Top property management companies UDR and ZRS address staffing and operational challenges with AI
When AI works overtime, your team doesn’t have to
Multifamily leasing teams are overwhelmed—and the data backs it up. According to a 2023 survey by the National Apartment Association, 79% of multifamily professionals reported that job stress was taking a toll on their mental health, and 59% said it was impacting their physical health. One of the top culprits? The inability to unplug after hours.
That’s where conversational AI comes in.
By handling after-hours inquiries, scheduling tours, and responding to repetitive leasing questions, AI lifts the burden off onsite teams and gives them back their time. It’s not about replacing the human touch—it’s about making sure teams don’t burn out trying to do it all because a Jack of all trades is a master of none.
When renters have a question at 9 p.m., they get an answer. Then, when leasing professionals start their day the next morning, they’re not buried in a backlog—they’re free to focus on high-impact work.
AI helps reduce stress, speed up leasing, and improve the day-to-day reality for the people powering your communities. Additionally, partners reported that AI’s ability to immediately answer leasing questions before a prospect reaches a call center, helps to vastly reduce costs and improves the prospect experience.
UDR: Scaling smarter with Fenix
UDR isn’t just using Fenix—they helped shape it. As you probably know, UDR is a publicly traded, S&P 500 REIT headquartered that owns and operates approximately 60,123 apartment homes across the U.S., ranking it #31 on NMHC’s 2025 Top 50 Owners list. As a development partner during Fenix’s early evolution, UDR was instrumental in designing an AI solution that understands the real operational pressures of multifamily.
For UDR, the value of Fenix goes beyond answering leasing questions. It’s about transforming the entire approach to touring, staffing, and service. By leveraging Fenix AI UDR increased tour volume dramatically—up to 40 self-guided tours per day—while reducing the number of team members required onsite.
“It gives us the ability to not only reduce major overhead in the call center component of our business, but it also allows us to tailor engagement to carry out our own unique voice with every prospective resident interaction,” said Josh Gampp, CTO of UDR.
The result? A more efficient model and a renter experience built for how people actually want to lease: on their own terms. Today, 97% of UDR’s tours are self-guided—proof that renters don’t want to be sold to, they want answers. And with Fenix, UDR delivers—consistently, automatically, and always on brand.
UDR is also an early pioneer of centralization who recently added Funnel’s full suite of products across their portfolio to realize the next iteration of their centralization journey. They’re already seeing results only a couple of months in, learn more about our partnership with UDR and their early results.
ZRS Management: Letting AI lead the weekend shift
ZRS Management, a leading property management firm with over 61,000 units under management, ranks #42 on the NMHC Top 50 Managers list for 2025—and they’re using Fenix to convert more leases while giving their teams their weekends back.
At full occupancy, ZRS was able to close some of its leasing offices on weekends and rely on Fenix to handle incoming inquiries. The AI assistant didn’t just hold down the fort—it actively worked to pre-qualify prospects, add them to waitlists, answer leasing questions, and schedule tours.
The results?
- Fenix AI handled nearly one in three of all inbound inquiries across ZRS’ properties.
- Of those who applied after engaging with Fenix AI, 80% signed a lease.
“Saving our leasing teams countless hours by filtering the noise to provide the most qualified leads to us has been so advantageous,” said Jeremy Brown, VP of Marketing. “This way, our leasing team can focus on what they do best—leasing.”
Curious what Fenix could do for your team?
Top operators like UDR and ZRS are already seeing the results: fewer after-hours headaches, more qualified leads, and leasing teams that actually enjoy their jobs again.
If you’re ready to reduce overhead, scale smarter, and deliver a better experience for both renters and employees—Fenix is ready for you.