Multifamily’s career path has changed more in the last few years than most people realize, as roles that used to be narrowly specialized have become cross-functional, and the on-site-to-corporate pipeline looks nothing like it did a decade ago. A question and answer with the Brian Buccino, President & Chief Operating Officer at LIVunLtd.
By Brian Buccino and Nicole Grube
Q: If you moved from an on-site position to a “corporate” role, how difficult was the transition?
“We have a lot of experience in this area as we have had many onsite managers graduate and get promoted into corporate roles, such as becoming area managers. The transition is certainly an adjustment, but it’s also a natural progression for individuals who are eager to broaden their impact.
“When you’re managing a single property, your focus is primarily on one community, one client, and one team. Moving into a corporate role shifts that perspective considerably. You’re no longer responsible for one operation, you are now supporting multiple properties, different service lines, diverse client expectations, and teams with varying levels of experience.
“That requires expanding both your operational knowledge and leadership skill set. For example, someone who began managing a fitness center may later find themselves supporting concierge services, lifestyle programming, amenity management, or broader operational initiatives across an entire portfolio.
“The most successful transitions come from individuals who are adaptable, curious, and willing to continuously learn. Just as important is having strong support from leadership and colleagues throughout the process. When those elements are in place, the transition becomes less about leaving operations behind and more about increasing your ability to positively impact many operations instead of just one.”
Highlights of the on-site to corporate multifamily career path
- Why “adaptability” now beats technical skill as the top predictor of a successful on-site-to-corporate move
- Focus on internal team who move fluidly across amenity, hospitality, and ops responsibilities
- How The Amenity Collective runs a deliberately hybrid model, decentralized in Canada and centralized specialist functions (Creative, Fitness & Wellness) in the U.S., highlighting why that split works
- Why most on-site staff don’t start out chasing a corporate track, and what actually sparks the shift
- His take on AI/proptech in this space: a tool to make people more effective, not a replacement for them
Q: If you have helped facilitate a staff member moving from onsite to a corporate position, what kind of skills are you most interested in?
“Technical skills certainly matter, but they’re rarely the deciding factor. We look first for the foundational traits that are much harder to teach.
“Adaptability is probably the most important. Moving from one property to a corporate role means shifting from solving problems within a single community to supporting multiple properties, teams, clients, and operating styles. People who embrace change and enjoy learning tend to thrive in that environment.
“Strong communication, professionalism, accountability, and emotional intelligence are equally important. Those are the qualities that allow someone to build relationships, influence others, and effectively support teams across an organization.
“One thing we emphasize is that candidates don’t need to have every answer on day one. What often earns someone the opportunity is the success they’ve already demonstrated onsite. They’ve built relationships, solved problems, and delivered results. Those experiences become the foundation they build upon as their responsibilities expand.
“Finally, we believe support is critical. Successfully transitioning into a corporate role isn’t about expecting someone to know everything immediately. It’s about pairing capable people with the right leadership, mentorship, and organizational resources so they can continue developing while making an even greater impact across the business.”
Q: Has your company moved some positions off-site as a way to centralize operations and if so, how is that working?
“At LIVunLtd, our operating model varies by business line and geography, but the common goal is always the same: provide strong operational support while empowering onsite teams to focus on delivering an exceptional client and resident experience.
“Across North America, we leverage both centralized and decentralized approaches based on the needs of the operation. In Canada, our fitness management business operates in a more decentralized model, where onsite managers are supported by regional leaders but are empowered to run their facilities with a high degree of ownership and accountability. This allows teams to make timely decisions while remaining closely connected to their local communities.
“In the U.S., we’ve intentionally centralized a number of specialized support functions to improve consistency, scalability, and efficiency. For example, our in-house Creative team develops resident programming, marketing collateral, event communications, and vendor coordination, allowing onsite Lifestyle Managers to focus on relationship-building and execution rather than administrative work. Similarly, our centralized Fitness & Wellness team designs group fitness schedules, recruits and deploys instructors, and provides programming expertise across multiple locations.
“We’ve found this hybrid model to be highly effective. Centralizing specialized functions creates consistency and economies of scale, while keeping frontline operational leadership close to the client ensures responsiveness, accountability, and the personalized service our properties expect.
Q: Has the traditional career path in multifamily changed over the last few years and if so, how?
“Indeed, it has. While multifamily has always been a people business, the expectations placed on our teams have evolved significantly.
“Several years ago, roles tended to be more specialized. Someone might have focused exclusively on amenity management, fitness operations, or lifestyle programming. Today, those lines have become much more integrated. Residents expect a seamless experience, which means today’s professionals need to be comfortable wearing multiple hats – balancing operations, hospitality, programming, resident engagement, technology, and client service.
“As service expectations have grown, so has the need for adaptable talent. We often describe our best team members as ‘chameleons’, which are individuals who can shift between responsibilities while maintaining a consistently high level of service.
“At the same time, the available talent pool has become more competitive. Organizations are looking for professionals who bring not only technical skills, but also emotional intelligence, adaptability, and a hospitality-first mindset. Those qualities have become just as important as operational expertise in building long-term success.
Q: Are there any corporate roles or onsite roles being phased out to third parties and/or prop tech solutions and if so, what are they?
“Rather than viewing technology as a replacement for people, we view it as a tool to make our people more effective.
“As a hospitality-focused organization, our greatest differentiator has always been the human connection. While we continually evaluate new technologies – including AI, property technology platforms, etc. to improve efficiency and enhance the resident experience, we’re careful not to lose sight of what matters most: meaningful interactions between our teams and the communities they serve.
“Our philosophy is simple: leverage technology to enhance service delivery – not replace the people who make exceptional service possible.
Q: Are new employees typically interested in climbing the corporate ladder when they start in multifamily? If not, how do they usually become interested in moving up?
“In most cases, no – I don’t believe so. In our area of this space, people don’t typically enter it with the goal of climbing the corporate ladder. They’re drawn to the opportunity itself = working in hospitality-driven environments, beautiful buildings, wellness, resident engagement, and delivering exceptional service.
“What changes over time is their exposure to the industry. As they grow within the organization, they begin to see just how many career paths exist beyond their initial role. At LIVunLtd and The Amenity Collective, team members are exposed to operations, aquatics, creative services, wellness, fitness management / equipment / service, business development, technology, human resources, marketing, and corporate leadership. That visibility often sparks an interest in expanding their careers.
“Our responsibility as leaders is to create those opportunities, provide mentorship, and help people see a future they may not have initially envisioned. When employees recognize that growth isn’t limited to a single path, and that there are opportunities to develop both vertically and laterally, they become much more engaged in building a long-term career within the organization.”
About the authors:
Brian Buccino is President & Chief Operating Officer at LIVunLtd.
Nicole Grube is Director of Talent Acquisition for The Amenity Collective.
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