With new multifamily technology (proptech) increasingly integrating into the sector, owners, operators and property managers are encountering a variety of challenges.

By Julia Crawford

In multifamily training and development, there is an unprecedented and widening gap between the possibilities new property technology (proptech), brings and the actual implementation or adoption happening on the ground.

While traditional training techniques and methodologies sufficed in simpler, less complex times, the current landscape demands a new approach to training and professional development. These new methods need to be more flexible, accessible and tailored to diverse learning needs, ensuring that teams can stay up-to-date and effectively harness the latest innovations regardless of the situation in their individual communities.

It’s no longer good enough to have training “complete” as a measure of success. Modern training requires a new mindset to achieve optimal success, placing an emphasis on performance-based enablement rather than compliance-only training. This approach focuses on driving specific key performance indicators (KPIs), competence and confidence through training.

8 Workforce Development Challenges

With new technology increasingly integrating into the multifamily sector, owners, operators and property managers are encountering a variety of challenges that can complicate effective training:

• High Turnover Rates: The turnover rate for the multifamily sector is consistently higher than average and still higher at the property level. This requires communities to implement an onboarding and training program that brings new employees up to speed quickly so service levels don’t suffer.
• App Fatigue: Tech stacks are rapidly becoming more difficult as property teams are faced with switching between apps and keeping track of dozens of passwords.
• Shifting Training Needs: As digital tools have become routine, technical training alone is no longer enough. Communities now face the challenge of balancing efficiency and empathy.  Training priorities are shifting toward interpersonal skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and customer services, while also ensuring teams can use technology in ways that strengthen, not weaken, human connection.
• Generational Differences: As the workforce becomes more multi-generational, a one-size-fits-all approach to training is no longer optimal. Training needs to become more personalized to meet the varying levels of technical knowledge among employees.
• Technology-Adoption Gaps: Some employees excel with new technology while others struggle due to role-specific skill gaps. These differences lead to inconsistent operations and can ultimately affect resident satisfaction and retention.
• Compliance Blind Spots and Regulatory Fatigue: Constantly changing requirements and the burden of manual regulatory monitoring create compliance risks and lead to fatigue for those responsible for keeping up.
• Low Engagement: Generic, one-size-fits-all training formats often fail to capture interest or motivate employees. This leads to reduced participation, fewer opportunities for employees to build new skills, and slower career growth.
• Language Barriers: In a diverse workforce, language barriers can hinder productivity, especially for deskless employees like maintenance staff who rely on real-time support and clear communication to do their jobs effectively. When language prevents learning, everyone suffers.

Transforming Multifamily Training

Training today needs to bring overall workflow and performance-based methods to the forefront, providing adaptive, accessible and measurable multifamily training.

Owners and operators should strive for a system that is on-demand and available with shorter, more accessible content to meet the diverse needs of those participating in training. Easy-to-use chatbots enhance training by allowing users to ask questions in real-time during a session or while on the property.

Multifamily employees are looking for training that meets their community’s needs quickly, while helping them tackle the daily tasks they face with property management, as well as resident interaction and retention. It’s equally critical to ensure that teams have a system that keeps them up-to-date on frequently changing policies and regulations.

The AI and Mobile Revolution: A Competitive Edge for Every Employee

Artificial intelligence has transformed training from reactive to predictive.

AI-powered systems can assess training needs before gaps become problems, recommend personalized content based on individual performance patterns, and identify potential issues through advanced analytics.

Mobile accessibility has become essential in training. Cross-device functionality generates seamless experiences, whether your team uses smartphones, tablets or desktop computers. Providing offline capabilities keeps learning continuous even if there’s limited connectivity, while push notifications are helpful for delivering timely reminders and updates to teams.

In the past, teams were faced with making decisions based on outdated information. AI, paired with real-time dashboard analytics, provides more current performance metrics, individual progress tracking, and compliance status visualization, turning data into actionable insights for more immediate improvement.

ROI That Clearly Communicates

KPIs today go far beyond simply verifying that training modules are completed.

Monitoring how performance improves over time is more critical with a shift in training approach. Additionally, compliance metrics ensure employees are meeting regulatory standards, which helps reduce risks for owners and operators. Regulatory standards are changing quickly and ensuring an onsite team has a clear understanding is crucial for compliance.

Adoption metrics also play a crucial role. These include platform-utilization rates, which indicate how frequently employees access training materials; engagement statistics, showing how well training is integrated into daily routines; and user-satisfaction scores, reflecting participants’ views on the training experience.

Collectively, these metrics provide a richer, more detailed picture of training success and demonstrate clear ROI by showing actual effects on employee performance and organizational goals. Additionally, companies can use this to evaluate training modules or programs to make needed adjustments to more effectively engage their workforce.

Future-Proofing Training Strategy

Future-proofing isn’t about chasing every new gadget or trend — it’s about building a training strategy that adapts as quickly as the business changes.

That means creating systems that scale with growth, evolve with regulatory demands, and adjust to workforce shifts. Operators who connect training directly to property performance will ensure their teams are not only compliant, but also confident, capable, and competitive.

The multifamily industry is at an inflection point. Multifamily technology is everywhere, but real performance gains only come when people are equipped to use it well. Training must move from “checked boxes” to “changed behaviors,” embedding knowledge into daily workflows and tying learning directly to the KPIs that matter most.

Operators who embrace this shift will not just adapt to tighter margins and rising expectations — they’ll set the standard. By aligning multifamily technology, people, and performance, they can build stronger teams, deliver better resident experiences, and position their portfolios to thrive in a more competitive market.

About the author:

Julia Crawford serves is senior vice president of product management at Grace Hill. With over two decades of experience, she is known for transforming complex product portfolios into innovative, market-leading solutions. Julia is passionate about execution that delivers value, with a focus on helping customers achieve stronger business outcomes.