Selling to Multi-Family Housing
U.S. multi-family inventory ~22 million units. Annual MRO spend estimated $12-18B (turn supplies, chemistry, parts, paint, appliance components, pest control consumables). Per-unit MRO spend $400-900/unit/year depending on class and turnover rate.
30-90 days for property-level approval at small/mid operators; 6-12 months for national vendor program inclusion at REITs (Greystar, Camden, MAA, AvalonBay, Equity Residential).
$3K-$30K per property initial conversion; $50K-$5M annual recurring at portfolio level once national or regional approval earned
Sub-segments inside Multi-Family Housing
Conventional Apartments (Class A / B / C)
100-500+ units per property; portfolios from 1 property up to 500,000+ units (national REITs). Class A = newer luxury, Class B = workforce/value-add, Class C = older/affordable-tier market rate.
The bulk of the vertical. Class A is brand-driven and amenity-rich (pickleball, dog spa, package room). Class B/C lives on operational discipline — turn time, work-order response, vendor cost control. Class C carries the most deferred maintenance and the most chemistry pain.
Student Housing (Purpose-Built Off-Campus)
200-1500 beds per property; near major universities; almost always leased by-the-bed not by-the-unit
Turn season is brutal — entire property turns in a 2-4 week window in late July / early August. Pest issues higher (transient population). Parents are the real customer for tours; students live there. Operators include American Campus, Greystar Student, Asset Living.
Senior Independent Living (55+ Active Adult)
100-300 units per property; 55+ age-restricted; NO medical care provided
NOT skilled nursing or assisted living — those are healthcare. Residents are independent, mobile, and stay 5-15 years. Slip-and-fall liability is huge. Resident communication is high-touch (newsletters, town halls). Chemistry must be low-odor and low-VOC for older respiratory systems.
Affordable / HUD-Subsidized Housing
50-400 units per property; LIHTC, Section 8, Project-Based, Public Housing Authority
REAC inspections (now NSPIRE under HUD) drive everything. Compliance officer is real and powerful. Funding is restricted — capital reserves often inadequate. Bedbug, roach, and rodent protocols mandated. PHA-owned properties operate like government.
Mixed-Use Residential (Urban Infill)
100-400 residential units above 5,000-50,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail
Two operating environments stacked vertically — residential turns and a retail tenant base with their own cleaning, grease, and waste streams. Common-area chemistry has to work for both audiences. HOA-style governance often layered on top.
Key personas you'll meet
5 researched personas for Multi-Family Housing. Each one carries its own vocabulary, pain-point ranking, and discovery question bank — used to make every brief persona-specific.