The AI Edge Podcast: CRE & AI

AI Is Exposing the Biggest Lie in Multifamily Real Estate

Most multifamily operators think they have a reporting problem. What they actually have is a data infrastructure problem. In this episode, Saad Shah, Founder of RentViewer, breaks down how owner-operators are leaking money through bad data, missed collections, stale workflows, delayed make-readies, and dashboards nobody actually uses. Most real estate operators think AI will magically solve their operational problems. Saad Shah says that’s wrong. In this episode of The AI Edge Podcast, Louis Fernandes sits down with Saad Shah, Founder of RentViewer, to break down the real operational bottlenecks inside multifamily and manufactured housing portfolios — and why clean, trustworthy data matters more than flashy dashboards or AI-generated presentations. Saad explains how RentViewer helps owner-operators managing 2,000–20,000 units move beyond spreadsheets and manual reporting into live operational visibility. The conversation dives deep into: • Why dashboards alone don’t solve operational problems • The hidden money leaks inside multifamily portfolios • How AI is changing acquisitions, reporting, and investor presentations • Why most operators still can’t trust their own data • How owner-operators are using AI incorrectly today • The operational realities behind make-ready delays, collections, occupancy, and resident experience • Why “dirty data” is one of the biggest threats to AI adoption in real estate • How real estate companies can use AI without creating risk This is not a hype conversation. This is an operator-to-operator discussion about systems, workflows, infrastructure, analytics, and what actually matters when scaling real estate operations. About Saad Shah Saad Shah is the Founder of RentViewer, a real estate analytics platform helping multifamily and manufactured housing operators gain real-time visibility into portfolio performance. RentViewer helps owner-operators automate reporting, centralize data, improve KPI visibility, streamline acquisitions analysis, and eliminate operational blind spots across thousands of units. Saad operates at the intersection of real estate operations, analytics, AI, and data infrastructure, helping operators move beyond spreadsheets into scalable operational intelligence. ⸻ 🔗 Connect with Saad Shah & RentViewer 🌐 Website: https://www.rentviewer.com [https://www.rentviewer.com] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rentviewer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/rentviewer/] 👤 Saad Shah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadshah/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadshah/] ⸻ 📌 Connect with Edge Partners AI 🌐 https://www.edgepartnersai.com [https://www.edgepartnersai.com] 📅 Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/edgepartnersai/ai-discovery-call [https://calendly.com/edgepartnersai/ai-discovery-call] 🎙 Podcast: https://youtube.com/@theaiedgepodcast [https://youtube.com/@theaiedgepodcast] #AI #CommercialRealEstate #Multifamily #RealEstateInvesting #PropTech #DataAnalytics #ArtificialIntelligence #CRE #PropertyManagement #BusinessSystems

AI Could Fix America’s Housing Crisis… But Nobody’s Ready for What Happens Next | Jill Ferrari

Developers are drowning in delays, municipalities are stuck in the past, and housing affordability is collapsing. Jill Ferrari believes AI is about to completely change how housing gets built in America — from land acquisition to zoning, permitting, financing, and occupancy. In this episode of The AI Edge Podcast, Louis Fernandes sits down with commercial real estate attorney, developer, and entrepreneur Jill Ferrari for a deep operator-level conversation on the future of housing development, AI, and affordability in America. Jill has spent nearly 30 years solving some of the hardest development problems in commercial real estate — from brownfield redevelopment and complex capital stacks to workforce housing and public-private partnerships. But what makes this conversation different is where it goes next. Jill breaks down how AI is beginning to reshape the housing development process itself: • Site selection • Land banking • Municipal permitting • Zoning analysis • Construction workflows • Housing affordability • Income-qualified housing placement • Developer operations • Public-sector bottlenecks This is not a hype conversation. It’s a real discussion about where AI is actually creating leverage inside real estate development — and where the industry is still completely unprepared. We also dive into: • Why affordable housing is so misunderstood • The hidden friction slowing down development • Why municipalities may resist AI adoption • How developers are quietly building their own AI tools • The future of workforce housing • Why operational efficiency matters more than ever If you’re a developer, investor, operator, architect, municipality, proptech founder, or anyone building in the real world — this episode is packed with insight. ---------------------------------------- 👤 GUEST INFO JILL FERRARI Commercial Real Estate Attorney | Developer | Founder | Housing & Economic Development Strategist Jill Ferrari specializes in complex commercial real estate development, brownfield redevelopment, public-private partnerships, affordable housing strategy, and incentive-based financing structures. She is also co-founder of Renovare Development and creator of Homeverse, an AI-driven platform designed to connect income-qualified renters and homebuyers with housing opportunities. Jill recently moderated a national Urban Land Institute panel focused on AI and housing development. CONNECT WITH JILL FERRARI: LinkedIn: Jill Ferrari https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-ferrari-6729891/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-ferrari-6729891/] Firm Website: sbdetroit.com [http://sbdetroit.com] Podcast: Breaking Ceilings, Breaking Ground

