The Carfax of Real Estate: Multifamily Property Intelligence | Lisa Liapakis
Show summary
Lisa Liapakis, founder of UNIQ, shares her 32 years of multifamily property management experience, insights on operational strategies, and her innovative property intelligence platform. Discover how her background and new venture aim to revolutionize real estate management and investment.
Key takeaways
- Lisa Liapakis took a property from 69% to 100% leased in six months before launching her company UNIQ, by acting fast and listening to residents instead of waiting for a textbook answer.
- UNIQ uses permanent QR codes at the unit level paired with an AI and web-based dashboard to build a 'digital memory' for each unit, tracking where money is spent by unit or category over time.
- UNIQ is partnering with another company to add appliance data such as recall information, age, and expected life expectancy, and it also stores warranty information and specs for new builds.
- The platform can be used beyond multifamily: by homeowners, builders, for insurance claims, and for lender-required repairs, with the goal of being the 'Carfax of Real Estate.'
- Field staff must physically be at the unit to scan the QR code, take a photo, and scan the invoice, which lets investment groups verify from afar whether work matches CapEx budget specs.
- Liapakis advises against pushing rent renewals too hard in the current market; holding off on a $25-$50 increase is often better than a unit sitting vacant longer after a tenant leaves.
- Her approach to tenant retention centers on humanizing interactions within fair housing and policy limits, even when delivering unwelcome news, which led to residents apologizing after heated moments and better occupancy at properties she evaluated as a mystery shopper.
About the guest
Lisa Liapakis has 32 years of multifamily property management experience, including 15 years in regional leadership across multiple states and 25 years working directly alongside her company's president, giving her perspective from both the ownership and operations sides. She is the founder of UNIQ, a property intelligence platform, and turned a property from 69% to 100% occupancy in six months before launching the company.
Listen to the audio
“I go in there, I learn what the problem is and it's just agency. I move, I don't waste time, I've got to wait that's just not how my mind is.”
Lisa Liapakis
“You can't expect the residents to pay higher than they want to pay in rent, or can afford to pay in rent, but then you've got six, seven year old carpet stains on the in the tub and shower.”
Lisa Liapakis
“I would even go shop properties to see if people would stand up and greet me. And I found that the properties that had the staff that did that and just humanize people had the better occupancy.”
Lisa Liapakis
Questions answered in this episode
What is UNIQ and how does it work?
UNIQ is a property intelligence platform founded by Lisa Liapakis that uses permanent QR codes at the unit level combined with AI and a web-based dashboard. Staff scan the QR code, take photos, and scan invoices at the unit, which builds a digital memory of spending by unit or category over time, similar to a Carfax report for a property.
How did Lisa Liapakis turn around a low-occupancy property?
She took a property from 69% to 100% leased in six months by going back to the front lines, identifying the actual problems, and taking fast action instead of waiting for a perfect answer. She also focused on humanizing interactions with residents, listening to them even when they did not like the answer.
Should multifamily operators keep pushing rent increases right now?
Liapakis says many investors are still pushing to raise rents on renewals the way they did around COVID, but she believes this often backfires. In her view, it is better to hold off on a $25-$50 increase than to let a unit sit vacant longer, especially in the current phase where rents are being lowered or held steady to maintain occupancy.
What other uses does UNIQ have beyond multifamily property management?
Beyond multifamily, UNIQ can be used by homeowners, builders, for insurance claims, and for lender-required repairs. It is designed to track information at the unit level for either single-family or multifamily properties, including warranty data and specs for new builds that can be passed along when a home is sold.
What is the biggest opportunity Lisa Liapakis sees for investment groups using UNIQ?
She sees investment groups currently relying on AI and management companies but not getting the information they want, leading them to do their own analysis on the side. UNIQ provides that analysis and lets owners verify remotely whether work and appliance specs at a unit match their CapEx budget, since the person doing the work has to be on-site to scan the QR code and invoice.
Resources and links
Full transcript
Lisa Liapakis (00:00)
I love a challenge. so part of that is when I saw that opportunity I had to do that before I got out of it. my thing is I go in there, I learn what the problem is and it’s just agency. I move, I don’t waste time, I’ve got to wait that’s just not how my mind is. You have to be able to take action and you’re not always gonna have the straightforward answer. You’ve got to think outside the box. otherwise you won’t get there.
