Student Housing Insight

🎙️Episode Summary
Host Wes Deese and Co-Host Gretta Dare return for a July–October 2026 student housing news wrap-up, covering conference changes, leadership moves, and opportunities for industry professionals. They discuss the end of NMHC’s standalone Student Housing Conference and what it could mean for future gatherings, alongside a candid conversation about exhibit halls, sponsorship costs, and stronger relationships between operators and suppliers. The episode also previews OPTECH, ShopTalk’s digital marketing discussion, and LeaseCon+TurnCon.
The conversation highlights SHI’s conference scholarships and ambassador program, including what makes a compelling scholarship nomination. Wes and Gretta then review leadership developments at PeakMade, CRG, Cardinal Group, Mapletree, and Tailwind, reflecting on career growth, company culture, and investment in marketing, data, and AI. They close by discussing California student housing policy changes and efforts to improve housing access for vulnerable students, offering perspectives on professional development, industry collaboration, and housing affordability.
 
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Welcome Back: July–October Student Housing News
00:06:00 — NMHC’s Student Housing Conference Comes to an End
00:09:00 — Exhibit Halls, Sponsorships, and Operator–Supplier Relationships
00:28:00 — OPTECH Preview: Technology, Keynotes, and the Student Housing Meetup
00:34:00 — Digital Marketing for 2027 and LeaseCon+TurnCon Planning
00:40:00 — SHI Scholarships: Eligibility and Strong Nominations
00:46:00 — PeakMade Leadership Changes and SHI Ambassador Opportunities
00:56:00 — CRG and Cardinal Group Updates: Career Growth and Company Culture
01:05:00 — NAA Cultivate, Mapletree, and Tailwind Leadership News
01:09:00 — California Student Housing Policy and Affordability Updates
 
💡Sponsor Spotlight:
This episode is sponsored by Student Housing Mattress, powered by Jamison Bedding. They provide US-made mattresses, including the durable blue vinyl models known throughout the industry. They offer fast shipping anywhere in the lower 48 states to ensure properties are fully prepared for move-in day. Visit their website to learn more: https://studenthousingmattress.com/
 
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
Student Housing Insight:
https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/
ShopTalk:
https://www.shoptalk.info/
Casey Petersen Appointed CEO at PeakMade:
https://peakmade.com/casey-petersen-appointed-chief-executive-officer-at-peakmade-real-estate/
Elliott Yourse Appointed Director of Data and AI:
https://peakmade.com/elliot-yourse-appointed-director-of-data-and-ai/
Alaina Jackson Promoted to Vice President of Sales:
https://peakmade.com/alaina-jackson-promoted-to-vice-president-of-sales-at-peakmade-real-estat/
PeakMade Promotes Ray Brown and Damian Delgado:
https://peakmade.com/peakmade-announces-the-promotions-of-ray-brown-to-director-of-marketing-and-damian-delgado-to-creative-director/
California’s New Student Housing Laws:
https://calmatters.org/education/2026/10/new-laws-affordable-student-housing-california/
 

🎙️Episode Summary
How are student housing no-shows trending, and which technologies are catching operators’ attention at OPTECH? Wes speaks with Student Housing Insight ambassador KrisAnn about her transition to the vendor side with Leap and her first OPTECH experience. She shares a notable contrast: while many operator partners have reported more no-shows, Leap has seen a decrease among the residents it covers, with fewer than 2% of its policies resulting in no-shows.
 
The conversation also explores AI’s prominence on the exhibit floor and Leap’s decision to bring in an AI consultant. Drawing on her experience in property operations, KrisAnn discusses her interest in tools that could help on-site teams, sessions featuring Erica White and Whitney Kidd, and Donna the robot. As virtual tours and AI chatbots become commonplace, she looks to OPTECH for a glimpse of the next innovations that could become part of everyday property management.
 
⏱️Time Stamps:
00:00:00 — OPTECH Introduction and Moving to the Vendor Side
00:01:00 — Student Housing No-Shows and Leap’s Coverage Experience
00:02:00 — AI, Standout Sessions, and What’s Next in Property Technology
 
📎Resources Mentioned:
Student Housing Insight: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/
ShopTalk: https://www.shoptalk.info/
Leap: https://leapeasy.com/

🎙️Episode Summary
In a competitive student housing market, how can operators attract residents and encourage renewals while managing costs? Kevin, CEO and founder of Casa Perks, discusses how the company’s incentive platform supports leasing and retention. He shares feedback from customers seeking to coordinate their strategies across entire portfolios, reduce spending, and make their leasing efforts more cost-effective.
The conversation also explores how customer feedback led Casa Perks to expand beyond resident incentives with a dedicated module for influencers and brand ambassadors. Kevin explains how that offering gained traction and earned consideration for an industry innovation award. For student housing teams evaluating resident rewards and ambassador programs, the interview offers a brief look at how these efforts can support broader leasing and retention goals.
 
