RETTC's Kevin Donnelly joins MHN's Matthew Kaufman to break down where tech is shaking things up in the industry and what the future holds.
The multifamily industry has undergone tremendous change over the past decade, driven in part by the growth of apartment-oriented technologies. From AI to access control to smart home devices, there’s no shortage of gadgets and software that can benefit both operators and residents.
Few people in the industry have a better bird’s eye view of multifamily tech than Kevin Donnelly, executive director and chief advocacy officer of the Real Estate Technology and Transformation Center. RETTC, as the group is more commonly known, emerged from the National Multifamily Housing Council in 2024 as part of the organization’s push to increase its technology advocacy. In this inaugural episode of MHN Tech Pulse, Donnelly outlines the state of multifamily technology and speculates what the next few years will look like.
“We’re in a period of acceleration, and I don’t really see that slowing down,” Donnelly told Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Matthew Kaufman. The industry veteran sees technology as a key tool in addressing the nation’s housing and affordability crisis, and he views AI in particular as a way to increase efficiency while leading to better renter experiences.
Here are some highlights of the conversation:
(00:58): An overview of RETTC and its goals
(03:05): Donnelly’s background
(06:02): Where the industry stands with tech adoption
(08:23): Operational and economic forces driving tech investment
(10:46): Policy pressures
(14:06): The role of AI
(21:47): What’s next?
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