The Digible Dudes – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Digital Dudes Podcast, we sit down with Jenna Weinerman, VP of Marketing at Updater, to explore how their groundbreaking technology is reshaping the moving industry. 

Whether you're relocating across the country or moving a few blocks away, Updater simplifies every aspect of your move—from securing internet and renter's insurance to booking movers—all through one seamless platform.

Jenna shares insights into how Updater's platform is driving efficiency, improving resident satisfaction, and streamlining property management operations. We also dive into their recent success with the U.S. military, where Updater now powers 325,000 military moves annually, making it the largest relocation program in the world.

Key Topics & Highlights:

• Discover how Updater is changing the moving experience with its all-in-one app, designed to eliminate the most stressful parts of relocation.

• Learn about the "Move-in Effect" and how improving the move-in experience can increase resident retention rates by 59%.

• Explore Updater’s latest tech innovations, including custom tasks for property managers and Single Sign-On (SSO) for enhanced security.

• Get an inside look at how Updater secured a $20 billion contract with the U.S. military to manage their global household goods relocation program.

• Understand the future of the moving industry and how Updater’s technology is setting new standards for efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Tune in now to learn how Updater is changing the way we move and what it means for the future of property management and relocation.

Digible:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://digible.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Fiona: ⁠https://www.myfiona.com/

Leave a Spotify Review: ⁠⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3LfoEdU⁠⁠⁠

Leave an Apple Review: ⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/3AA2zRj⁠⁠

(00:00) Preview and Introduction to Updater

(02:07) Updater’s Origin Story: Solving Moving Challenges

(04:39) Tackling the Pain Points of Moving

(06:14) How Updater’s App Works

(07:24) The Mover Life Cycle

(09:04) Why Moving is Stressful 

(16:06) How Updater Partners with Service Providers

(17:07) The ROI of Updater: Retention, Morale, and Revenue

(21:55) Addressing Platform Fatigue with SSO and Bi-Directional Sync

(24:11) Updater’s Expansion Plans

(35:01) The Role of AI and Automation in Updater’s Growth

In this episode of the Digital Dudes Podcast, we dive deep into the untapped potential of franchising within the multifamily property management industry.

Join us as we sit down with Grady Newman, Founder of Resi, to explore how a franchising model could disrupt the way property management companies operate and scale.

Grady brings a fresh perspective on why the multifamily sector has yet to adopt a franchising model, despite its proven success in the hospitality industry.

We discuss the power of brand consistency, the challenges of scaling property management operations, and the potential for increased resident satisfaction through a more standardized approach.

Key Topics & Highlights:

• Discover why franchising could be the game changer the multifamily industry needs to scale operations and build stronger, more recognizable brands.
• Explore the parallels between hospitality and multifamily management and why property management companies can learn from the successes of hotel chains like Marriott Bonvoy.
• Learn about the challenges and opportunities in adopting a franchise model in property management, including quality control, brand loyalty, and operational scalability.
• Understand the potential for franchising to enhance the resident experience, driving higher retention rates and creating long-term value for property owners and investors.

Grady shares his insights on how property management companies can start small and gradually build the brand power needed to make franchising a viable option in the multifamily sector.

Join us as we uncover the possibilities and challenges of bringing franchising to the multifamily industry and explore how this model could transform property management as we know it.

Digible:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://digible.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Fiona: ⁠https://www.myfiona.com/

Leave a Spotify Review: ⁠⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3LfoEdU⁠⁠⁠

Leave an Apple Review: ⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/3AA2zRj⁠⁠

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(03:56) Franchise Owners in Hospitality vs. Multifamily

(06:29) The Role of Loyalty Programs

(11:25) The Challenges of Franchising in Property

Management

(17:25) The Power of Brand Consistency

(22:38) Agency in a Box Concept

(25:51) The Shift Towards Resident Experience

(27:55) Why Hasn’t Franchising Happened in Multifamily Yet?

(33:02) Benefits of Franchising

In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Paganucci, Founder and CEO of The Brynson Group, to explore the world of property management and ILS (Internet Listing Services) strategies.

We uncover the innovative methods Brynson Group employs to redefine property management efficiency and digital curb appeal.Anthony shares his journey and insights, highlighting how Brynson Group is leading the way with cutting-edge approaches and scalable solutions in the property management sector.

