Eric Bolton, chairman and CEO of Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE: MAA), participated in a video interview at Nareit’s REITworld: 2019 Annual Conference in Los Angeles.
MAA was one of the initial investors in SmartRent, a smart home platform for multifamily property owners.
“It’s incumbent upon us to find ways to bring technology into how we operate and interface with our residents to give them, ultimately, a better living experience and better value for staying with us,” Bolton said. From a management perspective, technology increases efficiency, he added.
MAA also offers its tenants pet-friendly amenities including bark parks, dog runs, pet agility stations, and wash stations. Bolton noted that pets play an important role in the lives of many of MAA’s tenants. Providing pet-friendly amenities “allows us to create community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bolton discussed MAA’s corporate charity, the Open Arms Foundation, which provides homes for individuals and families who must travel to receive medical treatment. Over the last 25 years, MAA has helped almost 3,000 families with over 200,000 nights of accommodation, he said.