Market Intelligence: The Operating Playbook for Peak Leasing Season
As the U.S. enters peak leasing season, operators face a complex landscape defined by cooling demand, rising risk of rent roll inversion, and elevated concession pressure amid a prolonged period of soft revenue growth. Meanwhile, operational practices are quickly evolving. AI-driven innovation is rippling through all aspects of the operating model, spanning from top-of-the-funnel demand generation to back-office analytics.
This session will deliver a clear, segmented view of performance differences by asset class and by region contextualized by current market fundamentals. From there, the session will pivot from strategy to execution: what key metrics will influence the operating climate, and how can operators navigate locally-nuanced differences for spring and summer 2026? Included will be three separate market-driven case studies.
Join RealPage industry experts David Polewchak, Industry Principal, Data & Analytics and Carl Whitaker, Chief Economist as they provide insight that helps guide your playbook to the coming months.
As 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.
Carl Whitaker
Vice President & Chief Economist, RealPage, Inc.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.