Key Highlights & Takeaways:

• Revolutionizing Property Management: Discover how Brynson Group is enhancing property value with unique ILS management strategies.
• Maximizing Cost Savings: Learn about Brynson Group’s techniques for optimizing ILS contracts and saving thousands on marketing budgets.
• Leveraging AI and Automation: Uncover the benefits of Brynson Group’s AI assistant, Paul, and how it drives better decision-making.
• Building Strong Industry Connections: Explore the practices Brynson Group uses to create vibrant and engaged networks within the property management industry.
• Future Trends in Property Management: Get a glimpse into the trends and technologies that will shape the future of property management.

Make sure you like and rate the show if you enjoyed our conversation on the future of Multifamily ILS Management and Strategy.

Digible:⁠ ⁠https://digible.com/⁠⁠

Fiona: ⁠⁠https://www.myfiona.com/⁠⁠

Leave a Spotify Review: ⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3LfoEdU⁠⁠

Leave an Apple Review: ⁠⁠https://apple.co/3AA2zRj⁠

(00:00) Preview and Introduction

(01:26) Evolution of Brynson Group and Current Focus

(02:22) Challenges in Property Management

(03:19) Importance of Effective Multifamily ILS Management

(07:45) Balancing Client and Supplier Ratios

(10:24) Multifamily Operational Efficiency Strategies

(15:53) Transparency in ILS Management

(19:04) Role of Brynson as an ILS Broker

(22:00) Advocacy for Clients in ILS Negotiations

(23:52) Brynson Group Cost Model 

(25:22) General Philosophy on Multifamily ILS Management

(28:45) Brynson Groups’s Principles and Human Element

(31:50) Client Relationships and ILS Industry Dynamics

(34:07) Expansion Plans and Future Directions

(40:27) Targeting Different Real Estate Verticals

(44:34) Introduction to Brynson Group’s Dashboard and AI

(48:23) Adjacent Real Estate Verticals

(52:48) Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Welcome back to the Digible Dudes Podcast. In this episode, we chat with the one and only, Janet Rosseth. Janet is the Founder & CMO of Cadence Marketing Solutions, a firm based in Minneapolis that focuses on pacing strategies to help multifamily owners, operators, and developers achieve continued marketing growth. Throughout the interview, we dive into several areas of real estate marketing, including what it takes to build a marketing firm, new developments in prop-tech, staffing, and more.

Janet’s career packs decades worth of experience in real estate marketing. We start today’s conversation with Janet’s journey and the process of developing her firm, Cadence Marketing Solutions. We dive deep into some of the lessons Janet learned from building her firm and her future vision for her company.

Hiring the right people and making the right decisions on what to outsource versus what to keep in-house are some of the most crucial parts of a new company. We asked Janet about what her preferences would be for a new firm in terms of hiring and outsourcing. Moving on to prop-tech, Janet shares her thoughts on the longevity of prop-tech initiatives, integrations between different platforms, and her perspective on the most overvalued and undervalued prop-tech platforms.

Another key point we touch on is on-site staffing in the real estate space. Janet dives into some of the things the industry should change about staffing, utilization of AI lease agents, and what people typically expect from staff. Wrapping up the episode, Janet talks about how the utilization of data science could benefit the industry.

[04:26] Janet’s Story – We start the conversation with a brief look at Janet’s career in marketing and the path that led her to start Cadence Marketing Solutions.

[12:16] Growth – We dive into what it was like to start Cadence Marketing Solutions and grow it into the successful venture it is today and the future vision of the firm.

[20:29] Mentorship – Janet shares with us how her firm offers mentorship-based initiatives to folks who want to get up to speed on the industry & marketing.

[24:41] Building a Team – Janet talks about the process of building a firm from one person to a team of 18 people.

[29:01] Outsourcing & Hiring – Janet shares her thoughts on what would be the ideal first hires for a new management company and some of the things to outsource in the beginning.

[37:56] Longevity of Prop-tech - Janet shares her take on the typical lifespan of the newcomers that pop up in the pro-tech space.

[44:51] Integrations – We talk about the possibility of integrating different platforms together to determine the utilization and the effectiveness of the money spent on building features.

[49:55] Value of Prop-tech – Janet shares her thoughts on the most undervalued and overvalued players in the prop-tech space.

[52:06] On-site Teams – The importance of on-site teams and Janet’s perspective on how on-site teams should evolve.

[56:21] AI leasing Agents – Janet talks about the value AI leasing agents when it comes to dealing with one-off questions from customers.

