Ever wondered how someone can transition from a leasing agent to an industry principal? Join us as we chat with Krista Hurley from RealPage, who shares her inspiring journey and the innovative strides she's making in the multifamily industry. Krista sheds light on her role in identifying market challenges and creating products that elevate the customer experience and streamline tasks for on-site teams. From RealPage's cutting-edge AI platform, Lumina, to a heartfelt story from her early career, this conversation is packed with insights and exciting advancements transforming the industry.
In another fascinating segment, we explore the empowering impact of attending the Women's Summit and how such events foster personal and professional growth. Krista discusses the vital role of female leaders and the incredible support from the Empower Her employee resource group. Learn about RealPage's unique one-family culture and its dedication to long-term customer relationships. Balancing work and life responsibilities, especially for women in demanding careers, is no small feat, and Krista shares her strategies for managing it all—from self-care routines to overcoming 'mom guilt.' Tune in for a discussion that's as inspiring as it is informative.
Connect with Multifamily Women®:
Carrie Antrim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrieantrim/
Multifamily Women® Summit: https://multifamilywomen.com/
Be a Guest on the Podcast or at the Summit: https://apps.multifamilywomen.com/speakingrequest
Multifamily Women® Leadership Series: https://apps.multifamilywomen.com/join
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/council/
Multifamily Innovation® Summit: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Best Places to Work Multifamily®: https://bestplacestoworkmultifamily.com/
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Multifamily Women's Podcast. We are super excited. Today we have Krista Hurley from RealPage. She is an industry principal and she's going to be one of our speakers and sponsors at the Multifamily Women's Summit this year. Thanks so much for joining us today. Krista. Thanks for having me. I'm honored. So what is it that got you into multifamily and RealPage?
Speaker 2:So this is funny, I've only been in multifamily with RealPage. I started 13 years ago as a leasing agent in the call center, formerly known as Level One, and RealPage bought us that same year that I joined and I worked my way up. I saw the bigger picture with RealPage and I said I would love to be an account manager one day. So I started. Small was implementations and account management and as RealPage grew I really understood the greater organization right so the greater industry and the pains that the onsite teams were having, and I knew technology played a significant role and so we developed or started buying more products and developed renter engagement. So really from the start to the end of that journey is kind of where my role fits. And then I had one of these reach for the star moments when they asked about an industry principal specific for the contact center, and I shot my shot and I actually have been here now in this role going on four years, which sounds crazy, and I've loved every minute of it.
Speaker 2:My particular role I love it because I say industry principle. People are like what's that? Yeah, so industry principle really looks at the market and the pains of our, of our partners and brings that back into product to help develop and curate better products for them, as well as help sales really see the value of these products for our partners and sell that successfully. And then even from a customer success standpoint, I work with those teams to ensure again the same type of training, but also when they have issues that arise, sometimes it does take an expert's touch in terms of the products that I'm very intimate with, and so I really stay neutral around all those different organizations within RealPage and pull everybody together with one big hug.
Speaker 1:I love that and I love that you're listening to your customer I think that's really important and bringing that back so that you can innovate. So what exactly does RealPage solve for?
Speaker 2:Oh man, that's a lot.
Speaker 1:Outside of a lot.
Speaker 2:That's a big question. I think we're up to like over 350 products at this point. My particular specialty is in front office solutions, so think of anything that if an associate in the office would touch, and so that's really where I would hone in on what is it solved for? So those mundane tasks of you know, following up on leads continuously and making sure that the phone lines are answered or that you're curating great content for those that are coming in the door, even looking, browsing on the Internet All of that is kind of where our tools are helping elevate the experience for our customers' customers, right, so the prospects and ultimately residents.
Speaker 2:And so you know it's funny like, even online leasing is it's an older term, but there's still people that are slow to adopt that, and that's okay, right, we all go at our own pace. But really making sure that that journey is seamless for the consumer and then for our customers or our partners, that is, a seamless experience for the on-site team so they can do their jobs better and quicker and still love it at the end of the day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and those on-site teams really are the front line, the very first touch point of the customer, the resident. They're really what makes home a home. So I think what you're doing is incredibly important for RealPage. So I think that's wonderful that you have such a customized role catered towards that experience. That's amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks, I do love it. It's funny One of my favorite stories that I love to share. When I got this job at the call center as a leasing agent, it was one of those moments where I was living in Charleston with my husband who had just graduated. We had to move back home because it was 2011. So it was really rough time to find a job right out of college and I applied and I didn't fully understand or grasp what I was signing up for.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Until I took my very first phone call solo. You know we go through like five week trainings it's crazy, but I took my first phone call solo and I remember getting off the phone because that person was so excited and I thought, oh my gosh, I'm like a real estate agent, Like I literally got so excited about that person having such success in finding their new home and I knew I was stuck then Back to your original question of how did I get into this industry. It was one of those moments where I was like this is it? I love this job and I love what I'm doing for this, for these people that are looking for apartments.
