Canada’s rental crisis is often oversimplified as a mere supply and demand issue. However, for
today’s guest, Weiting Bollu, it became deeply personal after losing over $35,000 to delinquent
tenants and navigating Ontario’s complex rental compliance laws. Her experiences led her to
recognize the critical need for a transparent and cohesive rental ecosystem that rewards
responsible behavior, essential for building a fair and sustainable rental market. Drawing on her
extensive background in software product management across various sectors including
education, telecommunications, insurance, and AI, Weiting co-founded Openroom with her
husband, Vishal. This innovative crowdsourcing platform empowers tenants and landlords by
providing access to crucial tenancy court orders and enhancing transparency in the Canadian
rental market. In this episode, Weiting discusses the importance of treating rental properties as
compliant businesses and tenants as valued customers. She also offers practical advice for new
landlords and sheds light on the significant challenges posed by rent nonpayment. Tuning in,
you’ll gain valuable insights into creating a fair rental environment, practical tips for landlords,
and a deeper understanding of how Openroom is driving positive change in the rental market.
Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding of the rental landscape today!

Key Points From This Episode:
• The tenancy dispute that Openroom was created to solve and what it offers today.
• Reasons that transparency and cohesion in the rental ecosystem are so important.
• Insight into Weiting’s entrepreneurial journey with her husband, Vishal.
• Why landlords should treat renting property as a business and tenants as customers.
• Education-focused advice for new landlords to help them overcome typical challenges.
• Stats from the LTB to illustrate the trouble landlords face with nonpayment of rent.
• How the law works to protect both landlords and tenants equally.
• Factors that contribute to unpaid rent and the repercussions that follow.
• Ways that Openroom is working to change the rental ecosystem for the better.
• How Weiting hopes to be a role model for other minority women in tech.
• Why Openroom maintains its grassroots focus, even as the company scales.
• Training programs, subscriptions, and more: Openroom’s approach to monetization.
• Weiting’s take on rental increase caps and rent control more generally.

Ever questioned the validity of the hot takes on Canada’s rental market? Then be sure to join us on this episode of the Sync or Swim podcast, as we dive into an open conversation and unpack the truths and myths of the rental market’s hottest takes. We are excited to have two incredible guests on the show, Max Steinman, the CEO at Rentsync & Rentals.ca, and Jenna Chick, the Director of Leasing at Fitzrovia. Together, we break down several hot takes prevalent in the Canadian rental market, including renting as a simple waste of money, Canada’s perceived low vacancy rates, arbitrary rent prices and the ability for landlords to make a fair return, rent control as a solution to housing affordability, and more! Thanks for listening, enjoy.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What listeners can expect from today’s Sync of Swim podcast episode.
• Our thoughts on the idea that renting is simply a waste of money.
• Redefining rental living in Canada.
• Are landlords only interested in profits and are they one-size-fits-all?
• We unpack Canada’s perceived low vacancy rates.
• The benefit of purpose-built rentals and the associated laws around them.
• We discuss the record-high interprovincial migration (from Ontario to Alberta).
• Jenna highlights tips on what landlords are looking for in possible tenants and how to beat the competition.
• Arbitrary rent prices and the ability to make a fair return.
• We analyze the new legislation around short-term rentals (and whether they’re ruining the housing market).
• Rent control as the solution to housing affordability.
• Advocating and educating on purpose-built rentals. 
• Why simply plugging a tenant into any unit won’t lead to success (for leasing agents!)
• How rent control works in Toronto.
• Our take on whether tenants have community involvement in renting situations. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Jenna Chick on LinkedIn
• Jenna Chick Email
• Max Steinman on LinkedIn
• Rentals.ca
• Fitzrovia
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

In this episode, we take a look back at 2023 and the rental trends reported by Rentsync and Rentals.ca. The Canadian housing market seems to be setting and breaking records each day, but does the good outweigh the bad? To help us make sense of Rentals.ca and Urbanations's report, we are joined by three of its influential contributors; the Product Manager of Data Services at Rentsync, David Aizikov, the CEO of Rentsync, Max Steinman, and the President of Urbanation, Shaun Hildebrand. The trio is here to walk us through their findings, which include the steady of flow new rental trends that have played out throughout the year, supply and demand numbers, the undeniable national crisis relating to the cost of living, and the possible impact that reduced housing may have once it enters the market from 2024 onwards. We also learn about the hidden opportunities of affordability, the fears that most prospective homeowners share, the communal relief that rent and housing is top-of-mind for mainstream media and policy-makers, and what renters and landlords can expect from the market in 2024 and beyond. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing three key compilers of Rentals.ca and Urbanations's annual rental report, David Aizikov, Max Steinman, and Shaun Hildebrand.
• Assessing the consistency of new rental trends that we've witnessed throughout the year.
• Supply and demand numbers, and the factors that affect them.
• The cost-of-living crisis. 
• Exploring the possible impact of reduced housing's addition to the supply in 2024. 
• Whether the softening of demand and leveling of rents is closer than we may realize. 
• Community upliftment and other opportunities of affordability.
• The fears of a prospective homeowner.
• What it means for housing and rent to be at the top of policy-making agendas. 
• How landlords and renters ended up understanding the other's perspective.
• What renters and landlords can expect from the market in 2024 and beyond. 

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Canada is in the grips of a housing crisis as the people who need homes far outnumber the available residential units. At the same time, Canada is also experiencing a vacancy problem after the steep decline in office space demand post-COVID. It would make sense, then, to convert the empty office spaces into residential units, but as today’s guest, Steven Paynter explains, this process is far from simple. Steven is the Global Leader of Building Transformation and Adaptive Reuse at Gensler – an elite global architecture, design, and planning firm. Steven and his team developed an algorithm to rapidly assess project viability for office-to-residential conversions, and he explains how this helped Gensler form a successful relationship with Calgary Economic Development. Our guest details the challenges that he comes across in other parts of North America, as well as the areas of opportunity to mirror the success of the work done in Calgary. We also discuss why offices will never be the same post-COVID, how “trash” office spaces can turn into diamond residential units, why most buildings are not suitable for office-to-residential conversions, and the costs of converting versus construction. To end, we gain a better understanding of the true value of Gensler’s algorithm, and what the future may hold for this game-changing initiative. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing the Global Leader of Building Transformation and Adaptive Reuse at Gensler, Steven Paynter. 
• Steven details his professional background and explains how he fulfils his role at Gensler. 
• The ins and outs of his algorithm for assessing potential office-to-residential conversions. 
• How Gensler formed a relationship with Calgary Economic Development.
• Exploring the challenges and opportunities that Steven sees in other parts of North America after Calgary’s success. 
• The way offices are changing and why they will never be the same as pre-COVID. 
• How some features of an unpleasant office space are actually ideal for a family home.  
• Why the percentage of buildings that are viable for conversions is so low. 
• The costs of office-to-residential conversions versus new constructions. 
• Understanding the true value of Steven and Gensler’s algorithm.

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Multifamily marketing has seen a variety of changes over the last year, particularly with the integration of AI advancements. Joining us today to unpack this evolution is our very own Allie Langohr, VP of Client Service at Rentsync. Tuning in you’ll hear Allie shed light on how their team is incorporating AI into the Rentsync platform and the many ways AI tools are being used to support digital marketing efforts. Find out how ChatGPT is being utilized to generate property descriptions and the awesome power of image editing tools to elevate photographs with ease. Allie also provides a breakdown of Rentsync’s new Infinity Bundle and gives a detailed account of its unique approach to helping clients maximize visibility across listing sites. For all the fascinating details on how Rentsync is incorporating AI tools into its platform and the evolution of multifamily marketing, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, Allie Langohr, VP of Client Service at Rentsync.
• How Allie and her team are incorporating AI into the Rentsync platform.
• Unpacking their implementation of ChatGPT and AI image editing technology.
• The role of AI in their digital marketing efforts.
• Why it’s still necessary to have an expert editing AI-generated content.
• Updates on the latest developments in Rentsync’s digital marketing.
• The positive results they’ve seen from delivering ads on TikTok.
• Their website traffic campaigns and why they recommend them to clients with new websites.
• Details on their solutions for collecting leads on TikTok.
• Google ads and methods for keeping these up to date.
• How they are achieving reduced bounce rates and better lead quality in Google ads.
• An overview of the new Infinity Bundle by Rentsync.

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

There is a major deficit in purpose-built rentals in Toronto at the moment and today on the Sync or Swim Podcast, we are chatting about this issue with Jonathan and Gabriel Diamond from Well-Grounded Real Estate. Tuning in, you’ll hear about their focus in the real estate world right now, why this deficit is happening, differences between apartment development and contrast condos, and how these problems can be solved. We discuss what is effective in terms of innovation before talking about integrated product delivery. Finally, our guests tell us about their incredible 1925 Victoria Park building. To hear all this and more, press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guests, Jonathan and Gabriel Diamond. 
• What they do now and their real estate goals for the future. 
• Why they believe there is a deficit in purpose-built rentals in Toronto right now. 
• Some key economic differences between apartment development and contrast condos. 
• How policy needs to change so that these issues can be resolved. 
• The problems with the Canadian fire code. 
• How our guests define innovation and why they feel we’re on the wrong innovation curve. 
• Why Jonathan and Gabriel are interested in improving the system of housing delivery. 
• What integrated product delivery is and why it’s beneficial. 
• Why Toronto has the ability to lead real estate innovation and what holds it back. 
• Jonathan and Gabriel tell us about their 1925 Victoria Park building. 
  
