We recently sat down with Meggan Shaw-Butler, G5’s Senior Director of Multifamily Strategy, to discuss new technology and opportunities for growth in the multifamily industry. Shaw-Butler opened up about her background in the industry and what ultimately led her to her current position at G5. She brings a wealth of experience, insight, and strategy to the G5 team and we’re excited to share her knowledge with our multifamily clients.

Meggan Shaw-Butler Interview

G5: Tell us a little about your background and what drove you to make your career in multifamily.

MSB: My background is in private equity as well as asset management, so working a little bit more on the numbers side to oversee performance of multifamily properties across the country. Like most people in the industry, I sort of fell into it. I found a job in multifamily, loved the job and the industry, and stayed. I truly enjoyed being able to asset manage in a way that balanced providing residents somewhere safe to call home and build their families while effectively managing and growing returns for investors.

G5: What made you decide to join G5?

MSB: I had a great opportunity to work with G5 for several years while in the industry and really enjoyed collaborating with a forward-focused team who was always motivated to improve property performance. G5 was always willing to iterate, absorb best practices, and focus on supporting my underlying property operations through marketing efforts. When G5 mentioned they were looking to verticalize their business model and to really take a big step into bringing the voice of industry and voice of the customer into the company, I became really interested and here I am today.

G5: What do you think is the biggest challenge that is facing the multifamily industry?

MSB: There are several sizable challenges facing the multifamily industry today, but from my perspective, our ability to adopt and adapt to technology is the largest. The multifamily industry as a whole tends to lag in tech adoption for a variety of reasons, but as we move towards a general slowdown in the industry – struggle with some overdevelopment in primary markets and struggle to find ways to develop affordable housing throughout the country – I strongly believe that technology is going to be a critical component to the success for the industry as a whole. We need to be able to tackle the shortcomings and challenges that we’re seeing. It will give companies the ability to scale, it’ll give them cost savings by using AI to maximize their ad expenditure, but it’s really going to come down to how we embrace technology and how we make it a core component of our business model instead of something that we’re still trying to understand and implement.

G5: Do you think technology is the best opportunity for growth?

MSB: I strongly believe technology is the best opportunity for growth. Not just going out there with a scattershot approach in getting whatever technology we can, but in carefully selecting technology providers and partners and finding ways to incorporate them into our operation strategies. This will maximize performance and put your business in a position where you’re able to be strategic and more nimble in your decision making.

G5: If you could give one piece of advice to multifamily operators for scaling their operations, what would it be?

MSB: Invest in technology. Join up with third-party partnerships who are able to bring in technology at a comfortable price-point for your operational structure. These are the people who are going to be able to help you understand what to do with the data that comes with the tech. It’s not just implementing technology for the sake of implementing it, but making it deeply meaningful and impactful in how you underwrite assets, operate assets, and staff assets. Having a good partner that can make that technology and that content is worthwhile for you.

Partner with G5 to Amplify the Impact of Multifamily Technology

Trust G5 to be your integrated marketing partner. G5 helps multifamily marketers implement the latest technologies to make an impact on your business model and operations. We build user-friendly, SEO-enhanced websites integrated with real-time pricing and availability. We bring your brand to life with an in-house creative agency, digital advertising, advanced analytics, and technology powered by AI, automation, and machine learning.

Learn more about G5 and how we can help your multifamily business overcome challenges by implementing new technologies. Schedule a demo today.