Does centralized leasing actually save money or just shift the pain?

Both can be true depending on how you do it. The payroll savings are real and immediate — one leasing team across several assets with AI handling first-touch. But blunt centralization loses local knowledge and residents feel it by month six.

What works for us: centralize the repeatable (scheduling, first response, application processing) and keep a human presence on-site for tours and the relationship moments. The all-or-nothing version is the one that bites you.