2015 has been a busy year for technology. Businesses continue to use technology in new and different ways, and technology-enabled automation is one of the most talked about trends today. Companies seek to quantify customers’ desires to leverage technology systems to make processes simpler, quicker and more efficient. Automation continues to advance in nearly every […]

As property owners, operators, and managers, we may often think that every green / sustainable idea out there that can be implemented has already been implemented.

After all, in the late 1800s there was a common belief that everything that could be invented had already been invented. Or, perhaps we get caught up in thinking […]

Policy-makers, legislators, and water utilities increasingly create “drought” penalties and surcharges to incentivize conservation by water users and discourage waste. In the context of dealing with a historic drought, the policy makes sense. The operation of these penalties and surcharges do not take into account how water is used (and paid for) in the multifamily […]

As U.S. apartment REITs play sweetheart to the investment world, sustainability has officially joined the party with its own benchmarking for apartment portfolios. The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB, now a sister organization with the entity that certifies LEED buildings1) is now used by institutional investors to assess sustainability policies of real estate portfolios. […]

As new technology is further developed, we are starting to see a trend toward affordability and corresponding real potential for return on investments in sustainability projects.

Responsible fiduciaries in any industry must assess the rational quantitative value of spending money no matter the expense category. Money spent on one thing necessarily means that you are […]

Even if you haven’t seen the movie or read the book, “A Clockwork Orange” components of this story are a part of our culture, specifically a form of aversion therapy called the Ludovico technique. If you don’t know what I am referring to, allow me to briefly bring you up to speed with the extremely […]

While much has been written recently about the potential application of smart home technology to the multifamily industry, we are just starting to get a glimpse into the way it will impact the living in and management of apartments.

Right now, a number of communities around the country are starting to test the initial Smart […]

These are exciting times for technology in the multifamily industry. We live in a world that demands convenience, a world where tools, websites and apps bring virtually everything to your fingertips.

Our industry is moving fast in the direction of connecting people, devices, and systems, making processes as easy and efficient as possible. The biggest […]

Home automation is nothing new to most home owners, but it is to apartment owners, managers and dwellers. Smart homes include anything from lighting, appliances and locks, while home automation includes products that can be programmed to function automatically.

Smart home gadgets were designed to save you time, energy and money, all while making your […]

Did you feel that gust of wind? That was from the fall of gas prices. Every 1-cent drop at the gas pump means about $1 billion back into the economy and the pockets of consumers say experts, so 2015 saw quite an infusion of found money. But with the biggest windfall behind us, attention […]