The Apartment Department

Multifamily marketing does not stand still. Neither do we. The Apartment Department is a podcast for multifamily (apartment) marketers, operators and industry partners who want to think differently about how marketing drives performance. Through conversations with marketing leaders, suppliers, and operators who are shaping the future of multifamily, we focus on what they are building, testing, and refining to strengthen marketing teams and drive measurable results. Our goal is simple. We want you to leave each episode with a new perspective and at least one idea worth testing. Hosted by Anne Baum and Chris Johnson, exploring how strategy, systems, and performance intersect in multifamily. Produced by Carlos Marquez.

The Apartment Department is a business podcast hosted by Chris Johnson & Anne Baum, with 57 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Chris Johnson & Anne Baum hosts The Apartment Department, a business show with 57 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #3

  The New 15 Seconds of Multifamily Marketing with Kristi Fickert

  Sep 15, 202650 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail Streaming TV has changed significantly in the past year, and the opportunity for multifamily marketers has changed with it. In this episode of The Apartment Department , hosts Anne Baum and Chris Johnson welcome Kristi Fickert, SVP of Growth and Marketing at Kurie, back to the podcast for a conversation about what’s new, what’s working, and how marketers can think differently about streaming advertising today. The conversation goes beyond putting an apartment ad on a television screen. Kristi, Anne, and Chris explore how streaming can build brand awareness, reach renters earlier in their journey, support sequential storytelling, and create more opportunities to connect with specific audiences. They also dig into the challenge of measuring marketing that is designed to make a brand memorable, especially when traditional reporting tends to focus on a single source, lead, and lease. The episode also gets into: Why 15-second ads are changing how marketers approach storytelling How fresh creative can help combat ad fatigue Why top-of-funnel marketing should not always be expected to produce an immediate lease How brand searches, direct traffic, organic traffic, and overall traffic can help indicate whether awareness efforts are working Why video does not always need to be highly produced to be effective How streaming advertising can be used for more than renter acquisition Why experimentation and speed can matter as much as production quality How AI could create more sameness, or help marketers come up with ideas others are not thinking about Why the experiences happening inside a community can be more differentiating than the amenities themselves A year after Kristi’s first appearance on the podcast, the technology has moved quickly. This conversation looks at where streaming TV is now and what multifamily marketers can do with the opportunities that are emerging. Flamingo - Resident Retention App 400K+ units use Flamingo’s Resident Retention Platform to stop Retention Leak & hit 63%+ retention.

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  Episode #2

  Toni, Toni, Toni and the Great Human Recalibration

  Sep 1, 202649 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail What happens when an industry becomes so focused on technology, automation and efficiency that it forgets the humans at the center of the experience? In this episode of The Apartment Department , Anne Baum and Chris Johnson sit down with Toni Blake, a 42-year veteran of multifamily and founder of TotallyToni, to talk about what she calls The Great Human Recalibration : bringing humanity, authenticity and connection back to an industry increasingly shaped by technology. Toni challenges the polished, scripted approach to leasing that can make interactions feel more transactional than human. Instead, she believes the next competitive advantage may be something technology can't replicate: the ability to create genuine connection, bring energy to an interaction and make people feel something. The conversation explores: The Five Essential Human Roles: Advocate, Investigator, Influencer, Facilitator and Celebrator, and why these roles can replace outdated sales approaches. The messy middle: What happens between the beginning of a renter's search and the final decision, and why human connection matters in that space. Magnetic Human Resonance: Toni's perspective on the energy people bring to an interaction and how it can influence even digital experiences. Rethinking sales: Why Toni believes traditional sales training is dead and what changes when the goal shifts from selling to celebrating. Humanizing technology: How teams can bring more personality and intentionality into chatbots, floor plans and other digital touchpoints. License the Legend: Toni's new digitized training system designed to help multifamily organizations bring her human-centered approach to teams at scale. As multifamily continues to embrace AI and automation, this conversation asks an important question: If technology is making everything more efficient, could being more human be what makes us stand out? Check out Toni's Two Part Series: Part One: Time to turn back and begin the HUMAN Recalibration of Leasing. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/finally-modern-human-roles-leasing-toni-blake-wu2pc Part Two: DAMAGE from the Leasing RUT: Has Familiarity Become the Enemy of Innovation. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/has-familiarity-become-enemy-innovation-toni-blake-c10yc Flamingo - Resident Retention App 400K+ units use Flamingo’s Resident Retention Platform to stop Retention Leak & hit 63%+ retention.