  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Jonathan Diamond on LinkedIn
• Gabriel Diamond on LinkedIn
• Well-Grounded Real Estate
• 1925 Victoria Park
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email
  
  

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

With skyrocketing rental prices, the tenant-landlord relationship is becoming increasingly divisive. In this episode, we discover how RentFund, led by founder and CEO Thomas Deneve, is revolutionizing the rental landscape by incentivizing tenants to take better care of properties through a unique financial approach, fostering a win-win scenario for landlords and renters. Thomas explains RentFund’s streamlined rent collection process, with an emphasis on security and privacy, and shares the company’s aim to eliminate transaction fees altogether. Tune in for insight into the future of the rental industry, and RentFund’s role in shaping the way we rent and invest in properties across Canada.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Thomas Deneve, Founder and CEO of RentFund.
• What RentFund does and what inspired Thomas to start the company.
• RentFund’s unique approach to incentivizing tenants to take better care of properties.
• How this approach benefits both renters and landlords.
• The streamlined rent collection process RentFund facilitates, with an emphasis on security and privacy.
• RentFund’s aim to eliminate transaction fees.
• Thomas explains RentFund’s vision for the future of the rental industry.
• The company’s plans for expansion.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Thomas Deneve on LinkedIn
• RentFund
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

As rental demand rises, rental scams are becoming increasingly prevalent. Today, we are joined by Cameron Choquette, CEO of the Saskatchewan Landlord Association (SKLA), to discuss rental housing scams and their impact on both renters and landlords. Cameron highlights the increasing prevalence of scams targeting prospective tenants, offering key red flags and practical tips for renters to stay vigilant. He emphasizes the importance of verifying listings and shares insights for landlords to protect their properties. Tune in as we discuss the long-term consequences of rental scams and explore the significance of education and vigilance in the evolving landscape of rental housing.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Cameron Choquette and the Saskatchewan Landlord Association (SKLA).
• The increasing prevalence of rental scams.
• Common types of rental scams. 
• Red flags for renters to look out for.
• What to do if you suspect a scam.
• How to verify the legitimacy of listings.
• The negative impact rental scams have on both renters and landlords.
• Common scams targeted at landlords.
• What rental housing providers can do to secure the process.
• Advice for subletters.
• The relationship between the SKLA and the government.
• Long-term consequences of rental scams.
• A final piece of advice for both renters and landlords on staying vigilant.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Cameron Choquette on LinkedIn
• Saskatchewan Landlord Association
• CanLII in Saskatchewan
• Giacomo Ladas on LinkedIn
• Rentals.ca
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

In recent months, we have delved into the pressing issue of the lack of rental supply across Canada. This episode explores a creative and innovative solution: repurposing vacant buildings! Today’s guest Howard Chai, a staff writer at STOREYS, has been writing about this topic for a while now and has chatted with many industry experts. He joins us to shed some light on this topic. He explains the concept of "adaptive reuse" with a focus on office-to-residential conversions. We discuss the driving factors behind this trend, successful conversion stories in North America and most notably, Calgary, and the lessons other cities can learn from the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program. We also discuss the challenges architects and developers face considering these conversions and how the community typically responds. We look at examples of how such conversions positively impact developers, immigration, and rental supply before Howard shares his predictions for the future of office space and residential conversions in the years to come. Tune in for fascinating insight into this potential solution to the problem of the lack of rental supply!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Howard Chai, Staff Writer at STOREYS.  
• His thoughts on the current rental housing situation in Canada. 
• An overview of the concept of “adaptive reuse” and how this relates to office-to-residential conversions.
• The factors that are driving the trend of repurposing office space for residential use.
• Office-to-residential conversion success stories from Calgary and other cities where this has been done.
• Insight into the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program and what other cities can learn from it. 
• Some of the major challenges that architects and developers encounter when attempting this type of conversion. 
• The typical community response to these building conversions. 
• Conversion examples that brought a positive change for developers, immigration, and rental supply. 
• To what extent does the lack of data about conversion projects hinder their adoption. 
• Howard’s predictions for the future of office space and residential conversions in the coming years. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

• Howard Chai on LinkedIn
• STOREYS  
• Transforming Empty Offices into Housing: A Potential Solution to Canada's Housing Crisis? 
• Adapt or Die: Why Converting Offices Into Homes Hasn’t Taken Off in Canada
• Downtown Development Incentive Programs
• Gensler’s Steven Paynter on His Office Building Conversion Algorithm
• Rapid Housing Initiative
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

Our guest today is a city planner by trade and has valuable insights into NIMBYism (Not In My
Backyard) and what is and isn’t working in terms of community engagement in the
real estate development world. Karin Brandt is the CEO and Founder of coUrbanize and, in this
episode, she schools us on the importance of community engagement and how technology has
evolved the way developers are engaging with communities. We discover why the younger
“asset-less class” is less inclined to get involved in local politics and how coUrbanize aims to
change that, by getting more diverse community-representative voices on approvals boards
throughout the US. Karin breaks down how increased community engagement benefits not only
the community but real estate owners too and explains how best to address NMBYism
fundamentally. Tune in to find out where developers and policy-makers are going wrong in their
attempts to engage with communities and what needs to change as well as what can be learned
from the homeless crisis in San Francisco.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The mission behind coUrbanize and what inspired Karin to start the company. 
• Why community engagement is so essential in real estate development today. 
• Challenges faced by developers when trying to engage with communities.
• Why the younger “asset-less class” is less inclined to get involved in local politics.
• How coUrbanize lowers the bar to participation and builds relationships within communities. 
• Strategies developers should consider when engaging with communities. 
• How technology has evolved the way developers are engaging with communities.
• What NIMBYism is and how it relates to real estate development. 
• Common reasons for NIMBYism and community opposition to development projects.
• Examples of notable NIMBYism cases and their outcomes. 
• The importance of data in getting board approvals for developments. 
• Regulatory changes that could alleviate NIMBYism and streamline the development process.
• The risk in development and the cost of delays from community opposition. 
• How community engagement benefits real estate owners. 
• What we can learn from the homeless crisis in San Francisco. 
• How COVID brought into question the traditional way of carrying out community engagement.
• The findings of Boston University’s study on neighborhood defenders. 
• What Karin considers to be the best way to fundamentally address NIMBYism.
• Examples of interesting community engagement approaches, globally. 
• Karin predicts the evolution of community engagement. 
• What should be included in the curricula for future city planners.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

• Karin Brandt on LinkedIn
• coUrbanize
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

This episode of the Sync or Swim Podcast is incredibly exciting as we are joined by Rentsync’s  CEO, Max Steinman, for the very first in-person episode! Tuning in, you will hear all about the  amazing changes that have happened at Rentsync over the last year, namely the integration of  ChatGPT, before we delve into how AI impacts the housing industry as a whole. We discuss  how Rentals.ca has evolved, its new network, Rentsync’s tours module, and so much more!  Next, Max shares his wisdom about the supply issue in the housing industry, what’s causing it,  how to get rid of it, and why rent control is a huge issue. Financialization, according to Max, is  just another word for capitalism, and in this episode, he tells us why we shouldn’t demonize it  and why rent evictions are a problem. Finally, we end on a positive note as we discuss how  commercial space is being transformed. Thanks for listening in! 

Key Points From This Episode: 

• Introducing today’s guest, Rentsync’s very own CEO, Max Steinman.  
• Max takes us through some of the exciting changes that have happened at Rentsync. 
• How we have integrated with ChatGPT and how it makes life easier for property managers. 
• Max shares his thoughts on AI and how he sees it impacting the rental housing industry. 
• The evolution of Rentals.ca over the past year.  
• Our guest tells us about the Rentals.ca network and his excitement about that initiative. 
• Rentsync’s new tours module and all about the tours webinar.  
• Why Max thinks we’re facing a supply issue in the housing market and how to get out of it. 
• The challenges with rent control and how, historically, it always has a negative outcome. 
• Why Max believes that financialization is just a synonym for capitalism and his thoughts on it. 
• Rent evictions and how a wedge is driven between the tenant and landlord’s best interests. 
• The positive transformation of commercial space is happening in the market now. 
  
  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

• Max Steinman on LinkedIn
• Rentals.ca
• ChatGPT
• FRPO
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

If you’ve been playing around with the idea of making use of a bot in your company but have been worried about the added time and effort it takes to set it up, you may want to check out BetterBot. Today, we’re joined by our guest, Robert Turnbull, the President, COO, and Founder of BetterBot. He’s with us today to discuss the benefits of BetterBot and the world of artificial intelligence. As you tune in, you’ll hear more about Betterbot and the intention behind its creation and also about the primary product philosophy. Robert shares why he doesn’t believe in AI mimicking human conversation and why people don’t like finding out that they weren’t talking to a [real] human. We talk about what sets BetterBot aside from other bots and why free isn’t always free when it comes to the use of bots. If you want to find out how bots, and AI in general, can serve the multifamily industry, then this episode is for you. Be sure not to miss out, so subscribe, and tune in now. 

Key Points From This Episode: 

• What BetterBot is and what it was created for. 
• Who Robert Turnbull is and what lead him to found BetterBot. 
• He takes us through BetterBot’s primary product philosophy. 
• Why he doesn’t believe in using AI to mimic human conversation. 
• The reasons why people don’t like finding out they weren’t talking to a [real] human.
• Why customer satisfaction, or CSAT, scores are important and how they’re influenced.
• Some differences between BetterBot and other commonly used email bots.
• Bots: why free isn’t always free and why marketers are moving toward the paid model.
• Why using BetterBot takes the workload off (and doesn’t add work to the workload!).
• Robert shares other ways BetterBot, and AI in general, can serve the multifamily industry.
• Ways ChatGPT can help the multifamily industry and how his company is approaching it.
• His perspective on some of the “alarmists” and where all of this [AI] is going.
• Words of advice for those still hesitant about using AI in their leasing strategy.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

• Robert Turnbull LinkedIn 
• BetterBot 
• ChatGPT 
• Rentsync 
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Quebec is a unique area in Canada with distinct differences in culture that set it apart from other regions. Naturally, the rental market reflects these differences. Today on the Sync or Swim podcast, we are joined by Rentsync’s very own Quebec rental expert, Hudson Bytautas to take a deep dive into the Quebec rental market. Tuning in, you’ll hear about Hudson’s career journey, some surprising facts and trends in the Quebec rental market, how region-specific trends impact the market, key differences between the rental market in Quebec and other regions, and so much more! We delve into how the lower cost of living in Quebec impacts the culture before discussing the student population that needs to be catered to. We even talk about what other areas of Canada can learn from Quebec’s rental market. Finally, Hudson shares his predictions for this unique area’s future and shares advice for first-timers looking to rent property in Quebec. Thanks for listening in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Hudson Bytautas and how he became a rental expert in Quebec. 
• Differences, trends, and surprising facts about the Quebec rental market. 
• Region-specific trends and how they impact the rental market overall. 
• How the rental market in Quebec compares to those in other provinces. 
• The importance of marketing and catering to an influx of students throughout the year. 
• How the lower cost of living in Quebec shapes the culture in general. 
• What lessons other areas across Canada can learn from Quebec’s rental market. 
• Where Hudson sees the rental market in Quebec over the next few years. 
• Hudson’s advice for someone looking to rent in Quebec for the first time.

