All Episodes

What does the $2 trillion stimulus package mean for the Student Housing industry?  Can developers expect delays? How are lenders responding to the crisis?  These are some of the questions we discuss in the latest episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast. 
I sit down with Dave Borsos and Matthew Berger from the National Multi Housing Council and discuss how they are advising government agencies and law makers about the potential impact of COVID-19 on the industry specifically in the United States.  We also provide an important message on how you can make a positive impact with college students who are struggling more than others during this time.
 
Resources Mentioned:
College & University Food Bank Alliance: www.cufba.org
National Multi Housing Council:  www.nmhc.org
 
CAPRE WEBINAR REWIND: Student Housing Industry’s Response to COVID-19
https://www.capremedia.com/capre-rewind-student-housing-industrys-response-to-covid-19
 
Student Housing Business Webinar: COVID-19 and the Impact on Student Housing
https://www.studenthousingbusiness.com/webinar-covid-19-coronavirus-and-the-impact-on-student-housing/

Universities are extending their 2 week remote study status until the end of the semester and many are extending it through the summer.  With students gone from campus and the leasing season in full swing, property managers are scrambling to figure out how to reach students and making sure the right message is communicated during these unprecedented circumstances.
 
In this special episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast, Wes & Gretta go through several guidelines of how properties should be pivoting their marketing expenses to better reach students where they are.  We also sit down with Michael Newton, founder of Swarm, to discuss how to use Brand Ambassadors when students are back at their permanent addresses.  Nay Cook, CEO at Resident Reach, also gives us some quick tips on how to make sure your property videos are engaging and sending the right message during this time.
 
This episode is sponsored by uForis VR.  To sign up for their special “Scan it Yourself” 3D tour, click here:  https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/uforis-covid19
Click below to register for Student Housing Business’ webinar on COVID-19’s Impact on Student Housing on Wednesday March 25th at 1PM Eastern:
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8900907672305683213
 
Referenced Resources:
SWARM Co; www.swarm.co
Email Michael Newton at m@swarm.co
 
Resident Reach;  www.myresidentreach.com
Free Toolkit and schedule an appointment:  www.free.myresidentreach.com
InShot App:
iOS:  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inshot-video-editor/id997362197
Android:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.camerasideas.instashot&hl=en_US
 

How will Covid-19 impact student housing?  This week we have seen universities cancel study-abroad programs, extend spring breaks, and implement remote study status.  How might this effect occupancy come this fall?  Could some universities actually experience strains on their housing supply?
 
In this special episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast, co-host Dr. Philip Badaszewski and myself sit down with down with Vincenzo Raimo, a Global Higher Education Specialist, to discuss possible impacts this pandemic may have on housing supply this upcoming summer and fall.  This will likely be an on-going series of episodes as we help industry professionals try and navigate this escalating and very fluid situation.
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov
World Health Organization: www.who.int
NAFSA Association of International Educators:  www.NAFSA.org
 
This episode is sponsored by LEAP. Find out how you can approve more applications and eliminate any financial risk of residents who skip out!

The 12th Annual Interface Student Housing Conference is right around the corner.  In this episode we sit down with Rich Kelley from France Media/Student Housing Business Magazine to discuss what's on deck for this year's conference and how the spread of the coronavirus may impact things.
For more information about the conference and to register, click here.
This episode is sponsored by Carter-Young, Inc.
For more information on SHI's Regional Summits, go to www.StudentHousingInsight.com/regional-summits
Want to attend a regional summit for free?  Send Wes an email at contact@studenthousinginsight.com with the title "Regional Summit Give-a-Way" and tell us which summit you want to attend.  The first 2 respondents for each summit will receive free registration and a 1 night hotel stay at our host hotel.

Regardless if you work with large purpose-built student housing communities or a portfolio of single-family homes next to universities, you’re going to walk away from hearing this episode with a better understanding of what it takes to grow a portfolio from 1 single property.  Both of these companies are managing national portfolios.  Eddie’s perspective is more from the mid-to-large purpose built assets with a combination of owned properties as well as 3rd party owners.  Brad’s perspective is more of a boutique “scattered sites” model combining single family homes with small and midsize purpose-built communities which is all owner-managed.  Both of these guests have a passion for serving students and have built scalable business models by creating well thought-out operating practices, great company culture, and unique approaches to management technology.
This episode is sponsored by Carter-Young, Inc. - Contact them today about your bad debt recovery needs.
Referenced episodes in this podcast:
SHI2004 PT 2.1 CULTURE & LEADERSHIP - THE ORIGIN STORY OF CARDINAL GROUP
SHI2004 PT 2.2 CULTURE & LEADERSHIP - YOU HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL!
SHI 3001-FROM SITE LEVEL TO THE C-SUITE!
Questions or comments?  Email us at contact@StudentHousingInsight.com 