⏱️Time Stamps:
00:00:00 — Introducing Casa Perks and Industry Innovation
00:01:00 — Supporting Leasing and Retention While Managing Costs
00:02:00 — Expanding Incentives to Influencers and Brand Ambassadors
 
📎Resources Mentioned:
Kevin Bradt’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bradt-7223572
CasaPerks:
https://www.casaperks.com/
 
RETTC - OPTECH 2026:
https://rettc.org/events/optech-2026
 
Student Housing Insight:
https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/
 
ShopTalk:
https://www.shoptalk.info/

🎙️Episode Summary
What does it take to develop student housing while keeping residents at the center of its growth? In this Student Housing Insight profile episode, Wes speaks with Brandt Stiles, co-founder and co-CEO of Subtext, about his path from a working-class upbringing in St. Louis to accounting and real estate development. Following Subtext’s delivery of five communities totaling 3k+ beds for the 2026–27 academic year, Brandt reflects on the career decisions, financial uncertainty, and early development lessons that shaped the company’s approach.
 
Brandt explains how assembling smaller land parcels, hiring ahead of growth, and prioritizing the resident experience have supported Subtext’s expansion. The conversation examines the challenges of rising construction costs, affordability limits, and diverging university enrollment trends, including why Subtext is pursuing acquisitions where new development no longer makes financial sense. He also discusses potential student housing conversions, the importance of evaluating future supply, and his belief that delivering value for residents supports investor returns. For professionals in development and operations, this episode offers a practical perspective on growing without abandoning the strategy behind the business.
 
⏱️Time Stamps:
00:00:00 — Introduction and Episode Preview
00:06:00 — Delivering Five Communities and Mobilizing the Team for Move-In
00:12:00 — From St. Louis Roots to Accounting and Real Estate
00:15:00 — Navigating the Financial Crisis and Building a New Strategy
00:17:00 — The First Development Deal and Assembling Prime Locations
00:21:00 — Delivering Through COVID and Hiring Ahead of Growth
00:23:00 — Market Selection, Affordability, and Acquisition Strategy
00:27:00 — When Converting Student Housing to Conventional Apartments Makes Sense
00:29:00 — Career Advice: Prioritizing Resident Value
00:31:00 — Subtext’s Long-Term Growth Goals and Closing Takeaways
 
 
🤝 Sponsor Spotlight Teal Systems
This episode is brought to you by Teal Systems, a provider of managed central plant infrastructure designed specifically for #StudentHousing and multifamily developments. Teal delivers reliable hot water, heating, and cooling through a “central plant as a service” model. Their systems are monitored 24/7 using proprietary Beacon technology, allowing issues to be identified and resolved before they impact residents. For operators and developers, this means fewer headaches, lower operational risk, and more predictable performance.
👉 Learn more: https://www.tealsystems.com
 
📎Resources Mentioned:
Student Housing Insight:
https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/
ShopTalk:
https://www.shoptalk.info/

🎙️Episode Summary:
Recorded at the StarRez Global Summit 2026 in Atlanta, this episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast features host Wes Deese alongside Sarah Maxson from Core Spaces, Kevin Mara from Brailsford & Dunlavey, and Teddy Abdelmalek from HHRedstone. Drawing on College House data and their experience in housing operations, development, and university advisory work, the panel examines pre-leasing trends, affordability, and the relationship between on-campus and off-campus housing.
The conversation explores why some students are choosing lower rents over walking distance to campus, how floor plans and university size influence performance, and why athletic conference affiliation alone cannot determine an investment’s potential. Viewers will also hear about the public-private partnership (P3) pipeline, financing challenges, and housing’s role in mixed-use campus developments. Core Spaces shares its approach to flexible study areas, wellness amenities, and Lite and pod layouts that accommodate different budgets, before the panel closes with examples of financial literacy and NIL education supporting students where they live.
 
