2025 has been a standout year for The Multifamily Podcast. We’ve welcomed industry pioneers, tech innovators, investment leaders, and operators who are shaping the future of multifamily and senior living. Based on listener engagement and impact, these are the 15 episodes that rose to the top, and why they’re worth your time.
#1: Transforming Senior Living with Whole Life Living
Featuring: Leon Grundstein, Founder/CEO, and Danielle Parker, COO of GenCare Lifestyle
Released: December 6, 2024
This conversation reframes what senior living can be. Leon and Danielle walk through GenCare Lifestyle’s Whole Life Living™ model, a holistic approach that puts connection, purpose, and joy at the center of community life, with practical ideas for programming, staffing, and culture that help residents thrive.
Key Insight: The most successful senior living communities will be those that prioritize purpose, connection, and joy—not just safety and care.
#2: From Property Management to Silicon Valley
Featuring: Daniel Paulino, VP of Real Estate at Reputation
Released: August 6, 2025
Daniel’s path from onsite property management to a tech leadership role shows how operations and technology are converging. He explains how reputation management, feedback loops, and data now sit at the core of strategic decision-making for forward-thinking operators.
Key Insight: The operators who win in the next decade will be those who harness technology without losing the human connection that makes communities special.
#3: Multifamily Investing with Purpose
Featuring: Zihao Wang, CEO/Principal of Motiva Holdings
Released: January 29, 2025
Zihao demonstrates that strong returns and meaningful impact can coexist. He explains how Motiva evaluates acquisitions, designs resident experiences, and measures community outcomes so portfolios perform financially and socially.
Key Insight: The best investments aren’t just profitable—they make communities better, and that’s what drives durable long-term returns.
#4: From the Ground Up: Leading Innovation & Consulting
Featuring: John Carlson, CEO, and Alison Russell, Director of Consulting & Communications at Mark-Taylor Companies
Released: April 30, 2025
John and Alison outline how Mark-Taylor Companies innovates while executing flawlessly on the basics. They talk about building internal talent, prioritizing innovation projects, and extending their expertise through consulting that helps other operators raise their game.
Key Insight: Innovation doesn’t mean abandoning what works—it means evolving proven fundamentals with intention and curiosity.
#5: Beyond the Lease: CX, Branding, and SEO Strategies
Featuring: Laurel Zacher, Founder at LZ Strategic
Released: March 28, 2025
Laurel connects resident experience, brand perception, and digital performance in a clear, tactical way. She shares specific approaches for improving reviews, strengthening brand voice, and using SEO and content to attract the right prospects instead of just more traffic.
Key Insight: Your online presence and resident experience are tightly linked—if one is weak, the other will suffer
#6: Building Upward & Building Better: Mass-Timber Revolution
Featuring: Nate Helbach, Co-Founder of Neutral
Released: May 21, 2025
Nate introduces mass timber as a sustainable, financially viable building solution. He breaks down cost considerations, design implications, and environmental benefits with real-world examples that give developers and owners a practical starting point.
Key Insight: Sustainability is no longer a niche preference—it’s becoming a competitive advantage for attracting residents and capital.
#7: From Marine to Millions: Building Wealth Through Passive Investing
Featuring: Wayne Courreges III, Founder of CREI Partners
Released: September 22, 2025
Wayne’s shift from the Marine Corps to multifamily and Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) investing is both inspiring and tactical. He covers how passive investors can enter the space, what to look for in sponsors and deals, and how to think about risk and diversification.
Key Insight: Real estate success demands discipline, a clear strategy, and the willingness to explore emerging asset classes beyond traditional apartments.
#8: Apartment Associations 101: Why Joining Is a Game-Changer
Featuring: David Cordero, AAOC
Released: July 8, 2025
David makes a compelling case that apartment associations are not optional if you want to stay ahead. He walks through the advocacy work associations do, the education and resources they offer, and the networking that accelerates careers and business growth.
Key Insight: In an increasingly complex regulatory environment, apartment associations provide the support and advocacy individual operators can’t build alone.
#9: A Founder’s Story: Creating a Centralized Virtual Leasing Experience
Featuring: Amulya Parmar, Founder/CEO of LeaseMagnets
Released: March 26, 2024
Amulya shares the origin story behind LeaseMagnets and the evolution of virtual leasing from emergency solution to core capability. He explains why centralization matters and what effective virtual experiences look like for both prospects and onsite teams.
