Multifamily Unpacked

Multifamily faced years of flat rents, elevated supply and rising costs—but is the market finally starting to turn? Tyler Christiansen, CEO of Funnel Leasing, sits down with housing economist and The Rent Roll host Jay Parsons to unpack what’s happening across rental housing and what operators should expect next. They explore why development is becoming even more difficult, where rent growth could...

In this episode of Multifamily Unpacked, Tyler Christiansen, CEO of Funnel, sits down with Alex Jessett, CEO of Camden Property Trust, to discuss the company’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI). Jessett explains why multifamily may be difficult to disrupt, but is still full of opportunities for AI to improve the resident and team member experience. For Camden, the goal isn’t to remove peopl...

In this episode, Alex Howe, SVP of Marketing + Growth of Funnel, sits down with Tyler Christiansen, CEO of Funnel, to unpack a new era for Funnel: multifamily's first front-office-only AI platform. They get into two F-words, Fenix and Fabric, explain what orchestration means for multifamily operators, and share why Funnel remains committed to an open, human-in-the-loop approach to AI. The conversa...

What does the AvalonBay–Equity Residential merger mean for the future of multifamily? This episode covers the creation of VivMark Residential, why mounting multifamily distress may remain contained, and Seattle’s new ban on pet rent and other fees. They also explore why great technology and culture matter more than portfolio size, what today’s market pressure means for operators, and why transpare...

In this episode of Inside the Funnel, host Hannah sits down with CJ, Director of Product for AI Workflows and Insights, to talk about the personal AI assistant he's building for Funnel teams. CJ shares what carries over from building generative AI across edtech and other industries, why keeping a human in the loop matters, and how the assistant can query your data, help you act on it, and eventual...

Katie Harman, Enterprise Consultant at Funnel experienced multifamily from every angle (on site, in a contact center, in management, and as an operator implementing Funnel ) before crossing over to consult with some of the industry's largest operators.  Her dual perspective shapes how Harman helps property management companies rethink their operating models around centralization and AI. In thi...

The Report: Apartmentalize + AI orchestration In this episode of The Report , Alex Howe, SVP Marketing + Growth at Funnel, and Tyler Christiansen, CEO, Funnel, recap the biggest conversations coming out of Apartmentalize in New Orleans — from AI orchestration and centralization to housing policy, REIT consolidation, and interest rates. They also cover several major industry stories shaping multifa...

In this episode of The Report, Alex Howe, SVP Marketing + Growth, Funnel and Tyler Christiansen, CEO, Funnel share the results of a study they commissioned to answer a simple question: how does Funnel's AI stack up against the biggest names in the industry?  In the spirit of the world's best teams competing at the highest level, they put Funnel's voice and chat AI to the test — indepen...

Fresh off Forum 2026, Alex Howe, SVP of Marketing and Growth and Tyler Christiansen, CEO of Funnel, break down the biggest ideas, conversations, and moments from this year’s event. They cover what stood out from sessions with Clay Bavor, Jay Parsons, Kristy Simonett, Mia Hamm, and others, along with what operators should be paying attention to right now around AI, market conditions, leadership, an...

In this episode, Alex Howe, SVP Marketing + Growth, at Funnel talks with Tyler Christiansen, CEO, Funnel about what RETTC Tech Executive Summit revealed, and why execution beats hype. They break down the first rent payment inside ChatGPT with BH Management, what “agentic AI” really requires (guardrails, auditability, trust), and why operators can’t automate their way out of a broken operating mode...

In this episode of Multifamily Unpacked , Nikki Hand, Chief Product Officer and Chief Customer Officer at Funnel, shares how specialization, centralization, and human-centered AI are reshaping multifamily operations. Nikki reflects on Funnel’s evolution since 2020, the industry’s shift to the new operating model, and why AI works best as a teammate, not a replacement.  In this episode, you’ll hear...

