By Eric Jeffries, Chief Commercial Officer, Assurified
The NMHC 2026 Women's Event, Apartment Strategies Conference, and Annual Meeting brought the industry together at the Aria in Las Vegas last week. Despite some travel disruptions, attendance was strong and the energy was focused. The mood wasn't pessimistic; it was purposeful. Leaders aren't waiting for conditions to normalize anymore. They're building for the environment we're in.
A few themes stood out.
AI: From Buzzwords to Business Function
AI dominated conversations across all three events. But the tone has shifted. A year ago, the questions were exploratory: "Should we be looking at this?" This year, they were operational: "What seems to be working?" and "How could we deploy at scale?"
One session featured a hologram panelist, which got people's attention. But the more substantive discussions were about practical applications: leasing automation, maintenance triage, fraud detection, predictive pricing. The organizations seeing results are the ones pairing AI with clean data, clear governance, and dedicated ownership. Tools alone don't create value. Better outcomes require organizational discipline to connect them to NOI outcomes.
Bob Hart, Founder, CEO, and President at TruAmerica Multifamily, summed it up: "Every company needs a PropTech Czar." Technology strategy can't be a side project anymore. That's especially true for risk, where fragmented processes compound silently across a portfolio.
Data: Now an Executive Priority
Data came up constantly, but the framing has changed. It's no longer an IT initiative; it's a leadership priority. Operators with clean, connected data are pulling ahead on pricing, retention, and asset performance. Those still working from fragmented systems are making slower decisions with less confidence.
The competitive gap is real and widening.
Risk: Breaking Out of the Silo
There's growing recognition that risk management can't stay siloed in finance or insurance. Forward-thinking operators are connecting fraud, claims, and risk analytics to asset-level performance, treating it as a cross-functional operational discipline.
Forward-thinking operators are connecting fraud, claims, and risk analytics to asset-level performance, treating it as a cross-functional operational discipline.
2026 Outlook: Cautious and Disciplined
The tone across panels was cautious but optimistic. Capital markets uncertainty, regulatory initiatives, insurance pressures, and operational complexity were recurring concerns. But "cautious" didn't mean "frozen." The message was consistent: be strategic, be disciplined, and focus on what you can control.
Looking Ahead
Thanks to NMHC and everyone I connected with in Las Vegas. The conversations reinforced why this remains one of the most valuable events on the multifamily calendar.
Feel free to connect on LinkedIn. Always happy to continue the conversation.