Key Insight: The future of leasing is hybrid—pair technology-enabled efficiency with human connection at the moments that matter most.
#10: Serious Business Lessons from Five-Year-Old Maverick Smothers
Featuring: Tina Smothers, Founder and CEO of Integrated Asset Management–Advisory Solutions, and Maverick of The Serious Business Book
Released: October 21, 2024
Tina shares leadership lessons sparked by her five-year-old son, Maverick, weaving themes like curiosity, resilience, and fresh perspective into everyday leadership. It’s a memorable reminder that culture is built through behavior and mindset, not just policies and procedures.
Key Insight: Some of the sharpest business lessons come from staying curious and open, like a child discovering the world.
#11: Leadership in Multifamily: A Conversation with FPI’s COO
Featuring: Vanessa Siebern, COO of FPI
Released: September 4, 2024
Vanessa offers a candid look into executive leadership at scale. She discusses building high-performing teams, navigating shifting market conditions, and integrating technology thoughtfully across a large portfolio, with a consistent emphasis on people development and accountability.
Key Insight: Exceptional leadership in multifamily pairs strategic vision with operational rigor and deep investment in people.
#12: Transforming Hotels to Luxury Apartment Spaces: The Vivo Living Vision
Featuring: Dan Norville, CEO of Vivo Investment Group
Released: August 20, 2024
Dan takes us inside hotel-to-apartment conversions and why they’re such a compelling strategy. He explains how to identify the right assets, manage design and construction challenges, and position these communities so they stand out in their submarkets.
Key Insight: Creative reuse of existing buildings can unlock new housing supply and distinctive resident experiences in supply-constrained markets.
#13: The Story of Willow Bridge Property Company
Featuring: Sheri Killingsworth, previously Willow Bridge, now Avenue5, VP of Marketing Operations
Released: October 26, 2023
Sheri walks through the evolution of Willow Bridge (formerly Lincoln Property Company) and what it takes to navigate a major rebrand and organizational change. She focuses on culture, communication, and aligning teams when both identity and expectations are shifting.
Key Insight: Successful transformation honors a company’s history while clearly articulating and living into a new identity.
#14: AI-Powered Google Ads: The Next Frontier for Apartment Marketing
Featuring: Riva Akolawala, Account Manager at Google
Released: November 29, 2023
Riva offers a behind-the-scenes look at how AI is reshaping Google Ads for apartment marketers. She explains how automation works, what signals the system optimizes for, and how to structure campaigns so AI has the right inputs to deliver stronger performance.
Key Insight: AI in advertising doesn’t replace human marketers—it amplifies their strategy with real-time optimization and richer insights.
#15: The Next Frontier: AI, Automation, and the Future of Work in Multifamily
Featuring: Ben Infantino, AI Engineer at Apartment SEO
Released: October 29, 2025
Though newly released, this episode quickly climbed the charts. Ben explores how AI and automation are changing daily work across operations, marketing, and resident services, focusing on realistic use cases and how teams can upskill to work alongside intelligent tools.
Key Insight: The question isn’t whether AI will reshape multifamily—it’s how quickly teams will adapt and what they’ll choose to automate first.
What Made These Episodes Stand Out?
Across all 15 episodes, a few themes clearly emerged: innovation grounded in solid operations, actionable takeaways instead of theory, and candid human stories rather than polished corporate messaging. Guests from tech, construction, hospitality, and other sectors helped listeners see multifamily from new angles, and nearly every conversation looked ahead to new asset types, technologies, and ways of working.
Your Listening Challenge
If you haven’t made it through all 15 episodes yet, here’s a simple challenge: pick one episode each week for the next quarter. Take notes, share your takeaways with your team, and test at least one idea from each conversation so the insight turns into action.
Better yet, send your favorite episode to a colleague or partner and use it as a conversation starter. The real value of these episodes shows up when they spark new ideas, stronger processes, and better resident experiences.
Thank You for Listening
To every guest who shared their time and experience—thank you. To our listeners who subscribe, share episodes, and send thoughtful feedback—you’re the reason The Multifamily Podcast keeps growing.
Here’s to another year of candid conversations, big ideas, and practical strategies that move the multifamily industry forward. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode. Have a guest recommendation or topic you’d like us to cover next? Reach out—we’re always listening.