What role does purpose-built rental housing play in our housing solution? Today’s guest passionately believes that it’s going to play a big part and that we need to recognize, prioritize, and support that both as a society and as policy-makers. Tony Irwin is the President and CEO of The Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO). Tuning in, you’ll hear his thoughts on the necessity of taking immediate action to promote purpose-built construction, the impact of population growth and immigration, and how affordability issues are impacting the rental landscape today. We touch on obstacles to building purpose-built rentals, renters’ stigma, and the positive evolution of the rental housing industry. Hear Tony’s take on the true root of the affordability challenge, barriers faced by smaller rental operators, and what he recommends for the next housing bill. Tune in today to hear all this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Tony Irwin, President and CEO of FRPO.
• How the Purpose-Built Rental Report came together.
• An overview of the current state of Purpose-Built Rentals in the GTA.
• Why it is necessary to take immediate action to incentivize more purpose-built construction.
• The impact of population growth and immigration.
• How affordability issues are impacting the rental landscape. 
• Challenges to building purpose-built rentals.
• The stigma attached to renters versus owners.
• Obstacles posed by parking laws.
• How FRPO is approaching pending policy changes.
• Why the evolution of the rental housing industry is a positive thing.
• What the affordability challenge in the rental housing market can truly be attributed to.
• Challenges faced by smaller rental operators.
• Tony’s recommendation to boost density for the next housing bill.
• The importance of getting more people to do skills training.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Tony Irwin on LinkedIn
• Tony Irwin on Twitter
• FRPO
• BILD
• Urbanation 
• Finnegan Marshall
• Purpose-Built Rental Report
• Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

ChatGPT and other forms of AI are really making airwaves, and in today's episode, we unpack how this relates to the rental housing industry. Joining us for this conversation are market research and advertising expert Adhiraj Brar and digital marketer Miguel Vasquez, both from Mainstreet Equity, a leading Canadian real estate and property management company. They’re here to shed light on how you can integrate AI and ChatGPT into your marketing strategies and use it to reduce your workload. Tuning in you’ll hear more about what ChatGPT is, how it functions, and some of the ways that it is helping property managers, landlords, and marketers in the rental housing industry. You’ll also learn how it has been used to create the National Demand Report by Rentsync before we hear about some of the helpful things this evolving technology will soon be able to do. Apart from talking about its many valuable use cases, our guests also share a word of warning to users of these tools and talk about some of the errors they have noticed while working with them. To find out more about how to make the most of AI and ChatGPT, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to our guests and their roles at Mainstreet Equity.
• What ChatGPT is and how it functions. 
• What led Adhiraj and Miguel to explore how AI and ChatGPT can help in the workplace. 
• Some of the ways that ChatGPT is helping property managers, landlords, and marketers in the rental housing industry. 
• How ChatGPT was used to create the National Demand Report by Rentsync.
• Some of the helpful things this evolving technology will soon be able to do.  
• Errors our guests have noticed while working with ChatGPT, including “hallucinations."
• Thoughts on ChatGPT Pro versus the free version. 
• How ChatGPT can be helpful for employees when English isn't their first language.  
• Advice to new users of ChatGPT and other AI tools. 
• Use cases of AI technology that the Mainstreet Equity team is excited to try.  
• Where people can find out more about what's going on in the world of AI.
  
  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Adhiraj Brar
• Miguel Vasquez
• Mainstreet Equity
• ChatGPT 
• Rentsync's Demand Report
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email
  
  Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

What would it look like if we completely eliminated the private sector from our rental housing industry and replaced them solely with social housing, like the prefabricated panel buildings  (also known as panelkis) of Bulgaria’s Communist era? On this week’s episode of the Sync or  Swim Podcast, we focus on the Canadian rental housing industry. Our guest today is Peter  Shawn Taylor, the Senior Features Editor at the C2C Journal. He’s here today to discuss his most recent article, titled, ‘Marxism Won’t Solve Canada’s Rental Housing Crisis — Despite  What Ottawa Thinks,’ a piece that grabbed the attention of many players in the Canadian rental housing industry. We dive into an engaging discussion with Peter and gain his insights into the current rental housing crisis being faced in Canada. He talks us through the newly formed  Canadian Federal Housing Advocate role, what the financialization of housing means, and different tensions surrounding the root cause and the solution to the housing crisis. If you’re interested in learning more about what’s happening in the rental housing industry and how the crisis is being navigated, this episode is for you. You can also follow the link to read Peter’s article in the C2C Journal. Don’t miss out, tune in now! 

Key Points From This Episode:  

• Who is Peter Shawn Taylor and what led him to write this compelling article. 
• What the Canadian Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josée Houle, and her office have been  tasked with. 
• Financialization of Housing; what this means, according to Peter. 
• Peter’s belief on the root cause of the rental housing crisis in Canada. 
• His “solution” to the housing crisis. 
• How the recommendations could essentially eliminate the private sector from participating in the rental housing market. 
• We discuss Andrey Pavlov and why social housing isn’t the solution for Canada. 
• Why REITs and other private investors offer better housing options versus Mom and Pop run operations.  
• What role the government should play in addressing the current rental housing crisis. 
• A look at other countries and the solutions they’ve implemented; could they work for  Canada? 
• Where listeners can keep up-to-date on what’s happening in Ottawa. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  

• Peter Taylor on LinkedIn 
• C2C Journal 
• Peter’s Article 
• The Financialization of Housing in Canada: Project Summary Report 
• The Uneven Racialized Impacts of Financialization 
• National Housing Council 
• Rentsync 
• Sync or Swim Podcast 
  
  
  If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Building a successful brand requires deliberate strategizing and careful planning. The same can be said of making an impact in the affordable housing industry. Through his company, VIDA, today’s guest, Ron Lovett, is taking giant leaps in providing quality, affordable housing for those in need whilst his company’s brand is fast becoming a community favourite. Ron made the unlikely transition from securities to rental housing, failing many times along the way and using those lessons learned to forge a powerful business model of undeniable longevity. VIDA innovated four pillars which they use as guidelines to revolutionize affordable communities, and Ron explains why he is not fazed by inflation, why he’s chosen to double down on upskilling the community, how he makes the gig economy work for his business, and the unconventional methods VIDA uses to grow its brand. To find out how centralization and decentralization can be used in harmony, and why company culture is the only thing that matters, tune in now! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s guest is Ron Lovett, Founder and CCO at VIDA.
• Ron’s background and his journey to founding VIDA.
• How he went from securities to rental housing. 
• Why he’s always thought of his real estate ventures as global issues. 
• How VIDA’s four pillars help it to achieve its goal of revolutionizing affordable communities.
• The way Ron’s company has fought inflation and how it has adjusted its model to do so.
• Why he’s doubling down on upskilling the community and using them for community jobs. 
• How he navigates safety and compliance by slightly adjusting the gig economy model. 
• The way residents respond to VIDA’s acquisition of their buildings. 
• What the company is doing to grow its brand, outside of conventional marketing methods. 
• How Ron and VIDA are making use of both centralization and decentralization. 
• What he learned about the rental industry in 2022, albeit as a newbie.  
• What Ron is most excited about in 2023. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• • Ron Lovett on LinkedIn
  • VIDA
  • Rentsync
  • Sync or Swim Podcast
  • Sync or Swim Email

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“It's been in the DNA of the company from the beginning. That idea of doing extraordinary buildings has, and is, and will be what the practice does.” — Robert Macdougall

With rental prices increasing year on year, we’re noticing that renters are looking not only for a nice place to live but for modern amenities to help justify the steep prices that they’re paying to live in major markets and downtown cores. One of the ways Westbank Living approaches this market is with smart buildings. Joining us to discuss this and the other ways that Westbank installs modern amenities in its real estate developments, is Robert Macdougall, Senior Vice President at Westbank Living. He sheds light on some of the exciting developments that the company is working on in the purpose-built market in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Seattle, Tokyo, and San Jose, and explains what inspired Westbank to embrace architecture and create hubs in these areas. Tune in today to find out more about the benefits of utilizing smart features, Robert’s advice to anyone exploring them, and some of the services and partnerships the company is implementing to generate additional income. 

Key Points From This Episode: 

• An introduction to Robert Macdougall and his role at Westbank Living.
• Insight into some exciting developments in the purpose-built market in Seattle and Toronto.
• What inspired Westbank to embrace architecture and create hubs in these areas.
• What Robert gained from the National Multifamily Housing Council's OPTECH conference.
• The benefits of smart features and how Westbank has been approaching this trend.
• Advice to any developers that are exploring smart features. 
• Insight into the due diligence done when exploring the scalability of smart features.
• How Westbank decides what needs to be modernized to help increase the value of the asset.
• The type of services and partnerships Westbank is implementing in 2023 to generate additional income. 
  

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“The industry can expect to have real-time analytics and real-time insights as to what's happening in the rental market across the country. And to me, this was a massive knowledge gap in the industry.” — Shaun Hildebrand

Access to real-time rental market data has always been a challenge in Canada. Luckily, today’s guests are here to share a solution to this problem! We are joined by Max Steinman (CEO at Rentsync) and Shaun Hildebrand (President at Urbanation) to discuss how they are joining forces to develop the most comprehensive market data platform for the rental housing industry in Canada. This exciting partnership will bring together Rentsync’s wealth of multifamily rental listings data, Urbanation’s industry-leading data platform for new purpose-built rental projects and condominium rentals, and decades of analytical expertise. Tuning in, you’ll find out how this new venture will create broader knowledge and expertise regarding what is happening in the rental market across the country. You’ll also gain some insight into rental demand in Canada as we unpack the unprecedented rent surges we saw in 2022, and Shaun and Max share their advice for how property owners, developers, and marketers can prepare for a short-term pause in the rental market as we head into 2023, plus so much more! To learn more about unlocking intelligent real estate data across Canada, don’t miss today’s episode of Sync or Swim!

Key points from this episode:

• A look at Urbanation and their focus on the high-rise apartment market.
• Announcing the exciting new partnership between Rentsync and Urbanation!
• The kinds of reporting that clients and subscribers can expect from this partnership.
• An overview of the timeline for the rollout of this partnership and the new platform.
• Shaun shares his high-level take on the 2022 leasing season.
• Reflecting on the sustainability of these unprecedented rent increases.
• Factors that are contributing to rent increases across Canada.
• Why new construction of purpose-built rentals has dropped off.
• The impact of a recession on the rental market and what to expect going into 2023.
• How marketers can prepare for a short-term pause in the rental market.
• Economic advice for property owners and developers over the next few months.
• Where to access the November Rent Report and what you can learn from it.

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“You take the risks, you jump in, you learn and you get stronger. You get more confident, and I think that resiliency is really helpful.” — @harishconsul

Having bought his first house at the age of 15, Harish Consul has undeniably seen the property market through all of its changes. He is the Founder and CEO of Ocgrow Group of Companies, a privately held investment group involved in venture capital and real estate development. In this episode, Harish joins us to share his secret to recession-proofing real estate investments. He explains the importance of patience, taking risks, and having a diversified portfolio. As a seasoned investor, he fills us in on how interest rates impact investment decisions, and what qualifies a good investment market. Tune in to find out the benefits of PropTech, commercial investments, and so much more!

