Two Decades of Partnership and Progress

In every corner of affordable housing, there’s an unspoken truth: operations rise or fall on the strength of long-term relationships. Tools matter. Systems matter. Innovation matters. But the people who stand behind those systems are what make real progress possible.

At the RealPage Affordable Leadership Summit this year, that truth showed up everywhere. It wasn’t the slides, the product demos, or even the roadmap discussions that stood out. It was the familiar faces, the familiar conversations, and the reminder that this industry runs on partnerships that last.

For me, RealPage has been one of those rare long-standing partners. I’ve worked with their teams for more than 22 years, across multiple organizations, multiple portfolios, and multiple major transitions. And two of the constants throughout that journey have been Scott Nelson and Tony Yandow.

The Start of a 22-Year Professional Relationship

When I introduced myself at the summit, I joked that over my career I’ve helped transition “two and a half national organizations” onto RealPage systems. That’s not an exaggeration. Large-scale operational conversions are heavy lifts. They require discipline, clarity, and people who know how to navigate complexity without losing momentum.

Scott and Tony were there at the beginning of that story for me. They were the type of partners who stay calm when things get complicated, who anticipate issues before they escalate, and who treat the success of your teams like it’s their own responsibility. Those qualities matter when you’re onboarding communities, realigning workflows, fixing data issues, or training staff through high-stakes periods of growth.

It says something significant that after two decades, they are still at RealPage, still moving the work forward, and still showing up with the same consistency that defined those early years.

You don’t see that kind of tenure unless people are truly committed to their craft and their clients.

Seeing RealPage Headquarters for the First Time

Despite all the years working with their teams, this summit was the first time I visited the RealPage headquarters in Richardson, Texas. It’s one thing to collaborate with a company for 20-plus years. It’s another to walk the halls, meet the broader team, and see firsthand the scale of what they’re building.

It reinforced something I’ve known for a long time: the work behind the scenes is far bigger than the interface you see on the screen. The expertise, the training, the development, the troubleshooting… it all comes from real people who care about getting affordable housing operations right.

When organizations talk about “vendor support,” this is what they should mean. Real professionals, doing real work, with real commitment.

Why This Partnership Still Matters

Affordable Housing is complex. Compliance is changing. Systems are evolving. Resident expectations are rising. And the margin for operational error is getting thinner every year.

Leaders don’t just need software. They need partners who show up when it counts.

That has been the hallmark of my experience with RealPage. When something breaks, they fix it. When something doesn’t make sense, they explain it. When something needs to be reworked, they collaborate. When a portfolio needs structure, they bring it. When a team needs support, they stay in the work until it stabilizes.

They make complex transitions not just manageable, but repeatable.

That’s the difference between a vendor and a partner.

Looking Ahead

When you’ve worked with an organization for more than 22 years, you don’t need marketing language to explain the value. You’ve already seen it under pressure. You’ve lived it in the details. You’ve tested it in the field.

I’m grateful for the long-standing relationship and the collaboration we’ve had across multiple organizations and operational challenges. And I’m looking forward to the next chapter, especially as the industry moves deeper into automation, behavioral leadership, and systems optimization.

The work isn’t getting easier. But with the right partners, it always gets stronger.