10 Predictions That Will Shape Housing in 2026

The housing industry is entering a new era where loyalty, engagement, and neighborhood connectivity matter just as much as square footage and amenities. With the Bilt Alliance network engaging millions of residents and thousands of communities, we asked our executives, partners and Advisory Board members — leading voices across multifamily and student housing — to share what they see coming next.

Here are their top 10 predictions for how housing will evolve in 2026.

Predictions

1. Your Homes Will Be at the Center of Your Residents’ Lives
   “Home isn’t just the four walls you live in – it’s the neighborhood where you meet friends for dinner, run errands, and build your daily life. In 2026, the properties that win will be those that sit at the center of both home and neighborhood, build community, and engage residents in meaningful ways every day. Platforms like Bilt provide the foundation for this shift. As operators move away from fragmented apps and unify the resident journey into a single, seamless and magical experience, they can deliver personalized offers and timely touchpoints exactly when they matter most. All of this helps drive better applications, more signed leases, on-time rent payments, earlier renewals, and new revenue,” said Bilt Founder & CEO, Ankur Jain.

   
   

2. Portfolios Will Shift to Loyalty Ecosystems
   “Operators will increasingly leverage current resident networks to activate existing demand from day one and automate the lead-to-lease journey. Rather than losing residents seeking a different location or floor plan, operators will retain them within the portfolio. By 2026, loyalty-powered home searches and transfers that pair personalized listings based on renter preferences with built-in rewards will emerge as a core retention strategy, reshaping how operators think about lifetime resident value,” said Bilt President of Housing, Margette Hepfner.

   
   

3. AI Assistants Will Reimagine Traditional Resident Apps
   “The resident app will be reimagined by AI-powered concierge services as an interface for the entire housing experience. Residents will rely on AI assistants to discover new apartments, schedule tours, complete applications, pay rent, book amenities, make dinner reservations, and even order groceries — all through a single, intelligent interaction. Multifamily operators will adopt AI to deliver instant, highly personalized support at scale, fundamentally reshaping how prospects and residents navigate their housing journey,” explained Bilt Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, David Wyler.

   
   

4. Move-In Will Become the Most Curated Moment in Housing
   “We know customers today expect affordable, personalized and convenient experiences wherever they shop online. These expectations are now extending beyond traditional shopping and into new areas of customers' lives, including one of the most personal spaces of all: their homes. Tapping into this trend, properties will be able to use Bilt’s existing Gopuff-powered home delivery to send residents curated welcome bundles or restock kits within minutes, starting in 2026, creating a ‘surprise and delight’ moment that sets the tone for long-term satisfaction,” explained Gopuff SVP of New Business, Alberto Menolascina.

   
   

5. Neighborhood Commerce Will Become a New Revenue Stream
   “Rent won’t be the only driver of NOI. As residents spend across their neighborhoods, merchants and services — from local restaurants and national chains to next-generation parking operators like Metropolis — will double down on loyalty programs that share value back to properties. What used to be routine spend now becomes a rewarding experience for residents and a new revenue stream for operators,” shared Metropolis CEO and Co-Founder, Alex Israel.

   
   

6. Branded Experiences Will Help Unlock New Revenue

   “In 2026, more properties will reward residents for paying rent on time and introduce new, fully branded amenity and incentive packages. These curated resident experiences enable operators to strengthen cash flow, reduce delinquency risk, and generate recurring, net-new revenue across portfolios,” said Related EVP Chris Schmidt.

   
   

7. Digital Payment Adoption Will Surge With Venmo as a Preferred Rent Payment Method

   "Consumers are increasingly looking for more convenient ways to pay in categories that have long been dominated by physical checks. Bilt's rewards and benefits plus Venmo's convenient and widely used platform will expand adoption of digital payments, giving consumers more convenient ways to pay and operators faster funds settlement and easier reconciliation,” commented Bilt President, Head of Financial Services, Brandt Smallwood.

   
   

8. Renewal Decisions Will Move Up by 60–90 Days

   “The renewal window is shifting earlier. With targeted incentives and predictive engagement, residents will make renewal decisions weeks to months before typical cycles, strengthening resident relationships, and driving stronger economic performance. Reward-driven renewal strategies will become an essential part of every operator's playbook,” said Avenue5 CEO Walt Smith.

   
   

9. Homeownership Pathways Will Become Part of the Rental Experience
   “The path to homeownership is no longer separate from the rental experience – it is becoming part of it. Renters are paying closer attention to their credit and their financial readiness. They’ll expect a trusted mortgage expert and mortgage lenders to support not just where they live today, but where they are headed. That expectation is going to reshape the mortgage industry, pushing everyone to think differently about loyalty – building relationships earlier and earning trust long before a loan is ever originated,” shared UWM President & CEO, Mat Ishbia.

   
   

10. Operators Will Demand Seamless PMS Integration to Unlock Loyalty and Revenue
    “Loyalty and resident engagement are central to portfolio strategy – and student housing leaders will insist that their property management systems directly integrate with platforms like Bilt to maximize occupancy,” noted American Campus Communities CEO Rob Palleschi.

The Bottom Line

In 2026, properties will stop treating housing as a series of transactions and start showing up in residents’ everyday lives. Instead of juggling multiple apps for rent, maintenance, and amenities, residents will depend on a unified platform that rewards every step of their journey from choosing a home and moving in, to paying rent on time and renewing earlier. By rewarding residents in practical, meaningful ways, operators will build stronger relationships, reduce friction, and drive additional revenue across their portfolios.