Key points from this episode:

• Harish Consul’s education, real estate, and entrepreneurship background
• The major lessons he’s learned as a real estate and tech investor
• The importance of having a diversified portfolio
• Why Harish focuses on later-stage tech investments
• The benefits of investing in commercial properties
• How COVID affected Harish’s commercial investments
• What led Harish to found the Ocgrow Group at age 23
• Why he believes it’s important to take risks
• Harish explains Vertos, Ocgrow’s luxury development underway in Cochrane
• Why Cochrane is such a fast-growing municipality
• The change in demand in the greater Calgary area
• The greatest risk for developers, given the supply issue in Alberta
• How interest rates impact investment decisions
• The importance of being prepared and patient in the realm of real estate
• Ocgrow Group’s marketing strategy for lease-ups and their early adoption of PropTech
• Ocgrow Group’s future plans

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“I like to remind folks that brand building takes time. It's not easy, it takes a sustained effort over a prolonged period of time to create that repetition.” — Chris Willoughby

Data is the lifeblood of marketing and can help power your marketing programs, or so our guest today believes! Chris Willoughby, Vice President of Marketing for InterRent Real Estate Investment Trust, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Chris specializes in residential real estate, and owns, and operates nearly 13,000 suites across Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. As listeners tune in they’ll hear from Chris about how he has been educating property managers about the importance of marketing, how to decide what marketing channels to use, and why in addition to focusing on quantity, you need to also hone in on quality. He reiterates why it’s crucial to collect data to measure things and know where you are spending your dollars. Don’t miss out on all this and more!

Key points from this episode:

• What led Chris to the rental housing industry and what differentiates his skillset from others.
• How Chris has been educating property managers about the importance of marketing.
• Chris’s thoughts on the challenges presented in marketing attribution.
• How to decide what marketing channels to use.
• The importance of focusing on quality in addition to quantity.
• How Chris views using social media as a marketing channel.
• How the rental demand being down affects his marketing strategies.
• Why it’s important to be able to measure things and know how you are spending your dollars.
• The importance of building a strong brand that resonates with potential renters.
• Why you should be building out the marketing strategy well before the ground is broken.
• How COVID affected their thinking towards an online/ digital footprint.
• Chris speaks to the future of marketing in the multifamily industry.
• He shares present and future endeavours he is excited to share about InterRent REIT.

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“We are having unprecedented demand that is met by very little vacancy.” — Jesse Greenwell 

Welcome back to another episode of the Sync or Swim Podcast. Today we are joined by David Frattini from Rentals For Newcomers and Jesse Greenwell, the Head of Communications, Partnerships, Culture, and Inclusion at Mainstreet Equity. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about why there is a high increase in the demand for student rentals in Canada, how Mainstreet Equity has accommodated this demand, how they avoid unreliable tenants, and how they are promoting themselves as all-inclusive in order to attract student renters. We also discuss how Rentals For Newcomers are avoiding scammers online, how to seek student accommodation later in the year, how to be the best possible prospect for a landlord, the importance of rental insurance, how Covid has changed renting in Canada, and the financial benefit of seeking housing outside of your gateway city. Jesse and David also share some advice for international students looking to rent in Canada. You won’t want to miss out on this discussion! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guests, David Frattini and Jesse Greenwell
• Why there is an increase in demand for student rentals in Canada
• Jesse elaborates on how Mainstreet Equity has created additional supply for student housing
• What kind of occupancy they are seeing in these student buildings 
• David advises students who are seeking accommodation later in the year
• How can student renters best secure a rental with landlords
• The protocols that Mainstreet Equity has put in place to avoid potentially delinquent student renters
• The marketing that Mainstreet Equity is using to reach and attract student renters
• The importance of reaching your maximum audience possible with proper branding
• How Rentals For Newcomers combats scammers on their website
• David shares his thoughts on rental insurance and the benefits for both renter and landlord
• How Covid has made the rental industry change
• David shares some words of advice for international students looking for rentals in Canada
• The importance of staying up to date on the latest scams as a renter
• Why David encourages people to look for housing outside of your gateway city
• Jesse also shares advice for international students looking for accommodation in Canada

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“Our core focus is just making sure we have the best experience for both renters and landlords across Canada.” — Matt Danison, CEO of the Rentals.ca Network

Vacancies for offices in Quebec went up to 16.5% last year, immigration is at an all-time high, and higher interest rates are preventing homeowners from selling their properties. All of these factors combined have led to an increased demand for rental units, and rentals.ca is heeding that call! Today’s guest is Matt Danison, CEO of the Rentals.ca Network, who is passionate about creating best-in-class renter and landlord experiences across Canada. Tune in to hear the process that Matt and his team went through to rebrand the Louer.ca segment of their network, the exciting plans they have for making it easier than ever to find what you’re looking for on a rental site, Matt’s top piece of advice on how to make your listing stand out, and more! 

Key points from this episode:

• An overview of the Rentals.ca Network 
• Matt Danison explains his top priorities as CEO of the Rentals.ca Network 
• The inspiration behind the Louer.ca rebrand
• Feedback that the rentals.ca team have received on their Louer.ca rebrand
• What visitors to the Louer.ca website can expect since the rebrand
• A statistic that highlights the impact of the pandemic on commercial vacancies
• Matt’s thoughts on the crucial elements that rental sites need to be focusing on
• How the Rentals.ca Network makes sure their listings are safe
• Advice for how to make your listing on a listing site stand out
• Some of the key trends that rentals.ca is seeing in the rental market currently
• Differences between how the younger generation and the older generation search for rental properties
• Exciting future features of rentals.ca rental marketplaces

Links mentioned in today’s episode:

• Rentals.ca
• Rentals.ca Email
• Louer.ca
• Matterport 3D Virtual Tours
• Avison Young
• Local Logic
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Rentals.ca and Raising the Roof have announced an exciting new partnership! So today, we are thrilled to be joined by the Director of Housing Development at Raising the Roof, Adrian Dingle. We begin our conversation by learning about Raising the Roof: its origin story and history, what the company does, and why its new venture with Rentals.ca is a match made in heaven. Then, we discuss the standout achievements that gave Raising the Roof its stellar reputation, how it garners support from various branches of government, what a day in Adrian’s work life looks like, and what he looks for in an ideal development partner. To end, Adrian details the challenges of his work and what other industry leaders could do to alleviate these pain points, and discover how to get involved with Raising the Roof and other initiatives that are aimed at curbing Canada’s housing crisis. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Adrian Dingle walks us through the ins and outs of Raising the Roof (RTF).
• Why its partnership with Rentals.ca is a blissful union. 
• RTF’s noticeable achievements that highlight the good work it is doing. 
• Exploring its (healthy) relationship with municipalities and other forms of government.  
• What Adrian’s role as Director of Housing Development entails. 
• Why the best partners in development are those who are also passionate about affordability and social impact.
• Everything you need to know about The Toque Campaign and RTF’s other initiatives.
• The challenges of Adrian’s work, and what he thinks the industry could do better.
• What we hope to see from the recent wave of policymakers addressing the housing crisis.  
• How to get involved with RTF and housing-related projects.

“It's a matter of really changing the housing strategy completely in our country and coming up with things that make more sense.” — @MKenneyCAPREIT

While there are regional variations, it’s no secret that, for many people in Canada, housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable. Today’s guest, however, believes that the answer to solving Canada’s housing crisis is right in front of us. In this episode, we sit down with Mark Kenney, President and CEO of CAPREIT, to discuss some of the policies that are driving rapidly escalating housing costs in the country and why a land lease approach is the obvious solution. Mark has nearly 30 years of experience in the multifamily sector, having previously held senior positions at Realstar Management Partnership, Greenwin Property Management, and Tridel. He is also a board member and prior chair of the Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario, a board member of St. Hilda's Towers, and a founding board member of the GTAA.

For those who don't know, CAPREIT is Canada's largest publicly traded provider of rental housing, which owns or has interests in nearly 67,000 residential apartment suites, townhomes, and manufactured housing community sites across Canada, the Netherlands, and Ireland.

Tuning in today, you’ll get a glimpse into what the land lease model entails, who it appeals to, and why affordable housing is within reach for Canadians, so make sure not to miss this insightful conversation with CAPREIT’s Mark Kenney!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What led Mark to the multifamily sector nearly 30 years ago and what made him stay
• One of the most challenging parts of Mark’s career: the human tragedies he witnesses
• The important role that a strong team played in CAPREIT’s success during COVID
• Insight into CAPREIT’s land lease approach to affordable housing
• A look at the 13,000 communities that offer land lease opportunities across Canada
• Mark’s belief that land leases in rural settings are the obvious solution to the affordable housing crisis in Canada
• Why a land lease model is especially appealing to first-time buyers, families, and retirees
• Overcoming barriers put in place by the Planning Act and inclusionary zoning policies
• What the next year looks like for the rental housing market with cost pressures on all fronts
• Why Mark believes it’s time to change the housing strategy and create better solutions
• How CAPREIT is creating safe accommodation for Ukrainian refugees, starting with shortcutting housing requirements
• The municipal service requirements that are at the heart of Canada’s housing crisis
• The impact of remote work and the trend towards settling in rural versus urban locations

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Mark Kenney on LinkedIn
• Mark Kenney on Twitter
• CAPREIT
• CAPREIT on LinkedIn
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“What Spark does is essentially power the sales and digital transaction process for new developments, residential towers, or projects. We are the backend infrastructure that the sales team, the marketing team, the administration team uses to manage everything.” — @SimeonGarratt

Welcome back to Sync or Swim! Today, we speak with Simeon Garratt, CEO and Co-Founder of Spark Real Estate Software, helping developers to sell and market their homes. Joining us, you’ll hear about the unique opportunity that Simeon identified to create a universal software to serve new developers across the globe. We speak specifically about how Spark serves marketing teams as they find more success in the digital world through insights, tracking, email marketing tools, and more! You’ll also find out why they have chosen to have a semi-open API and how a recent case study with Marlin Spring illustrates how Spark can be used to generate meaningful reports, and Simeon shares the company’s goals for the future (with their current services only being the start of what they plan to do) and lets us in on how he believes the pandemic has impacted this particular industry. Tune in to hear all this and more today! 

