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The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. For Generation Z, real estate is more than just settling downit’s about staying connected, empowered, and mobile. Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, they are the first fully digital generation, raised on smartphones, cloud-based everything, and on-demand convenience. Gen Zs influence on the housing market is rooted in their expectations. They bring a consumer mindset to renting that demands speed, simplicity, and personalization in a space that has traditionally been slow to modernize. Now that Gen Z is the fastest-growing renter demographic in the U.S., their preferences are no longer optional. As they drive the rental market, theyre reshaping the rental experience and forcing the real estate industry to keep up or risk falling behind. Renting over buying (for now) Gen Z hasnt given up on the American dreamthey’re just facing a more challenging road to get there. A significant majority of Gen Z aspires to own a home one day, but wanting to buy and being able to buy are two different things. With home prices at record highs and interest rates still elevated, affordability remains the single biggest barrier. In fact, 43% of prospective buyers said they considered purchasing a home in 2024 but ultimately decided against it due to cost. Even so, some are finding creative ways to enter the market, like buying in more affordable areas, choosing smaller homes, entering into co-living situations, using the house-hacking strategy, or taking advantage of remote work to relocate. Still, for the majority, renting is a necessity, and in many cases a preferred step along the journey. Renting provides flexibility while they build careers, save for a down payment, or explore new cities. Some have even embraced renting as their digital nomad lifestyle centers around travel, remote work, and life experimentation before settling down. As a result, Gen Z is expected to continue driving the rental market and take over as the largest renter demographic by 2030. And as this cohort grows in influence, their expectations around technology, flexibility, and user experience are reshaping what it means to rent and how landlords and proptech should adapt to support their needs. Digital natives tech expectations One of the defining characteristics of Gen Z is that they integrate technology into nearly every aspect of their daily lives. They expect everything to be accessible through a smartphone, and that includes housing. From browsing apartments to paying rent, Gen Z wants real estate experiences to be mobile-first, fast, and intuitive. Theyre used to personalized playlists, same-day delivery, and AI-powered customer support. Therefore, any rental process that involves paper forms or checks to pay rent feels outdated and not worth their time. This demand for seamless digital experiences is pushing the real estate industryparticularly landlords, property managers, and proptech companiesto modernize. In their view, applying for housing should feel as smooth as ordering from Uber Eats. If it doesnt, theyll find another landlord who makes renting easier. How proptech is evolving to keep up To meet Gen Zs expectations, the rental ecosystem is undergoing a massive tech upgrade. Smart property management platforms are built for both sides of the rental process: Landlords get powerful tools to automate operations, while renters get clean, mobile interfaces that streamline everything from applications to rent payments to maintenance requests. Features like online rent payments, tenant screening, digital leases, and real-time messaging are quickly becoming minimum requirements for an optimal renter experience. Some modern platforms go beyond basic functionality by offering renters tools that enhance convenience, transparency, and control. To make paying rent easier, some platforms are adding more advanced features such as allowing tenants to split rent with roommates directly within the app to eliminate the need for separate payments or awkward money transfers. Other examples include: enabling autopay or partial payments, which helps with budgeting and avoiding late fees; reporting on-time rent payments to all three credit bureaus to help young renters establish credit and boost their credit scores; storing lease documents for easy access; 24/7 reporting and tracking maintenance issues in real time; and in-app purchasing of renters insurance. These tools give Gen Z more autonomy and visibility throughout their rental experience. And for landlords, it means fewer missed payments, faster communication, and higher retention. In short: If your tech stack isnt evolving, your rental business wont either. What real estate investors should be doing right now For landlords and real estate investors, Gen Zs influence is both a challenge and an opportunity. Heres how investors can stay ahead: Adopt mobile-first property management tools If tenants cant apply, pay rent, or request repairs from their phone, youll lose high-quality applicants. Look for platforms that make the entire leasing cycle smooth for both parties. Streamline tenant onboarding and communication Automated screening, digital leases, and in-app messaging are the new baseline. Gen Z renters expect the process to be as fast and efficient as anything else in their lives. Create transparent, personalized experiences Gen Z values transparency and control. Give them access to payment histories, lease docs, and maintenance updates in real time. The more empowered they feel, the more likely they are to renew (meaning less turnover/vacancies). Keep up with tech (or get left behind) Proptech isnt slowing down. The platforms that dominate tomorrow will be the ones that can continually respond to shifting consumer expectations. As an investor, staying agile and tech aware is part of the job. The bottom line Gen Z is driving a new era of innovation in real estate where tech isnt an add-onits the foundation. Their lifestyl preferences, economic realities, and digital-first mindset are forcing the industry to evolve in real time. For investors, landlords, and companies, its a roadmap for success. Those that embrace this shift early will be able to build stronger portfolios, attract long-term tenants, and thrive in the future rental marketplace. Ryan Barone is cofounder and CEO of RentRedi.