Enforcement of smoke-free multi-unit housing policies and local laws is a topic that often raises questions and concerns among policymakers, residents, housing providers, and tenants’ rights groups, especially around the potential for enforcement to be done in a way that increases evictions and housing instability. Attendees will learn about how communities are considering ways to more equitably enforce smoke-free MUH laws so that they reflect the needs of the community, especially lower income renters, including involving residents in the policy development process, focusing on educational outreach rather than penalties, and addressing concerns about targeting vulnerable residents, while still being effective at reducing secondhand smoke exposure.

This engaging presentation provides practical strategies to help participants strengthen both self-awareness and situational awareness in everyday and professional environments. Participants will learn how stress, distraction, and routine can impact awareness and decision-making, while developing skills to better recognize changes in their environment, identify potential warning signs, and respond more effectively when something does not feel right. The session emphasizes proactive awareness, emotional regulation, and confident decision-making to help individuals improve their overall personal safety.

The clues were there in your numbers the whole time. You just didn't know where to look. This session goes beyond standard KPIs to uncover metrics that help you spot problems before they become lost traffic, missed leases, or declining performance. You'll learn how to read your numbers at a glance, connect the dots between traffic, tours, applications, conversions, and move-ins, and identify what's working, what's not, and where to step in. No spreadsheet expertise is required. We'll even cover a few simple AI and automation shortcuts to make tracking and analyzing your numbers easier, so it never feels like homework.

Not only is HR a department, but it also shows up in the everyday actions, interactions, and decisions of employees throughout an organization. From recognizing workplace concerns and documenting interactions to navigating boundaries, communicating professionally, supporting new hires, and protecting your organization’s reputation, employees play an important role in creating a strong and effective workplace. This session will explore the practical ways HR intersects with day-to-day operations and how individual actions can impact coworkers, residents, workplace culture, and the organization as a whole. Discover how being more aware of your role in the workplace can help build stronger teams, reduce risk, and create a better experience for everyone.

Every successful winter starts with a plan. This session provides a practical blueprint for preparing your property before the first snowfall through proactive site assessments, operational planning, contractor collaboration, effective communication, documentation, and budgeting. Attendees will leave with actionable tools and best practices to improve winter readiness, reduce liability, strengthen coordination between property teams and contractors, and keep residents and visitors safe throughout the season.

Fair Housing touches decisions made every day across multifamily operations, and knowing how to apply it in practice remains essential. Explore key Fair Housing considerations alongside one of the industry's most talked-about topics: assistance animals and emotional support animals. We'll unpack what recent federal guidance does - and doesn't - mean for housing providers, how federal and state requirements intersect, and what property teams should keep in mind when reviewing their current practices and procedures.

Property tax assessments can have a significant impact on a property’s bottom line, but they aren’t necessarily the final word. Learn how Minnesota property assessments are determined, what may warrant an appeal, how the appeals process works, and the steps property owners and managers can take when an assessment deserves a closer look.

Today’s renters expect more. More technology, better service, greater convenience, and experiences that feel personal. But what’s really driving those expectations, and what do broader cultural and economic shifts mean for Minnesota’s multifamily market? This session takes a data-driven look at the forces reshaping our industry, from Gen Z’s growing influence as both renters and associates to changing consumer behaviors and demands, economic pressures, and cultural trends happening well beyond multifamily. We’ll connect those shifts directly to leasing, retention, and operations—and, most importantly, what they mean for you. Because what is around multifamily is driving multifamily. Attendees will leave with fresh insights, practical strategies, and a look at what may be coming next so you can stay relevant, responsive, and ready for what’s ahead.

Strong teams do not happen by accident, and strong benches do not build themselves. If a key person leaves tomorrow, would you know who is ready, who is developing, and where your greatest talent vulnerabilities exist? Building bench strength requires leaders to analyze current talent gaps and execute a structured talent strategy. In this session, participants will learn how to map critical roles, assess performance and potential, identify competency gaps, and create development plans that engage employees, strengthen skills, support career pathing, and improve retention. They will also examine when development may not be enough—and how to determine whether a role requires clearer expectations, additional support, reassignment, an exit strategy, or external recruitment. Using Maria’s B.E.N.C.H.™ Framework, attendees will leave with a practical process for evaluating the team they have, developing the people who can grow, addressing roles or performance that remain vulnerable, and building a succession plan aligned with future business needs.

The floors beneath our feet help set the foundation for how a home looks, feels, and functions. This session takes a practical look at multifamily flooring, from everyday care and maintenance to considerations that can help extend its life, address common concerns, and maintain the standard residents expect from their homes. Explore flooring through a maintenance-focused lens and pick up useful insights to help protect one of the most hardworking surfaces at any property.

