Panelists at the recent NMHC 2022 Apartment Strategies Conference noted the surge of Build-to-Rent development nationwide and discussed the state of other building types as well, but labor, or the lack of it, was a leading topic of discussion.
Build-to-Rent has emerged from the Sunbelt and become a desirable housing type in many markets, and work from home has created new growth across the board in market-rate apartments.
Mike Clow, Executive Managing Director, Global Property Management, Greystar, commented on the growth but tempered it by saying everywhere the company wants to develop, the question becomes, “Do we have enough labor in place?”
When it comes to value-add projects, Clow said Greystar is sourcing more materials from domestic suppliers, saying that although costs are higher, delivery is faster. He added that the entire planning schedule is being changed by supply chain management concerns.
In another recent shift, Clow noted the benefit of automation in mitigating the labor shortage, saying automation has proven to be a better alternative than outsourcing for some tasks, such as tours and leasing. “Given today’s hiring challenges,” he said, “we probably couldn’t have even hired for those positions anyway.” He conceded the initial investment was high, but that deploying technology to reduce labor needs is essential in the current market. (Source)