Key points from this episode:

• The story of how Simeon’s parents were detained and accused of being spies in China
• How Spark serves the sales, marketing, and administration team within real estate
• What Spark aims to do: create universal software that works for real estate across the globe
• How their software helps marketing teams to be more successful in the digital world
• What they integrate into including social channels, all paid channels and capture forms
• Insights, tracking, and email marketing tools that they use
• Why Spark has chosen to have a semi-open API
• Their newest case study with Marlin Spring, which illustrates how Spark can be used to generate meaningful reports
• What the company’s goals look like to deepen relationships, grow their team, and gain data
• The challenge of educating investors about the real estate and new development space
• How the pandemic skipped the real estate industry a few steps ahead
• The opening of the market to many different geographies because of the pandemic
• Why Simeon considers himself to be in the beginning phases of what Spark will achieve
• How a growing line item has formed in real estate budgets for software

Links mentioned in today’s episode:

• Simeon Garratt on LinkedIn
• Simeon Garratt on Twitter 
• Simeon Garratt Email
• Spark
• Marlin Spring Case Study
• Marlin Spring
• Spark Real Estate Software 
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“AI has taken over so much of what we do ... It was a natural migration that it would find its way to multifamily.” — Brock McLean

AI has seeped into most industries, and multifamily real estate is no exception. Our guest today has been in the real estate industry for 25 years and has evolved alongside real estate technology. Brock MacLean is the EVP & CRO of LeaseHawk and former SVP of Business Development at RealPage and today, he talks us through the role of AI in leasing over at LeaseHawk. We learn about the conversational experiences AI is now able to provide, as well as how COVID has accelerated its adoption in the real estate tech space. Brock breaks down the issues AI has solved for leasing agents and beyond, and explains why it’s critical to understand your market and have a flexible digital marketing strategy. We also discuss the trends of increasing tech adoption as well as tech fatigue, and how AI increases efficiency without requiring management, training or workflow changes. Tune in to find out how AI is being employed in the real estate tech space, and the future of multifamily in the metaverse!

Key points from this episode:

• Brock McLean’s background in real estate technology and what led him to LeaseHawk
• How LeaseHawk is communicating the benefits and use cases of AI to prospective clients
• The conversational experiences AI is now able to provide
• How COVID accelerated the adoption of AI in the real estate tech space
• The staffing and recruiting problem AI has solved
• The greatest challenges for leasing agents today and how AI can assist
• The various roles being a leasing agent can prepare you for
• The goal of LeaseHawk and the technology they employ
• Why it’s critical to understand your market and have a flexible digital marketing strategy
• How LeaseHawk’s AI is customizable for the user’s experience
• LeaseHawk’s plans for expansion in the next two to three years
• How the AI increases efficiency without requiring management, training or workflow
• changes
• The opportunity for real estate tech to expand beyond multifamily leasing
• Trends of tech adoption and tech fatigue
• The future of multifamily in the metaverse

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“It's a way for you to help promote, make sure you get more traffic and more visibility, eyeballs on your listings on those sites, which will then, based on data that we've seen in our analysis, it will help to generate more traffic.” — Michael Mottola, VP, Technology & Data at Rentsync

Today, Rentsync is excited to announce a new feature that helps users promote their listings, make sure they get more visibility, and ultimately generate more traffic, resulting in up to 2.5x (sometimes up to 6x), the number of leads! In this episode, we are joined by Suhasini Gadam, Senior Product Manager, and Michael Mottola, VP of Technology and Data at Rentsync, to chat about Promoted Listings, the latest and greatest Rentsync platform update that's going to transform the way rental housing providers market their listings.

Tuning in you’ll hear how Promoted Listings create a more streamlined, self-service process for users, in comparison to Featured Ads, and the many things that have happened behind the scenes to make this possible. You’ll discover how Promoted Listings can assist with leasing up faster, what some of the most popular use cases for this feature are, and how this affects the overall flow of transactions for Rentsync clients.

To find out how you can get started in using promoted listings, some of the different payment tiers and package offerings available, and everything you need to know to make the most of this new feature, tune in today!

Key points from this episode:

• Insight into what’s happening behind the scenes at Rentsync as they launch a new feature
• Rentsync’s new feature: Promoted Listings, and how the feature differs from Featured Ads
• Why this process was manual before and not a streamlined self-serve feature until now
• The difference between Promoted listings and Standard listings
• How Promoted Listings tend to be used more in urban centres and why Michael foresees an uptick in the use of these in secondary markets in near future
• What it means for Rentsync clients that Promoted Listings are now self-serve and how this affects the overall flow of transactions
• Some of the most popular use cases for Promoted Listings
• How Promoted Listings can assist with leasing up faster
• How a client can transfer a campaign if they have filled their vacancies
• Where Promoted Listings are available and what listing sites currently accommodate them
• Reasons why a listing site may not allow you to promote your listings
• The different payment tiers and package offerings for Promoted Listings
• How users can get started in using Promoted Listings on the Rentsync platform
• Other features that Rentsync users can look forward to in the next three to six months
• How users can submit feedback on the new feature

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

"As you grow, it's very easy to get distracted by bright shiny lights. There are new opportunities everywhere. But … don't get distracted by them. Just focus on what you're doing, and execute, and then work on executional excellence." — Simon Baker

Today's guest has worked with online marketplaces across multiple countries, and even continents, advising on product development, and successful business models. Joining us for this informative episode on the future of online rental websites is none other than Simon Baker, who has over a 20-year career in online marketplaces, from being CEO of the REA Group to advising market leaders around the world, and investing in 30-plus marketplaces in 15 countries. The list truly goes on and on (and up). In this episode, Simon shares insights into what he has learned to be the most important focal point when it comes to driving and scaling a business, as well as what he looks for in leaders prior to investing. We find out what typically leads to failures in online marketplace and how to ensure the survival and profitability of rental listing websites in the long run! Tune in to discover the nuances and challenges of the online marketplace business, and hear some of Simon's real-life examples of how to overcome hurdles in the space. This is an episode you won't want to miss! 

Key points from this episode:

• How Simon Baker got involved in online marketplaces and why he's so passionate about it
• The scale of REA Group today
• The lessons Simon brought forward to drive and scale realestate.com.au back in 2000
• The importance of focus, persistence, communication, and trust
• The disadvantages of perfectionism
• An example of a challenging venture and what Simon did to succeed
• The characteristics Simon looks for in leaders prior to investing
• What a 'beer test' is and why Simon considers it to be a deciding factor
• What typically leads to failures in the online marketplace
• The importance and challenge of foresight
• How to future-proof rental listing sites and ensure profitability
• The role of the intermediary in the online rental space
• When to look at partnering and why to avoid building
• Some of the interesting, innovating players in the rental listing space across the globe
• The traits the successful players have in common
• Whether the opportunity exists for long-term listing sites to compete with short-term listing sites
• The nuances and the challenges of the rental listing site model
• How listing sites can become more efficient in terms of remote leases
• Building trust through building a brand
• Simon's podcast guest recommendations: Morada Uno, and Gabriel Braga of QuintoAndar
• What we can expect at the 2022 Global Online Marketplaces Summit!

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“That’s the reality of the renter search, they’re considering a wide variety of asset classes and locations. If you’re going to serve that renter then you need to have all the stuff. That’s what we’re aiming to be — is that completely comprehensive marketplace. That’s what we’re building. We want to have every available listing in America.” — Jonas Bordo, Co-founder & CEO of Dwellsy 

With the death of Craigslist over the past few years, the main and valuable lead sources have become elusive for the landlord in the rental industry. The driving goal of today’s guest is to work in partnership with the property managers and landlords to truly serve the renter. His company aims to have a completely comprehensive marketplace and provide pure organic search options to renters so that they can find exactly what they are looking for. On the show today, we welcome Jonas Bordo, the CEO and Co-founder of Dwellsy and former Group Vice President of Operational Services at Essex Property Trust, and Senior Vice President of Corporate Resources at Bentall Kennedy, now BentallGreenOak. Tuning in, listeners will hear more about the death of Craigslist, serving the renter, what sets Dwellsy apart in the online marketplace, and so much more! So don’t miss out on today’s episode! 

Key points from this episode:

• We hear how Jonas got into multifamily, what led him to this industry, and what makes him so passionate about it
• Jonas shares advice he would give his past self and to listeners in similar circumstances
• What motivated Jonas to create his own rental listing site; finding a new lead source
• Jonas explains why Craigslists lost its momentum in relation to multifamily: rental fraud
• Will Facebook follow the same fraud-filled reality as Craigslist?
• Serving the renter: why you need to have a completely comprehensive marketplace
• Jonas talks about what sets Dwellsy apart in the competitive online marketplace
• How they monetize Dwellsy
• He talks about what they are doing to improve landlord relationships with listing sites
• Some of the biggest hurdles and challenges Jonas has faced and overcome with Dwellsy
• We talk through some future projections for Dwellsy
• He shares what he would like to see more of in the multifamily marketing and leasing technology sphere
• How technology has impacted the renter

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“You can pick any asset class, and there’s so much change happening at PropTech. It’s the best time ever to be in the sector.” - Zain Jaffer, PropTech VC & Partner at Blue Field Capital

The world of technology is constantly evolving and has only been accelerated since the advent of the pandemic. Today, we are joined by Zain Jaffer to discuss the evolution of PropTech, the metaverse and modernizing multifamily. Not only has Zain founded a venture capital fund that invests in early-stage PropTech startups, but his last startup sold to Blackstone for $780 million. He is now a partner at Blue Field Capital, which has a $1 billion real estate portfolio, including multiple asset classes. In this episode, we find out what led Zain to real estate and what advice he has to impart to those stepping into the industry. He fills us in on what drew him to his personal investment niche, PropTech, and shares insight into a few of the compelling startups he has invested in thus far. Tune in to hear Zain’s predictions and speculations when it comes to property management, marketing technology and so much more!

