Ron Kutas, CEO of OneWall Communities, believes the conversation around AI in property management often misses the mark. Rather than viewing AI as a threat to jobs or an overhyped trend, Kutas sees it as a tool that can amplify what humans do best—building genuine relationships. “Property management is still very much a human-first industry,” Kutas says. “Let AI do the things that you’re using computers to do anyway. And allow humans to do the things that only humans can do – which is human-to-human interaction, authentic, real, genuine relationship building.”
OneWall Communities, which manages workforce housing across multiple geographies, has invested heavily in its tech stack. Kutas points to data visibility as a key benefit. “AI gives us the ability to have full visibility into every data point within our portfolio,” he explains. “It provides insights so that we can be proactive rather than reactive.” For OneWall’s asset management team, this means analysts can oversee more properties efficiently by automating data pulling and report generation, freeing them to focus on interpretation and decision-making.
However, Kutas draws a hard line on operational functions like leasing, maintenance, and resident relations. These roles rely on human interaction, which he considers the core of the business. OneWall’s resident app and onboarding platform aim to reduce administrative tasks so on-site teams can spend more time engaging with residents. “It allows our on-site teams to spend more time being resident-facing,” Kutas says, “rather than pulling information, sitting behind a desk, constantly answering questions.”
Kutas also emphasizes the importance of leadership in scaling effectively. He admits to learning that his urgency as an entrepreneur sometimes overwhelmed his team. “If everything is a priority, nothing’s a priority,” he notes. By providing clearer direction and using shared project management tools, he has improved team alignment and trust.
Looking ahead, Kutas predicts that AI will separate operators who adopt it from those who don’t. “The first disruption that happens is that workers and people who understand AI are going to replace workers who don’t,” he says. For OneWall, the goal is not to let technology redefine the company but to use it to enhance its owner-operator approach. “That’s the part no algorithm is going to handle for you,” he concludes.
