How one top operator uses automation to improve leasing performance—and protect team bandwidth

ZRS Management, ranked #42 on NMHC’s 2025 Top 50 Managers list with over 61,000 units under management, is leveraging AI to drive more conversions while giving leasing teams their time back. Learn more about how they’re doing it. 

1. Automating the busy season: AI steps in when teams are stretched thin

For communities at full occupancy, ZRS Management found itself with more operational flexibility thanks to AI. They closed some of their leasing offices over weekends and leaned on AI to handle communication. 

Their AI now fields inquiries 24/7 via voice, text, and chat, engaging prospects the moment they reach out. It doesn’t just reply; it routes, qualifies, and schedules. From answering questions about pricing and qualifications to adding renters to waitlists and booking tours, the system keeps communication flowing while teams focus on in-person engagement during business hours.

The result? A model that not only preserved service quality, but also gave teams a more sustainable workload, without compromising conversions.

This isn’t just automation. It’s an operational advantage.

2. Turning volume into value: stronger pipelines, smarter conversions

ZRS isn’t just seeing more leads—they’re seeing better ones. Over the course of a year, the AI handled 29% of all inbound inquiries, answering questions, adding renters to waitlists, and scheduling tours. Of the prospects who submitted applications after engaging with the AI assistant, 80% signed a lease.

That impact goes deeper than volume. By asking pre-screening questions up front, the assistant helped improve lead quality as well: 85% of AI-engaged applicants were approved, compared to 78% of those who came through other channels.

“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 for ZRS. “This way, our leasing team can focus on what they do best – leasing! AI kept our pipeline full of pre-qualified prospects ready to visit or virtually visit our communities.”

Meeting renter demand without overwhelming your teams

Today’s onsite teams are busier than ever, but many still feel under-resourced. According to a 2022 Swift Bunny survey, 30% of apartment employees said they can’t complete their work in the time allowed, and 27% said they lack the tools and support needed to do their jobs well.

That’s where automation can make a meaningful difference.

At ZRS, AI is helping leasing teams stay responsive around the clock by engaging with prospects across their preferred communication channels—phone, chat, or text—no matter the time of day. On average, one in four of those conversations results in a guest card, allowing teams to stay focused on in-person tours and high-impact work.

And despite all the digital channels available, voice still leads. In a single year, ZRS’s AI assistant answered over 35,000 leasing questions, and 75% of those conversations happened by phone. That insight says a lot: renters may want self-service, but they still want to talk. ZRS prospects most commonly asked about pricing and availability (19%), rental qualifications (10%), applications (8%), and amenities (4%). Notably, 75% of those conversations happened by phone, proving that even as tech evolves, voice still plays a major role in the leasing experience.

Rethinking weekends: what if your leasing office didn’t have to be open to stay responsive?

As staffing challenges continue and call center costs rise, more operators are exploring how automation can extend coverage without burning out teams. The takeaway from ZRS: it’s possible to protect your team’s time and keep prospects engaged.

Why burn out when you can burn brighter? Fenix keeps things rising above.