About THE Host
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justin dilley
Multifamily Sales & Marketing Strategist & Innovator
Justin Dilley is a sales and marketing strategist, performer, and content creator who brings a journalist’s curiosity and a director’s eye to the multifamily industry. With a background in journalism and a master’s thesis centered on the “persuasive director” and how leaders communicate ideas with clarity and influence, he blends storytelling, research, and strategy to spark meaningful industry conversation. He is a Co-Founder and Co-Host of Multifamily Weekend Update and a collaborative voice in the Multifamily Media Network, Justin is passionate about elevating diverse voices, translating complex proptech trends, and creating platforms where insight, creativity, and community intersect.
Podcasts
multifamily weekend update
Live every Friday, the Multifamily Weekend Update recaps the week in multifamily and proptech with a chaotic twist. Justin and Eric pull together the best stories just moments before going live — part improv, part news, all entertainment.
Blog & articles
AI in Multifamily: Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept. It’s here: transforming all industries, including multifamily real estate. At the recent RETCON conference, the panel "AI Strategies in Multifamily: How to Ride the Wave" explored AI’s real-world impact on leasing, accounts receivable, and customer service. Moderated by Rich Hughes , SVP AI Strategy & Innovation at RealPage , the discussion featured insights from Kyle Nelson ( Snappt ), Anil Singh ( Veritas Investments ), and Nicole Jones ( Veris Residential ). AI is streamlining critical business functions, automating time-consuming tasks, and enhancing operational efficiency. In accounts receivable, it speeds up payment cycles by automating invoice management. In customer service, chatbots and virtual assistants provide instant responses, reducing resolution times and improving satisfaction. AI also accelerates leasing and tenant screening, processing vast amounts of data in seconds and improving credential verification, allowing teams to focus on high-value interactions. Beyond automation, AI is reshaping the customer journey. Prospects now receive rapid, consistent responses, eliminating long wait times and frustrations. AI-driven personalization tailors interactions, making engagements more relevant, while automated leasing reduces errors and speeds up approvals for a seamless move-in experience. Meanwhile, AI’s ability to analyze massive datasets is a game-changer for decision-making. From fraud detection to predictive analytics, AI identifies inefficiencies, detects patterns, and provides real-time insights that optimize workflows and business strategies. As AI adoption accelerates, companies must strike a balance between automation and human interaction. While AI enhances efficiency, human judgment remains essential for complex decision-making, emotional intelligence, and relationship-building. Ensuring AI aligns with a company’s brand identity is equally as important: figuring out how to strike the balance of leveraging AI for efficiency, while preserving the human touch. The panel collectively emphasized that the most successful AI strategies start small, with incremental deployments that demonstrate quick wins and build confidence. The importance of training AI models to maintain authentic, on-brand messaging was often highlighted. Looking ahead, AI’s role in multifamily will only deepen. AI agents will soon manage more complex tasks like lease negotiations and financial transactions. Specialized AI solutions tailored to industry needs will continue to emerge, and advancements in computer vision and robotics will reduce the need for physical site visits, making property evaluations faster and more cost-effective. "AI is now embedded in the fabric of everything we do. With that, we need to think about it as an efficiency mechanism that drives business outcomes. If we start thinking about it as a category, we lose sight of the problems we were trying to solve in the first place." - Kyle Nelson, VP of Corporate Strategy AI is no longer just about automation, it is now a strategic asset that has the power to redefine entire business models. But success depends on thoughtful integration and human oversight. Companies that harness AI to enhance efficiency while preserving the human touch will not only keep pace with innovation but will shape the future of the industry. As the RETCON panelists made clear, the AI revolution in multifamily is just beginning.
One of the most striking aspects of last week’s Blueprint Conference was not confined to the sessions or the main stage. It was happening everywhere else. From the hallways to the round tables and the aisles of the trade show floor, attendees found themselves in conversations that felt more organic and unexpected than at many other industry events. In conversations with consultants, vendors, operators and owners, one common theme emerged: The diversity of markets, titles and perspectives represented was far greater than anticipated. Many attendees described finding themselves waiting to meet a contact they had arranged with ahead of time, only to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger nearby. With the usual familiar faces and industry cohorts not always present, people naturally stepped outside their comfort zones. This dynamic led to a kind of serendipitous networking. I personally spoke with people across the spectrum, including media professionals, software providers, investors, single family owners and operators of large multifamily portfolios. These conversations not only expanded my view of the industry but also revealed a much more interconnected and niche world than what is visible from the main stage. While the sessions themselves offered valuable takeaways, the greatest lesson from Blueprint this year was that the most impactful connections happened outside the structured agenda. When diverse markets and titles are combined with a willingness to engage beyond one’s usual circle, it creates space for original exchanges of ideas and perspectives. Blueprint demonstrated that conferences are not only about the content on the agenda. They are also about the conversations that occur spontaneously, sometimes with people you might never otherwise meet. By embracing the unexpected and stepping into unfamiliar interactions, many attendees walked away with insights and connections that would have been difficult to find elsewhere. This was a powerful reminder that, in real estate and technology alike, innovation often begins with an unplanned conversation.
