Multifamily Leaders Podcast Episode 44: Getting Real about Student Housing with Alex Monreal

Alex Monreal is the director of leasing, revenue, and marketing strategies for GMH Communities, a student housing company. She has a great passion for leadership and the student housing space and has valuable insights to share from her decade of work within the evolving industry. Listen in to hear her thoughts on the value of student housing and her advice for leaders facing limited budgets and developing trends.

“People over Product will always win.”

In this episode, Mindy Price chats with Alex Monreal about her work as director of leasing in the student housing sector. Alex finds working with the student community to be incredibly rewarding and shares how her teams play a role in shaping the next generation of leaders and thinkers. By providing excellent service and putting resident needs above the business, Alex’s communities have continued to see high occupancy rates and sustained satisfaction.

Mindy next asks Alex to reflect on how her company delivers value to its residents. Alex notes that student residents want convenience, fast responses from staff, and immediate gratification. Even though the daily tasks take place in a fast-paced environment, she explains how to make strategic changes based on meeting residents’ needs.

Lastly, Alex discusses what new trends are exciting her and what advice she would offer to leaders in the industry. She sees great potential for utilizing short video clips, made popular by TikTok and Instagram, as marketing tools, and she notes that local resources appeal to students’ sensibilities and help with budgeting. She ends by encouraging industry leaders to stay humble, treat people well, and be someone who others wish to emulate.