Day Two - 4/27
In this high-level panel, leading owner-operators reveal the specific predictions and offensive strategies they are using to transition from a ‘cautious’ to a ‘constructive’ posture as we enter the 2026–2027 cycle.
- Where are you seeing the definitive data signals that prove it is time to pivot from defense to offense?
- What are your key tactics for tapering concessions in 2026 without sacrificing occupancy gains?
- Which Texas submarkets are currently on your high-conviction shortlist for the upcoming 2027 upcycle?
- How are you redefining "balanced" rent growth to ensure your 2026 underwriting remains both realistic and competitive?
- Which specific KPIs are you prioritizing right now to ensure your portfolio outperforms the market over the next 18 months?
- What internal operational shifts have you implemented to prepare your teams for this next phase of growth?
- What are the "winners" in the Texas multifamily space doing differently today to ensure they are the ones smiling two years from now?
As the bid-ask spread narrows and deal flow returns to the Texas market, this session examines the practical reality of underwriting acquisitions in a ‘bottom uncertain’ environment. Leading owner-operators and investors discuss the new rules for cost-basis, exit assumptions, and the non-negotiable criteria for a ‘Go’ decision.
- Where are you seeing the leading indicators that confirm the market has bottomed, and how is that influencing your current entry pricing?
- What are the non-negotiable underwriting criteria and untrended yield requirements that dictate your ‘Go/No-Go’ decisions today?
- How are you adjusting your cost-basis assumptions for Class A lease-ups versus older vintages where pricing has seen the most significant reset?
- What realistic exit cap rate spreads are you modeling for DFW and major Texas metros compared to the broader US market?
- How are you stress-testing 2026–2027 pro formas against persistent insurance volatility and property tax trajectory?
- How is the shift from ‘unrealistic seller expectations to forced-sale catalysts driving your acquisition strategy for the second half of 2026?
- What specific capital stack innovations are you using to bridge valuation gaps and achieve required equity returns?
In a year marked by rising costs, staffing constraints, insurance volatility, and concession driven competition, Texas operators are being pushed to do more with less. This session brings operators and solution providers together to discuss practical, real world strategies for reducing operational friction, improving efficiency, and protecting NOI; without compromising resident experience or team performance.
- How are operators and solution partners helping teams control expenses amid inflation, insurance spikes, and vendor instability?
- What operational strategies are working to stabilize B/C communities under economic pressure?
- Which lowcost, highROI tools, workflows, or CapEx decisions are meaningfully improving NOI?
- How can tech solutions and PM processes help reduce turnover when concessions undermine loyalty?
- Which KPIs matter most for 2026 operations; renewals, effective rent, delinquency, service delivery; and how can tech enhance tracking?
- How are operators and solution providers collaborating to lighten onsite workload without sacrificing performance or compliance?
- What operational lessons from the past 36 months of volatility should shape efficiency planning in 2026–2027?
A practical discussion where operators and residentexperience solution providers explore how to retain residents in a concessionheavy market, improve responsible tenancy, and strengthen community stability without increasing operating costs.
- How can operators and platforms work together to reduce turnover when concessions pull residents away?
- Which resident experience tools (communication platforms, engagement apps, rewards systems) are improving retention in Texas communities?
- How are operators partnering with churches, nonprofits, and local agencies to place reliable, responsible residents?
- What resident-facing technologies help streamline service requests, communication, or payment behaviorfacing technologies help streamline service requests, communication, or payment behavior?
- How can tech providers support teams in managing delinquency, renewals, and satisfaction scores more efficiently?
- What adjustments do operators make to keep B/Cclass communities stable under economic pressure?
- Which KPIs (renewal rate, delinquency, satisfaction, service response) best measure resident experience impact in 2026?
With capital availability tightening and underwriting standards shifting across Texas, this session brings together active lenders and borrowers to discuss what deals are getting financed today, how structures have evolved, and what borrowers must present to secure competitive terms. From bridge and bank executions to agency appetite, panelists break down the lending landscape and the strategies that are helping Texas projects move forward in 2026.
- Which Texas multifamily deals are lenders actively closing today, and which are struggling to qualify?
- How have LTV, DSCR, covenants, and guarantees shifted in 2026 underwriting?
- How are banks, agencies, and bridge lenders pricing risk across Class A and B/C product?
- What sponsor traits, documentation, and KPIs matter most in credit committee decisions?
- How are borrowers navigating rate caps, recourse, spreads, and shorter maturities?
- How are developers using C‑PACE financing to offset capex pressures, reduce WACC, and fill gaps where senior debt has pulled back?
- Which capital‑stack tools (pref equity, co‑GP, recapitalizations) are helping deals pencil when senior debt tightens?
- What indicators would signal a more accommodative lending environment in late 2026?
With high construction costs and shifting demand patterns across Texas, adaptive reuse is emerging as a compelling path to deliver multifamily product. This session examines where conversions are working across DFW, Austin, and Houston, the economics shaping 2026 feasibility, and how capital partners are evaluating risk, timing, and returns in the reuse ecosystem
- Which recent office, hotel, or senior‑living conversions in DFW, Austin, and Houston offer useful lessons?