In this episode, Tesho Akindele — former MLS forward turned developer and community-builder at Camp North End in Charlotte, NC — joins us to share how reading Walkable City inspired his mission to design neighborhoods where people can truly live, work, and connect on foot. That vision led him to help transform a fenced-off industrial site into a thriving, mixed-use community. Along the way, he unp...

Recorded right after NMHC Annual, this episode looks past the noise to what’s actually shaping multifamily right now. Alex Howe, SVP Marketing + Growth at Funnel, and Tyler Christiansen, CEO of Funnel, unpack how sustained cost pressure is driving real operating decisions, why early AI hype cooled, and where AI is finally delivering value inside centralized workflows. They break down what the rece...

Rather than chasing novelty, Mallory Sheibley, Lead Product Manager - AI at Funnel, is focused on building something more difficult and more durable; AI that improves outcomes in a people-first, highly regulated industry without stripping away judgment, trust, or accountability. In this episode we cover:  What AI is actually for: Reducing repetitive work so teams can focus on judgment, empathy, an...

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. Ty...

This episode is a rebroadcast of The Rent Roll and brings together two of the clearest thinkers in rental housing. First up is your host, Jay Parsons, economist, advisor, and creator of The Rent Roll, a top-ranked podcast known for breaking down market trends, operator realities, and the forces shaping rental housing. He’s joined by Tyler Christensen, CEO of Funnel, who works directly with the ind...

As one of the key architects behind RealPage’s $10 billion rise, Michael Britti has seen firsthand what makes mergers work, and what makes them fall apart. Before leading acquisitions that reshaped the industry, Michael built and sold his own companies, giving him rare perspective on both sides of the table. In this episode, he and Tyler Christiansen, CEO of Funnel unpack the deals that defined a...

A highlight recorded live at Forum 2025. In this Forum panel, four leaders share what it actually takes to scale a centralized operating model—across asset types, management structures, and team sizes.  You’ll hear from:  – Joni Lowe, SVP Marketing, Pacific Urban Investors  – Dom Beveridge, Founder & Principal, 20for20  – Jason Terry, Former Director of Resident Services, Redstone Residential...

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...

Recorded live at Forum, this episode features a rare conversation with one of tech’s most influential minds: Clay Bavor, former head of Google Labs and now co-founder of Sierra. Clay joins Funnel CEO Tyler Christiansen to talk about the future of agentic AI —intelligent systems that don’t just respond, but act. Together, they unpack why this moment in AI is so significant, where the real impact li...

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,...

Turnover is a sticking point in multifamily. But what if a new operating model could actually solve for that? In this Forum highlight, Ginny Decker (SVP of Operations, Monument) and Jayde Kelley (Director of Innovation, RedPeak) sit down with Funnel’s Sarah Bozarth to talk about how centralized operations are giving teams more clarity, more support, and ultimately—more reasons to stay. You’ll lear...

Rate cuts grabbed the headlines, but they aren’t the whole story. In this episode, Tyler Christiansen, CEO, Funnel sits down with economist Jay Parsons—also the host of The Rent Roll with Jay Parsons podcast—to dig into what really drives multifamily performance right now, and what managers and operators should watch. They cover: — Why a 25 bp cut doesn’t move the needle — How supply peaks today s...

In this episode of Inside the Funnel, we sit down with Jack Banask, Funnel’s Senior Director of Strategy and Operations. Jack’s role bridges product vision and operational reality, working closely with operators to simplify the most complex parts of the renter journey, from application through mid-lease. We explore how the resident experience is becoming a powerful lever for retention and efficien...

Tyler Christiansen, Funnel’s CEO and host of Multifamily Unpacked, sits down with Jessica Beck, CEO of Alfred and leader of RKW Residential, and their most recent acquisition, Quarterra. Beck’s path is anything but typical. She started in consumer tech, made her way into multifamily through what was originally a services business, and now is operating a portfolio of communities at a national scale...