Key points from this episode:

• Zain Jaffer’s extraordinary origin story and path to success
• Why he got involved in real estate and chose to join Blue Field Capital as a partner
• What led him to start a venture capital fund and focus on his niche, PropTech
• Zain shares an early mistake he learned from in the real estate space
• Why it’s important to pick a niche
• The types of projects Blue Field is currently involved in
• Why single-family rentals have taken off post-Covid
• How the PropTech industry has evolved in the past two years, in light of the pandemic
• Two compelling startups that Blue Field Capital has invested in
• What Zain considers to be the biggest gaps in the multifamily space and in technology
• What he predicts will be the most exciting and disruptive trend in the PropTech industry
• How marketing technology has evolved in property management and how it can improve

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“For us at Fitzrovia, the marketing piece is not a bolt-on component. It carries the same weight as the building’s architecture and interior design.” — Ryan Funt

It’s not often that one can boast having an apartment block that is 100% leased and 100% occupied, but through an incredible marketing campaign (which won them a large number of awards!), Ryan Funt and his team at Fitzrovia have achieved that at The Waverley. In today’s episode, Ryan joins Nicolina for a discussion around marketing strategy for purpose-built rentals, and how, when done right, can turn rental prospects into brand loyalists (another uncommon achievement in the real estate industry). Ryan explains why your marketing roadmap should be created before any physical work on the building has started, and he shares examples of what it means to build a coherent brand image throughout a development. Ryan also shares his thoughts on how developers should be thinking about amenities, shifts that he has seen in the Toronto market in terms of desired unit size, why speed of response from rental agents is so important, and more! Tune in today to hear it all. 

Key points from this episode:

• The Waverley lease up that Ryan and his team at Fitzrovia recently completed, and the awards they won as a result
• Why every lease up should have its own unique plan
• When marketing plans for a lease up should be developed, and the questions you should be asking to guide the direction of your plan
• Fitzrovia’s approach to integrating brand identity into buildings and their surrounding environment
• The wide range of amenities that can be provided to enhance your offer and increase resident retention
• A major shift that has taken place in the Toronto rental marketplace
• Expectations that renters have of rental agents
• Ryan shares his thoughts on the use of chatbots in the multifamily space
• Different types of marketing channels, and examples of how different circumstances should impact which ones are prioritized
• Seemingly small marketing tactics that can make a big difference to your brand

If you liked this episode, be sure to rate, review, and subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

I wish I could be a leasing consultant again, because I can think of four different channels I would have going at the same time, and I would be making four times the commission for every appointment slot available within a given day​​​​​​​. – Rebecca Shaffrey, SVP Corporate Services at Bell Partners

On this week’s episode of Sync or Swim, we share a highly valuable conversation from the most recent Retcon, a best-in-class real estate technology conference, hosted in Miami, Florida. In the recording you’ll hear from Max Steinman, Interim CEO for Rentsync, as he moderates the event’s marketing and leasing panel. He is joined by four trailblazing multifamily industry professionals:

• David Perez, COO of Carroll
• Rebecca Shaffrey, SVP Corporate Services at Bell Partners
• Michele Tate, National Director of Leasing at Toll Brothers
• Clint Lee, Co-founder and CEO of Convey by OneDay

The focus of the panel centers around how technology has become ingrained in the marketing and leasing process, and how it is fostering greater innovation, streamlined operations, and more competition within the industry.

• Getting to know the panel and their role in supporting multifamily organizations
• How digital marketing is improving the leasing process
• How chatbots are helping increase the speed to lease
• How video technology is personalizing the touring process
• How self-guided tours are streamlining multifamily operations
• What’s next for multifamily marketing and leasing technology

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

"The way that we've structured the actual listing score is that a user is given a strong approximation of how complete their overall listings are, and hopefully receive a kick in the butt once they see that a particular property might be lacking." — David Aizikov

You could have the most amazing property in the world, but if your listing doesn't provide users with the information they need, you could have absolutely no success finding renters. The product team at Rentsync, including Michael Mottola and David Aizikov have developed Listing Score©, to help multifamily marketers and property managers optimize their listings and attract the right tenants. During today's conversation, David and Michael tell us how you can use Listing Score to measure the content quality and completeness of your rental listings. You'll learn about the key areas  properties should be talking about to improve their score, how to use this score as a performance metric in your own reporting, and how Listing Score aims to drive progress and innovation for multifamily marketing. Michael and David also share some advice with listeners that they offer their clients, talk us through Listing Score's role in the Rentsync Platform, and share some of the feedback they have received from those currently using the new feature. Join us today to hear all this and more! 

• Listing Score, a tool to help people measure the content quality and completeness of their rental listings
• Why they can't just mandate the inclusion of additional fields
• Key areas properties should be talking about to improve their listing score
• Why they recommend that you have at least 10 unit and property level amenities
• Why you should make sure that all your listings have the same number of completed fields
• Why you should always include the size of the property in your listing.
• How they came to realize that a really good number of images for your listing is eight
• Michael explains how Listing Score works in the Rentsync platform
• Assurance that Listing Score is not public, nor is it a reflection of the quality of your property
• How properties can use Listing Score as a KPI for their own reporting
• Their goal that Listing Score will help people to make better decisions
• Feedback from clients who have used the feature before
• David and Michael's plans for the future

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Technology is becoming a vital aspect of the rental space as, for one, it provides the opportunity for accurate property visualizations before they’ve been built; without having to view the actual building. As a leading PropTech company that develops and deploys innovative tech solutions for properties and residents, Gryd is one of the reasons that many landlords and renters are willing to embrace this new digital era. Today we are joined by the Vice President of Sales at Gryd, Josh Donen, who explains what his company is all about and what his role in it entails. We learn about Gryd’s impressive technologies, how it works, and why the industry is clamouring to embrace it. Then, we look back at the pandemic as we discuss how the market reacted to it, how COVID swayed Gryd’s new innovations, and how the pandemic inadvertently set new trends for the rental industry. We also discuss what a boost in rental supply may mean for the industry moving forward, why multi-market conferences matter, and the exciting work that Gryd has planned for the near future.   

Key Points From This Episode:

• Josh Donen’s background and what his role as Vice President of Sales at Gryd entails.
• The ins and outs of Gryd, and why there’s an increasing need for its technology.  
• How Gryd’s technology works.
• The way COVID changed what Gryd prioritized in its innovations.
• How renters have become accustomed to digital renderings as a result of the pandemic.
• More on the increasing value of Gryd’s technology offerings.
• Assessing how a major boost in rental supply may affect the markets.
• Why it’s wise to attend rental conferences in other markets.
• Industry trends that Gryd is taking notice of, and what it has planned for the future.

“We have our in-house construction company, our in house property management company, snow removal, grass cutting, you name it, it’s all under one roof, essentially giving that potential joint venture partner or client the ‘Costo effect.’” — Adrian Pannozzo

When Adrian Pannozzo had spent 15 years working on the police force, he decided to start investing in real estate. At first, this venture was intended to be his retirement plan, but it has turned into so much more than that! He bought his first property 11 years ago (a fully renovated triplex in Hamilton), and now his company, Executive Properties Capital, owns 70 homes and 350 units! The vision that Adrian for Executive Properties Capital was to create the real estate version of “The Costco Effect” and in today’s episode you’ll hear how he has brought that goal to life. We also discuss what Adrian’s journey in the real estate investment space has looked like to date, including the challenges that he has faced, and the exciting future that lies ahead. Adrian and his team have BRRRR down to a science, and anyone interested in the real estate industry will learn a huge amount from this conversation!

Key points from this episode:

• Adrian explains what drew him into the real estate investing space
• The number of homes and units that Adrian now owns through his company, Executive Properties Capital
• Two factors that were responsible for the drastic scaling-up of Executive Properties Capital in the past 5 years
• The first property Adrian bought, how much he bought it for, and how much it is now worth
• Why Adrian thinks there’s no better time than now to sell if that’s what you’re interested in doing
• How Executive Properties Capital provides value to its tenants
• Adrian explains the vision that forms the foundation of Executive Properties Capital
• The low level of tenant delinquency that Executive Properties Capital experienced during the height of the pandemic, and their approach to dealing with those tenants
• A rundown of the steps that make up the BRRRR process, and what the goal of the process is
• How Adrian eliminated the problem of bad contractors
• Adrian shares his thoughts on what he thinks is going to happen to the real estate market in the near future
• Some of the challenges that Executive Properties Capital has faced during the pandemic
• An exciting deal that Executive Properties Capital is going to be closing imminently
• The main place where Adrian and his time find good quality leads
• Executive Properties Capital’s target market
• How the role of leasing agents has changed over time
• The length of time it usually takes for Executive Properties Capital’s units to be bought

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“You've got to actually go in and see it, there's no deal that we would ever do without actually taking a look and seeing the property.” — Ben Zlotnick

Today on Sync or Swim, we interrupt Ben Zlotnick’s family vacation to talk to him about his prolific career as a serial entrepreneur. Ben is the co-founder of Alexandra Capital, founder of Eden App, and founder of BTB Investments. In our conversation, he fills us in on how he merged his service and technology knowledge, and experience to launch Eden App, and shares its use case opportunity in terms of real estate. The topic of real estate investment swings to the fore and we go on to discuss Ben’s modus operandi when it comes to choosing where to invest, and what property types to invest in! We find out which US cities and states Ben has identified as exponential growth markets and how to recognize an investment opportunity. Ben generously shares some of the exciting projects he’s working on and emphasizes the importance of finding a suitable broker to work with. Tune in to discover why you should never make a deal without viewing a property, and why you should always work with a local third-party manager!

Key points from this episode:

• How Ben merged his service experience and his technology experience to launch Eden App
• Ben shares the use case opportunity for Eden App in terms of real estate.
• He summarizes what’s happening in PropTech and the current market.
• What property management software Ben finds useful.
• Ben explains his opportunistic approach to real estate, commercial and otherwise.
• How he is converting a hotel in Vegas into a multifamily property!
• The US states and cities Ben has identified as growth markets
• Why Ben will never make deals without seeing a property
• The growth opportunities in Canada versus the US.
• How to identify an investment opportunity
• Ben fills us in on some of the exciting projects he’s working on!
• Why it’s important to find a suitable broker to work with.
• How Ben approaches marketing and management to fill his properties with tenants
• Why he only works with local third-party managers

“If I were to build two identical buildings side by side within downtown Toronto, I would lose 17 percent of my gross floor space...or 17 additional percent, if I want to build a condo compared to if I want to build a fancy high-rise luxury apartment building.” – David Aizikov, Product Manager Data Services at Rentsync

As new legislation passed in favor of Inclusionary Zoning in Toronto, we called on David Aizikov, Product Manager Data Services at Rentsync and Max Steinman, Interim CEO at Rentsync to discuss the new policy that is taking effect in 2022. The policy indicates that all new purpose-built rental and condo developments within the city of Toronto, above 100 units, will have to include a percentage of their gross floor space for inclusionary zoned units, depending on where they are located in the city. The impact of this policy is tremendous. Everyone from developers to renters, to vendors and suppliers within the rental housing industry across the GTA have been left with a lot of unanswered questions and concerns. In this episode, we look at the policy from all angles, the good, the bad, and the unknown, and make recommendations for those looking towards the future of building in Toronto.