[1:00:33] Staffing – Janet dives into what people usually look for in terms of support from staff in properties.

[0:07:02] Data Science – How the marketing space could use data science more in the future.

16 million children struggle with childhood hunger in the United States. In this episode of the Digible Dudes, we talk with Bob Bell, Co-Founder of Food for Thought, an organization dedicated to fighting childhood poverty with a unique approach. He joins us to talk about the impact they’ve been creating in the Denver community and helping countless children who struggle with childhood hunger.

In Denver, many children receive free or reduced lunches at school. However, according to Food for Thought, many teachers and principals have reported that for many of these children, the lunch they receive on Friday is their last meal until they’re back at school on Monday morning. Food for Thought is dedicated to solving this issue by providing children with food bags for students to take home to their families for the weekend.

We start today’s conversation by asking Bob about the beginning of Food for thought and how it grew over the years. Bob shares with us how their Friday program works, and what their process looks like for gathering food items, along with packaging and distribution. He also shares some statistics that show the impact and the value of the work they’ve been doing, and how they connect with brands and businesses to provide food for children.

Another point we touch on is the challenges that these children from low-income families face and how these issues affect their food habits. We also talk about how Food for Thought adapted quickly to the pandemic and never missed a Friday throughout all the lockdowns.

[08:49] Story of Food for Thought – We start the conversation with a brief look at what inspires the idea behind the Food for Thought initiative and the issues they’re addressing.

[14:02] Fridays with Food for Thought – Bob talks about the weekly Friday program that provides food for underprivileged children.

[18:33] Numbers – Bob shares some numbers that describe the scale of their operation and how many children they have been able to help.

[25:25] Brands and Businesses – Bob talks about their process of partnering with businesses and brands to provide food for children.

[29:26] Cultural Issues – Bob shares some stories about some of the cultural issues related to food that they face and what they have learned from these experiences.

[34:40] Life in Motels – We asked Bob about the hardships of the surprising number of people who live in motels and the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis.

[38:26] Ripple Effects of COVID – How the operations of Food for Thought drastically changed due to the closure of schools during the pandemic, and how it has impacted the initiative and the children.

[46:03] Fundraising – How the way Food for Thought has evolved over the last few years and how they’ve been able to gather the support of more entities than ever.

[52:47] Reaching Beyond Colorado – Bob dives into how the concept of Food for Thought could be implemented in other places as well.

Needless to say, the way we work has been drastically transformed in the last couple of years. The widespread adoption of remote work and trends such as the great resignation has initiated a new era of working that enables everyone to thrive in their work environment -- wherever that is. At Digible, we always look for ways to improve our work environment and culture. That’s why we recently announced the new work from anywhere initiative. In today’s episode of the Digible Dudes, David Staley and Reid Wicoff dive into what inspired this move and the steps ahead to implement WFA.

[01:30] The Idea – Why Digible decided to introduce work-from-anywhere and how it benefits the business as well as the team members.

[08:30] Transition – How the operating procedures are going to be updated to allow WFA.

[12:00] Challenges – Reid shares his thoughts on the challenges of working remotely and his levels of confidence about WFA.

[15:20] Productivity – David shares his take on how the WFA policy may shape the productivity of the organization.

[20:00] Expectations – David and Reid dive into what they expect from WFA in the next few years in terms of cultural transformation.

[25:44] Values and Vision – How introducing WFA is going to align with Digible’s vision and core values and how it’s going to improve the work environment for everyone involved.

Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies have been gaining traction in many industries in the last few years. And with all the hype around Metaverse and many tech giants jumping on the VR bandwagon, VR is becoming something people are more familiar with. We dedicated this episode of the Digible Dudes to discuss how VR will shape the future of our industry. 

We start the conversation with personal experiences from David and Reid. They share their experience of using several VR products, cool features they like about VR, and some of the practical issues that became apparent while using, such as fatigue. We also dive deep into the limitations of existing VR technologies and how these limitations may be overcome in the future.

Cloud technologies are way more widespread than they were a decade ago and with the introduction of 5G, the internet bandwidth of the average user is rapidly expanding, allowing apps to utilize cloud processing rather than relying on the user’s hardware. David and Reid dive into how this phenomenon could enhance the user experience. They also talk about the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality and how the two technologies coexist in apps.

New technologies sometimes come with new implications as well. We talk about possible health implications of using VR products for extended periods, in terms of mental health as well as physical health. Wrapping up the episode, Reid and David dive into some of the ways that VR apps could use existing data to create amazing new user experiences.

