By Stephen Ursery
The multifamily industry—like the country and world at large—is in the midst of an ongoing technological revolution. But operators would be unwise not to focus on the human connections renters are yearning for. By making it easier for residents to bond, property managers can boost resident satisfaction and drive renewal rates.
That was one of the takeaways of The Human Advantage: Why Authentic Connection Is Your Most Powerful Tool in the Age of AI educational session at the 2026 Entrata Summit.
“We need to remember that, at heart, we’re a very human industry,” said Karen Kossow, Marketing Director at Paradigm Property Management. “There’s nothing more human than helping people find their homes, and I fear that we’re going to lose that human piece.”
Kossow and her fellow panelists detailed how Paradigm Property Management is fostering a sense of community and also outlined how doing so can boost a property’s visibility in a world of growing AI searches.
A Lonely Island
Across the country, people are feeling increasingly isolated, the panelists noted.
“Coming out of COVID, there’s been a real lack of community and belonging that’s not only occurring within our industry, but globally,” said Stephanie Fuhrman, Head of Corporate Development at Entrata. “So bringing humanity back into the experience of people who are seeking homes within our apartments is actually critical.”
According to statistics presented by Fuhrman, 61% of Americans say they don’t feel a sense of belonging.
To boost the sense of community its residents feel, Paradigm Property Management is using CobuAI, a platform that allows residents to plan activities and create interest groups.
At one community, “there’s a margarita group, and they’re constantly meeting for happy hours,” Kossow said. “They’re doing barbecues. When we didn’t do a resident event for New Year’s Eve, they had their own New Year’s Eve party.”
Across its portfolio, Paradigm has seen residents jumping at the chance to connect.
“I can’t count the number of resident-created groups that have shown up,” Kossow said. “That’s something we’ve never really been able to manage through a traditional resident portal. It’s just been great to see the different types of interaction.”
“What we’ve learned is—yes, communities look different. What people engage around is different in Arizona versus New Mexico versus Florida versus the D.C. area,” said Ben Pleat, CEO of CobuAI. “But that thirst for human connection and a sense of belonging is a shared thing, regardless of whether the property is in Canada or California or New York.”
Promoting connection among residents not only increases their well-being, but it produces business results, too, according to Kossow. Paradigm residents who use the platform renew at a 20% higher rate than those who don’t.
Increased Visibility in AI World
Another benefit of a platform in which residents are able to engage with each other is that their interactions can be used to raise a community’s visibility in AI searches, the panelists said.
Paradigm’s property websites include a page in which resident conversations from the engagement platform feature prominently. Resident-generated content like this makes the sites more visible in AI searches, the panelists noted.
“This user-generated content is one of the most valuable sources of data to create trust with large language models, have them recommend a property and then ultimately for the renter to decide to live at the property,” Pleat said.
“Investments in your AI visibility are compounding over time, meaning the more AI recommends your property and cites your property, that begets more mentions, recommendations and citations,” Pleat added. “It’s a kind of virtuous compounding loop.”
About the author:
Stephen Ursery is a Senior Account Manager at Denver-based LinnellTaylor Marketing.