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. The pandemic fully exposed global supply chains vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. While most brands were agile enough to shift strategies to address the uncertainties of the time, many prioritized speed and cost to meet the pressures of the moment, at the expense of long-term adaptability, resilience, and flexibility post-pandemic. Today, new supply chain pressures like tariffs, trade wars, climate change, and geopolitical uncertainty serve as reminders that complexity and disruptionthe two words used to describe supply chain management in 2025 per Thomson Reuters’ global trade reporthave the potential to once again, impact business and life. As brands and retailers analyze current risks across global operations, they ask: How did we get here again? Create adaptive supply chains A mid-pandemic EY survey found that enterprises were making plans to transform supply chain strategies to become more resilient, sustainable, and collaborative, leveraging technologies like AI, analytics, and automation. But did they? The answer is both yes and no. Once the urgency of the pandemic disruptions cooled, consumer packaged goods and retail companies turned their attention back to revenue generation, workforce optimization, and production. There was certainly some investment in digital transformation. Still, Food Technologys Technology Trends Survey completed in 2024 found that about half of the food, beverage, and ingredient manufacturers surveyed were still in the planning stages, hoping to invest in AI (50%) and/or supply chain tracking systems (48%) as part of their 2025 digital transformation strategies. The time to re-invest in digital transformation is now. Creating and maintaining a resilient operation that can weather costly disruptions and meet shifting consumer expectations requires an adaptive supply chain supported by modern technology. As proven during the pandemic, supply chain breakdowns can derail economies. Short-term changes can be a Band-Aid fix but do not support long-term resilience when the next crisis comes along. Conversely, collaborative supply chains with structural flexibility, end-to-end visibility, and advanced analytics can transform existential threats into manageable challenges and unlock fast, predictive decision-making capabilities, no matter the crisis. As business leaders look ahead, here are the areas that will help organizations meet todays supply chain pressures, and better position companies for long-term adaptability and resilience. Strategic alignment: Supply chains should be viewed as strategic assets foundational to decision making and performance optimization and can provide companies with a competitive advantage, not just as a target for cost-saving initiatives. Importantly, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach; upfront strategic alignment is critical. For example, retail behemoths Amazon and Costco set the gold standard with their supply chain strategies but have distinctive approaches supporting their unique business goals. While Amazon optimizes for endless selection, convenience, and speed, Costco focuses on delivering value through scale, simplification, and operational efficiencytwo different approaches that achieve the same end goal: strong growth and loyal, happy customers. It’s critical for businesses to first align on what they’re trying to accomplish and what their strategic differentiators are and then set a supply chain strategy. Data foundation: Given the complexity of our global marketplace, supply chain visibility and advanced analytics are foundational elements of effective supply chain management strategies. Though many companies currently collect extensive data, it’s not immediately actionable. A yogurt brand, for example, might manufacture its product in the U.S. but rely on ingredients imported from different countries. Especially with looming tariffs, brands need insight into their products bill of materials to determine where each ingredient is sourced and access to clean, real-time, granular data to help them quickly understand the potential impact of tariffs on their operations. A fresh fruit brand could be navigating a food safety incident and need to quickly locate the affected inventory to determine where impacted batches were distributed. Companies must gather, collate, and normalize data from various inputs across their supply chains to inform quick decision making when needed. Cross-functional collaboration: In resilient supply chains, partners at each stage share information to optimize the flow of goods. Starting with the planning stage, accurate demand and supply forecasts allow procurement to source the correct quantities of production inputs from suppliers. It also helps identify which suppliers meet the company’s quality standards and consistently deliver on time so that manufacturing can maintain efficient production schedules. Accurate information on warehouse capacity and logistics resources is needed to ensure on-time delivery. Adaptive supply chains require cross-functional collaboration and real-time data sharing between and throughout organizations so that companies can identify potential issues in advance, such as low inventory or production bottlenecks, and act quickly to avoid disruptions. Cultural commitment: McKinsey data found that only one-quarter