Multifamily Tech Gurus

Hosted by Kerry W. Kirby

Technology Business Entrepreneurship

Website RSS feed

Episodes

116

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

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.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 20, 2026Episode 11521 min

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.

August 13, 2026Episode 11421 min

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 w hy the multifamily industry is entering a ne w era w here success is no longer measured by the size of a technology stack, but by ho w w ell that technology w orks together. For years, operators solved ne w challenges by adding more soft w are, 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 w hy leading property management organizations are rethinking their approach to technology. Rather than chasing the longest feature lists, they're prioritizing streamlined w orkflo w s, connected systems, and platforms that simplify operations rather than complicate them. The discussion explores ho w fe w er 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 W ords of W isdom: "The soft w are w ith the longest feature list rarely w ins. The soft w are that removes the most friction usually does. Every unnecessary application, duplicate w orkflo w , and disconnected process steals time from your teams and attention from your residents. The companies that simplify their technology ecosystem w on't just operate more efficiently—they'll build organizations that are faster, more agile, and better prepared for w hatever comes next." Resources: Multifamily housing operating models are being re w ritten.

August 6, 2026Episode 11329 min

The Searchless Future: From Keywords to Conversations

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster , the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series , as they explore one of the most significant shifts in the history of the internet: the transition from keyword-based search to AI-powered conversations. For more than two decades, businesses optimized their digital presence around search engines, rankings, and clicks. Today, consumers are increasingly replacing traditional searches with conversational AI, asking questions and receiving instant, personalized answers that are fundamentally changing how information is discovered. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy examine how this transformation is reshaping digital marketing, content strategy, and online visibility. As AI platforms become the first stop for research and decision-making, websites are evolving from destinations designed to attract clicks into trusted knowledge sources that power AI-generated recommendations. The conversation explores why structured content, digital authority, and continuous publishing have become more important than ever in an era where discoverability depends less on keywords and more on context. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "The future of discovery won't be won by the companies with the most keywords—it will be won by the organizations that provide the most trusted answers. As the internet moves from keywords to conversations, the communities that build authority, create meaningful content, and establish themselves as reliable sources of information won't simply rank higher—they'll become part of the conversation itself." Resources: Artificial intelligence is powering a new era in multifamily housing.

July 30, 2026Episode 11231 min

The Visibility Advantage: Winning the New Discovery Economy

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster , the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series , as they explore why visibility has become one of the most valuable competitive advantages in multifamily housing. As renters increasingly discover communities through search engines, social media, maps, and AI-powered discovery platforms, traditional digital marketing strategies are no longer enough. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy discuss why websites, SEO, and social media can no longer operate as independent marketing initiatives. Instead, they must function as a unified visibility engine that continuously expands a community's digital footprint. The conversation examines how high-performance, WCAG-certified websites, AI-optimized content, and autonomous social media publishing work together to create a compounding effect that strengthens discoverability and increases engagement across both traditional search and emerging AI-driven platforms. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "Visibility has become the foundation of modern leasing performance. Renters no longer discover communities through a single search—they encounter them across search engines, social media, maps, reviews, and AI-driven discovery platforms. The companies that continue treating these as separate marketing channels will struggle to compete. The future belongs to organizations that build a unified visibility engine where every digital touchpoint works together." Resources: Leverage the power of artificial intelligence to stay in front of vacancies.

July 23, 2026Episode 11122 min

AI Infrastructure: Building The Next Competitive Advantage

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster , the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series , as they explore why the biggest impact of artificial intelligence isn't just in the products companies build—it's in how those products are created. Across the software industry, organizations are redesigning product development around AI-powered workflows, prompt engineering, AI orchestration, and human-AI collaboration to accelerate innovation, improve quality, and dramatically shorten development cycles. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy discuss how AI is evolving from a productivity tool into foundational business infrastructure. Rather than simply helping developers write code faster, AI is reshaping every stage of the software lifecycle—from product planning and engineering to testing, documentation, quality assurance, and deployment. The companies embracing AI as part of their operational infrastructure are building better products, responding to customers faster, and creating a competitive advantage that extends far beyond the technology itself. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "AI isn't replacing people—it's changing what people do. The next generation of successful companies will hire fewer people to perform repetitive tasks and more people to orchestrate intelligent systems. Just as software companies are transforming product development with AI infrastructure, multifamily operators have an opportunity to redesign how communities are marketed, leased, and managed. The competitive advantage won't come from owning AI—it will come from knowing how to build your organization around it." Resources: Experience The Power of Intelligent Automation

July 16, 2026Episode 11023 min

The Easy Target: When The Vendor Becomes The Perfect Scapegoat

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster , the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series , as they tackle a common challenge in multifamily operations: the tendency to blame vendors before uncovering the true source of the problem. When leads slow down, occupancy softens, or performance changes unexpectedly, the first assumption is often that a website, marketing platform, or software provider has failed. But is the vendor really the problem—or simply the most visible target? In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy explore why assumptions often replace analysis, how operators can distinguish symptoms from root causes, and why data should always drive decision-making before conclusions are drawn. From competitive intelligence and market conditions to consumer behavior and operational metrics, Kerry and Jimmy discuss the importance of looking beyond the obvious to identify what is truly influencing performance. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "Data doesn't have opinions—it tells a story. The challenge is that too many organizations stop reading after the first chapter. When leads decline or performance changes, the instinct is to blame the nearest vendor rather than investigate broader market dynamics. The companies that lead this industry aren't the ones that react the fastest—they're the ones that ask better questions, uncover the real cause, and solve the right problem." Resources: Tomorrow's Intelligence Built for Today's Renters

