IPA Southeast 2026: Operator Guide

IPA Multifamily Forum Southeast 2026: Operator Playbook

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The IPA Multifamily Forum Southeast brings together owners, operators, and capital partners focused on performance in the Southeast market. Use this playbook to plan your conversations, benchmark solutions, and leave with a short list of actions that move occupancy and leasing velocity.

Who should attend (and why)

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Best for

• Multifamily owners and asset managers focused on NOI and risk
• Regional/property managers balancing leasing speed and operational load
• Capital, partnerships, and growth leaders evaluating portfolio strategies
• Tech/solutions teams supporting leasing and resident operations

You’ll get the most value if you’re working on

• Occupancy recovery and faster turnarounds
• Reducing lease friction without increasing delinquency risk
• Improving approval speed while keeping decisions defensible
• Scaling leasing operations across properties

What people actually talk about at IPA Southeast

Expect conversations around:

• Market dynamics (supply, pricing pressure, demand shifts)
• Leasing efficiency (lead handling, follow-up systems, conversion)
• Resident experience and retention levers
• Risk controls: screening, fraud, and operational enforcement
• Partnerships: how operators build “repeatable” leasing outcomes

Cosign POV: the 3 levers that move occupancy in 2026

When operators talk “occupancy,” they’re usually solving one of these:

1. Speed-to-yes (approval time and move-in readiness)
2. Lower friction (fewer steps, fewer errors, better support)
3. Risk control (clear policies, predictable outcomes, manageable ops)

Operator reality check: If a solution boosts approvals but increases manual work, disputes, or renter drop-off, it will show up as hidden cost.

The operator checklist (use this to evaluate partners)

Score each solution 1–5:

• Time to decision (median + worst-case)
• Move-in completion rate impact (does it reduce drop-off?)
• Operational workload (who does what, day-to-day?)
• Policy clarity (what happens on edge cases?)
• Portfolio fit (works across property types and markets)

What “good” looks like: fast approvals + low renter friction + minimal extra workload for your team.

Questions to ask at the forum

Performance

• What measurable outcomes do operators see (time-to-lease, occupancy lift)?
• What’s the implementation timeline and what breaks most often?

Process

• How does the workflow handle edge cases (thin file, variable income)?
• What does support look like for renters and onsite teams?

Risk & enforcement

• How do disputes/claims work operationally?
• What actions are required from onsite teams?

Data & integration

• What systems do you integrate with and what reporting is standard?
• Can you show a simple before/after benchmark dashboard?

3 high-value networking plays

1. Operator swap: ask 3 regional PMs what slowed leasing this quarter
2. Owner lens: ask 3 owners what risk they’ll still tolerate for occupancy
3. Vendor filter: only meet reps who can explain ops + outcomes (not features)

Best opener: “What’s your biggest bottleneck between lead and move-in?”

FAQs

Is this forum more owner-focused or operator-focused?
It’s strong for both, but operators benefit most if they arrive with clear workflow benchmarks.

What should I prepare before attending?
Bring your current approval time, lead-to-lease conversion, and top 3 operational bottlenecks.

How do I compare multiple vendors quickly?
Use the same scoring rubric for each and capture notes on speed, friction, and ops workload.

What’s the #1 mistake operators make at events?
Taking meetings without a measurable goal (e.g., “reduce approval time by X”).

What should I measure after adopting a new leasing partner/solution?
Approval time, move-in completion rate, time-to-lease, and dispute volume.

Do integrations matter if the onsite team is small?
Yes—lack of integration usually increases manual work and slows leasing.

What’s a good event outcome?
A shortlist of 2–3 partners worth a deeper evaluation plus 1–2 workflow changes to implement immediately.

How do I keep renter UX strong while controlling risk?
Reduce steps, clarify documentation needs early, and enforce policies consistently.