Episode #4
From Search to Conversation: The New Renter Journey with Reid Wicoff
Send us Fan Mail The renter journey is changing, but multifamily marketing does not need to throw everything out and start over. In this episode of The Apartment Department , Anne Baum and Chris Johnson sit down with Reid Wicoff, founding partner and CEO of Digible, to explore how renter behavior is evolving as AI becomes part of the search and decision-making process. The conversation goes beyond the usual predictions about AI. Reid shares what Digible is seeing in the data, why traditional search and ILSs still play an important role, and what happens when renters move from simple searches into increasingly detailed conversations with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. The discussion also explores where marketing budgets are moving, why marketers need to establish a strong baseline before changing their strategy, and how AI could help bring together an increasingly fragmented media mix. In this episode: What the emerging AI-driven renter journey actually looks like Why LLMs may become increasingly important later in the renter decision process What Project Polaris is revealing about how AI surfaces multifamily properties and content Why continuous research and experimentation matter more as the pace of change accelerates How marketers can think about media mix and budget allocation without chasing every new channel The move toward AI-optimized marketing with human strategists still in the loop Why breaking down channel silos could change how multifamily marketing performance is measured What AI could ultimately mean for the renter experience The future of multifamily marketing may be less about finding the next channel and more about understanding how renters actually move through the journey. Flamingo - Resident Retention App 400K+ units use Flamingo’s Resident Retention Platform to stop Retention Leak & hit 63%+ retention.