Scott Bursey (01:53)
Welcome back to the Real Estate Pros Podcast powered by Investor Fuel. I’m your host, Scott Bursey. Glad you’re with us. Today we’re thrilled to have Lisa Liapakis joining us. Lisa is the founder of UNIQ and she brings 32 years of high level multifamily property management experience to the table. After 15 years in regional leadership across multiple states in working 25 years directly with her company president, she understands operations from both sides, as an owner and from the operation side. Listeners, you can expect deep tactical wisdom on scaling occupancy, running tight operations, and taking the leap into entrepreneurship. Lisa, welcome to the show.
Lisa Liapakis (02:41)
Thank you. Thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here.
Scott Bursey (02:43)
It’s awesome having you here and to help our listeners get up to speed. Please give us the 90 second highlight reel of how your career ignited and where you’re pouring your fuel now.
Lisa Liapakis (02:55)
Okay. I started in this business on Valentine’s Day, 1994, back when we were tracking vacancies on index cards. and over the years, my goal in mind, I was a young single mother, so I my goal in mind was to become a manager and get free rent. So within a year I had done that. I went from leasing to assistant to a manager and from there I just fell in love with it. and I stayed with that company for about three years and then I went on to the company I stayed with for 25 years. And that’s where I was able to work alongside the president of the company and learn the operations from both sides.
Scott Bursey (03:26)
that’s outstanding. What a journey. and what really caught my attention about you, Lisa, was the way that you stepped back onto the front lines to drive a property from 69% to 100% leased in just six months before launching UNIQ. And building off that, I guess the question is what operational Strategy is giving your multifamily units the biggest edge today.
Lisa Liapakis (03:55)
So I love a challenge. so part of that is so when I saw that opportunity I had to do that before I got out of it. So I my thing is I go in there, I learn what the problem is and it’s just agency. I move, I don’t waste time, I’ve got to wait that’s just not how my mind is. You have to be able to take action and you’re not always gonna have the straightforward answer. You’ve got to think outside the box. yeah otherwise you won’t get there.
Scott Bursey (04:19)
Absolutely. Absolutely. And for our listeners that are listening, what would you like them to know first about your new launched business? UNIQ.
Lisa Liapakis (04:29)
So UNIQ, I’m super excited about it. It is a property intelligence platform that uses permanent QR codes at the unit level. you’ve got AI and web-based dashboard that creates a digital memory. So as you’re entering information into those units, your dashboard is basically creating an IQ for your property. So over time you’re gonna know where you’re spending the most money, whether it’s in a unit or category. I’m also partnering with another company that’s gonna give me a lot of great data on appliances. So I’m gonna have recall information, I’ll be able to give you age, expect life expectancy, things like that. And it also for new builds, it keeps all of your warranty information, your specs. So if you sell your home similar to I want it to be the Carfax of Real Estate.
Scott Bursey (06:01)
Thank you for that excellent breakdown. And fired up to ask, expanding on that, where are you spotting the greatest opportunities to boost tenant retention today?
Lisa Liapakis (06:13)
remembering that you have to humanize them. I mean, we all have policies, we have fair housing, but there’s still a way to relay the message and still be helpful. And I think that’s what everybody misses. And that’s a lot of what I did when I went in and the occupancy. That was the biggest compliment that I got from the residents is just somebody would actually listen, even though they didn’t always like the answer. And we’ve had, I had my share of but I found that most of the people that didn’t like it and had an explosive moment came back and apologized because of my approach. So I think that is you get more bees with honey and that’s saying is still true.
Scott Bursey (06:46)
Absolutely. And getting back to UNIQ, where are you seeing the biggest opportunity right now to capitalize and plan some strategy ahead?
Lisa Liapakis (06:56)
with the investment groups because right now I think they’re all relying on AI and they’re not getting a lot of the information that they want from the management companies and so they’re doing their own things on the side. I’ve found more and more clients are starting to do their own analysis. So I think this provides that analysis that they’re trying to do on their own. And they can also see what’s being done from afar because they the person that’s doing the work has to be at that unit to scan the QR code, take the photo. scan the invoice. So now you can see are those specs according to the specs on our CapEx budget. Is that appliance does that appliance match what I want them to put in there?
