COVID stressed to the breaking point many aspects of the travel industry and lodging - including flexible rentals, co-living and co-working. Now, with pent-up demand surging, many cities and travel hubs are bursting with activity. Jamie Lane, VP of Research at AirDNA will share their market-level observations about "revenge travel", the revealed demand from digital nomads and monthly-stay travelers and look at lodging rates versus annual multifamily rents to help drive the investment conversation around flexible living concepts.

Refreshments provided

"Tomorrow's Multifamily", Sandy Albert uses the Wayne Gretzky metaphor to describe designing, building and programming the flexible living properties of the next decade. As LA-based principal and managing member for CityPads, Sandy is building and financing the next generation of flexible living opportunities for urban renters. Focused on "naturally occurring affordable housing", Sandy will present case studies of how density+programming+flexible renting-parking = the new investment model for urban development

Refreshments provided

Join us for cocktails, connections and good conversation.

Building Codes, Regulatory Models and Housing Affordability

Traditional multifamily relies on scarcity to drive income growth. Property upgrades come primarily with new investment ownership once every 7-10 years. By contrast, flexible living concepts are perhaps the primary means that large owners are looking at expanding the revenue frontier while giving residents more convenience, time and flexibility in return. Renters-by-convenience that aren't tied to the geography of school districts or in-person work are an expanding pool of renters whose needs for convenience, flexibility will change renting, and their antipathy to owning "stuff" put new value on renting furnishings and sharing transportation.

Early innovators Iconiq Capital and Sentral have survived the COVID shakeout in this space and are addressing a new opportunity at scale. We've asked them to make a presentation about the evolution of the Sentral brand and the needs of renters that they're capturing with capital, processes and technology. They'll address:

- The growth in flexible living demand, and the changing expectations of renters ("flexers"?)
- The broadening demographics of demand (hint - it's not just Millennials.)
- Expanding flexibility to a branded experience in many cities - one renter in many properties under one brand
- The continuing impact of remote work the Great Resignation on product design and the utility of co-working as a living amenity.

In every emerging field, innovation happens at different speeds. WhyHotel has emerged from COVID with a tested partnership model and a value proposition in both development and management that is compelling to institutional investors. In our judgement, the WhyHotel team's real estate investment background has delivered a scalable model for franchising, investing at scale or inviting their management of conventional multifamily, in order to add on additional flexible rentals as a higher-yielding adjunct. Because of the confidential nature of the presentation, only potential investors or development partners will be invited to this candid discussion of their model and growth plans.

When it's time for some fresh thinking in flexible rentals, we call in Zurich-based consultant Simon Lehmann, who brings decades of European experience in vacation rentals. Simon and asset manager Hollye Miller of 4 Degrees Real Estate in Spokane will present a DIY case study. 4 Degrees existing assets are in the path of high growth in experiential travel and digital nomads that would prefer to access the outdoor lifestyle of the Mountain Northwest. Their case study will detail how 4 Degrees adapted traditional management processes to embrace higher frequency furnished rentals. Hollye and Simon will talk about the internal decision process, the technology stack, marketing distribution, ratings and reviews and the net perceptions of properties that have been transformed by the existing owner to serve a whole new demand channel.

Culdesac Tempe is the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the U.S. Currently under construction and scheduled to open in Summer 2022, Culdesac Tempe is a $170 million project with 761 residential units, 16,000-square-feet of retail and 35,000-square feet of amenities on 17 acres.

In typical developments, the parking lots often dictate the design, and without this constraint, Culdesac Tempe is able to offer a comprehensive retail experience for residents, including an on-site grocery store, restaurant, coworking space, coffee shop, bike shop, and more. Over half of the land area at Culdesac Tempe will be covered in landscaping, public courtyards, and greenery — an unheard-of ratio for an urban development.

The Tempe project marks the nation’s first and only agreement between a city and a developer to build a neighborhood-scale community with zero residential parking. Residents will not have private cars or parking spaces, although the retail area will have parking for retail visitors and resident guests.

While living car-free, residents at Culdesac will have a menu of alternative transportation options at their fingertips. Culdesac’s mobility partners include Valley Metro, Bird, Envoy, and Lyft. Through these mobility partnerships and other benefits, Culdesac is excited to announce that all Founding Residents will get access to $3,000 a year in mobility benefits, unlocking an ecosystem of options for car-free living.

As part of the mobility benefits, residents will have 15% off all Lyft rides with free Lyft Pink, discounted scooter rides on Bird scooters, a fleet of EV carshare with Envoy, and unlimited light rail and bus rides on Valley Metro. These mobility options will be integrated seamlessly into the built environment of Culdesac Tempe

Culdesac is redefining how real estate developers can offer transportation options to their residents. The mobility innovations of the last decade, including carshare, rideshare, and scooter share, are now fully integrated into the built environment and resident experience of Culdesac Tempe. Culdesac Tempe will be the best place to live car-free in the US.

Culdesac is also changing how residents conceptualize their space. The “Extend Your Home on Demand” program allows residents to book a guest suite, podcast studio, or a maker space with ease. All of this is done through the Culdesac app for a seamless experience for residents. 

We'll walk on dirt roads, see rebar and concrete and use our imaginations as we walk the site and get a visceral understanding of the vision of the developers firsthand.

In the spirit of the project, share an Uber or Lyft to the site and arrive at 12:30, for a 12:45 kickoff to our walking tour.