He Renovates 100-Unit Apartment Complexes in 7 DAYS… While Most Operators Take 3 YEARS

Most multifamily operators are still playing checkers. Justin Spillers built a vertically integrated machine that: • Underwrites 1,200 deals a year • Renovates units in 7 days • Runs 97% occupancy • Uses AI across leasing, underwriting, hiring, and operations • Is scaling toward 2,500 units This is what real operational scale actually looks like. ---------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION Most real estate operators think growth comes from finding more deals. Justin Spillers believes growth comes from fixing operational bottlenecks faster than everyone else. In this episode of The AI Edge Podcast, Louis Fernandes sits down with Justin Spillers, co-founder of Real Estate Alpha and VSF Rentals, to break down how his team built a vertically integrated multifamily operation managing 700+ units across Ohio. They discuss: • How Justin’s team renovates apartment units in 7 days • Why speed is their competitive advantage • Building in-house leasing, construction, and maintenance teams • Underwriting 1,200+ deals per year • AI inside leasing, hiring, underwriting, and operations • Scaling systems before things break • Why most operators fail at execution, not acquisitions This is not theory. This is operator-level execution at scale. ---------------------------------------- GUEST INFO / FOLLOW JUSTIN Justin started as a real estate attorney before moving full-time into multifamily investing and operations. Instead of outsourcing management and construction like most operators, he and his partner built everything in-house. Today their company: • Owns and manages 700+ apartment units • Operates with a 60-person in-house team • Underwrites over 1,200 deals annually • Renovates units in as little as 7 days • Maintains 97% occupancy • Uses AI across acquisitions, leasing, hiring, underwriting, reporting, and operations What stood out most about Justin is how operationally obsessed he is. Every process is tracked. Every KPI is monitored. Every bottleneck gets attacked. This conversation goes deep into: • Building systems that survive scale • Why leasing is really a sales organization • The hidden operational failures killing most multifamily operators • AI’s real role inside real estate businesses • Why speed is becoming the ultimate advantage This wasn’t a motivational podcast. This was a masterclass in execution. • Website: realestatealpha.io [http://realestatealpha.io] • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinspillers/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinspillers/] • Email: jspillers33@gmail.com [jspillers33@gmail.com] • Phone: 419-305-3732

Most deals are fake and nobody says it out loud

🚨 “Most Real Estate Deals Were Never Going To Work.” AI Edge Podcast #68 w/ Matthew Wallach 25+ years. Billions in transactions. And one brutal truth: “Developers will do whatever it takes to close the deal… even if they know they’ll have to write checks later just to save it.” In this episode we break down: • Why deals are collapsing right now • How fake underwriting gets exposed • Why most operators underestimate risk • The hidden danger inside capital stacks • What actually kills deals during execution • Why sponsors lose projects after closing • The AI tools changing underwriting forever • What smart operators are doing differently in 2026 This wasn’t theory. This was real operator-level insight from someone who’s lived through multiple market cycles. One of the strongest real estate conversations we’ve had on the show. Follow Matthew Wallach: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-wallach-8ba8427/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-wallach-8ba8427/] #RealEstate #CommercialRealEstate #Multifamily #AI #CRE #RealEstateInvesting #CapitalMarkets #Development #Underwriting #AIinRealEstate

Your Business Will Die If Your Team Doesn’t Learn AI

Either your team learns AI… or someone else comes in and eats your lunch. If your company doesn’t have an AI champion right now… you’re already behind. The top companies in the world are spending billions to avoid becoming obsolete. AI is no longer optional. In this episode of The AI Edge Podcast, Louis Fernandes sits down with Guy Varble, Principal & Fund Manager at Momentum Wealth Fund, to break down how AI is transforming self-storage, underwriting, operations, investor communication, and commercial real estate investing as a whole. Guy explains: • How his team underwrites massive deal volume across the U.S. • Why operational systems matter more than deal flow • The future of AI-driven underwriting • How automation is replacing manual workflows • Why every company needs an “AI Champion” • How smart operators are using AI to dominate local markets This is one of the most practical AI + CRE conversations we’ve had on the show. 👇 Connect with Guy Varble Website: https://momentumwealth.fund [https://momentumwealth.fund] Email: guy@momentumwealth.fund [guy@momentumwealth.fund] 👇 Follow RentViewer Website: https://momentumwealth.fund [https://momentumwealth.fund] 🎙 Hosted by Louis Fernandes Co-Founder, Edge Partners AI Host of The AI Edge Podcast #AI #CommercialRealEstate #SelfStorage #Automation #ArtificialIntelligence #BusinessSystems #CRE #Investing