- How do conversion economics compare to ground‑up development in 2026?
- What zoning, code, and regulatory hurdles most influence feasibility?
- Which building types and locations are consistently good candidates; and which are not?
- How are lenders and equity partners underwriting conversion risk and projected returns?
- What construction realities (MEP, life‑safety, structural layouts) most impact cost and design?
- How do operators adapt lease‑up, amenity planning, and resident experience for reused assets
A practical discussion where operators and tech providers share the AI and automation tools that truly reduce workload and drive NOI gains in Texas multifamily, backed by real use cases - not theory or sales pitches.
- Which AI and automation tools have proven measurable NOI impact for Texas operators?
- How are leasing teams using AI bots, digital tour scheduling, and pricing engines to drive conversions with leaner staff?
- Which operational pain points (maintenance triage, communication, scheduling) are best addressed through AI today?
- How do operators evaluate whether a tech tool is reducing workload versus adding new processes?
- What data, KPIs, or ROI metrics help teams justify tech investment to ownership and lenders?
- How can solution providers better align with onsite workflows, so technology lightens, not burdens, PM teams?
- What practical lessons from the last 36 months guide how Texas operators adopt or scale new tech in 2026?
This session brings together leading owners, operators, investors, and capital providers to share high-conviction strategies for preserving margins in Class B and C assets. The panel explores the critical intersection of creative financing, the 2026 tax legislative landscape, and the ground-level realities of managing the modern Texas workforce resident.
- Are you seeing a definitive spike in Class B and C turnover as the narrowing rent gap allows residents to "trade up" into newer Class A supply?
- How are you navigating the 2026 legislative landscape to ensure your tax exemptions remain compliant before the January 2027 "local approval" deadlines?
- What is your specific operational strategy for building resident loyalty in Class C communities without relying on heavy concessions?
- How are you leveraging mission-driven agency debt to lower your cost of capital in a market where workforce housing is the prioritized asset class?
- What does a realistic rent growth forecast look like for 2026 given the persistent affordability pressures on the Texas workforce?
- Which specific public-private incentive programs are currently the most viable for stabilizing aging assets while avoiding common regulatory pitfalls?
- Case studies from the past year where specific tenant retention or financing pivot directly improved asset performance.
- Capital Corner is a curated networking session that pairs capital providers with multifamily owners and operators for high-impact dialogues.
- Investors anchor capital pods by cheque size, strategy, and market focus, while operators rotate to discuss live deals, pipelines, and fit. Expect meaningful introductions, clear qualifications and a path to post-event meetings.
Texas owners, operators and investors share experiences on where value is truly emerging in the transitional year 2026; A class lease-ups with stabilizing rents, B/C vintages with deeper price resets, and workforce assets benefiting from affordability tailwinds. This session compares underwriting strategies, real pricing corrections, and market by market opportunities to determine where capital should rotate next class leaseups with stabilizing rents, B/C vintages with deeper price resets, and workforce assets benefiting from affordability tailwinds. This session compares underwriting strategies, real pricing corrections, and marketbymarket opportunities to determine where capital should rotate next.
- How much have A‑class valuations actually corrected, and are buyers still waiting for further reset?
- Where do 1980s–2000s vintages offer the strongest yield relative to risk and renovation cost?
- Which Texas metros show better value in B/C assets versus flight‑to‑quality A‑class?
- How are operators underwriting rent growth, concessions, and turnover across asset vintages?
- Which operational factors; Capex, R&M, insurance, staffing; shift the economics between vintage and A‑class?
- How does today’s cost basis determine whether A‑class or vintage value‑add performs better over a 3–5‑year hold?
- Where are investors placing the strongest bids in 2026, and what does that signal about asset‑type risk appetite?
This is an interactive, open doors session facilitated by multi-family leaders focused on empowering women in the multifamily industry. Open to all, it offers a platform for meaningful discussions, guided activities, and networking to explore challenges, opportunities, and strategies for success in the real estate ecosystem. Join us for a collaborative morning of growth, empowerment, and inclusivity!
BuilttoRent and traditional multifamily are no longer competing narratives in Texas. They are two strategic tools serving different residents, capital needs, and operating realities. This session brings together operators, developers, and investors to compare where each model excels in 2026, how operating playbooks have evolved, and how Texas firms are positioning both BTR and MF within a single, resilient portfolio strategy.
- What factors drove Texas’ BTR surge; and why are some operators now shifting focus back toward traditional multifamily in 2026?
- How do cashflow timelines, leaseup patterns, and agency appetite shape decisions between BTR and MF today?
- Where does BTR outperform; and when does traditional MF offer clearer, faster cashflow stability?
- How do resident expectations and behavior differ between horizontal BTR communities and midrise MF properties?
- What operational deltas matter most: staffing models, centralization, maintenance patterns, and leasing efficiency?
- How are Texas investors evaluating risk and return between institutional BTR, SFR platforms, and traditional MF assets?
- How can sponsors communicate a dualtrack “BTR + MF” strategy to LPs with confidence and clarity in 2026?