Tyler R. Marker is the Director of Marketing and Professional Development at Zidan Management Group. He is also a dedicated doer, builder, and speaker—he’s setting a new standard in the multifamily industry by advocating for new technology.

Recently, Tyler delivered compelling talks in two NAA sessions, pushing for the multifamily industry to adopt cutting-edge technology, modern strategies, and progressive employment practices.

His employer, Zidan Management Group, exemplifies this forward-thinking approach with its new centralized leasing strategy, called: Specialized Leasing Initiative.

Read on to learn about this innovative strategy, how Tyler’s team implemented it, and its current progress.

Zidan Management Group, a family-owned operator and developer of multifamily properties, manages 22 communities across the Midwest with over 5,200 units.

Facing outdated processes and an industry slow to adopt new technology, Zidan Management Group needed a new approach to stay competitive and meet modern renters’ expectations.

Tyler has played a key role in establishing the marketing and professional development departments from the ground up and spearheading, along with CTO, Rakan Quddoura, their take on centralized leasing operations, a Specialized Leasing Initiative.

When planning their Specialized Leasing Initiative, Tyler knew it was crucial to maintain a human connection and provide prospects with online touring options.

While he aimed to automate and leverage technology extensively, he still wanted his team’s personalities to shine. That’s why Tyler turned to Realync, which delivered a knockout combination.

Piloting Realync

Tyler’s team initially piloted Realync with two properties: Park Heights by the Lake in Chicago and Barton Farms Apartments in Indiana.

They created a detailed scorecard for their centralized model, grading each technology solution and structure against initial expectations and provider claims. This includes metrics like converted leases, reporting and analytics, video use cases beyond leasing, and more.

As expected, Realync emerged as the MVP.

Tyler and his team were thrilled with the results: high video views, increased leases, improved process efficiency, strong analytics, and reduced on-site tours. They’re now rolling out Realync to their remaining 20 properties. Tyler emphasized that Realync has become a cornerstone of their Specialized Leasing Initiative.

So, what did the partnership implementation look like in action?

Implementing Realync

For implementation at both properties, this is what Tyler partnered with Realync to do:

• Initial Setup: Realync recorded videos of amenities and unit types at both properties to establish quality standards for the teams. This service, known as Realync Studios, is an add-on package where the Realync team handles video recording instead of yours.
• Training: Community managers were trained by Realync to record and edit videos themselves.
• Recording: Managers recorded new units during inspections.
  Uploading: Videos were uploaded to a central library for easy access in Realync.
• Showcasing: The central team showcased these videos to prospective renters, facilitating virtual tours.
• Ongoing Support: Realync provided ongoing technical and strategy support and periodic training.
• Future Plans: Tyler plans to have Realync replicate this process for his other 20 properties to maintain high standards.

Zidan Management Group’s Specialized Leasing Initiative is achieving great results. They have completely eliminated in-person guided tours at their pilot communities in favor of self-guided and video tours. Plus, their videos have been viewed thousands of times.

Additionally, they are proud to report a 0% employee turnover rate among the employees brought onto their initiative, with employee satisfaction scores increasing by 90% from their traditional on-site roles.

Curious About Zidan’s Team Structure for Its Specialized Leasing Initiative?

“We can now handle more prospects than with the traditional onsite model. Surprisingly, we’ve completely eliminated in-person guided tours. They’re unnecessary now because we’re meeting our leasing goals through self-guided and virtual tours, even at properties like Barton Farms Apartments in Greenwood, Indiana, with an average demographic age of 42,” said Tyler.

Finally, we asked Tyler to share one key thing that people should know about Realync if they’re not already familiar with our tool.

“Beyond its virtual tour and video communication capabilities, Realync is known for its people. When grading all our software in our centralized model, the Realync team stood out. They were the most helpful, prompt, and knowledgeable team we’ve encountered, making the adoption process incredibly smooth. I do not say that lightly—I genuinely mean it.”