It's Not You, It's Me: Avoiding the Resident Breakup
Speaker: Sonnie Sullivan, Knightvest Residential
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Room: 207
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Room: 207
Resident turnover rarely happens because of one bad interaction. Like any breakup, it’s usually the result of small frustrations, misaligned expectations, and moments where trust quietly erodes over time. This session takes a fresh look at resident retention by examining the experiences that push residents away long before renewal conversations begin. Attendees will explore how leadership decisions, communication, and policies show up in the resident experience, and how online reviews often serve as early warning signs of deeper retention risks. The focus is on fixing root causes, not relying on discounts or scripted responses.
This Sh!t Works: Networking Your Way to Greater Influence and Success
Speakers: Julie Brown
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Room: 208
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Room: 208
Let’s be real, most people think networking is awkward, exhausting, and a little gross. But what if it wasn’t? What if building real, career-changing connections felt more like a superpower than a chore?In this high-energy, no-fluff keynote, Julie Brown, author of This Sh!t Works and host of the hit podcast by the same name—breaks down what networking really is (and isn’t), and why it’s the single most important skill for growing your career, your confidence, and your opportunities.
Julie doesn’t just inspire—she transforms the way people think about relationship-building. With humor, straight talk, and zero corporate-speak, she gives attendees practical tools they can use right away to connect more authentically, grow their influence, and open doors they didn’t even know were there. Whether you’re just starting out or deep into your career, you’ll walk away with a new mindset and a plan for making networking actually work for you.
Key Learning Objectives:
Julie doesn’t just inspire—she transforms the way people think about relationship-building. With humor, straight talk, and zero corporate-speak, she gives attendees practical tools they can use right away to connect more authentically, grow their influence, and open doors they didn’t even know were there. Whether you’re just starting out or deep into your career, you’ll walk away with a new mindset and a plan for making networking actually work for you.
Key Learning Objectives:
- How to Assess the Strength & Size of Your Network
- Networking Paradigms and How to Structure Your Network for Maximum Success
- The 5 Best Networking Tools (and their hidden powers)
- How to Effectively Follow Up - Steps to Fostering Relationships
- How and When to Ask for Business
How to Stay Competitive Without Burning Out Your Property Teams
Speaker: Lara Hamilton, HelpDeskRealty
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Room: 210
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Room: 210
Multifamily operators are under more pressure than ever. Tight labor markets, rising expectations, growing portfolios, and constant change are now the norm. Many organizations try to stay competitive by adding new tools, new processes, or new responsibilities, but the unintended result is often frustrated staff, higher turnover, and operational breakdowns.
In this session, Lara Hamilton explores a different approach: staying competitive by reducing friction for your teams instead of adding more complexity. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience supporting multifamily and affordable housing portfolios, Lara shares real-world insights into where operational stress actually comes from and how small, practical changes can dramatically improve day-to-day work.
While examples are grounded in multifamily housing, the lessons apply to any operations-heavy organization with distributed teams, including management companies, agencies, and service organizations that rely on systems, process, and people working in sync.
Attendees will be introduced to a simple Operational Friction Audit, a practical lens leaders can use to quickly identify where systems, processes, or support structures are quietly slowing teams down. The session includes a brief interactive moment that allows attendees to assess one friction point in their own organization and leave with a clear action they can take back to their teams.
In this session, Lara Hamilton explores a different approach: staying competitive by reducing friction for your teams instead of adding more complexity. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience supporting multifamily and affordable housing portfolios, Lara shares real-world insights into where operational stress actually comes from and how small, practical changes can dramatically improve day-to-day work.
While examples are grounded in multifamily housing, the lessons apply to any operations-heavy organization with distributed teams, including management companies, agencies, and service organizations that rely on systems, process, and people working in sync.
Attendees will be introduced to a simple Operational Friction Audit, a practical lens leaders can use to quickly identify where systems, processes, or support structures are quietly slowing teams down. The session includes a brief interactive moment that allows attendees to assess one friction point in their own organization and leave with a clear action they can take back to their teams.