Are you currently working at the site level and ever wonder what it might be like to work for a vendor that services the student housing industry?  Or... maybe you've identified a problem in student housing and have come up with a solution and considering turning that solution into a business.  Well, this episode is for you!  In this episode, Wes Deese and Ken Miller break down what you should be considering when evaluating a transition to the "supply side."  We also playback an audio clip from the 2019 Southeastern Regional Summit, where Wes sits down with 5 guests who have made that transition and what they learned going through that process.
This episode is sponsored by uForis VR.  Go check them out at www.uForis.com!
For comments or questions, please email us at contact@StudentHousingInsight.com
Find out more information about upcoming events and to join our On-line Community by going to www.StudentHousingInsight.com. 

Happy New Year Everyone!  This episode has so much packed into it! Wes and Willie break down what SHI is doing in 2020. We announce the Fab Five Service Providers for 2020.  And a special treat... live from IMN's Student Housing 360 Conference, Wes sits down with Mitch Smith from The Scion Group, Jerry Wojenski from Varsity Campus, and Matt Maxa from CA Management Services to discuss what these executives learned in 2019 and their thoughts on what changes 2020 will bring to the PBSH industry.
This episode is sponsored by Carter-Young.  For more information on how Carter-Young can help you with your property's debt recovery, email Steve Carter at steve@carter-young.com .
For more information on the Fab Five and each of their services, go to:https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/fabfive2020 
For questions or comments about Student Housing Insight, email us at contact@StudentHousingInsight.com
 

In this special "Behind the Biz" episode we talk about a company that was started by 2 college students and has grown to a business that is serving student properties across the country.  We sit down with co-founder and CEO of SimpleBills, Kevin Jones, to talk about the company's unique origin story, their recent acquisition with RealPage, and how their services are reducing headaches for both property managers and students.

There is a lot of research done on how storytelling helps people remember facts easier. When that story also evokes emotion, that emotion leads to a decision.
In student housing, we are trying to get prospects, tenants, and employees to make decisions all the time.  But how many of us are using story telling on our leasing tour, or in a roommate mediation, or in our employee training?
In this episode Wes sits down with the host of the Storytelling 2.0 podcast and the new Head of People & Culture at Cardinal Group Management, Peter Lynch, to talk about how we can harness the power of storytelling to make sure your property is memorable to your prospects and to provide real impact to the people you lead.  We also listen to an audio clip from our Southwest Regional Summit where we sit down with the true professionals of storytelling, the leadership team at Waco Tours, to discuss how telling the stories of their little city has turned into a thriving business.
This episode is sponsored by uForis VR.  For more information, go to uForis.com.
For more information on the upcoming IMN 360 Student Housing Conference.  Go to: https://www.imn.org/real-estate/conference/Student-Housing/
For questions or comments about Student Housing Insight, please email us at contact@StudentHousingInsight.com 

College students and pets... that's not always the best mix.  However, in recent years more & more off-campus properties are becoming pet friendly as they find ways to be more competitive.  Additionally with the confusion over assistance animals, this topic just becomes more frustrating for property managers and on-campus housing administrators.
In this episode we bring in the experts to get some clarity and discuss services that can be used to take the burden off of housing professionals and place accountability on tenants and students.  Wes sits down with John Bradford, founder of PetScreening.com and J. Retinger from BioPet Laboratories to talk about legislation around pets and assistance animals as well best practices for managing a pet friendly community.
This episode is sponsored by SimpleBills.  For more information on how SimpleBills can remove the headaches of utility management, go to www.SimpleBills.com.
For more information on PetScreening, go to www.PetScreening.com or email info@PetScreening.com.
For more information on PooPrints, go to www.PooPrints.com 
Questions or comments for Student Housing Insight, email us at contact@StudentHousingInsight.com
Don't forget to join the SHI Community by visiting www.StudentHousingInsight.com
 

