AI leasing solves multifamily staffing shortage

By Megan Brooks 31/08/2026 2 min read 8 views

Software that centralizes multifamily leasing and uses artificial intelligence to handle routine tasks is emerging as a potential fix for a critical shortage of leasing agents. The system frees up experienced staff to act as specialists across entire portfolios rather than performing multiple chores at a single community.

Tyler Christiansen, CEO of Funnel, argues that the traditional “property-centric” leasing model is inefficient. He compares the old method to buying a car from a local dealership, where the relationship is tied to a specific physical location. The new model resembles Tesla’s approach to car sales, where the customer interacts with a centralized brand platform rather than a local franchise.

Funnel operates a centralized platform that manages leasing operations for many properties at once. Christiansen notes that the vast majority of renters do not require a physical meeting to book a tour. They prefer self-service options and expect immediate answers to their questions. In the old model, on-site agents are often distracted by real-world tasks and cannot control the quality of service.

This shift allows agents to become “lead specialists” who work across different locations. They are less distracted by tours and more focused on answering questions and managing renewals. Christiansen describes this as making “superheroes out of agents.” The specialized team responds faster and converts leads to leases more quickly than the previous on-site teams.

Agents on this centralized system earn higher wages and handle more units, often managing over 100 units compared to about 80 in the old system. The platform provides a bot trained on millions of communications to handle early information gathering and scheduling. These bots are often more responsive than human counterparts in these specific tasks.

Efficiency Gains for Operators

Operators using centralized platforms are seeing cost savings by improving employee-to-user ratios.

Agents on the Funnel platform focus on closing deals rather than handling tours. They use the data to identify patterns, such as the fact that 20% of all leases at one large portfolio involved visits to multiple communities. This insight helps operators reduce marketing costs by using a single lead more efficiently. The centralized approach reduces the need for redundant, inefficient silos of information.

For the staff, the change means a shift from multitasking to specialized roles. They are no longer generalists at individual sites but closers working within a larger system. This specialization reduces burnout and increases the productivity of a smaller human staff, allowing them to focus on the high-value interactions that actually lead to leases.