Human Innovation: How to Lead, Innovate, and Perform in a World that Outsources to AI
Speaker: Tori Stevens
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room: 208
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room: 208
We live in a world where technology, AI, social media, and constant information are shaping
how we think, decide, and lead. There is no shortage of tools, data, or opinions telling us what
to do. And yet work feels slower. Decisions take longer. Ownership gets fuzzy. Progress stalls.
For leaders and teams, the challenge is no longer access to knowledge. It is knowing what
should be delegated to technology and what still requires human judgment. When everything
influences us, leaders begin to second-guess their thinking, talk in circles, and hesitate to act.
This is not about competing with AI or doing more work. It is about reclaiming the human parts
of leadership that technology cannot replace: judgment, ownership, and individual contribution.
When leaders know what to elevate in themselves and their teams, innovation becomes
practical, repeatable, and human again.
This keynote equips leaders to reset that balance. Using the THINK → TALK → WALK
framework, participants learn how to recognize where influence and overwhelm are stifling
innovation, how to communicate with clarity instead of contradiction, and how to take small,
intentional actions that restore momentum.
Takeaways
how we think, decide, and lead. There is no shortage of tools, data, or opinions telling us what
to do. And yet work feels slower. Decisions take longer. Ownership gets fuzzy. Progress stalls.
For leaders and teams, the challenge is no longer access to knowledge. It is knowing what
should be delegated to technology and what still requires human judgment. When everything
influences us, leaders begin to second-guess their thinking, talk in circles, and hesitate to act.
This is not about competing with AI or doing more work. It is about reclaiming the human parts
of leadership that technology cannot replace: judgment, ownership, and individual contribution.
When leaders know what to elevate in themselves and their teams, innovation becomes
practical, repeatable, and human again.
This keynote equips leaders to reset that balance. Using the THINK → TALK → WALK
framework, participants learn how to recognize where influence and overwhelm are stifling
innovation, how to communicate with clarity instead of contradiction, and how to take small,
intentional actions that restore momentum.
Takeaways
- Reduce decision drag and cognitive overload by clarifying what technology and AI
should handle, and what still requires human judgment - Diagnose why work stalls and identify practical ways to move it forward
- Cut through noise, influence, and overwhelm to make clearer, faster decisions
- Strengthen ownership and contribution without adding layers, roles, or complexity
- Make innovation repeatable and usable in day-to-day work, not aspirational or abstract
Practical Hiring & Retention From Turnover to Tenure: Retaining Great People on Your Property Team
Speaker: Joni Woods
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room: 207
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room: 207
Turnover remains one of the most costly and disruptive challenges in multifamily housing. Retaining strong employees requires more than competitive pay—it requires leadership, communication, and a workplace culture that supports people over time. This session focuses on practical retention strategies tailored to property teams. Participants will explore the most common reasons employees leave, how leadership behaviors impact retention, and what managers can do to increase engagement and longevity. Emphasis is placed on realistic actions that improve retention without significant budget increases.
How We Win
Speaker: Virginia Love, Entrata
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room: 210
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room: 210
What’s happening around multifamily is reshaping how operators and suppliers react and strategize, and consumerism is driving it all. Today’s renters aren’t just comparing you to the property next door… they’re comparing you to every current, fast, seamless experience they have had.
In this session, we connect the dots between consumer and industry trends, media narratives, and shifting expectations to what it means for your customers and your teams. Then we focus on how we win, through culture, speed, transparency, and smart operational choices that turn everyday interactions into lasting loyalty in a consumer-driven world.
In this session, we connect the dots between consumer and industry trends, media narratives, and shifting expectations to what it means for your customers and your teams. Then we focus on how we win, through culture, speed, transparency, and smart operational choices that turn everyday interactions into lasting loyalty in a consumer-driven world.
* Each session counts for 1 CE Credit for NAA Designation Programs / Credentials.
Continuing Education Form
Continuing Education Form