In this episode we review a session from our recent Southwest Regional Summit where JoAnn Orrell from Unilodgers set down with panelists Mike Porritt of Scion, Craig Allen of Texas Christian University, and Dr. Phillip Badaszewski from Buffalo State to discuss how off-campus properties can build strong relationships with their university's administrators.
This episode is sponsored by Leap!  Find out more about how Leap can help you approve more prospects and eliminate your bad debt.  Go to www.leapeasy.com
Have questions or comments about the podcast?  Contact us at contact@StudentHousingInsight.com
 

So we are starting to close out 2019 as we are in the last 7 weeks or so of the year.  Here at SHI we’ve already done a lot of reflection this past year and we’re now planning out 2020.
You know, in Student Housing and working within the academic calendar you really never get a good chance to do that.  It has to happen while you’re either finishing out a leasing season or starting a new one.  So at our last 2 regional summits in Waco and Charlotte we put a panel together, just to talk about what everyone learned in 2019 and how we planned on altering things for the 2020 lease-up cycle.
We called the session, Rearview Mirrors and Windshields.
In this episode we replay the panel from our Southeast Summit in Charlotte with was moderated by Kevin Sealy, President at Valeo Student.  The panelist included:
Ashlei Elise, Regional Leasing & Marketing Manager for Landmark
Nayshan Cook, CEO at Resident Reach
Sam Winn, Director at AgencyFifty3
So these guys are not only seeing things at the ground level at the leasing offices and on campus, but they are also seeing it from a social media engagement and digital spend perspective as well.  This is one you are going to want to take notes on and make sure you pick up on the things that surprised them this past year and how they are adjusting.
 
This episode is sponsored by uForis VR.  For more information, go to www.uforis.com
Have questions about SHI or this podcast episode?  Feel free to email us at conact@StudentHousingInsight.com 

In this episode we welcome William Butler, author of "ReLeasing - A Counterintuitive Approach to Apartment Leasing" as an official co-host.  For his first episode, we're reviewing his IDEA presentation from the SHI Southeast Regional Summit where he presents the idea that focusing on your MINDSET is the most important thing you can do to determine your success.  If you are needing a motivational "kick-in-the-pants" to bring things in perspective... Willie's got you covered!
This episode is sponsored by uForis VR.  Don't let construction or normal business hours get in the way of giving your prospects a high quality virtual tour.  Contact uForis today at www.uForis.com.
Interested in attending SHI's Webinar on Student Housing and Mental Health on November 7th?  Click here to register with Grace Hill.
To order a copy of Willie's book, click here!
Questions or comments about the podcast?  Email us at contact@StudentHousingInsight.com 
 

It takes a lot to manage a student housing property.  So how do you manage a growing portfolio of student housing?  Between recruiting and managing employees, fast changing technology, multiple ownership groups, and slim margins... it takes a special person with thick skin and a lot of patience to stay focussed on providing a great service to both residents and investment stake holders.
In this episode, we sit down with Eddie Moreno, EVP of Operations at Cardinal Management Group, to discuss his role and how Cardinal Group is managing its portfolio in order to be one of the fastest growing student housing managers in the industry.
This episode is sponsored by SimpleBills.  Frictionless and transparent utility management is a huge contributor to a property's brand and reputation.  SimpleBills makes sure utility management adds value to your brand.  Contact them today at www.SimpleBills.com
Want to register for our upcoming webinar on" Mental Health and your Student Residents" on November 7th.  Click here to register:  Mental Health & Your Student Residents
For questions or comments about the podcast, email us at contact@StudentHousingInsight.com

Mental health and college students is always a big topic.  The majority of the student population are at an age when they are dealing with new pressures and experiences that can manifest or bring mental health issues to the surface.  However there seems to be a huge gap in knowledge by off-campus housing professionals on how to identify these issues and understand the resources available to students to provide assistance.  In this episode we talk with Dr. Kirk Dougher, AVC for Student Support and Wellness at Washington University in St Louis, to provide some insight on what types of signs to look for when a student may be dealing with a mental health issue and the support that the student and the off-campus housing provider can utilize.
This episode is sponsored by Unilodgers.  Looking to market your property to more international students?  Check out www.Unilodgers.com 
Interested in attending SHI and Grace Hill's webinar on Mental Health and College Students on November 7?   Click here for more information:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/3315711685660/WN_rqCBy0y9QcCwR5Fgrd_wdw
Questions about the podcast?  Contact us at contact@studenthousinginsight.com