Multifamily Unpacked

Multifamily Unpacked

Our lane is multifamily tech, how it influences property management companies and ultimately renters' experience finding their next home. To be clear, we’ll stay in our lane. In this podcast, we are privileged to sit down with some of the best minds in multifamily, learn directly from them, and share what we learned with you. We’re here to have honest conversations with the leaders of this industry and the tech that defines it. Tune in to learn about what could be better, and the solutions that are changing the lives of renters, and everyone working at property management companies. No matter if you just Googled the words “multifamily industry” for the first time and stumbled onto our podcast, or are a multifamily veteran, as long as you’re curious about technology and the multifamily industry this podcast is for you. Multifamily Unpacked is presented by Funnel and hosted by Tyler Christiansen. 

  1. Centralization, specialization and AI in multifamily — Rebroadcast of the Apartment Jedi with Andrew Bowen

    12/10/2025

    Centralization, specialization and AI in multifamily — Rebroadcast of the Apartment Jedi with Andrew Bowen

    In this rebroadcast of the Apartment Jedi podcast, Funnel CEO Tyler Christiansen joins host Andrew Bowen for a wide-angle look at the operating-model shift reshaping multifamily. They cover where centralization and specialization actually stand today, how AI is evolving from simple automation to agentic systems, and why brand power is finally emerging as a real economic lever in rental housing. Tyler breaks down what he’s seeing across REITs, large fee managers, and early-stage adopters: which operating behaviors are sticking, where friction remains, and how the next generation of workflows will change staffing, service levels, and resident expectations. He also explains why winners and losers will separate faster than most expect — and what operators should be preparing for now. You’ll learn: Where multifamily truly is on the centralization and specialization journeyHow REITs, third-party managers, and owner-operators are taking different paths based on incentives, contracts, and brand strategy.The real ROI of specialization: why the biggest gains are coming from back-office functions, not leasing “glamour metrics.”How centralized models change service levels, staffing ratios, and retention, including what operators consistently underestimate.AI’s next chapter: moving from chatbots to agentic workflows that perform tasks, not just answer questions.What resident interactions will look like when AI can renew leases, negotiate within guardrails, process payments, and sync context across systems.The coming shift in leadership development as old career ladders collide with new operating structures.To stay up-to-date follow Funnel on Linkedin and connect with Tyler there, too.

    1 hr
  2. Rebroadcast — Leading Voices in Real Estate with Tyler Christiansen on centralization before AI

    10/22/2025

    Rebroadcast — Leading Voices in Real Estate with Tyler Christiansen on centralization before AI

    In this special rebroadcast, Funnel CEO Tyler Christiansen joins Matt Slepin on Leading Voices in Real Estate to explore the rise of centralization in an industry overdue for operational change, and how centralization before AI is reshaping multifamily operations. Together, they unpack what Tyler calls the “new operating model” a shift toward centralized, specialized teams and AI-powered workflows that make leasing more efficient, renters happier, and teams more fulfilled. The conversation traces Funnel’s early days building automated lead management tools, the “aha moment” that unlocked portfolio-level leasing, and how REITs like Essex and owner-operators like Cortland, Windsor, and UDR helped prove the model. You’ll hear: — Why centralization—not AI—was the first domino to fall in multifamily transformation. — How “renter-centric architecture” changes the owner-to-resident relationship. — What new specialized roles (like renewal and leasing hubs) mean for teams and career paths. — How AI fits into the model once workflows are centralized and why it boosts both efficiency and retention. — The leadership and cultural traits shared by companies successfully navigating this shift. Tyler and Matt go deep into the structural rewiring happening beneath multifamily’s surface showing why technology is only part of the story, and why operational design is where the real innovation happens. At the end of the episode listen to Deepali Vyas, Global Head of Data and AI at ZRG as she zooms out on what centralization and agentic AI mean for leadership, talent, and trust across real estate. Resources:  Leading Voices in Real Estate Podcast: https://www.zrgpartners.com/leadingvoices/ZRG Partners: https://www.zrgpartners.com/our-team/matt-slepin/If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll love Forum. Register today. https://meet.funnelleasing.com/forum-2026-registrationTo stay up-to-date follow Funnel on Linkedin and connect with Tyler there, too.

    1h 33m
  3. Matt Slepin — Building careers and communities in real estate

    10/08/2025

    Matt Slepin — Building careers and communities in real estate

    In this episode of Multifamily Unpacked, we sit down with one of the industry's most thoughtful observers and storytellers: Matt Slepin. As a longtime executive recruiter, former lobbyist, and host of the "Leading Voices in Real Estate" podcast, Matt has had a front-row seat to the evolution of multifamily real estate over the past four decades. Tyler and Matt dig deep on the past, present, and future of the industry—covering everything from the institutionalization of multifamily as an asset class to the slow but necessary shift toward centralization and tech-enabled operations. They unpack how the REIT era rewired expectations for leadership, why talent pipelines are still too shallow, and what it means to “play the long game” in a space defined by relationships, reinvention, and relentless change. What you’ll learn: Why multifamily wasn’t always considered an institutional investment class—and what changedThe unintended consequences of promoting from within in property managementThe balancing act of centralization in third-party managementHow AI and technology are reshaping operational leadership—and why human-centric leadership still mattersWhy career success in multifamily is less about the “perfect resume” and more about curiosity, context, and consistencyLinks + resources: Leading Voices in Real Estate Podcast: https://www.zrgpartners.com/leadingvoices/ZRG Partners: https://www.zrgpartners.com/our-team/matt-slepin/Listen to Tyler on Matt’s show: https://www.zrgpartners.com/insights/leading-voices-tyler-christiansen/Learn more about FoodExtra here: https://extrafood.org/If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll love Forum. Register today. https://meet.funnelleasing.com/forum-2026-registration To stay up-to-date follow Funnel on Linkedin and connect with Tyler there, too.

    48 min
5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Our lane is multifamily tech, how it influences property management companies and ultimately renters' experience finding their next home. To be clear, we’ll stay in our lane. In this podcast, we are privileged to sit down with some of the best minds in multifamily, learn directly from them, and share what we learned with you. We’re here to have honest conversations with the leaders of this industry and the tech that defines it. Tune in to learn about what could be better, and the solutions that are changing the lives of renters, and everyone working at property management companies. No matter if you just Googled the words “multifamily industry” for the first time and stumbled onto our podcast, or are a multifamily veteran, as long as you’re curious about technology and the multifamily industry this podcast is for you. Multifamily Unpacked is presented by Funnel and hosted by Tyler Christiansen. 

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