Student Housing Insight

🎧 Episode Summary

In this episode of Student Housing Insight, host Wes Deese sits down with Matt Walker, Global Head of Student Housing for Mapletree Investments, to trace his two-decade journey from leasing manager in Oklahoma to leading international student housing investments from London. Matt shares lessons learned across roles at EDR, CA Ventures, and now Mapletree, offering insight into how career agility, openness to reloc...

📄 Episode Summary

Host Wes Deese sits down with Dave Borsos and Matthew Berger from the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) to preview this fall’s lineup of major student housing conferences, including the NMHC Student Housing Conference, & OpTech. They unpack trends in capital markets, international student enrollment, and tax policy—and explore how technology and AI are shaping property operations. Later, Rich Kelley...

🎧Episode Summary: September was a busy month in the student housing world, and we’re unpacking it all in this special “wrap-up” edition of the Student Housing Insight Podcast. Host Wes Deese is joined once again by longtime co-host Gretta Dare, who returns with updates on her own new venture, Vitra Housing. Together, they dig into company shakeups, mergers, leasing season data, and how international enrollment trends may shape the...

🎧Episode Summary:

In this episode, Wesley Deese sits down with Hannah Maruyama, co-founder of Degree Free, to explore how Gen Z and Gen Alpha are redefining higher education. The discussion centers on the growing number of young adults who are choosing alternative paths outside of traditional college—and what that means for student housing, property managers, and the broader industry. Hannah shares insights on the motivations and ...

🎧Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Student Housing Insight podcast SHI Ambassador and CORE Spaces’ Sr. Mgr of Sales & Stabilization, Sarah Maxson sits down with CORE Spaces’ President, Dan Goldberg, for a discussion exploring the integration of hospitality principles into student housing. Emphasizing user experience (UX), resident engagement, and innovative branding, Sarah and Dan share insights on creating memorable mom...

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In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, host Wes Deese is joined by ambassador Alaina Jackson (PeakMade Real Estate) for an in-depth panel discussion on how student housing professionals can better connect with Gen Z renters. The conversation explores strategies for building authentic brands, leveraging micro-influencers, simplifying messaging, and staying agile in a fast-changing marketing landsc...

In this episode of Student Housing Insight, host Wes Deese leads a panel discussion focusing on off-campus student housing trends. Joined by industry experts Jason Taylor, KrisAnn Kizer, and Mark Miller, the panel explores leasing velocity, rental rate increases, the impact of international student enrollment, and public-private partnerships (P3s). Key topics include market-specific challenges, affordability conce...

🎧 Episode Summary: In the final installment of the Tough Talks series, SHI Ambassador John Barr sits down with Jacob Kosior, a seasoned student housing operator turned VP at Elise AI. They explore the real-world challenges of implementing AI in property management, tackle the underestimated difficulties of change management, and dig into leadership development within the student housing space. With a candid discussion full of humo...

📄 Episode Summary

In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, host Wesley Deese welcomes John Barr for the fourth installment of the Tough Talks series. John interviews Willie Butler, principal at Empower Property Management Consulting, a seasoned expert in the student housing industry known for his book “Releasing” and his work as a "leasing assassin." The conversation dives into the importance of returning to fundame...

🔍 Summary

In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, hosts Wesley Deese and John Barr welcome Nick Hill, COO of Up Campus, for a candid and insightful conversation as part of the Tough Talks series. With a diverse background in student housing across both U.S. and international markets, Nick shares a unique perspective on development, acquisitions, leadership, and the grit it takes to navigate tough transitions and la...

📌 Episode Summary: In this episode of Student Housing Insight, we sit down with Aryne Bailey, EVP of Student Housing at The Dinerstein Companies, as part of the “Tough Talk” series hosted by John Barr. Aryne opens up about her dynamic role, her take on AI and centralization in property operations, and the evolving challenges of acquisitions versus new developments. The conversation blends candid insights, industry trends, and even...

📘 Episode Summary In this premiere episode of the Tough Talk series from Student Housing Insight, host John Barr (Director of Leasing & Innovation, The Dinerstein Companies) sits down with JT Bailey, VP and GM of Student at RealPage. Together, they dive into the nuances of AI integration in student housing, the importance of keeping human interaction at the forefront, and the irreplaceable value of site-level experience. JT re...

📝 Episode Summary:

In this special Lunch and Learn edition of the Student Housing Insight podcast, Wes Deese discusses the growing trend of using short-term rentals (STRs)—such as Airbnb and VRBO—as a strategy to offset vacancy in student housing. Featuring insights from Mickey Kropf of Vector Travel and Pam West of Campus Advantage, this session explores how STRs can be successfully integrated into student properties, the regulat...

In this engaging episode of Student Housing Insight, recorded live at the 17th Annual Interface Student Housing Conference in Austin, Texas, host Wes Deese brings together industry leaders to discuss the current state and future of the student housing sector. Held in mid-April 2025 at the JW Marriott, the conference attracted over 1,500 attendees, uniting top executives for th...

In this special episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, host Wesley Deese sits down with industry legend Bill Bayless, co-founder and former CEO of American Campus Communities and current CEO and founder of Maslow’s Campus Communities. From his humble beginnings in West Virginia to founding one of the largest stud...

In this episode, co-host Greta Dare sits down with Alex Wallace, Development Manager at College Housing Northwest (CHNW), to explore how the nonprofit has been delivering affordable housing to Portland-area students since 1969. They discuss CHNW’s origins, current initiatives, and how the organization is partnering with schools and government programs to address rising student housing insecurity and homelessness. With innovative re...

In this milestone episode of Student Housing Insight, host Wesley Deese sits down with founders and co-owners of SouthPark Interiors, Martha Thomley and Lisa Brooks, to commemorate 20 years of excellence in interior design for the student housing industry. From their humble beginnings to establishing one of the most trusted design firms in the market, this episode is a heartfelt and insightful conversation about entrepreneurship, i...

In this episode, host Wesley Dease previews the upcoming Interface Student Housing Conference, the largest global event for the student housing industry. Wesley is joined by Rich Kelly from Student Housing Business to discuss the conference’s history, its growth, and what attendees can expect this year in Austin, Texas, from April 9-11. They explore key sessions, networking opportunities, and emerging industry trends. If you work i...

In this episode, Wesley Deese and co-host Alexis Krissay dive into the world of social media marketing for student housing. They discuss the importance of creating engaging, two-way conversations online rather than just posting content for the sake of it. The episode covers strategies for making social media content relevant to students, the role of leasing agents as social media ambassadors, and best practices for leveraging autom...