Key points from this episode:

• What this means for purpose-built rentals and condo developments moving forward
• How could the policy impact the type of product we see available on the market at those lower rates?
• How will properties ensure that renters are not taking advantage of the policy?
• What three distinct inclusionary zoning areas were identified and how they were determined
• How could this impact the cost of land in and outside of these areas 
• Why the policy makes purpose-built rentals more attractive versus condo developments 
• Recommendations to developers who have plans to build in the GTA in the foreseeable future
• The impact on marketing new developments located in inclusionary zoning areas

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Max Steinman on LinkedIn
David Aizikov on LinkedIn
Toronto Inclusionary Zoning Policy
Rentsync

"...you can imagine when you hit a renter with a 7% increase and they're expecting something that's sub 2%, that's problematic, and it can lead to turnover, it can lead to notices, and so really it's about managing and massaging the messaging, and it's all about the team, it's about the team component." – Ryan Funt, Live on Stage at the Affordable Housing & New Apartment Development Seminar

In this live episode of Sync or Swim, Rentsync's VP of Growth, Max Steinman moderates the Lease-up, Operations and Property Management panel at SVN Rock's Live on Stage event for Affordable Housing & New Apartment Development. The panel features marketing and leasing experts, Todd Nishimura, Senior Director, Marketing, Leasing and Communications at GWLRA, Ryan Funt, Director of Marketing at Fitzrovia and Lisa Jean, Director of Leasing at SVN Rock Advisors, who share their years of expertise helping new builds go from lease up to stabilization. 

In this conversation you'll hear advice from the panel about:

• The key components of a sound lease up marketing and advertising strategy in 2021/22 and how do you know when to start with these strategies?
• How can you then differentiate yourself from others and set yourself apart from the competition? 
• Examples of marketing that is impactful, successful and unique
• The importance of a professionalized leasing staff
• Why training typically sets a great leasing staff aside from a good leasing staff 
• How Fitzrovia connects it's leasing staff to its marketing efforts
• How GWL measures the success of its leasing staff
• Changes in the marketing strategy as an asset reaches stabilization
• The changes in leasing strategy upon stabilization
• How to mitigate high turnover post-lease up
• How operating a brand new building differs from operating a stabilized asset 
• Operational decisions that either positively or negatively impact marketing and leasing efforts

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Max Steinman on LinkedIn
• Todd Nishimura on LinkedIn
• Ryan Funt on LinkedIn
• Lisa Jean on LinkedIn
• Rentsync
• SVN Rock Advisors
• Fitzrovia
• GWL Realty Advisors Residential
• The Livmore
• The Waverley

“At GWLRA, we're really a values-driven organization. We really hold dear to those values, and they are creativity, ambition, integrity, and empathy. I would say that it is well-known that most employees can speak to that.” – Todd Nishimura

In today's conversation we have Todd Nishimura, Senior Director of Marketing, Leasing, and Communications at GWL Realty Advisors Residential. Tune in to hear how he came to work in marketing at the Campbell Soup Company and the Four Seasons, and how the values he learned there contributed to his success at GWLRA.

We talk about changes sparked by the pandemic and which values GWLRA is driven by, before talking about why you must make a decision on what your lease up efforts are supposed to yield and assessing the success of out-of-home engagements and social media during the pandemic. Next, we explore the world of amenities and talk about how they can set you apart if you choose to place them front and centre of what you offer.

Finally, we touch on the aspirational brand being created at The Livmore and Todd shares how he learned that providing a premium experience means being able to ask for a higher price point. Join us today to hear all this and more!

Key points from this episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Todd Nishimura
• How Todd came to work in marketing and what he loves most about it: the power of brands
• His time at the Campbell Soup Company before the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
• What has made GWLRA successful, especially through the pandemic: the culture
• Creativity, ambition, integrity, and empathy; the values GWLRA is driven by as a company
• The products put on hold during the pandemic and the strategy changes that led to success
• Why you must make a decision on what your lease up efforts are supposed to yield
• How GWLRA’s out-of-home engagements became less successful during the pandemic
• Social media and how well it performed during that time
• Their focus on amenities and how they implemented this with things like sky lounges
• How amenities can set you apart if you place them front and centre
• What they had to do to navigate amenities during the pandemic: managing things according to regulations and pointing to it not being their decision
• Shifts and changes in the residential properties across Canada: increased vacancy
• How they were able to maintain their rates during the pandemic
• The upswing that has occurred in 2021 in comparison with 2020
• Key objectives of the project at The Livmore High Park: creating an aspirational brand
• The project they’ve just launched called Chronicle
• How Todd learned that providing a premium experience means asking for a higher price point
• What he considers to be his biggest challenges and failures at Campbell’s and Four Seasons
• Chronicle and Livmore; the upcoming developments that they have going on
• Why people choose to rent and how that is changing

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

"Our focus and the way that we've taken a different approach is that instead of providing other property management tools or just another tenant screening tool, we said, 'Hey, what can we do to actually take away that risk of tenant delinquency for the landlord?'" — Viler Lika

During his time in consumer credit risk, Viler Lika started thinking about renter creditworthiness and how it impacts rental properties. In 2017 he founded SingleKey, the mission of which is to remove the common headaches of renting, and provide risk management for landlords. A major pain point for any landlord or property manager is a delinquent tenant, and while these bad tenants can cause huge issues for landlords, the occasional bad apple tenant provides a good insurance use case for a company like SingleKey.

Tune in to find out how SingleKey works (for landlords of all types), who underwrites their Rent Guarantee insurance, and how it is being used to address vacancy issues. Viler breaks down the costs of a delinquent tenant, and how SingleKey provides support for both the tenant and landlord. We hear about the worst-case scenarios for property owners, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Canadian rental market.Tune in to find out about the latest tool being released by SingleKey (an automated rental collection tool), and how SingleKey has maintained such a stellar 4.9-star rating on Google Reviews. Press play to find out more!

Key points from this episode:

• Welcome to today's guest, Viler Lika, founder and CEO of SingleKey
• Vila's transition from engineering to finance and where the idea of SingleKey came from
• How SingleKey helps landlords through tenant screening and evictions
• Making SingleKey easy to use for landlords of all ages
• The cost of an eviction: more than just missed rent
• Why the occasional bad tenant is bad for the small-time landlord but is a good insurance use case
• The impact of COVID-19 on the rental property market in Canada
• How SingleKey is addressing the vacancy problem
• The underwriting underlying SingleKey and why it works as a company
• Playing a mediator role between landlord and tenant: how SingleKey helps both parties 
• Hear about the worst-case scenarios Viler has seen
• Why SingleKey is different from other property management and tenant screening tools: taking away the risk of tenant delinquency
• How SingleKey has garnered over 400 Google Reviews with a 4.9-star rating
• Find out about the launch of SingleKey's new automated rent collection tool
• The benefits of the automated rent collection tool: from credit history to tenant ratings

Links mentioned in today's episode:

• Viler Lika on LinkedIn
• SingleKey website
• Viler's email address

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

“I think a big question is how do you make marketing and leasing processes easier, but still allow for enough flexibility and personalization so that you can still make each property more compelling to prospective renters? That's the problem we're trying to solve here.” — Suhasini Gadam

In April of this year, Rentsync replatformed and launched some incredible new tools for the property industry. As we start to fully leverage the power of the new Rentsync platform, today we discuss some of the biggest challenges property managers, marketers, and leasing agents face when it comes to automating tasks and getting things done in an effective and timely manner. In this episode, we are joined by Rentsync’s Senior Product Manager, Suhasini Gadam. As a product manager, it is her job to understand what Rentsync’s customers need, develop new features, enhance the user experience, and make everyday tasks easier. Tuning in, you’ll hear about the most common requests from multifamily marketers looking for tools to help them work more efficiently, some of the most popular tools users are taking advantage of, and the most significant improvements made to the new Rentsync platform since its launch. Listen in to find out why autoresponders are so important to the leasing process, why resisting the adoption of more digital processes is counterproductive, and what Rentsync has in the pipeline for the coming weeks and months. With the constant rapid evolution of technology, you don’t want to get left behind, so tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Suhasini Gadam and her role at Rentsync 
• The most common requests from multifamily marketers looking for tools to help them do their work better and faster.
• Why user experience seems to be the biggest pain point.
• Some of the most popular tools users are taking advantage of and why.  
• Why autoresponders are so necessary to speed up the leasing process. 
• The most significant improvements made to the new Rentsync platform since its launch.
• Why it is necessary and beneficial to phase out the legacy dashboard.
• What is motivating the platform’s new features and why they are so needed.
• Why this industry has taken so long to develop tools for marketers and leasing agents. 
• How the pandemic accelerated the industry’s adoption of more digital processes.  
• The main reasons why people in this industry resist adopting new technologies. 
• What Rentsync has in the pipeline for the coming weeks and months.
• Rentsync’s new media management tools and how they can help customers.
• Thoughts on how far away Rentsync is from removing fragmented workflows from the rental industry. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Suhasini Gadam on LinkedIn
• Suhasini Gadam's Email
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Podcast
• Sync or Swim Email

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

"Just like we thoughtfully model and underwrite projects, we thoughtfully review the feasibility in a lot of different areas to ensure that we can truly unlock the value and have a clear path to a successful project." — Elliot MacNeil

Adaptive reuse is better for the environment, contributes towards increasing supply in densely populated and competitive urban centers, presents interesting design challenges for architects, and saves developers money. At least, that is what today's guests believe! Please join us in welcoming Joe Nickerson and Elliot MacNeil. Joe is the Vice President and Partner and Elliot is the Founder and President of Bruno Group, a Nova Scotia-based design-build company that helps growing families and businesses reimagine and expand their space.

In this episode, we reflect on the case that they make for adaptive reuse versus new construction and learn how the Bruno Group is creating memorable spaces that highlight existing features, preserve historical structures, and focus on character as part of their creative vision. We also touch on the affordable housing crisis, what they are doing to combat it, and the pros and cons of converting commercial spaces into mixed-use or residential, as well as the impact that COVID has had on Joe and Elliot's mixed-use area redevelopment strategy. Joe and Elliot also share their advice for those looking to build or invest in Nova Scotia and the role that knowing and understanding their market has played in their success. Tune in today to learn more!

