Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore the critical decision every entrepreneur faces: whether to bootstrap or raise capital to grow their business and how this choice can shape the future trajectory of a company, influencing everything from its growth rate and control dynamics to its long-term sustainability and impact on the industry.

Kerry and Jimmy unpack the concept of bootstrapping, where founders rely on personal savings, revenue, or other non-traditional funding sources to fuel their business. They also discuss the significant challenges, including slower growth and the constant pressure of managing cash flow, that it brings. On the flip side, they explore the path of raising capital, whether through venture capital, private equity, or other means, which can provide the financial resources necessary to scale quickly, hire top talent, and expand into new markets.

Kerry and Jimmy’s Words of Wisdom: "Ultimately, the choice between bootstrapping and raising capital is not just about financial strategy—it’s about the kind of company you want to build and the kind of founder you want to be. Both paths have their merits, and both can lead to success. The key is to choose the one that aligns with your vision, your values, and your long-term goals. In the end, it’s not just about reaching the destination—it’s about how you choose to get there.”

Resources: Bootstappers Have Freedom to Innovate

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore the growing trend of utilizing specialized software tools designed to address specific operational needs within the multifamily housing sector, known as point solutions. The duo discusses the benefits, challenges, and best practices for integrating point solutions into your operations and how to maximize the potential of these tools to stay competitive in a dynamic market.

Kerry and Jimmy explore the challenges that multifamily housing operators face, such as managing fragmented portfolios, ensuring consistent service quality, and responding to the unique needs of diverse resident populations. They delve into real-world examples and examine how point solutions can address these challenges by automating routine tasks, providing deep data insights, and facilitating better solutions for property teams and renters.

Kerry and Jimmy’s Words of Wisdom: "The multifamily housing industry is at a critical juncture where technology integration is not just an advantage but a necessity for staying competitive. As the demand for more efficient operations and superior resident experiences grows, property managers and operators will unstack their one-size-fits-all software solutions and turn to highly specialized point solutions.”

Resources: Empowering Managers and Renters to Thrive

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore the benefits and challenges of moving away from traditional paid advertising to a more sustainable, organic approach. This episode discusses proven strategies for leveraging content marketing, SEO, social media, and community engagement to drive results.

Kerry and Jimmy share real-world experiences and actionable insights to build a robust marketing stack that reduces costs and enhances your brand's authenticity and connection with your audience. They delve into how integrating organic methods into your existing strategy can become a transition point and the importance of measuring and tracking your marketing mix.

Kerry and Jimmy’s Words of Wisdom: "The best way to transition from paid to organic marketing is to utilize lead attribution to measure your strongest sources and adjust accordingly. Once you feel that you are bringing in a respectable number of prospects through your organic channels, start pulling back on your weakest paid source to divert that traffic to your other channels. You will be surprised to see how lead flow reroutes organically as you cut those paid paths out of the mix.”

Resources: Dominate Your Digital Footprint

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore the complexities that point solution providers face when integrating with property management software. They discuss real-world scenarios, share expert advice, and offer practical solutions for property managers to create the perfect tech stack to maximize efficiency.

Kerry and Jimmy dive deep into the nitty-gritty details of the integration process, breaking down the technical hurdles of working with outdated systems, the struggle to align multiple platforms, and business implications that often arise. They discuss navigating the maze of APIs, and the latest trends emerging from property management operators to overcome integration challenges.

Kerry and Jimmy’s Words of Wisdom: "The price put on integrating to property management software systems is not only blocking innovation, but it is also a driver in the rising price of technology, which trickles down into the cost of housing. Multifamily operators must demand access to their APIs in their software subscriptions as a method to control access and rising costs.”

Resources: Technology Built for Infinite Expansion

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore the building blocks of transitioning property-level marketing, leasing, and resident services to an autonomized model. Exploring how property managers and leasing professionals can shift away from traditional centralized systems, the duo looks at how leveraging innovative solutions can enhance efficiency and increase bottom-line results.

Kerry and Jimmy explore the latest trends, technologies, and automation that are redefining the multifamily industry. In this insightful discussion, they break down the key components of autonomic operations, from leveraging cutting-edge technology and keyless entry to creating personalized, seamless experiences for renters. The episode discusses actionable insights and practical tips for property managers, leasing professionals, and industry stakeholders looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Kerry and Jimmy’s Words of Wisdom: "Artificial intelligence and automation are unleashing a new wave of human productivity while delivering a significant competitive advantage for businesses of all types, including reinventing operating models in the multifamily housing industry. Through these powerful technologies, autonomized operations are no longer a myth but a reality.”

Resources: Reshaping The Future

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they explore the complex dynamics of customer expectations and how various sources of disinformation can influence and often distort those expectations. They discuss how misinformation, whether intentional or accidental, can come from an array of sources, including one of your competitors.

Kerry and Jimmy delve into how the impact of inaccurate information can lead to unrealistic expectations, misunderstandings, and potential dissatisfaction among customers. They share some real-world examples, illustrating how competing narratives and false claims can quickly throw things into a tailspin, making it difficult for providers to manage customer expectations effectively. They discuss how multifamily businesses can proactively address misinformation, build trust with their audience, and ensure that their own messaging is accurate and reliable.

Throughout the episode, the duo also offers strategies to combat the effects of disinformation, stressing the importance of clear communication and transparency. By providing valuable insights and practical advice, Kerry and Jimmy aim to equip listeners with the tools they need to navigate the challenges posed by disinformation and succeed in the ever-evolving multifamily industry.

Kerry and Jimmy’s Words of Wisdom: "It is critical for property management teams to question the motives of those that point to flaws in the systems you are using, as many subpar providers use these tactics as sales tools. On the other hand, providers should proactively educate their customers about their capabilities and provide accurate information to set realistic expectations.”

Resources: Empowering Results Matter

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they discuss meeting the expectations of the modern renter by providing self-service tools, such as resident portals, to enable renters to communicate and transact business with your community at their convenience.

In this episode, they delve into the popularity of self-service platforms across various industries and the fact that over 90% of consumers expect to be offered a digital option for their communication and transactional needs. Their discussion touches on what features renters are really using in a resident portal and how certain services and information that many providers typically place behind a login should not be.

Kerry and Jimmy’s Words of Wisdom: "The backbone of a resident portal is to collect rent, reduce the need for in-person visits or calls, and open the lines of communication with residents. Providing the right tools will have a dual benefit, as it will improve the living experience for residents while offering property managers tools to operate more efficiently and effectively.”

Resources: Modern Conveniences for Modern Renters

Join Kerry W. Kirby and Jimmy Lancaster, the masterminds behind the Multifamily Tech Gurus Podcast Series, as they discuss the pros and cons of building your own website versus subscribing to an industry-specific platform for apartment community-level marketing.

In this episode, they delve into how custom websites can give a property a unique look by tailoring every aspect to fit your brand. Still, they may have significant drawbacks in meeting technical requirements for integrations, accessibility, and ongoing updates for security. Their discussion touches on how the best providers in the industry are able to perfect search engine optimization and accessibility compliance and enable complex integration functions by maintaining smart infrastructure that allows for mass updates.

Kerry and Jimmy’s Words of Wisdom: "Marketing managers often have a vision they want to execute to maintain brand consistency, which requires a lot of customization. The one thing to weigh out is whether we are leaving behind the ability to scale and ultimately drive more leads through building custom sites or whether a provider that can deliver websites with beauty and brains serves the property better through enhanced digital presence and lead flow.”

Resources: Power Up Your Marketing Without Increasing Costs