Speaker 1:So that's such a great story. I think we forget sometimes because we get caught up in the minutia of the everyday, of our jobs and who we're really serving and what we're really providing for people. So I think that's really exciting that you're thinking that way and I love that. That's what hooked you is. I found someone their home and I helped, and I helped someone you know have a great experience, and that's really what it's all about at the end of the day. So I love that. So what on the horizon are you excited about for RealPage? That they're working on innovations. There's been a lot.
Speaker 2:So our latest launch that really touches my wheelhouse is Lumina, which is our AI platform or foundation across many different areas within the RealPage ecosystem, but mine specifically, you know, in front office, it touches around omni-channel. So the artificial intelligence is now generative. So it's funny because my role is a little bit contradictory when I'm like, oh, call center, like, use the call center, there's a lot of human there, there's a lot of costs associated with that, all of those things. But also, hey, ai is cool and it's fresh and it's really customizable and it's easy and all of those things. So it's a little contradictory. But the part that we were adopting with AI early on was not there, was always that well, how do you maintain that human-like experience? And now, with Lumina and our generative AI, it really does have that conversational flow that even on the voice side it doesn't sound robotic. It's like, you know, talking to my Echo in the kitchen, you know, when I'm trying to tell her to set a timer, those types of things. So it's very human-like. So our AI platform I'm very excited about that is just one tiny piece that we're working on in that area.
Speaker 2:And then the other one, our latest launch, is Loft. Now it doesn't specifically touch my wheelhouse, but I'm super excited about it because it's fresh, it's new and it's really different. For RealPage, loft is our resident experience ecosystem. I guess you could call it or app. It's one journey at the start of your online leasing application to whenever you end up exiting the apartment life, and so Loft really elevates that for me, and I really think that that's going to be a slam dunk. It's one of our biggest launches this year. So many more things happening, but those two are the ones that I'm like wow, real page, you did it, great job.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's awesome, and I and you know having female representation in technology is really important to me, and something we've been exploring a lot and thinking a lot about is also with with the women's summit is how do we really have people that advocate for this change and embrace AI and see it as a helper, as a true assistant to our people, and we're really going to need those people moving forward to help leaders navigate, to help you know what does this look like? How do I navigate AI and new technological advances in a way that's feeling more safe and secure, and so I think it's great that you're embracing it and that you see it that way. Maybe we'll start an AI women in AI group of some sort, so I love that. And so, speaking of women, you are a sponsor of the Women's Summit this year. What has your experience been in attending the Women's Summit and what are you excited about to be a sponsor?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's funny. I keep saying it's funny because it's not ha ha funny, but it's one of those, you know, when you toot your own horn type of thing. I'm not very good about that. I don't normally brag on myself and you know myself. And you know, with the Women's Summit, I went in 2022 and I was blown away. I cried so many happy tears of being able to find my place. I really did. It was eye-opening for me to go that first year and it was the second year of me becoming an IP and you know I do talk to a lot of executives and you know our CEO is a woman. Like it just opened my eyes and so I advocated to become sponsors last year and this year. So I'm like to toot right, but it was.
Speaker 2:It was one of those significant milestones in my journey as a woman in technology that I need to be more connected, I need to network more, I need to learn from these women who have done this and been there and even mentor, and it even empowered me to join our employee resource group, which we call Empower Her, and so we do a mentoring event and everything. So I have a lot of passion for women in technology, and you know that's why I advocated for the Multifamily Women's Summit Specifically. You know I love the fact that Carrie brings in some really great speakers. You know, and you can learn so much from these women, young and old. Right, I can't remember her name now, rosalie or something like that the little girl that came and sang for us twice. You know it's just like she does the same thing that I'm trying to do over here at RealPage. She is in Cary in pulling in more and more women into the fold and really making a home for us in this industry.
