How Multifamily’s Next Leaders Are Planning for the Future
Rising executives give a glimpse into their leadership styles in the latest MHN Voices webinar.
While new technologies like artificial intelligence have shaken up the multifamily industry in recent years, core people and communication skills remain crucial to getting ahead. And seeking out mentors early on can help open pathways that otherwise might not be visible.
Those are just some of the highlights from Multi-Housing News’ Lessons from Multifamily’s Next Leaders webinar, hosted on March 19 by Editorial Director Suzann Silverman. Rising industry leaders each shared their advice for young professionals, and offered their insights into leadership for 2026.
Spend more time listening, less time talking
The panelists emphasized the importance of taking time to learn from your older colleagues and take advantage of their experiences, especially when starting your career.
“You definitely have to get comfortable with being the youngest in a lot of rooms,” said David Rodriguez, vice president at MLG Capital. “Ultimately it comes down to being prepared, being a professional, and maybe most importantly, being humble.”
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Mentors can also serve as a major career accelerator, according to Joey Verrant, COO of multifamily asset services at Cushman & Wakefield. “I’ve had good mentors,’ Verrant noted, “and I’ve benefitted immensely from those mentors.”
Verrant said that finding a mentor doesn’t mean going up to someone and directly asking them. Instead, his mentorships emerged from demonstrating to his higher-ups that he works hard and is trustworthy, and the relationships then developed organically.
Soft skills are more important than ever
With the growth of AI in multifamily, it’s important not to lose sight of the people skills that are a core part of working in real estate.
Karen Wipper, executive vice president and chief underwriter at Dwight Capital, pointed out that skills like taking initiative, being eager to learn and critical thinking are still crucial, especially given how technologies like email and instant messaging can make it harder to connect with team members.
Wipper worries that many may be losing the ability to effectively communicate or think critically about a problem at work, and she said that younger employees may lean too heavily on tools like AI sometimes. This could lead them to not develop the skills necessary to further their careers.
AI has “necessitated the need to be a better communicator,” said Sarah Young, CFO at Bell Partners. “Right now, we have all of this information at our fingertips. Data for the sake of data is often what I see happening, but what information do you need (from the data), and how do you communicate that back?”
Leadership today centers on empowerment, not control
When it comes to deploying new technologies for your teams, take the time to consider if a certain tool’s purported benefits are worth the investment, both in time and money.
“There’s a lot of noise, there’s a lot of buzzwords,” noted Verrant. “In order to get the benefit of a lot of (tech), it requires a significant time and training investment that is not really feasible.”
The panel also shared some insight into how they manage their team. One tactic that all speakers disavowed is micromanagement.
“It’s a lot of work to micromanage, and I don’t have time to do that,” said Wipper. In commercial real estate, “the people that are most successful are the ones that need the least micromanaging, but will still come to you when they need something.”