[01:00] VR Experience  - David and Reid start the conversation by sharing their own experiences with VR applications and the interactive features of different VR platforms.

[05:46] Limitations – Limitations of existing VR technologies and how these limitations affect the user experience.

[13:29] VR and Business – Financial feasibility of VR for consumer markets and how companies that are working on VR technologies prepare for the future.

[17:34] Impact of Cloud – How the new innovations in the cloud space and expansions of internet bandwidth could enhance VR user experience.

[22:47] AR vs VR – Similarities and differences between the two technologies; virtual reality and augmented reality.

[29:08] VR & Apartments – How VR technologies could enter the apartment industry and how it would enhance the user experience.

[34:34] Readiness of Users – Reid poses the question of whether the users are ready to be more comfortable with VR and how close people will prefer to be with VR.

[38:00] Health Implications – Possibility of mental and physical health implications from VR devices.

[42:10] New Technologies – David dives into how new apps could create awesome experiences by utilizing data from existing platforms such as Google Maps.

[47:14] Connecting the World – Reid, and David share their thoughts on Meta’s efforts to connect the world.

Facebook has been under a considerable amount of pressure from various parties to make changes to its platform to eliminate discriminatory practices. As a result, Facebook has been introducing new updates to its advertising policy. However, these new updates introduce some new complexities as well. In today’s episode of the Digible Dudes, we’re joined by Jenny Haacker, Paid Media Manager at Digible. Throughout the episode, we talk about how Facebook’s policy updates affect and influence several aspects of advertising and how they impact the real estate industry.

We start the conversation with a brief look at what’s new in these policy updates and the real-world implications for marketers in the multifamily industry. We also talk about why Facebook is introducing these policies and how they pass some responsibilities to advertisers rather than making changes in their systems. Some advertisers fall into special ad categories that come with their own restrictions when it comes to ad content. We talk about these restrictions, the new complexities they introduce, and what marketers can do to comply with the policies.

Another thing we touch on is loopholes that exist within these policies. We dive deep into how some advertisers are able to slide through loopholes in the platforms and what organizations such as Facebook can do to ensure that the possibility of using these loopholes is limited. Wrapping up the episode, we talk about the 31 buckets of prohibited content Facebook has introduced and how they affect the strategies of marketers.

[01:10] New Policy Updates – What forces Facebook to introduce these new policy updates, and what the new policy update means in real life in terms of liability.

[04:13] Concerns of Facebook – We talk about why this new policy update feels more like Facebook is trying to pass the responsibilities of compliance to advertisers rather than updating their back end to improve compliance.

[08:30] Special Ad Categories – How Facebook’s advertising platform works for special ad categories and the restrictions that come with it.

[10:45] Complexities – Some of the difficulties that advertisers have to face are because of the restrictions that come with the new policy updates.

[16:15] Habits – David & Reid share their thoughts on how they interact with certain features in search engines and social media and some of the concerns related to the features.

[19:00] Loopholes – Loopholes related to targeting that exists in advertising platforms and why it’s hard for platforms to monitor the content that slides through these loopholes.

[24:20] Reviewing – Facebook’s content review process and its efficacy of it when it comes to reviewing discriminatory content.

[30:00] Meta’s New Ventures – How the tendency of Facebook’s parent company to lean towards VR and AR technology may influence the advertising space in the next few years.

[37:20] Transformative Technologies – How the adoption of transformative technologies has evolved throughout history.

[44:24] Prohibited Content – We talk about the 31 types of content Facebook has prohibited and what marketers can do to comply with the new policy.

Creating an environment where employees can do their work comfortably and can thrive in their professional lives is one of the best things a business can do for their staff, as well as the long-term growth and reputation of the company itself. That’s why Digible is dedicated to creating the best possible work environment and culture for the team. In Today’s episode, we have a conversation with Ryan Dorhout, Controller at Digible, who has been working on the strategic aspect of human resources for Digible in recent months. Throughout the episode, Ryan shares his thoughts on the way Digible approaches improving several aspects of employee experience.

We start the conversation with the strategic work Ryan has been contributing to over the last few months and how Digible’s organizational structure was developed. He dives deep into what is involved in defining salary ranges for various positions in the organization and how Digible is keeping its offers competitive by including attractive benefits packages.