Speaker 1:I think that's such a great answer and I've heard this answer along the lines of connection a lot. Just, I've really found my go-to person for this problem, or I've really found my go-to person and I found my little group of women in technology. I think that would be a really amazing group for us to take a look at right. Amazing innovations happening and people are going to need leaders. They're going to need people to help drive these forces and so especially women. I'm looking at this and I'm excited to look at something like AI and these new technologies and say we have a chance now to there's basically a clean slate right. We can have equal representation in technology and I think that is just such an exciting opportunity. So it's very awesome that you're thinking that way and I'm glad you've enjoyed the Women's Summit and made those connections.
Speaker 2:It's definitely made me more brave, I will say, you know, I am in a technology company that does have a lot of men as well in these executive seats, and I'm no longer afraid to not speak up and share my ideas because they're warranted to and they are wanted to, and I'm seeing that in everything that I bring to the table when it comes to RealPage and they definitely respect that having a CEO that's a woman. So it's definitely made me more brave.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I've had a great opportunity to meet so many of the women that attend and that are going to be speakers, just like you, at the summit. And I am so excited because just the energy I have in those one-on-one conversations I'm like, wow, a room full of women that are this impactful, that are doing these amazing things in our industry and that are not apologizing for it. Right, we're just standing our ground and it's just, it's so empowering to even be around these women. So I just the idea of all of all of you being in a room, I'm just, I cannot wait. I've never been so excited for something. So so let's talk a little bit about um real page and the culture and why. Because you've been there. You said from the get-go, it's been almost what, 12 years now for you. So what about? The culture keeps you around?
Speaker 2:so I'm a naturally I'm a very loyal person, um, and so I knew that when I found something that I was passionate about that I would. I would stick Um and real pages had a lot of change lately, um, and and I say lately, like in the last five years, which actually aligned with my change I have a five-year-old um and a four-year-old, so it's it's been like I'm growing up with real page Um. But the culture really is the people make it at RealPage and we have a very one RealPage mentality, so one big family mentality. I have true born friends that I love that work at RealPage. Some have left and I still together in a lot of the change of. You know what we see for RealPage eventually, and then you know what we've endured in the past. So I will say that the culture is very, you know, one big happy family. Happy can be a little bit, you know, loose sometimes. Happy can be a little bit, you know, loose sometimes.
Speaker 1:But you know we definitely have passion towards that one goal of getting things right for our partners and making their lives easier, and so that makes our jobs, you know stick, yeah, yeah, and I imagine that you have those really long-term customers and you have that client journey in your head at all times, and so what does that look like when a client decides to utilize RealPage? What does that kind of customer journey continue to look like post-onboarding.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we have, you know, and we've really completely, like I said, real change. Realpage has changed a lot. We've restructured our onboarding and we have different groups that handle the actual onboarding and then the adoption phase, if you will. And then there's customer success and again, you know, the industry principles at RealPage have deep you know deep conversation, deep connections with a lot of these folks.
Speaker 2:But you know, different products take different times in terms of how long that journey looks like or what, what that is. But we maintain, um, you know, connections by quarterly business reviews and looking at the metrics that they signed up for and said you know, are you delivering this? Um, and so we do that. And, um, you know I'll have a lot of touch points in terms of conferences and stuff like that. We really want to not only deliver a product that is satisfactory or even above that right that helps them, but then we also want to elevate them in their space, in their company, or even their company, by having them in speaking events and showing them as true peer leaders, peer-to-peer leaders, in those conversations. So RealPage really does love to bring clients on webcasts and stuff like that. And so back to your original question of onboarding we really try, and when a client signs up with us, it's not just you're buying a product, you're buying a service provider that is going to keep servicing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I loved what you said at the beginning of this podcast, that your job is to literally go out, collect client feedback, really understand the need of that client, how it impacts the resident, and then bring that back to your innovation team. What does that look like? After that? How do you kind of innovate alongside your product development team? What does that process kind of look like?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we have beta clients, like every technology company, and, more specifically, we have user groups where we really want to hear the voice of the customer and say do you want to join this beta program? This is what we have on our horizon in terms of our roadmap. What do you think? How do you see that delivering and ask that real, raw feedback? And that's how maintain our goals and achieve those goals right, because we have the client's real feedback in real time. So I would say you know user groups and you know just continuing that feedback loop and having industry principals that also can do that at a bigger scale than just one-on-one conversations.