⏱️Time Stamps:
00:00:00 — Student Housing Value: Introduction and Summit Panel
00:11:00 — Pre-Leasing and Rent Trends for 2026–27
00:18:00 — Affordability and the Student Housing Outlook
00:24:00 — Floor Plan Demand and Larger Apartment Trade-Offs
00:28:00 — University Size, Campus Proximity, and Housing Choices
00:35:00 — Power Four vs. Non-Power Four Markets
00:42:00 — P3 Housing: Financing and Development Pipeline
00:48:00 — Designing Study Spaces and Wellness Amenities
00:51:00 — Lite and Pod Layouts for Different Budgets
00:56:00 — Supporting Student Success Through Financial Literacy and NIL
 
🤝Sponsor Spotlight:
Allegion’s Campus-to-Community Student Living solution helps bridge the gap between on-campus and off-campus student living by allowing students to use a singular mobile credential experience for seamless property access. The solution is designed to improve the resident experience while also reducing lockouts, improving turnover efficiency, and supporting stronger operational performance for property teams.
Learn more about Allegion and the Campus-to-Community Student Living solution here: https://lp.allegion.com/student-housing.html
 
📎Resources Mentioned:
Student Housing Insight: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/
ShopTalk: https://www.shoptalk.info/
College House: https://collegehouse.com/
P3 Resource Center, powered by Brailsford & Dunlavey: https://p3resourcecenter.com/
StarRez and CollegePads: https://www.starrez.com/solutions/off-campus-housing-platform
 

🎙️Episode Summary
Gen Z is reshaping the student housing workforce, and understanding what this generation wants from work is becoming essential to recruiting, retention, and leadership development. In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, Host Wes Deese sits down with Cardinal Group executive and author Sly Brandon to discuss his third book, The Gen Z Executive. Drawing on his experience in student housing operations in the United States and the United Kingdom, Sly explores the “quiet reset” in how younger employees approach careers, loyalty, autonomy, and work-life balance. Together, they examine how the pandemic, the gig economy, and digital tools have influenced a generation that is both living in student housing communities and helping operate them.
The conversation connects those workforce changes to practical decisions for student housing owners, operators, and managers. Wes and Sly discuss the pressure on regional managers, the need for stronger mentoring, and how centralized services can create career paths beyond the traditional progression from on-site work to portfolio management. They also explore how AI and self-service technology can reduce friction in the resident experience while giving teams more time for hospitality and leadership development. Sly’s central challenge is to listen more closely, give frontline employees ownership within clear guidelines, and make leadership changes that improve the everyday experience of community assistants, interns, and the residents they serve.
 
⏱️Time Stamps
00:01:30 — Intro
00:06:10 — Sly’s Introduction
00:15:01 — Gift Unveiling
00:18:46 — The Quiet Reset: Why Gen Z Is Rethinking Corporate Careers
00:24:15 — Is Gen Z Lazy, or Are Our Work Standards Outdated?
00:32:40 — What If Your Next Generation Doesn’t Want to Lead?
00:35:55 — Is the Real Retention Crisis Your Manager’s Experience?
00:41:38 — A Career Path That Doesn’t Require Climbing the Corporate Ladder
00:49:59 — Does Great Work Really Require a 40-Hour Week?
00:54:23 — Stop Making Employees Ask Permission for Everything
00:59:35 — Will Gen Alpha Wait for an Apartment Tour?
01:00:47 — Whose Monday Gets Better Because of Your Leadership?
01:03:20 — Outro & Final thoughts
 
🤝Sponsors Spotlight:
Smarter Furnishings provides turnkey furniture solutions for student housing, including manufacturing, inventory, delivery, and installation, with options for residential units, amenity spaces, and common areas. Planning a new development, renovation, or furniture refresh?
Visit Smarter Furnishings to Connect with the team and discuss your project. https://smarterfurnishings.com/
📎Resources Mentioned:
The Gen Z Executive by Sly Brandon: the featured book on generational expectations and leadership; includes the four translations discussed in the episode. Chapters 6 and 11 are specifically referenced. https://www.genzexe.com/
Crashing Up by Sly Brandon: his first book, discussed through its account of his personal journey and leadership development.https://slybrandon.com/book/
Student housing companies and platforms Student Housing Insight: the podcast, professional networking platform, and source for upcoming SHI events.https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/
ShopTalk: SHI’s monthly webinar featuring legislative and policy updates, leasing data, operator observations, and topical discussions. Register for updates and explore prior webinars. https://www.shoptalk.info