If you've attended any multifamily trade shows recently, you know that the number of property, marketing, and revenue technology vendors coming to market is increasing. While more smart tech innovation is exciting (and needed), its adoption often results in breakdowns between executives and on-site teams.
One side is excited about how a new product could improve portfolio performance or make their communities more attractive to renters. At the same time, the other has no idea something is coming and is left trying to catch up.
How can multifamily companies improve the tech adoption process so everyone—from owners to on-site teams—is aligned and goals are met?
In this blog, we'll go over:
- How multifamily teams fail to adopt new technology
- Tips for getting organizational buy-in of new multifamily tech (from a vendor)
How multifamily teams fail to adopt new technology
Someone in the home office gets excited about how 'x' technology could solve 'y' problem. Maybe it's proptech, like smart thermostats, or optech, like AI leasing software.
Whatever it is, they and a few others proceed with the sales process, sign a contract with the vendor, and begin onboarding the new technology before making others across the organization aware.
Then, out of nowhere, on-site teams get dropped the news that there's this new technology in play, and they must become experts at it now, even though they have no idea how it works or what problem it solves.
"The site people need to understand what is being rolled out and why," said Lisa Trosien, multifamily educator at apartmentexpert.com, during an Entrata Resident Experts Webinar. "They can't just be told, 'We're rolling this out.'"
You can imagine how quickly things unravel from there.
Tech adoption fails without these two essential elements:
1. Everyone in your organization believes the solution will solve a problem for them or their residents.
It's already hard to implement new tech at scale across your portfolio; getting everyone on board with it is even more challenging.
Establishing organizational alignment must be the priority before rolling out any new tech solution. There must be a clear, defined problem, and the tech must be introduced as the best solution before it's dropped on site staff's shoulders.
An example of organizational misalignment is adding a revenue management product that lowers occupancy by a percent or two in search of higher NOI when your site staff is incentivized based on signing leases.
The new technology may not be well-received by the on-site staff if they don't understand how the revenue management software will help them solve problems or improve their ability to sign leases. They might see it as making their job harder or reducing their incentives, even though the purpose of the revenue tool is to set prices that are best for the property and the organization.
"It's not that they don't like something; it's that they don't know how to use it. If you don't know how to use it, you feel helpless," Entrata's Virginia Love said in that same webinar episode. "When you feel helpless, you go, 'I don't have any time for that. We don't need that.' They just don't realize what all it does, or how it can help them elevate their position."
So, the tech needs to solve a clearly defined problem for your staff, residents, or both, and everyone needs to believe it will benefit them.
2. Everyone is trained to use it.
It's not just about being upfront with your teams and explaining the purposes and benefits of a new technology; it's also critical to equip them for using it.
You will almost always lose buy-in from your teams if their training isn't a priority (which, as we'll go into later, is something you need to be aware of when researching tech vendors).
Surveying on-site teams, as Trosien shared in her 2024 Apartmentalize session "Are We Tech-ing Things Too Far On-Site," many feel unprepared for new tech and that it makes their job harder.
- 56% of on-site staff indicate they do not receive hands-on training for new technologies needed for their jobs.
- 63% haven't been trained to support residents.
- 64% say residents complain about the new proptech.
- 67% say they spend time helping residents with proptech.
"I've seen so many companies who will rollout so many tech initiatives...and one of the biggest problems is that on-site staff spend so much time training residents on the new technology when no one has trained them on how to train other people," Trosien said during the Entrata webinar.
Whether it's training for new proptech or optech, consider what on-site teams will need to be confident to use the latest tech and, if necessary, be able to teach residents how to use it.
Tips for getting organizational buy-in of new multifamily tech
Here are three things we've learned as a multifamily marketing technology vendor to help you vet future partners and get your teams on board with their products and services:
Seek assistance from the vendor's sales rep.
When researching and demoing various tech vendors and their products, you have a great advocate in that vendor's sales representative. You can ask the rep to assist you in getting all the right parties on board (like regionals or site teams) before you get to the contract phase.
Start by listing those you need to buy in from and ask the rep if they will demo with them. Some key individuals to think about are on-site staff, regionals, IT teams, and owners.
The vendor's sales rep should be willing to potentially deliver multiple demos (where necessary) or leave-behinds for you to share to give everyone on your team a chance to see the value in the new tech and get excited about adding it.
Be sure to ask your sales rep about adoption challenges they’ve seen in other companies and how this solution works for every level of the organization—this can help you achieve organizational alignment.
Essentially, don't do the research and vetting in the dark. Even if you're the decision-maker, getting more people in your organization on board in the early phase is always best, as that gives the new tech the best chance to be accepted and implemented.
Get prepared for the post-sale process.
Great tech implementation can include unforeseen challenges in the onboarding process. The most is at stake in this short phase after a contract is signed.
So, when vetting vendors, be sure to ask what will take place post-sale and if the vendor has the tools to make it easy to train your teams on the tech. With the staff turnover we’ve seen in recent years, it’s essential to ask about ongoing training options. How will the vendor help get new employees up to speed?
The more you're prepared for what happens after the contract is signed, the more likely you'll get your teams to buy into the new tech.
Reach out to your multi-“family" for guidance on tech rollout.
No matter how good the tech or vendor is, the rollout process isn't always perfect—especially when implementing it across multiple apartment communities.
You should expect challenges. If you don’t foresee any, you’re probably missing something.
The best thing about the multifamily industry is its close community. Reach out to your extended multi-"family"—the other owners, marketers, regionals, or on-site staff you follow on social media or meet regularly at trade shows—and ask them about their experience with the new technology and rollout process.
Challenges will occur within software integrations and setups that others may have dealt with, too, so you can learn how others handled the tech rollout process.
Conclusion
By ensuring organizational alignment and providing thorough training, new technology can effectively address critical challenges and improve the experience for both staff and residents. Success hinges on clear communication and equipping your teams with the confidence and skills to leverage these tools effectively.