Speaker 1:Amazing Sounds like you're really thinking about the whole process from start to finish, and I think for your customers that's ideal. Yes, well, we hope so. Yes, for sure. And so you mentioned you know you obviously have a wonderful life outside of work as well. So obviously, a lot of people will probably ask you how do you balance it all? How do you do it all? How do you do it all?
Speaker 2:Yes, it is actually hard to do it all. I'm stumbling because I just left an annual conference that I love. The last day of the conference it's usually the party, you know, the closing party, et cetera, and I had to go because I got sick. My body literally said you've got to take a nap. But to be on the more positive side, because everybody calls me Mrs Sunshine, I will say that it takes a village, have a great circle.
Speaker 2:You know, mentors are absolutely crucial in our, in our industry. Grab them as soon as you feel the need for it right and get some advice and and work that into the fold. And then on the family side, you know I have a great support system here as well, and if I get too stressed I do like to meditate. I do love running, Um, and so I get out some exercise and and angst that way, Um. But you know, work, work, life balance is not really something I look at, um, because it's one in the same for me in terms of I have so much passion for what I do that it doesn't really feel like work a lot of the times, and I have passion for my family, so it's more of just prioritizing your passions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's funny when you kind of stop during that question. That's been the generic response from almost everybody I've interviewed when I asked that question too, there's a lot of people say you know, you can't, you just have to take it a day at a time and you really have to look at what is it that I need to accomplish today? How am I going to do that? And exactly what you said, where there is a lot of crossover in terms of the answer is community and connection. Who am I going to ping when this happens, or who can I call on when I need some extra support? And that's for both personal and professional life.
Speaker 2:It's all about your community, your tribe. Yes, and taking breaks. Don't let your body force you to take a break. Take a break.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't wait till you hit a wall. Yes, exactly, next time, just take the break. I know that's always tough too, when it happens and you're at a conference and you're like okay, I did all the learning and I did all the-.
Speaker 2:Now I can't have fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now I just want to have a little minute to just have some fun and connect with my peers, and then, yeah, that's less than ideal, but it sounds like you powered through and thus are an inspiration. Thank you. Sometimes you learn the most from the moments when you hit a wall and you just have to say, okay, I'm learning that I need to start to take a couple more moments to myself, I need to take care of myself and that's okay, I can give myself that permission.
Speaker 2:You know and that was I was a very new mom the first time I went to the Multifamily Women's Summit and that was one of the topics of like doing it all. I think it was Tina West actually was the speaker at the time and she talked about, you know, having children and the demands and the mom guilt that comes from traveling so much for her work. And I have started traveling a lot and mom guilt is very strong. But, you know, taking it one conference at a time, one trip at a time, and bringing home treats for them or something like that, just to let them know you love them, and then looking at the delivery of what you were able to do with that. So honestly, like if I could re-answer that question, I do it all by reflection, going back and looking at you know what, what have I accomplished? And that drives me to do the next thing and the next thing until my list is checked off and I've felt like I've done it all.
Speaker 1:That's wonderful and I think it's so important for you to celebrate those moments for yourself and still always be patting on yourself on the back. Yeah, my executive coach says something really interesting. He said look, always be looking for the positive evidence of what you're doing, because we're so inclined to constantly be looking for what areas we need to improve. And so when you're also constantly looking for the positive evidence of, say, look at the example that I'm setting for everyone around me my, you know, for my family, for my career, for my coworkers, for women coming up in this industry, like I am making a positive impact all around me and you're doing that. And so I think, just patting yourself on the back and say, you know, I learned it's necessary and have those hard conversations that you need to have.
Speaker 1:So I love your outlook. I think you're just a very positive person and such an inspiration to women. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. So a couple other things. So you're going to be on stage this year, yes, are you excited? So tell us more about that. What are you excited about with the summit? What are you excited about being on stage and talking about? And, kind of, given your experience last year, what are you hoping for this year?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good one. So you know it's always so secretive of where we're going for the outing. I heard people saying rumors that there's another hike or that we're going to another tour. I don't know, so I am looking forward to finding out what that is. Depending on how hot it is, it was 119 every day last year.
Speaker 1:We just went this morning. You went this morning, I went this morning to figure out where we're going, so I'm excited to get an announcement soon. Awesome, thank you.
Speaker 2:Sneak peeks. So when it came to the speaking event, so last year I think, someone came down with COVID and last minute could not do their speaking event and Carrie was so kind and I was so honored that she said I was the first person. She asked, can you please fill in? And I was like, absolutely, what are we talking about? And it was. It was such a great experience because I sat alongside another vendor where they had a completely different experience than me. So it it. I learned something sitting on that stage as well as taught the audience.
