As featured in “Multifamily Dive”
Keith Loria, Multifamily Dive, 12 October, 2026
RR Living was recently featured in Multifamily Dive for its perspective on how multifamily operators are approaching 2027 budgeting amid evolving market conditions, rising operating expenses, and shifting resident expectations. Melanie French, Chief Executive Officer of RR Living, shared insights into the importance of flexible marketing strategies, disciplined financial planning, and operational efficiency in supporting long-term property performance.
Read more below for additional insights into RR Living’s approach to strategic budgeting, marketing investments, and operational priorities for the year ahead.
As multifamily operators prepare for 2027, many are adjusting their financial strategies to account for varying market conditions, moderate rent growth expectations, and continued pressure on operating expenses. Rather than relying on broad market assumptions, property management firms are increasingly prioritizing individual community performance and allocating resources based on specific operational needs.
French emphasized the importance of maintaining flexibility in marketing budgets, allowing operators to respond to changing occupancy levels, leasing activity, and market demand.
“Rather than treating advertising as a static annual expense, we increasingly manage spend dynamically based on inventory, traffic, conversion and market conditions,” French said. “When a community needs additional demand, we can accelerate investment and when occupancy and traffic are strong, we can pull back.”
The article also highlighted a growing emphasis on evaluating recurring expenses, protecting investments in resident retention and maintenance, and ensuring technology delivers measurable operational benefits. For RR Living, these considerations are an important part of determining how resources can best support revenue, efficiency, and resident satisfaction at the property level.
As technology and automation continue to influence multifamily operations, operators are becoming more selective about their investments, focusing on solutions that improve productivity and enhance the resident experience rather than introducing additional costs without demonstrated value.
French also discussed the importance of establishing realistic financial expectations and maintaining a disciplined approach to revenue projections.
“Our budgets need to be achievable rather than aspirational,” French said. “We would rather build realistic revenue assumptions and create upside through strong execution than depend on aggressive rent growth to make a budget work.”
As the multifamily industry prepares for the year ahead, RR Living remains focused on aligning operational strategies with individual property needs, maintaining financial discipline, and identifying opportunities to improve performance through thoughtful resource allocation.
We appreciate and thank Multifamily Dive for featuring Melanie French and RR Living and sharing insight into the budgeting strategies and operational priorities shaping the multifamily industry in 2027. To view full article, click here.
