by helping operators deliver quality housing more efficiently. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "The missing middle isn't only a housing supply problem—it's a math problem. If the industry wants to deliver quality housing at attainable rents without relying on deep subsidies or luxury-level pricing, we have to rethink the entire cost structure behind the property. That means finding smarter ways to build, market, lease, and operate communities more efficiently. In the future of workforce housing, operational efficiency may be just as important as bricks, land, and financing." Resources: The World's Most Powerful AI-Driven Platform in Multifamily Today

  6. Aug 27

    MCP Connectors: Unlocking the Next Generation of AI in Multifamily

    Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore one of the most important advancements shaping the future of artificial intelligence: Model Context Protocol (MCP) connectors. While most conversations around AI focus on chatbots and content generation, the next wave of innovation is centered on giving AI secure, real-time access to the systems, data, and workflows that power modern businesses. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy explain what MCP connectors are, why they're gaining momentum across the technology industry, and how they enable AI to interact with business applications in ways that were previously impossible. The conversation explores how connected AI can retrieve information, automate workflows, coordinate tasks across multiple systems, and deliver more accurate, context-aware responses by securely accessing live business data instead of relying solely on pre-trained knowledge. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "Artificial intelligence is only as powerful as the information it can access. Until now, AI has largely operated in isolation, answering questions without understanding the real-time context of your business. MCP changes that by securely connecting AI to the systems, data, and workflows that power your organization. This isn't just the next feature in AI—it's the foundation for the next generation of intelligent business operations." Resources: Tomorrow's Intelligence Built for Today's Renters

  7. Aug 20

    The Ownership Gap: What Owners Expect That Operators Can't Deliver

    Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they examine one of the most important challenges facing the multifamily industry today: the growing gap between what property owners expect and what many management companies are equipped to deliver. As technology, automation, and real-time data continue to reshape business operations, owners are demanding faster execution and more measurable performance. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy explore how ownership expectations have evolved beyond occupancy reports and monthly financials. Today's owners want continuous insight into leasing performance, marketing effectiveness, operational efficiency, resident satisfaction, and portfolio health — all supported by technology that delivers accurate, real-time information. The discussion examines why delayed reporting, disconnected platforms, and manual processes often create frustration on both sides of the relationship, leaving operators struggling to meet rising expectations. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "The ownership relationship is no longer defined by collecting rent and sending monthly reports. It's defined by delivering continuous visibility, operational intelligence, and measurable performance. Owners are investing millions into their assets, and they expect management companies to operate with the same level of speed, transparency, and accountability they demand from every other part of their business. Closing the ownership gap isn't about better reporting—it's about building greater confidence." Resources: Autonomize your leasing process to operate around the clock.

  8. Aug 13

    The Great Consolidation: Why Less Software is Becoming More Valuable

    Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore why the multifamily industry is entering a new era where success is no longer measured by the size of a technology stack, but by how well that technology works together. For years, operators solved new challenges by adding more software, more vendors, and more point solutions. Today, many are discovering that each additional platform introduces more complexity, training, integrations, and operational friction. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy examine why leading property management organizations are rethinking their approach to technology. Rather than chasing the longest feature lists, they're prioritizing streamlined workflows, connected systems, and platforms that simplify operations rather than complicate them. The discussion explores how fewer applications can often produce better business outcomes by improving user adoption, reducing duplicate processes, eliminating data silos, and creating a more consistent experience for onsite teams and residents alike. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "The software with the longest feature list rarely wins. The software that removes the most friction usually does. Every unnecessary application, duplicate workflow, and disconnected process steals time from your teams and attention from your residents. The companies that simplify their technology ecosystem won't just operate more efficiently—they'll build organizations that are faster, more agile, and better prepared for whatever comes next." Resources: Multifamily housing operating models are being rewritten.

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About

The Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series brings you the latest real-world experiences of PropTech innovator Kerry W. Kirby and technologist James W. Lancaster. Kerry and Jimmy live on the technology side of the multifamily housing industry. Kerry has built an award-winning company, 365 Connect, the multifamily industry's leading innovator in AI-driven marketing, leasing, and resident engagement platforms, that he founded over two decades ago, and Jimmy leads product development at the company. Together, they are on the frontline of managing their team of developers, customers, and all the craziness in-between.

Information

  • Creator
    Kerry W. Kirby
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    122
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Multifamily Tech Gurus