Speaker 2:You know some of my, my experiences and findings in what we were discussing. So this year, when I was approached to speak, I was like, ooh, about what? Right? That was the same question, yes, but what? Um? And it it?
Speaker 2:It's around the same topic of how do you still network, maintain those vendor to vendor relationships alongside being, you know, part of the ecosystem and trying to be a partner right to, or a great experience because I, I don't look at our competitors like, oh, I, I'm, I can't talk to you because you know you're, you're a competitor, a real page.
Speaker 2:I. I want to learn and it doesn't matter who or what you're, you know you are like I want to learn about you, um, and we're very cyclical in this industry, so it could come around to where that person ends up working with me. So just start with kindness first and, um, you know, move from there. But that, that, when I got approached to speak about that, I was like this is so my ballgame, like I am so excited about that, um, because I do feel like for me, the networking and the connections are number one, and then, you know, our partners are going to be my focus, and then, outside of that, any other friendships that I, I gather, is just a bonus. So, um, so I'm very, I'm very excited and very honored.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's so interesting too, because I feel like there's been I've noticed a very amazing shift in this dynamic of you know, when I first entered multifamily 14 years ago, it felt very like don't talk to the competition, don't you know? Don't let out any information about what we're doing or working on, and really what that does is it holds the whole industry back from innovating. You know, when you have that kind of mindset, and so you know, patrick always talks about how Elon gave up the patent for the battery for electrical vehicles because he needed the entire category to win of electric vehicles before Tesla could win right. So it's that same concept where multifamily as a whole needs to be doing well and needs to be innovating and needs to be moving forward and developing best practices in order for any one of us to succeed at what we're specifically trying to solve for.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, 100%. And you know, back to the part two of your question in terms of, like, what am I looking forward to when it comes to the multifamily women's? You know it, I always say this and I gave this feedback last year, but it was very heavy on just technology and property management and less about women. So I am looking at the lineup of the speakers and everything that we're going to be talking about. I'm excited to kind of get back to that. But still talking about product and technology and people, because you know that that is what we do we have to keep the focus. You know the scope there. But when it comes to women in these leadership roles, I just I know I have so much to learn and I really am excited about meeting people that are in those roles that I can maybe claim as a mentor one day.
Speaker 1:Well, you're in luck, because about 10 guests that I've had on in the last few weeks have been like I'm looking for more people to mentor, so this is amazing. Our very first session is around women who have been in the industry 30 years plus, and we have some incredible women who have accomplished just the most incredible things in their career. And I'm like, well, get ready, because you're going to have a hundred mentees now, yay, yes, I'm excited.
Speaker 2:I saw that lineup and I was like this is it? We're getting back to the basics of how do we help women grow.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and and a healthy mix of conversations around life, around balancing everything and around technology and how we have accurate representation in all of these different facets of our lives. So, again, I'm so excited to be a part of this and I'm really happy that you're going to be up there with me and attending, and I just think it's going to be wonderful, so awesome. Is there anything else with real page that you want to leave our listeners with that you're excited about? That you, you know, haven't mentioned just yet.
Speaker 2:That's a great question. You know, we're we're always hiring. So if you, you know, want to join this one happy family, this one real page that we that I've been claiming, you know we'd join, this one happy family, this one RealPage that we that I've been claiming, you know, we'd love to have you Again. You know, I think that the opportunities that RealPage has provided to me alone and I know so many others within RealPage, you know, has far exceeded my expectations when I became a leasing agent, like many years ago. Um, so I, I, I guess I would say that and, um, yeah, uh, I'm just excited to represent real page and to be at the multifamily women's summit as a sponsor and a speaker this year and continue to see, uh, more and more women thrive in this industry. So Wonderful.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today. What is the website that people can find? You find real page.
Speaker 2:So I am very active on LinkedIn, so feel free to you know, peruse there and see any content that I'm working on or anything like that. And then realpagecom. I know that that seems very overarching because it's just everything, but you can look up forward, slash, front office solutions and that's kind of a lot of the technology that I was mentioning earlier you can find out about, or we have a loft website that we're launching, as well as Lumina. So check out those three and I look forward to talking more with you guys in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Thank you so much for coming on the show today, Krista. Thanks and thank you all for tuning in to the Multifamily Women's Podcast. Please grab your tickets for the summit today at multifamilywomencom and we will see you there.