At risk of oversimplification, the world of multifamily real estate operations has never been more complex than it is today. The huge amount of incredible technology injected into the industry has, in many ways, been a double edged sword for owners, owner/operators, and fee managers alike. The modern operator is not only expected to juggle more tools than ever before but is also struggling to do so, a sentiment clearly crystallized in RETTC and Newmark RF’s recently released 2025 Customer Experience (CX) Technology Survey Report. Over 50% of operators today manage 10 or more applications, making it clear that collaboration between vendors is paramount for operators to succeed.
One of the key problems that emerges from this tech stack sprawl is the magnified impact of closed ecosystems in PropTech. Vendors should always prioritize making decisions that positively impact the ability of their operator partners to get things done, rather than the opposite. In the past, closed ecosystems with prohibitive lock-in terms and limited room for innovation forced operators to adapt their workflows to the capabilities of their chosen software partners, rather than the other way around. That’s why an Open Platform approach is best for operators—so they stay in full control of day-to-day workflows and decisions.
We are committed to doing our part to ensure operators maintain control over their tech choices, avoid lock-in, and build resilient operations that evolve with the needs of the industry. We feel it is a shared responsibility of all technology partners to foster an environment of open data access, collaboration, and customer choice so that our operator partners can adopt the technology they need to deliver the best outcomes for their teams and residents. In an AI-driven world, where tech and tools evolve constantly, this need is even more crucial than ever before, and we call for the PropTech market as a whole to move towards this pursuit of Open Platforms for the sake of the operators.
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Democratizing Access to Magical Technology and Data
At the core of this ethos is a belief that access to life changing technology must be democratized and open. Advanced agentic AI shouldn't just be for the giants in the industry, but should instead fuel progress across the entire housing market. Not every resident will live in a community run by a member of the NMHC Top 50, but that doesn’t mean that every renter shouldn’t have access to the best technology that improves the way they live in their homes. With that in mind, it’s fundamental that all AI platforms are made to serve all operators, market rate to affordable, NMHC Top 50 to “Mom and Pop,” and everything in between.
The benefit of this approach is that reducing the technology gap between large and small operators strengthens the housing market as a whole. If every operator is able to improve their margins and reinvest that capital into the resident experience, it creates better outcomes for all. If every operator can use AI to give onsite teams time back in the day so they can make magic for residents, it creates better outcomes for all. If we can create more meaningful, connected career paths for the people who staff our communities, it creates better outcomes for all. And all those reasons are why we feel that the work we do matters.
Thought leadership like RETTC is doing with the AI Governance Framework is a pivotal part of creating a fair, equitable, and open playing field where vendors and operators can collaborate to create the best possible outcomes for the people who depend on rental housing providers. That’s why, when EliseAI’s CEO, Minna Song, was given the opportunity to chair the committee responsible for the framework, she couldn’t say no—because we feel strongly that fair, equitable, and transparent documentation about life changing technology is paramount and core to our mission of improving housing access.
This extends to the control of data as well—the data within the technology solutions operators use belongs to those operators, and they should consistently have reliable, uninterrupted, and straightforward access to it. We feel that technology partners are merely stewards of this data, not the owners, and are committed to working with operators to ensure that they always have access to the critical insights they need to improve the resident experience. Choosing to end your relationship with a vendor shouldn’t mean having to relinquish control of your data. That’s why EliseAI is committed to always ensuring our partners have unrestricted and consistent access to the information that powers their businesses, either while they’re using our platform or after.
Understanding The Vendor’s Part in Building A Culture of Technical Freedom
Operators should be at the center of vendors’ decision making processes, not the other way around. Operators are the ones who are serving communities, creating homes, and helping residents build better lives, and their tech stack should be a choice, not a constraint. Operators need the freedom to connect the tools that fit their specific business model, without the interference of vendor agendas.
We strive for versatility and adaptability to support the operators who entrust us with their business, with the ability to support highly custom environments and integration with all manner of PropTech tools. In the 8 years EliseAI has existed, we've onboarded customers with custom CRMs, those with no full-time staff and no property websites, those who operate a shared resident services model with a single service number, single-family rental portfolios, and more. We pride ourselves on architecture built for flexibility and adapt to your systems, not the reverse.
Vendors who build incredible technology have a great deal of power, and with it, a great deal of responsibility, to put the needs of the operator first. That means eliminating prohibitive integration barriers, reducing lock-in, and enabling operators to focus on creating the best experience they possibly can for all of their residents.
Why Being Open to Collaboration Is for the Good of The Industry
Innovation and progress are most likely to occur when partnerships flourish, collaboration is key, and integration is a given. To build the healthiest PropTech ecosystem we possibly can, it’s important that we avoid the risk of building in silos. A strong partnership between operators, technology partners, and innovators promotes the best outcomes for all through knowledge sharing, collective learning, and collaboration.
We’ve always thought of ourselves as a partner to the most innovative companies in multifamily. One of the core values of EliseAI is “Ship Fast, Improve Faster,” and it’s only through deep collaboration and a partnership-based approach that we can deliver on this commitment to the industry. That’s why an operator-led approach works best for the ecosystem: workflows should reflect on-the-ground realities, and new capabilities should be developed alongside customers—not in isolation. The most durable products in this category come directly from user feedback, strengthening the entire industry over time.
Why does this matter? It’s simple—the resident experience. When we all work to keep the resident at the center of what we do, we can solve real world problems together, not just theoretical problems that we concoct in our own silos. Operators should always have the freedom to choose tech vendors that best allow them to resolve the issues their teams face onsite and their residents face when it comes to interfacing with the places they live.
Building a Better Future For Housing, Together
As partners and operators, we all have a commitment to create an ecosystem where systems and people alike can work together without barriers to innovation and progress. Creating open architecture ensures our clients have the autonomy and ability to pivot as the market changes, protecting not only their interests but the needs of their residents as well. We are committed to not allowing self interest to stand in the way of collective progress, and we would call on the rest of the PropTech industry to mirror this pledge.
We invite operators and vendor partners alike to move away from the restrictive architecture of the past, and come together to shape the multifamily industry alongside us on an open, transparent, and collaborative platform. In doing so, we have the opportunity to make the largest impact we can for the most number of people possible. And no matter what, we promise you this: EliseAI is designed to empower every operator, whether they have regional portfolios or hundreds of thousands of units across the country, and is committed to working with any vendor who wants to work with us. We invite all our vendor partners and operators alike to join us in building a better future for the industry together—we can accomplish so much more when we work together.