The ability to move up in the organizational structure and the available opportunities are some of the key factors that drive team members to dedicate their time and effort to an organization. Ryan shares his thoughts on some of the frameworks and procedures developed for Digible to assist with promotions and professional growth.

Transparency is an extremely important concept for Digible. We talk about some of the information Digible discloses to stakeholders that are not often disclosed by many businesses in the industry and how that transparency helps Digible build trust within the organization. Wrapping up the episode, we talk about how Digible plans to deal with inflation and the cost of growth.

[02:25] Digible’s Growth – How Digible has been growing in recent years in terms of recruiting the process of developing and fine-tuning the hiring procedures.

[06:42] Ryan’s Background – Ryan talks about his previous experiences in several companies and the impact he’s been making at Digible in developing salary ranges.

[11:02] Benefits – Digible’s approach to benefits and strategies Digible utilizes to keep offering competitive benefits.

[19:26] Promotions – Ryan dives deep into some of the procedures and controls that are put in place to define the way people move up in the organization.

[25:00] New Generations – How Digible handles communication regarding the upward mobility aspect of employment, especially for people from younger generations.

[31:00] Transparency – We discuss the measures that Digible takes to ensure transparency about salary ranges throughout the organization.

[37:53] Career Development – David and Reid share their thoughts on Digible’s plans to help employees with career development.

[48:00] Dealing with Inflation – Ryan dives into some ideas on how an organization may revise pay ranges to compensate for inflation.

[52:00] Cost of Growth – The financial impact of growth for a business and strategies for efficiently growing an organization.

Every generation has its own unique perspectives and behaviors that define how they interact with society. Since these unique traits also affect their purchase decisions, it’s crucial for businesses to keep in touch with new generations and consumer behavior. Generation Z has been entering the workforce in recent years and we’re already seeing trends in the market that reflect the unique traits of this generation. So we dedicated today’s episode of the Digible Dudes to diving deep into the preferences of Gen-Zers. Joining us today is Arden Murphy, an Account Coordinator at Digible, and Rose Finnigan, Paid Media Strategist at Digible. Throughout the episode, Rose and Arden share with us some fascinating research and data along with Gen-Zers interests and how marketers can improve their efforts to appeal to the new generation.

Starting the conversation, we talk about what defines Generation Z and some of the unique behaviors that set them apart from previous generations. One of the first key things we dive into is the Gen-Z approach to interpreting online reviews. We talk about their attitude towards the trustworthiness of reviews, how they find information about the reputation of a property, and the way they approach giving reviews to businesses.

Smart features are more important to Gen-Zers compared to previous generations. We discuss the reasons behind this tendency and how property owners and operators cab improve features to attract Gen-Z renters. Gen-Zers are also more responsive to social issues and tend to choose brands that align with their values. We dive into how brands can change their ways to align more with the values of their customers.

We discuss what amenities Gen-Zers are commonly looking for when choosing a place to live and some of the dealbreakers that could lead Gen-Zers away from properties. Wrapping up the discussion, we talk about how the culture and community affect the decision-making of Gen-Zers, what online resources they use to look for properties, and how marketers can give a better web experience for Gen-Z visitors.

[09:10] Getting to Know Rose and Arden – We start the conversation with how our two guests started their careers at Digible and the work they’re doing.

[11:40] Gen-Z – Who are Gen-Z, how they’re different from previous generations, and why that’s important to marketers.

[14:40] Online Reviews – The attitude of the Gen-Z towards the trustworthiness of online reviews and their approach to leaving reviews.

[19:00] Non-Agent Tours – Rose and Arden share their thoughts on why the majority of Gen-Zers prefer non-agent tours over in-person tours.

[23:30] Smart Features – Why the availability of smart features such as smart thermostats and appliances that are connected to mobile apps are more important to Gen-Zers than other generations.

[27:00] Social and Cultural Differences – The differences that Gen-Zers are introducing to the society in terms of being conscious about social issues, diversity, and inclusion, and some hot takes from Rose and Arden about modern advertising.

[34:20] Trust in Content – The attitude of Gen-Z towards the quality of news they see on media, the content they see on social media, and adverts they’re being exposed to.

[37:40] Amenities – The importance of amenities for Gen-Zers and how property managers could improve their properties in a way that appeals to Gen-Zers.

[40:06] Deal-breakers – We asked Rose and Arden what are the things in an apartment that make them instantly reject a property.

[57:15] Websites – What measures marketers can take to make websites more informative and appealing to Gen-Z visitors.