Gain valuable insights into the current and future state of the multi housing market from industry experts. Learn what’s coming up for both the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota, and where development in the multi housing industry is headed. Bring your questions and join in on this provocative and informative discussion!

The end of the year is more than a deadline—it is an opportunity to evaluate performance, resolve what is still unfinished, and make intentional decisions about what comes next. This practical session takes a holistic approach to year-end readiness. Participants will examine financial and operational performance, delinquency and collections, resident and team issues, outstanding priorities, KPIs, and lessons learned from 2026. Then we will turn those insights into clear strategies, expectations, and first-quarter priorities for 2027. Using a simple CLOSE → ASSESS → LAUNCH framework, attendees will leave with a practical roadmap for finishing the current year with intention and beginning the next one with greater clarity, accountability, and momentum.

Great communication isn’t about having the perfect script. It’s knowing how to listen, ask better questions, understand what someone really needs, and keep the conversation moving. From phone calls and follow-ups to everyday conversations with prospects and residents, we’ll break down the small things that can make a big difference. Whether you’re leasing an apartment, solving a problem, or simply trying to get someone to call you back, you’ll leave with practical ways to have better, more effective conversations.

Learn about the important connection between management and maintenance and how communication, prioritization, and teamwork can take your property to the next level. Gain real-time strategies for working effectively together, identifying opportunities for growth within your asset, and creating a culture where everyone takes responsibility for keeping things running smoothly. A strong maintenance-manager connection helps create strong retention, a high-performing property, and a better NOI.

A fire at a multifamily property can change lives and building operations in an instant, and the path forward requires care, coordination, and informed action. This session follows the recovery journey from the critical first hours through damage assessment, mitigation, restoration, and the safe return of homes to service, with a focus on the roles of both maintenance and property management teams. Attendees will explore how to navigate fire, water, and smoke damage while working alongside residents, restoration professionals, insurance partners, inspectors, and other key stakeholders throughout the recovery process. The session will also look beyond the immediate response to lessons learned and practical preparation that can help property teams approach future emergencies with greater readiness.

Bring your toughest questions to this interactive session, where our panel of experienced attorneys and MHA’s AI Assistant, mihra, team up to provide real-time answers and insights. Whether you’re facing a tricky compliance issue, a resident dispute, or just want to test the limits of legal knowledge and technology, this is your chance to get guidance on the spot. No question is too big or too small - join us for a dynamic, unscripted conversation at the intersection of legal expertise and innovative technology.

In this practical, beginner-friendly session, Nurture Boss CEO Jacob Carter will show why treating AI like a search engine often leads to disappointing results and why context changes everything for you. Using something as familiar as catching up with family at a backyard BBQ, Jacob will demonstrate how the details we naturally give other people - who we are, what happened, what we're trying to accomplish, and why it matters - are the same details that help AI give us better answers. Attendees will see real-world multifamily examples and demonstrations comparing weak prompts with stronger conversations, and learn a simple framework they can immediately use with tools like mihra and other AI assistants. You'll leave knowing how to communicate with AI more effectively without needing to become an AI expert.

Today’s renter is picky, savvy, and spoiled for choice. With endless options, digital tools, and sleek competitor communities at their fingertips, good isn’t good enough anymore. Renters expect to be WOW’ed, not just by your property, but by you. In this fast-moving session, we’ll unpack what it really takes to earn the lease in 2026/2027. From creating standout personal connections to mastering moments that meet and exceed expectations, you’ll learn how to rise above the noise, not just against other communities, but against every leasing professional your prospect meets. Today, it’s not just about luck or who has the best of the best; it’s about knowing what it takes.

Property management professionals often find themselves at the center of countless daily interactions, working with residents, colleagues, vendors, contractors, and others who each bring different personalities, perspectives, expectations, and emotions to a conversation. This session explores practical tools for recognizing what may be influencing an interaction, communicating through moments of tension, setting appropriate boundaries, and understanding when to de-escalate, disengage, or seek additional support. Attendees will consider how stress, communication styles, assumptions, and differing perspectives can shape an exchange and learn strategies for responding with awareness and intention. Conflict resolution cannot resolve every situation, but the right tools can support clearer communication, healthier day-to-day interactions, and thoughtful responses when difficult moments arise.

Not every appliance issue calls for a major repair or a replacement. Explore common appliance problems, simple fixes that can get things back up and running, and preventative maintenance practices that can help keep those issues from happening again. When the solution isn't so simple, learn practical troubleshooting approaches to help identify the problem, determine next steps, and know when a repair may require professional expertise.