Along with over 1,700 multifamily professionals, LeaseHawk attended the 2018 National Multifamily Housing Council OPTECH Conference & Exposition in Orlando, Florida. The conference was full of the top multifamily professionals in the industry and served as the must-be location for exclusive opportunities.

The LeaseHawk team was set up at Booth #526 near the Marketplace Stage to give demonstrations of our newest product, HawkEye® Business Intelligence. These multifamily experts consisted of industry trailblazer and LeaseHawk CEO, Mike Mueller, and 2018 Chairman of the Board for the NAA National Suppliers Council, Jeff Smedley. Jeff also participated as a speaker at the Marketplace Stage presenting, “How fast is your leasing team? LeaseHawk knows” where he discussed three primary subjects: are the leasing agents doing what is required of them daily to generate leases, are they following up on all leads and are they doing so in a timely manner.

If you missed out on attending the 2018 OPTECH Conference, don’t worry, here a few key points to remember that are sure to affect the future of multifamily.

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1. Adapt your marketing strategy to stay up-to-date with industry trends.

With the constantly evolving field of multifamily technology, marketing has needed to adapt to successfully engage renters throughout the leasing process. Marketing professionals now must be familiar with marketing automation, interactive chatbots, texting campaigns and predictive analytics, to name a few, to stay current in the industry. These key skills streamline the sales process and are becoming fundamental in multifamily.

Using Artificial Intelligence and automation not only allows for easier access to information, it also can reduce your marketing spend and enhance the customer experience. LeaseHawk’s own automated conversational assistant, ACE (Answers Calls Every time), is one precedent of how automation has successfully integrated into multifamily technology. ACE can accurately answer questions prospects may have along with setting appointments and collecting guest cards.

In order to plan for the future, we need to take advantage of the new technology trends that have been developed to make leasing easier. In addition to improving the effectiveness of your marketing, technology gives customers a first impression of how quickly and efficiently they can obtain information.

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2. Smart tech products are making resident life easier.

In today's advanced technological state, residents are seeking new and improved features to attract them to multifamily properties. High speed internet, keyless entry and package management systems are a few services that appeal to younger renters and are in high demand. These amenities set up users for a convenience-focused living environment that fits into the world of technology that they are already accustomed to.

Residents want to live in a smart, connected community and are willing to pay more for smart home amenities. Technology that focuses on security and convenience increases the value of the property and shows residents that you prioritize their needs.

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3. Increasing sustainability efforts can decrease spending on waste.

Multifamily companies are learning the importance of putting effort toward more sustainable living practices that lessen their environmental impact. Monitoring energy use, implementing new efficiency measures and waste-tracking tools are a few ways that some properties are focusing on sustainability. These features create additional value for multifamily properties and allow professionals to take advantage of the new trends that could save them money.

Residents are also becoming more aware of their environmental footprints and green features are becoming more of an expectation. Many properties have already begun the process to ‘green-ify’ their communities with energy-saving lighting, recycling services and smart irrigation.

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These are just a few of the new ideas that will be progressing the multifamily industry into the future. Are your properties following any of these trends? We look forward to discovering even more innovative ‘what’s next’ trends in the industry at the 2019 NMHC OPTECH Conference & Exposition.