Vertical Futures

Courtney Mulligan from Russo Development on Building a Brand People Call Home

Yael Shemer sits down with Courtney Mulligan, SVP of Marketing and Communications at Russo Development, for a conversation about what it takes to build a multifamily brand that residents genuinely love. Courtney came up through editorial and luxury PR at Condé Nast before making her way through Equity Residential and the Durst Organization, bringing a storyteller's instinct to an industry that doesn't always think that way. At Russo, she's been the driving force behind the Vermella brand for nearly seven years, growing the portfolio from 7 to 20-plus communities while ensuring that each property tells its own story, from Print House in Hackensack to Rev by Vermella in Belleville to Vermella Broad Street in Newark, which houses a 501(c)(3) woman-owned art gallery featuring local New Jersey artists. She shares how the Vermella Social Club, a branded program of fitness classes, resident events, and community programming, is driving retention in a market delivering over 10,000 new units, and how Russo's owner-operated model gives them an edge when things go wrong. The conversation also touches on economic uncertainty, shifting consumer behavior, and Vermella's latest milestone: becoming the official apartment brand of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Inside Greystar France: Hospitality-First Student Living in Paris w/ Guillaume Deri

What happens when you blend hotel-grade hospitality with next-gen student housing? In this episode of Vertical Futures, host Yael Shemer (Co-Founder of TULU) sits down with Guillaume Deri of Greystar France to unpack the playbook behind one of Paris’s most talked-about student residences in La Défense. We cover: How a hospitality mindset creates “the wow effect” in PBSA (from scent and sound to social spaces) Translating Greystar’s innovation DNA to the French market—and why 644 units can feel like a boutique hotel * Hitting near-100% occupancy: Gen Z marketing, TikTok/IG, and university partnerships that actually convert * Tech that matters now (resident apps, events, ops visibility) and what’s next (smarter, data-driven buildings)* Sustainability beyond slogans: nudging real behaviors and building the right on-site infrastructure * Leadership & culture: motivating on-site teams in a brand-new market * The future: office-to-residential conversions, flexible leasing, and creating places where people **belong**—not just live ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro & why hospitality belongs in housing 02:10 Bringing the model to Paris & La Défense 05:15 Occupancy, retention & Gen Z demand channels 09:25 Tech: from resident apps to smarter operations13:15 Sustainability that residents actually adopt 15:20 Partnering with TULU for “access over ownership” 17:05 Team culture, hiring, and new roles in PBSA20:25 What’s next: conversions, leases, and community 23:40 Designing the “wow effect” (five senses) 26:20 One-sentence vision for urban living 🔗 If you enjoyed this, subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping how we live next. Tags / Keywords Greystar, Greystar France, student housing, PBSA, Paris La Défense, multifamily, hospitality, property management, Gen Z marketing, TikTok leasing, smart buildings, sustainable living, office to residential, TULU, Vertical Futures, real estate innovation, community building, resident experience, NOI, France real estate

John O’Donnell on Building Better Resident Experience at Scale

From On-Site Reality to Portfolio Strategy: John O’Donnell on Resident Experience & the Future of Multifamily Episode Description: John O’Donnell, Director of Portfolio Operations at Woodmont Properties, joins Vertical Futures to share a candid, ground-level view of what it really takes to deliver exceptional resident experience at scale. Drawing on more than a decade of on-site leadership and portfolio oversight, John unpacks the operational realities shaping modern multifamily - and where the industry is headed next. In this conversation, we cover: ✔️ Bridging the “ground truth gap” between leadership strategy and on-site reality ✔️ How resident expectations are evolving in Class A multifamily ✔️ Using AI to eliminate high-volume, low-value work without losing the human touch ✔️ Why renewals, feedback loops, and sentiment data matter more than ever ✔️ Self-guided tours, VR, and what the next 3-5 years could unlock ✔️ Leadership lessons from growing teams, delegating effectively, and building trust Tune in to hear how operators can balance technology, empathy, and operational excellence to create communities residents actually want to stay in.

Jarrod Whitaker of RXR on Innovation, Resident Experience & the Future of Multifamily

What does it take to make big buildings feel like home?In this episode of Vertical Futures, Yael Shemer, Co-Founder & CCO of TULU, sits down with Jared Whitaker, SVP of Residential Operations at RXR, to explore how one of the nation’s leading real estate firms is reimagining life in multifamily communities.Together, they dive into:RXR’s $22.6B portfolio and the “trifecta” of design, hospitality, and technologyWhy residents today expect five-star service in their homesHow partnerships like TULU are redefining convenience and access in urban livingThe rise of buildings as micro-cities, where people live, work, and connect without leaving homeWhat’s next: affordability, innovation, and building community at scaleVertical Futures captures the bold conversations shaping how we live, work, and build community in the 21st century.📺 Watch the full conversation on YouTube🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more

Whitney Kidd on AI, Robotics & the Future of Resident Experience

From Humanoids to Housing: Whitney Kidd on AI, Robotics & the Future of Resident Experience Episode Description Whitney Kidd, Senior VP of Innovation & Technology at The Preiss Company, joins Vertical Futures to share how student housing is becoming a testbed for the future of multifamily. From managing 40,000 beds during the “turn season” to piloting the industry’s first humanoid robot, Whitney reveals how AI, automation, and infrastructure upgrades are converging to reshape resident experience. In this conversation, we cover: ✔️ Why capital cycles make or break tech adoption in real estate ✔️ How self-service is changing Gen Z’s expectations for housing ✔️ Donna, the humanoid robot, and what it means for property management ✔️ The balance between automation, human touch, and brand loyalty ✔️ Why Whitney believes 50–75% of admin tasks will soon be automated 👉 Tune in to hear what’s next for multifamily innovation—and how leaders can prepare today.