Beyond rent: Understanding the resident economy and its impact on NOI
The demand base of multifamily housing continues to evolve. As renters remain renters longer, resident behavior, financial health, trust, and engagement are becoming increasingly important drivers of performance and NOI. In a market defined by elevated concessions, higher resident replacement costs, and growing economic fragmentation, operators are being challenged to look beyond traditional metrics and better understand the resident experience.
This webcast explores the emergence of the "Resident Economy" and its connection to retention, collections, reputation, and NOI.
In this session, Realpage industry experts will examine the demographic and economic forces reshaping renter behavior, discuss why resident financial health has become a leading indicator of property performance, and explore how engagement, sentiment, and reputation can provide early signals of future outcomes. The discussion will also explore how operators can move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches by leveraging AI and resident-level intelligence to identify risks, personalize engagement, and prioritize action at scale.
Carl Whitaker is RealPage’s Chief Economist, leading the company's team of economists and market analysts. Carl and the Market Intelligence team specialize in analyzing and disseminating economic and market trends for the rental housing industry. He primarily focuses on presenting trends in the rental housing industry to a wide audience, including investors, asset managers, operations professionals and media, among other personas. Carl has been cited in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and GlobeSt and is a frequent keynote speaker for industry events. Carl holds degrees from the University of North Texas, including a Master of Science in Applied Geography.
David Polewchak
Industry Principal, RealPageAs an Industry Principal, David works closely with current and prospective clients to optimize investment performance by providing synergies between multifamily operations and technology solutions. His extensive background in multifamily operations, revenue management, asset management and data analytics enable him to guide clients on leveraging data to drive strategic investment decisions and enhance operational performance.
David holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Regis University. His combination of experience and education provides him with a unique ability to bridge the gap between operational and investment needs and data-driven decision-making in the multifamily industry.
