From Vision to Value: How Centralization and Technology are Elevating Service Operations at AvalonBay

At AvalonBay, we've discovered that the future of multifamily operations isn't about choosing between efficiency and experience, it's about orchestrating them together. While the industry debates whether to centralize or stay local, we've been building something different: an integrated platform that combines the reliability of scale with the personal connection residents expect.

Last month, I had the privilege of speaking at a conference on centralization and operational innovation in multifamily housing. I discussed how these enablers are reshaping the way we serve our residents, empower our teams, and scale our business.

At AvalonBay, centralization isn’t a buzzword. It’s a strategic capability we’ve been building for nearly two decades. What began in 2007 with ‘back-office’ functions like rent payments and billing has evolved into a robust, integrated platform that now includes leasing, renewals, and customer support. But what truly sets our approach apart is how we’ve blended scale with service—efficiency with connection.

Our “neighborhood” model is a great example of this. By coordinating associates across three to five geographically proximate communities—typically covering up to 1,500 apartment homes—we’ve created a structure that allows for shared expertise, workload balancing, flexible staffing, and consistent service. Add to that our Customer Care Center and AI-powered tools, and we’ve built a system that delivers both the reliability of centralization and the personal touch of local teams.

Technology is the engine behind this transformation. Tools like EliseAI allow AI agents, onsite associates, and remote teams to engage with residents on a single thread—ensuring that no matter who picks up the conversation, the context and care remain intact. It’s not just about faster response times or extended service hours (though we’ve achieved both). It’s about delivering premium experiences without premium costs.

The business impact has been substantial. We have reduced our onsite staff and regional overhead by 15% from a 2021 baseline. Our enhanced operations have also become a key lever in our growth strategy. For the eight Texas communities we acquired earlier this year, we’re underwriting a 30–40 basis point yield improvement simply by bringing them onto our operating platform.

But centralization is not a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, with remote or AI-supported leasing, it’s not about replacing people with technology or removing onsite presence. It’s about improving access, flexibility, and responsiveness to meet customer needs. Foundational to that experience are onsite associates, human judgment, local market knowledge, and personal connection. And when our AI tools or remote teams are unable to meet our customers’ needs, our neighborhood teams are there—not as a backup, but as part of a single, integrated service model.

The real opportunity in front of us isn’t the tech—it’s the orchestration. Getting AI, remote teams, and onsite associates to operate as one seamless unit requires intentional process design and change management. As part of developing our platform, we recently mapped over 100 tasks that our onsite associates complete, rethinking how and where these tasks are completed to deliver the best experience. We have also been investing in tools to enable our associates to operate as a single team, so that when we get customer feedback—regardless of the channel—the entire unit responds together. That orchestration and the experience it delivers creates a competitive moat that’s hard to replicate.

As we reimagine our operating platform, we see an opportunity to challenge ourselves with what great service looks like in a modern, digital-first world. And as we continue to grow, innovate, and lead the industry on service operations, I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.