The Multifamily Hangout

Steve Boyack is the President of JVM Management and Chief Operating Officer at JVM Realty. With over 30 years of experience in multifamily real estate, he specializes in operational strategy, team development, and property technology. Prior to JVM, he held executive roles at CA Ventures, Laramar Group, and Draper and Kramer. Steve is a recognized industry leader known for building high-performing platforms and driving innovation across large multifamily portfolios.

Jennifer Sutter, EVP at Acento Real Estate Partners and a seasoned expert in multifamily operations, shares insights from her 25+ years in the industry. She discusses the balance between financial goals and community living, emphasizing empathy in leadership. The conversation covers the importance of mentorship, effective training, and how technology, particularly AI, is reshaping tenant experiences. Sutter also addresses the challenges of inflation in the industry and the growing trend of transient talent, highlighting the need for adaptable leadership.

Steven Rea, the founder of Chasing Tomorrow A.I., is a multifamily innovator with over a decade at the nexus of property management and technology. He discusses the significant challenges in the multifamily real estate sector and how technology can drive innovative solutions. Rea emphasizes the need for a mindset shift in operational practices and highlights the critical role of training and leadership. He also unveils his new AI platform aimed at revolutionizing onboarding, advocating for a workforce that values empathy and adaptability alongside technological advancement.

Dom Beveridge, Principal at 20for20, brings over 25 years of experience in multifamily tech and operations. He shares insights on AI's transformative role in real estate, discussing the challenges of integrating technology and the importance of custom solutions. Dom highlights innovative approaches to property maintenance management that enhance communication using AI. He also explores vendor selection strategies and crucial data intelligence issues for improving security in property management. Tune in for a deep dive into tech's impact on tenant satisfaction and operational efficiency!

Amy Mark, a multifamily real estate executive with over 20 years of experience, shares her unexpected transition from fitness to property management. She discusses the importance of team building and adaptability in navigating market challenges. Amy emphasizes leveraging LinkedIn for recruitment, balancing personality and cultural fit. Her insights on overcoming project hurdles highlight the need for transparency and empathy. Additionally, she offers practical time management tips and emphasizes the role of failure in personal growth.

Tony Sousa is the Founder of Sousa Consulting, bringing nearly two decades of multifamily operations, branding, and leadership experience to the forefront of modern business strategy. A former executive turned consultant, Tony helps companies and individuals build impactful brands, develop authentic content strategies, and align personal and corporate storytelling. Known for his candid voice, people-first approach, and deep understanding of the attention economy, Tony champions culture, transparency, and emotional intelligence as the keys to sustainable growth in the multifamily industry and beyond.

After more than 30 years in the multifamily industry, Andrew Bowen has learned that the only constant is change. He has the privilege of speaking with owners and operators across the country, listening to their passions, understanding their challenges, and learning about their forward-looking strategies and use of technology. His true passion lies in empowering those who invest in multifamily real estate to harness data in order to deliver superior returns for their investors. Whether through business intelligence, revenue management, benchmarking, or artificial intelligence, Andrew is dedicated to helping the industry identify and capitalize on emerging trends.Outside of his professional work, Andrew is deeply passionate about his faith, his wife, his family, his goldendoodle, fitness, martial arts, and helping others discover their own version of strength. You can follow his insights and reflections at andrew-bowen.com.

Debbie Phillips is an entrepreneur and real estate professional with over 30 years of industry experience. Debbie has a multi-faceted career managing diverse real estate assets including developing world-class leadership development programs and talent management strategiesIn addition to her private consulting, Debbie serves as an Adjunct Professor for numerous universities including Georgia Institute of Technology, The New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego, California and Realtor University in Chicago, Illinois. Debbie is actively involved in industry organizations and serves in advisory roles for housing, education and workforce development. As a keynote speaker, nationally acclaimed author, her passion is promoting careers in the real estate industry. Debbie completed her Ph.D. from Georgia Tech, where her research focused on Resident Satisfaction and Employee Engagement as she developed an Employee Engagement Model for the Multifamily Housing Industry. Debbie also holds a Master of Science degree in Housing & Consumer Economics, with an emphasis on Senior Housing, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer Journalism, both from the University of Georgia.Debbie believes in the philosophy, "you can dream, build and create the most beautiful place in the world, but it takes PEOPLE to make the dream a reality." Debbie’s mission is developing top tier talent that adds value to an organization through increased employee engagement.

Bob Knakal is a sales broker selling investment properties in New York City since 1984. It is generally accepted that Bob has brokered the sale of more properties (2,300) in New York City than any individual broker ever.Bob was Chairman and Founding Partner of Massey Knakal Realty Services, New York’s #1 building sales firm. He started his real estate career in 1984 at CB Richard Ellis where he met Paul J. Massey Jr. They both left CB in 1988 to form Massey Knakal.From 1988 through 2014, Massey Knakal closed over 6,000 transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $23 billion. To date, Bob has been personally responsible for the sale of over 2,252 buildings (generally considered to be the highest total ever for a single broker in New York) and over $21 billion in sales.On December 31, 2014, Cushman & Wakefield acquired Massey Knakal. At Cushman & Wakefield, Bob acted as Chairman of New York Investment Sales. He was ranked the top originating investment sales broker at Cushman & Wakefield in 2014, 2015 and 2016.Since 2009, Bob has written a weekly column on the New York City Real Estate Market called Concrete Thoughts for the Commercial Observer.Bob graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1984.In 1999, at the age of 36, Bob was named to Crain’s New York Business’s Forty Under Forty/New York Rising Stars list for his outstanding achievement in the New York City business community. He is a two-time winner of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Robert T. Lawrence Award in the Most Ingenious Deal of the Year contest.

​Jindou Lee is the CEO and co-founder of HappyCo, a PropTech company specializing in real-time property operations and asset management software. Before founding HappyCo in 2011, Jindou led the User Interface team at Midway Games, contributing to titles like Mortal Kombat and Gauntlet. He holds a Bachelor of Visual Communications (Design) from the University of South Australia. Beyond technology, Jindou is an avid real estate investor and enjoys spending time with his family.