Key points from this episode:

• An introduction to Elliot MacNeil, his background, and his obsession with building things
• Learn more about Joe Nickerson, his career path, and how he and Elliot met
• Find out how their mixed-use area redevelopment strategy was impacted by COVID
• Some of the pros and cons of converting commercial spaces into mixed-use or residential
• Elliot and Joe on why maintaining original character is part of their strategy with every conversion and adaptive reuse play
• What they look for in an area redevelopment project, including location and the numbers
• Joe on what the Bruno Group is doing to tackle the affordable housing crisis in Nova Scotia
• Some of the red tape that makes accessing grant money and subsidies difficult
• Learn more about the creative vision behind their projects and why they love existing builds
• Why character is key; the value of highlighting existing features in a redevelopment project
• Advice for those looking to build or invest in Nova Scotia: focus on per square foot rates
• Why Joe says that knowing and understanding their market has been key to their success; get boots on the ground rather than reading reports
• Elliot elaborates on the benefits of understanding construction and starting small
• The challenges of scaling in this business; don't be afraid to ask for money!
• Hear from Joe and Elliot about their growth and expansion plans for the Bruno Group
• The importance of staying focused in the face of ever-expanding opportunities

"What blew me away was really how much demand there was for these smaller markets. Even when you take Covid, work-from-home, and everything out of the picture, how much more per property demand there is in some of these small communities." — Matt D'Avirro

Data isn't very useful if it's not accessible or effective at communicating a message. It's just a bunch of numbers after all. That's why Matt D'Avirro, Marketing Operations Manager at Rentsync, is instrumental in using data and automation to make sales and marketing easier, and help influence future business decisions. That's why it's no surprise that Matt also conceptualized Rentsync's National Rental Demand Report, which maps demand throughout the country.

In this episode, Matt walks us through the impetus for this report and offers insights into how developers and marketers can best use it. We dive into some of the trends that have occurred over the last year, like COVID, work from home, and a boom in smaller markets. Matt talks about the implications of these trends and why they should be looked at from a long-term perspective. Wrapping up, we talk about what property developers should be focussing on, and Matt speculates what the next few months have in store.

Tune in today to hear it all!

Key points from this episode:

• Get to know today's guest, Matt D'Avirro, and what his role entails
• The origin story of the National Rental Demand Report
• Differentiating between leading and lagging indicators
• Some of the ways that Rentsync's data is unique
• Unpacking the major trends of the past year, including Covid, increased demand, and more
• What is driving demand in high-growth areas in Canada
• A trend that has been the most surprising to Matt
• The importance of looking at alternative rental strategies
• Where developers should be placing their focus right now
• How marketers can make the most out of this report
• What would surprise Matt the most in the upcoming months

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Matt D'Avirro on LinkedIn
Rentsync National Rental Demand Report
podcast@rentsync.com

"We enable landlords to make more money by simplifying the whole process of renting by the room instead of the entire unit." - Arnab Dastidar

We're facing a rental crisis across the country. Today, 80 million people are renting with unrelated adults whom they don't have a romantic relationship with just to cut their rental prices. There has to be a better solution. Enter co-living. Co-living is a viable way to help renters find their own space, save up, and ultimately buy a house, and new proptech is making it even easier to find the perfect rental.

Arnab Dastidar, CEO and founder of SoulRooms, joins the show to discuss how technology can connect people to co-living opportunities, and also helps landlords earn more for their properties by renting per room instead of per unit, while creating more affordable accommodations for renters.

What we talked about with Arnab:

• Two perspectives on co-living
• The ways renters benefit from co-living
• Building safety and security into smooth, online solutions for renters
• How co-living leads to higher returns for landlords

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

In our rapidly evolving world, prospecting tenants expect more than just a place to live or work. They seek vibrant, all-encompassing communities that offer convenience, choice, and a sense of belonging. On this episode of Sync or Swim, we are joined by Dimitri Kritikos, Director of Property Management at Rhapsody, who offers us a unique perspective on the promise of mixed-use developments and how they satisfy the needs of today’s discerning residents. Listening in, you’ll gain insight into Toronto’s exciting new master-planned community, The Well, which is one of the most ambitious mixed-used projects of its kind in Canada. You’ll also learn about the benefits of the geothermal well the development takes its name from, the various amenities that residents will be able to take advantage of, and how The Well not only offers an incredible place to live but is even changing the stigma of renting. For a sneak peek into the future of purpose-built rentals, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A high-level overview of Dimitri’s role at Rhapsody.
• Why he believes mixed-use developments are the future of purpose-built rentals.
• How the expectations of prospecting tenants have shifted in recent years.
• Insight into FourFifty The Well, a mixed-used development managed by Rhapsody.
• The benefits of the geothermal well that the development takes its name from.
• A look at the design of the residential suites: The Residences and FourFifty The Well.
• Amenities that are on offer for residents at The Well.
• How luxury mixed-use developments like these challenge the stigma of renting.
• The various demographics that The Well caters to.
• What Dmitri means when he refers to “peace of mind living.”
• Where you can learn more about this exciting development!

“It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot and I agree, it’s going to just continually get better.” — Mitch Fanning 

Today’s episode is a bittersweet one because we are saying goodbye to Mitch Fanning, one of the hosts of the show. Not only was Mitch an incredible VP of Marketing at Rentsync, but he was also a skilled podcaster. This was clear by just how quickly the show grew. In this chat, Mitch reflects on his time at Rentsync and shares details about where he is going next. Undoubtedly, the company where he is moving is incredibly lucky to have him. We also talk about Mitch’s fondest episode and what he has learned from hosting a podcast. As usual, we wrap up with a quick-fire round, which might just be the last one we ever do! Be sure to tune in to hear it all.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• What Mitch’s biggest achievements as the VP of marketing at Rentsync have been 
• Hear about the details of Mitch’s next career move. 
• The unique position Rentsync found itself in growing as quickly as it did. 
• Mitch’s hopes for the show as he says goodbye to it. 
• Some numbers related to the podcast; we’re doing great! 
• How the multifamily industry had adjusted to the remote-first world. 
• Mitch’s favourite episode and who he wishes he interviewed before he left. 
• The biggest lessons Mitch has learned doing the podcast. 
• A final quick-fire round with Mitch.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Mitch Fanning
• How to SaaS
• Steve Cowan
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Email — podcast@rentsync.com

“What we found is that basically, about 50% of these newcomers that are arriving want to be in their first rental phase within the first month of arriving in Canada.” — David Frattini

In today’s episode of Sync or Swim, we get together with David Frattini, the managing partner at Rentals For Newcomers, to discuss the advantages of immigration on rental demand in Canada. We hear from David about how he has been helping newcomers prepare with their transition to Canada for the past eleven years, and how RentalsforNewcomers.com provides an essential pipeline between landlords who are open to housing newcomers moving to Canada who are looking to rent. David explains why newcomers make reliable and desirable tenants and how the rental listing site is helping educate landlords on what to look for in prospective tenants. Immigration is a crucial part of the Canadian economy, it aids population growth, which in turn fuels economic growth, while newcomers are also a critical source of labor. David shares details on their fruitful partnership with Rentsync as well as some exciting developments taking place at Rentals For Newcomers. For all this and much more, tune in today!

Key points from this episode:

• Introducing today’s guest, David Frattini.
• How Prepare for Canada, and Rentals For Newcomers have been helping immigrants for the past eleven years.
• Why finding their first job and a place to live is critically important to newcomers.
• How Rentals for Newcomers is preparing for an influx of approximately 1.2 million newcomers in the next four years.
• How they are creating a pipeline between newcomers and the types of landlords who value them as tenants.
• Why they are educating newcomers on the opportunities outside of major cities.
• The blog is a useful source for newcomers to educate themselves on renting in Canada.
• Why immigration is a critical part of the Canadian economy.
• How landlords need to market their properties to people who are looking to secure a rental from abroad.
• How virtual tours have become the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• How they educate landlords on what they can expect from newcomers as tenants.
• How they partnered with Rentsync to be available with ad syndication.
• David shares some of the exciting prospects and developments at his business.

Links mentioned in today’s episode:

• David Frattini on LinkedIn
• Destination Canada
• Prepare for Canada
• Rentals For Newcomers on Facebook
• Windmill
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Email — podcast@rentsync.com

“Technology has definitely allowed us to scale, knowing that we wanted to scale, focusing our efforts on making sure all of our systems could handle that. It would have been a lot harder if every 75 doors, we had to get another person on staff, right? We’re able to stretch staff a little further because of technology.” — @atlaspm

Managing 1000 multifamily properties is no easy feat. You need good people, good systems, and good tools to make it run as smoothly as possible. Atlas Property Management has mastered these components, and with over 1000 doors under their belt, they are not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. Colin Douthit, the company’s owner, joins us today to share insights on what it takes to manage a multifamily portfolio of this size. We hear about the impetus for starting Atlas, how they have managed to scale as quickly as they did, and what they did to overcome their growing pains. Colin also talks about some of the tools that help streamline property management. With more apps and platforms in the industry than ever before, there is no shortage of how property managers can leverage tech to suit their needs. Wrapping up, Colin talks about what’s in the pipeline for Atlas. Tune in to hear it all.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s guest, Colin Douthit
• The impetus for starting Atlas Property Management and its current management portfolio
• How Atlas has managed to scale up their doors under management over time
• What Colin would do differently if he had the opportunity
• Hear what contributed to Atlas being able to scale as quickly as they did over 12 months
• Atlas’s staff hiring process and how this has contributed to the company’s evolution
• Some of the tools in Atlas’s tech stack
• The biggest changes Colin has seen in property management over the past four years
• How technology has allowed property management companies to scale
• What the impact of the pandemic on the Kansas City property market was
• Some of the metrics that Atlas’s clients typically request 
• Why institutional investors are increasingly looking for granular data
• What’s on the horizon for Atlas
• Five questions in 30 seconds: hear what Colin has to say

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Colin Douthit
• Atlas Property Management
• Monday.com
• Grasshopper Virtual Phone System
• AppFolio
• Rentsync
• Sync or Swim Email — podcast@rentsync.com

"It's super detail oriented; we'll take time obsessing over Pantone colors, and, you know, materiality. And, I think that's really what it takes to make a difference and an impact in a market that's just so competitive." - Ryan Funt

The specialized niche of purpose-built rentals in Canada has grown in popularity over the past half-decade. Offering a wide assortment of amenities not seen by other types of rentals, these projects are changing how we look at rental options.

Ryan Funt, Director of Marketing at Fitzrovia, joins the show to discuss one of his current projects, The Waverley in Toronto, Canada, and how to challenge the status quo in purpose-built rentals. 

What we talked about:

• Ryan's background in purpose-built rentals
• Fitzrovia's unique value proposition in the market
• The Waverley's amenities and promotional offerings
• Attention to detail and maximizing revenue
• The future of Fitzrovia

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe or follow Sync or Swim wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.