Scott Bursey (07:30)
And digging into the market, what headache is most concerning for multifamily leaders today, in your view, in today’s landscape?
Lisa Liapakis (07:39)
Everybody got spoiled during, around COVID when we were the rents were high and we no concessions and everybody wants to get back to that and right now we’re in a in a phase that we’re lowering rents or holding steady just to maintain that occupancy. And there’s still I’m still seeing a lot of investors that wanna push on the renewals, push the rent. You’re gonna hurt yourself more in the long run in my opinion, because that vacancy sitting vacant longer than, holding off on that twenty five or fifty dollar increase. in my opinion is better.
Scott Bursey (08:07)
Appreciate your perspective on that. Keen to understand, Lisa, what is your primary focus as you expand UNIQ?
Lisa Liapakis (08:15)
like I said, I want it to be the Carfax for so it’s not only for multifamily, it can be used for homeowners, it can be used for builders, you can use it for insurance claims, lender required repairs. it it’s anything that, that you need to track at the unit level, whether it’s single or for multifamily.
Scott Bursey (08:30)
In your view, what’s the key to maintain high quality across multiple markets?
Lisa Liapakis (08:36)
High quality residents, again, it’s you can still relay the message with being respectful and being nice. So that and then also make taking care of things. I’m finding a lot of properties that and just in my experience recently, that they want to charge they still want to increase rents in a time when we shouldn’t be increasing rents, but the product that they’re giving is subpar. So you can’t, you can’t expect the residents to pay higher than they want to pay in rent. or can afford to pay in rent, but then you’ve got six, seven year old carpet stains on the in the tub and shower. And I get that I and I understand both sides of it because I’m seeing they’re not making money, but you can’t make money if you’re not gonna spend the money to get quality residence.
Scott Bursey (09:17)
Could you describe what your professional network looks like right now or what type of value you have found being around like-minded individuals throughout your career?
Lisa Liapakis (09:27)
I learn from all of I so I take something from every conversation I have, whether it’s just the way they do things, or maybe it’s just a comment, or I I’ve learned just so many different things. I take it like I said, I’m just a sponge. and I’m very self motivated, it that helps a lot too, because I wanna the from the people that I’m interacting with.
Scott Bursey (09:46)
And excited to ask you this, Lisa. What is the single number one lesson from turning around a 69% occupied property that every operator needs to know and that they can implement?
Lisa Liapakis (09:59)
That whatever is happening in the moment, it’s not forever. you don’t have to fall apart. Just know that it’s just a temporary hiccup in the moment and then you’ll be thinking about it tomorrow or maybe in a week and laughing about it. And that’s how I do. there were days that I had to keep that in the back of my head. In an hour I’ll be at home or, I’ll be cooking dinner and it gets you through.
Scott Bursey (10:20)
Sound advice right there, Lisa. And Lisa, you really have brought a lot of good words of wisdom today to the platform for our listeners. Is there any additional word or two that you would like to leave with our listeners?
Lisa Liapakis (10:34)
Just that again, I can’t stress enough that and this is over my 32 years I found I would even go shop properties to see if people would stand up and greet me. And I found that the properties that had the staff that did that and just humanize people had the better occupancy.
Scott Bursey (10:49)
Pure gold right there, Lisa. And for those of our listeners that want to keep this conversation moving, stay in your lane or perhaps collaborate with you on future deals, what is the best way for them to plug into your pipeline and reach you directly?
Lisa Liapakis (11:46)
you can go to my website, it’s UNIQ-pm-hq.com or they can email me. you can click right on from my website to email me directly.
Scott Bursey (11:55)
Lisa, thank you so much for joining us today on the Real Estate Pros Podcast.
Lisa Liapakis (11:59)
Thanks for having me.
Scott Bursey (12:00)
It has been a pleasure. And to our listeners, we appreciate you. If you receive value from today’s episode, please subscribe. We’ll be fueling your tanks with a lineup of elite guest, just like Lisa Liapakis, who is pouring serious fuel into the property management space by solving one of the biggest operational friction points, real estate operator space every day. Until next time, keep your standards high and your vision clear. We’ll see you in the next episode, everyone.
