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After four decades in multifamily real estate, starting as a weekend leasing agent and rising to CEO of RR Living, Melanie French has seen it all.
In a recent episode of Humans of Multifamily, Melanie sat down with Shiv Gettu and shared profound insights from her 40-year journey in multifamily real estate.
What began as a weekend job while in college transformed into a lifelong mission of improving people's lives through housing.
Her story reveals crucial lessons about leadership, service, and the human side of property management that often go overlooked.
How AI Changed Property Management
While AI has transformed many aspects of property management over the past four decades, Melanie notes that some fundamentals haven't changed.
The staffing ratio of roughly one person per 100 units remains largely consistent. What has really changed is the complexity of the work.
AI has streamlined many processes but also created new demands.
Property teams now handle more reporting, faster communication expectations, and increasingly complex resident needs. Yet the human element remains irreplaceable, especially in maintenance and resident services.
Multifamily Property Management is a People Business
"Everything we do, when you touch housing, you realize that we touch people's lives. We are managing homes where they are raising their families, where some of the best times in somebody's lives and some of the hardest happen in those walls."
Melanie’s perspective fundamentally changes how we should think about property management.
When you manage a 300-unit community, you're not just maintaining buildings – you're essentially running a small city with 1,200 to 1,500 residents.
Every maintenance issue, every community decision, and every interaction matters because it directly impacts people's daily lives.
One of the most pressing challenges French identifies is in maintenance and service:
- These positions are increasingly difficult to fill
- The work is physically demanding
- Costs have risen dramatically
- Innovation in this area lags behind other aspects of property management
Four Leadership Principles That Actually WorkFrench's approach to leadership offers valuable lessons for anyone in the industry:
- Take Calculated Risks: Don't let fear hold you back from new opportunities. As Melanie says, "If the worst thing that ever happens to me in life is that I fail at something, so be it."
- Learn Continuously: "I try my best to learn something new every day and to learn from the people who work with me and for me," Melanie shares. This openness to learning has been crucial to her success.
- Develop Future Leaders: Focus on helping others discover their potential. Melanie describes the joy of watching someone realize capabilities they didn't know they had.
- Be Authentic and Transparent: Whether communicating up or down the organizational hierarchy, authenticity and transparency build trust and foster better relationships.
Why Mission Matters More Than Money
Perhaps the most important lesson from Melanie’s experience is the power of being mission-driven. She emphasizes that success in multifamily requires more than just operational excellence – it requires a genuine commitment to improving people's lives.
This shows up in various ways:
- Ensuring every resident, regardless of income level, has a home they're proud of
- Creating communities where people can build relationships and find stability
- Taking responsibility for residents' wellbeing seriously
- Understanding that maintenance issues can be life-critical
The Future: Why Human Connection Still Wins
As the industry continues to evolve, Melanie believes the key to success will be balancing technological innovation with the human element that makes multifamily unique.
While AI and automation will play increasing roles, the fundamental mission remains unchanged: providing homes where people can build their lives and create lasting memories.
Melanie’s journey from weekend leasing agent to CEO demonstrates the unique opportunities available in multifamily real estate. But more importantly, it shows how a mission-driven approach to property management can create value for residents, employees, and companies alike.
"We have the potential as humans to make a difference," Melanie reminds us.
In multifamily, that difference shows up in the daily lives of thousands of residents who call our properties home. It's a responsibility worth taking seriously and a mission worth pursuing with passion.
Watch Melanie French’s full episode of Humans of Multifamily here! 👇