of supply chain survey respondents observed regular reporting on supply chain risks at the board level. Resiliency is a muscle that requires regular exercise, not something companies should only pay attention to when crises emerge. Supply chain transformation must be an ongoing change management imperative across the organization and at the highest levels, with strategies and plans regularly revisited and updated. By identifying early warning signals sooner, companies can make decisions faster and revise strategy and plans to mitigate the impacts of future crises. Supply chain disruptions are rarely predictable. The best approach for companies to stay ahead of future disruptions is creating a foundation that allows for agility in daily operations and for significant events, such as tariffs, which require fast decision making. By creating systems and processes that facilitate end-to-end visibility and collaboration, business leaders can focus on supply chain agility now, so we are ready for the next crisis when it occurs. Are Traasdahl is founder and CEO of Crisp.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. In a world with a constant information deluge and a labyrinth of disinformation to continually navigate through, people are exhausted. What is true? Who is honest? Who and what can I believe? Who can I trust to lead in a way where I know they understand what I need? Will anyone do what is best for me? It is no wonder that people are frustrated with those in chargeeverywhere. Politicians, media personalities, business leaders. Our leaders are often out-of-touch elites, or worse, reckless liars. By and large, leaders seem self-interested rather than keeping the needs of those they serve at heart. Compound this with a sound bite society where click bait reigns supreme and memes are a surrogate for journalism, but without the research, context, or analysis. No one can tell person from bot on social media anymore. And peoples worst behaviors lead to the highest monetization on those platforms. Its no wonder people are fed up. Desperate for authenticity All of this is resulting in anger from older generations and disillusionment among younger ones, causing both apathy and a lack of motivation to work toward something better, as it all feels hopeless. But emerging generations futures are threatened as they inherit the fallout from generations of selfish, inauthentic leadership, and are left with only dire economic prospects, unsteady liberties, and a planet literally on fire. Adding insult to injury, they are now asked to try to survive it all and to fix it themselves when leaders havent been or arent interested in doing so themselves. Amid all of this, people are desperate for leaders who are authentic. Leaders who face the hard truths. Leaders who understand the reality of the people they serve. And most importantly, leaders who deliver results for the actual humans they are leading. People are drawn to leaders who get it and who tell it like it is regardless of whether their intentions are altruistic or nefarious, evidence that authenticity is what people crave most right now. What makes an authentic leader? So what are some key elements seen in authentic leaders? Give a damn about those you lead. Genuinely. Deeply reflect on your intentions. If you dont actually care, your people will know it. Understand that leadership is a responsibility. A privilege given to a few. A great leader is a servant. Listen to those you lead to hear things spoken and unspoken. Build structures to make sure you have eyes and ears everywhere to get to your teams truths and feelings. Understand that others rely on you and that you can do nothing without a team of engaged, productive individuals. Admit when you are wrong or when you dont know things. Everyone else will know anyway and not admitting it just looks foolish and stubborn. Overcommunicate to ensure your team knows your intentions, your actions, your decision making. Speak candidly, openly, and transparently. Trust is built on understanding. Make the best, well-informed decisions considering the needs of everyone. Deliver. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum. This all feels so obvious. So why is it so rare? Because it takes far more work and sacrifice than not doing it. First, it all takes time, and sometimes money, which I believe many leaders feel is wasted on this soft capital. And it requires competencies that are not often valued, and sometimes demonized, in our strong-man leader archetype. Listening requires EMPATHY. Collecting feedback requires HUMILITY. Open communication requires THOUGHTFULNESS. Making the best, well-informed decisions requires INTEGRITY. Admitting mistakes and learning from them requires VULNERABILITY. Transparency empowers others to act and therefore requires TRUST. Results for your employees are your own ACCOUNTABILITY. And while my hope is that leaders will be driven to be authentic because they truly give a damn about people around them, I know that many leaders care most about the business value of their decisions. Whats at stake? What is the cost of lacking authenticity? LOST PRODUCTIVITY due to low employee trust and engagement. LOST MOMENTUM due to turnover and attrition. LOST GROWTH due to shallow candidate pipelines as employees seek out authentic leaders. LOST EFFICIENCY due to not developing team members to deliver and respond. LOST FAITH in our social contract, the most expensive of them all. Regardless of the motivations, authentic leaders are in demand and ultimately, the only leaders who will achieve success with the current workforces state of mind. Investing in this soft capital will pay dividends, financially and socially. And frankly, none of us, individually or collectively, can afford not to. Julee Brooks is CEO of Woodcraft Rangers.
Category:
E-Commerce
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