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  Episode #1

  Living the Brand: How Brand Immersion and Storytelling Drive Multifamily Success

  Aug 18, 202651 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Apartment Department, Lauren Turner of The Bainbridge Companies shares how brand immersion helps onsite teams understand the story behind a community and turn that knowledge into a better renter experience. The goal is to move beyond selling square footage and start selling the lifestyle, history, design, and details that make a property different. Turner shares how Bainbridge is putting that idea into practice through: Brand immersion: Bringing construction, development, operations, and onsite teams together to understand the story and strategy behind each community. Storytelling and personas: Giving leasing teams the context and tools to connect with different types of renters and create meaningful brand moments throughout the tour. AI and Canva: Using technology to make it easier for teams to create consistent, on-brand content and messaging. Social media competitions: Encouraging onsite teams to show more personality and become more comfortable creating content. Influencer partnerships: Extending a property's story beyond its own channels and reaching new audiences, including prospective renters outside the local market. AI search: Thinking ahead about how property descriptions, FAQs, and brand content will be discovered and interpreted by generative search. A strong property brand is not something that only lives in a marketing deck. It becomes powerful when the people representing the community understand it, believe in it, and know how to bring it to life. Flamingo - Resident Retention App 400K+ units use Flamingo’s Resident Retention Platform to stop Retention Leak & hit 63%+ retention.

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  Episode #18

  The Next Chapter of Property Management with Jacob Carter

  Aug 4, 202652 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail Property management is entering a new chapter, and it will be shaped by more than technology alone. In this episode of The Apartment Department , Anne Baum and Chris Johnson sit down with Jacob Carter, founder of Nurture Boss and author of AI in Property Management , for a wide-ranging conversation about where the industry is headed. What begins with Jacob's new book quickly expands into a discussion about the evolution of on-site teams, the changing role of leasing professionals, practical technology adoption, and the rise of AI agents. In this episode, you'll discover: Why the role of the leasing professional is changing. What AI agents are and why they could reshape property management. Why user experience matters more than another dashboard. What vendor accountability should look like in an AI-powered industry. Why managing AI agents may become part of every job. Whether you're leading marketing, operations, technology, or an on-site team, this conversation offers a thoughtful perspective on where property management is headed next Flamingo - Resident Retention App 400K+ units use Flamingo’s Resident Retention Platform to stop Retention Leak & hit 63%+ retention.

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  Episode #17

  Escaping Multifamily's Sea of Sameness with Stacey Feeney

  Jul 21, 202648 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail Apartment communities have never looked more alike. Luxury finishes, similar amenities, nearly identical websites, and now AI-generated marketing are making it harder than ever to stand out. So how do you create something renters actually remember? In this episode of The Apartment Department , Anne Baum and Chris Johnson are joined by Stacey Feeney, Founder and Chief Creative Director of Zipcode Creative, to discuss why brand has become one of multifamily's most important competitive advantages. Stacey explains why branding is much more than a logo or color palette. It's the story you tell, the personality you create, and the experience you consistently deliver. The conversation explores how operators can define an authentic brand, connect with the right renters, train site teams to bring that brand to life, and use AI as a tool without sacrificing originality. Whether you're developing a new community, repositioning an existing asset, or simply trying to differentiate in a crowded market, this episode offers practical ideas for building a brand that people remember and trust. In this episode, you'll learn: Why multifamily is experiencing a "sea of sameness." What actually makes a brand beyond logos and visual identity. How to define an ideal resident without limiting your audience. Why operations and resident experience are part of your brand. How to use AI to scale your brand voice instead of creating generic marketing. Why every prospect touchpoint should reinforce the same story. How strong branding can influence leasing, retention, recruiting, and even future development. Flamingo - Resident Retention App 400K+ units use Flamingo’s Resident Retention Platform to stop Retention Leak & hit 63%+ retention.

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