July 9, 2026Episode 10920 min

The Attention Economy: Why Visibility Is the New Occupancy Strategy

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster , the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series , as they discuss how the multifamily industry has entered a new competitive landscape where occupancy is no longer driven solely by location, amenities, or pricing. Attention has become one of the most valuable assets a community can possess, which is increasingly driven by visibility. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy explore how the traditional occupancy playbook is evolving from a traffic-generation strategy into a visibility strategy. They discuss why relying on a handful of lead sources or ILS platforms is no longer enough, and how organic search and social media, coupled with SEO, AI discovery, and content creation, now work together to influence leasing performance. The conversation examines how continuous visibility creates momentum that compounds over time, allowing communities to generate awareness, engagement, and trust long before a prospect ever reaches out. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "Occupancy is no longer won at the leasing office—it's won long before a prospect ever reaches out. In today's attention economy, visibility is the first step in every renter journey. Communities that consistently appear across search, social, maps, and AI-driven discovery platforms build familiarity and trust before the competition even enters the conversation. If renters can't find you, they can't lease from you. That's why visibility is no longer just a marketing function—it's an occupancy strategy." Resources: AI-powered social media that creates & posts everywhere.

July 2, 2026Episode 10824 min

The Great Discovery Shift: How AI is Reducing Multifamily's Dependence on ILSs

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster , the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series , as they explore one of the most significant shifts happening across the internet today: the rise of AI discovery and the growing displacement of traditional destination websites. Platforms that once dominated information discovery are seeing shifting traffic patterns as consumers increasingly turn to AI-powered tools for instant answers rather than clicking through multiple sources. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy discuss how AI discovery is reshaping the way information is surfaced, consumed, and trusted. As users move from searching to asking, the value of structured content, authoritative information, and discoverable digital assets is increasing dramatically. The conversation examines how websites are evolving from static destinations into knowledge sources that help power AI-generated responses, recommendations, and discovery experiences. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "For decades, websites existed primarily to attract clicks. Today, they serve a much bigger purpose—they fuel discovery. As AI shifts consumers from searching to asking, the communities that create useful content, answer real questions, and maintain a strong digital presence won't just rank better in search engines—they'll become the sources that AI relies on to guide renter decisions. In the AI era, content isn't just marketing anymore. It's visibility infrastructure." Resources: Tomorrow's Intelligence Built for Today's Renters

June 25, 2026Episode 10727 min

Apartmentalize 2026: Networking, Noise, and Name Badge Flips

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster , the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series , as they recap Apartmentalize 2026 in New Orleans and share their observations from the multifamily industry's biggest annual event. From packed networking opportunities and after-hours conversations to the expo floor and a nonstop wave of vendor pitches, this candid discussion explores the challenges, opportunities, and evolving dynamics shaping today's conference experience. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy explore a noticeable shift many attendees and exhibitors observed throughout the event: lighter traffic on the trade show floor, increasing competition for attention, and an ever-growing number of vendors competing for a limited pool of potential buyers. As technology providers, suppliers, and service companies continue flooding industry events, the conversation examines whether conference economics, attendee behavior, and buyer expectations are evolving faster than the traditional trade show model. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "The warning sign isn't lighter booth traffic—it's the economics behind it. When more vendors continue entering the market while buyer participation remains relatively flat, the value equation starts to break down. Conferences were built to connect solution providers with decision-makers, but increasingly they risk becoming ecosystems where vendors market primarily to other vendors. The industry must rethink how events create value, because sustainable growth won't come from adding more exhibitors—it will come from creating better connections." Resources: The Road Show: Where you will find us next.

June 18, 2026Episode 10627 min

The Blame Game: Why Connected Systems Require Connected Accountability

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster , the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series , as they unpack one of the most frustrating and costly realities in modern multifamily technology ecosystems: the endless cycle of vendors pointing fingers at one another when systems fail. In today's highly connected operational environment, communities rely on dozens of integrated platforms, but when something goes wrong, accountability often becomes as fragmented as the technology stack itself. In this episode, Kerry and Jimmy explore how disconnected accountability creates operational chaos for property owners, operators, and onsite teams who are left caught in the middle of endless support escalations. They break down real-world scenarios in which integrations are immediately blamed for inaccurate data, failed updates, or missing information—only to discover, after costly investigations and wasted operational time, that the root issue lay within the originating system all along. Kerry and Jimmy's Words of Wisdom: "Connected systems without connected accountability create operational chaos. The moment vendors start treating integrations as someone else's problem, the customer pays the price—in wasted time, delayed resolutions, and broken trust. In today's multifamily ecosystem, technology providers can no longer operate in silos. If systems are connected, accountability has to be connected too. The companies that lead the future of multifamily technology will be the ones that stop pointing fingers and start owning outcomes." Resources: Uniquely curated integrations built for simplifying data.