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🎧Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Student Housing Insight Podcast, host Wes Deese is joined by ambassador Alaina Jackson (PeakMade Real Estate) for an in-depth panel discussion on how student housing professionals can better connect with Gen Z renters. The conversation explores strategies for building authentic brands, leveraging micro-influencers, simplifying messaging, and staying agile in a fast-changing marketing landscape.

Panelists Dee Jackson (Apartment 11), Jaylynd Hill (PeakMade Real Estate), and Ross Laurence (Studio and Commerce) share practical insights on: Creating urgency without being “cringey” Building authenticity into brand voice and campaigns The role of AI in marketing (and where not to use it) Using social media trends and merch to influence influencers Best practices and pitfalls to avoid when engaging Gen Z If you’re looking to elevate your property’s marketing and leasing strategies, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways.

💡 Sponsor Spotlight:

This episode is brought to you by Social Pro from Opinion, the #1 social media management platform in property management. With Social Pro, you can: Create once, publish everywhere—across all major networks Stay on brand with Canva integration, premium stock photos, and custom watermarks Manage all DMs, comments, and mentions from one inbox Gain insights into audience growth, engagement, and top-performing post, elevate your brand and engage your residents with AI-powered simplicity.

👉 Learn more at http://www.opiniion.com/shi

🕒 Timestamps & Topics:

00:00:26 – Sponsor: Social Pro from Opinion

00:02:10 – Introduction by host Wes Deese

00:04:09 – Alaina Jackson joins as co-host and ambassador spotlight

00:07:02 – Why Alaina chose this topic and her panelists

00:12:02 – Panel begins: Introducing Dee Jackson, Jaylynd Hill, and Ross Laurence

00:16:10 – Building brands that resonate with students and parents

00:20:34 – Personalizing the resident journey & keeping messaging simple

00:22:50 – Balancing AI automation with human touchpoints

00:25:50 – Using merch and lifestyle branding to influence influencers

00:27:30 – Social media trends and authentic content creation

00:29:15 – Creating urgency without being pushy or “cringe”

00:33:08 – Panelists’ biggest do’s and don’ts for marketing to Gen Z

00:40:12 – Closing reflections from Wes & Alaina + industry updates

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

SHI Events Page: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/events

Student Housing Insight Platform: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/

Shop Talk (Monthly Webinar): Shoptalk.info

Student Housing Insight YouTube Channel: YouTube – Student Housing Insight