AI Adoption in Property Management: Human Touch Remains Key, Says OneWall CEO

In the ongoing debate about artificial intelligence’s role in property management, Ron Kutas, CEO of OneWall Communities, offers a pragmatic perspective: AI is a tool for efficiency, not a replacement for human relationships. Kutas dismisses both the fear that AI will eliminate jobs and the notion that it is overhyped, emphasizing that property management remains a human-first industry.

“Let AI do the things that you’re using computers to do anyway. And allow humans to do the things that only humans can do – which is human-to-human interaction, authentic, real, genuine relationship building,” Kutas said. His stance is not anti-technology; OneWall has invested heavily in its tech stack, using AI to gain full visibility into portfolio data and enable proactive decision-making.

“AI gives us the ability to have full visibility into every data point within our portfolio,” Kutas explained. “It provides insights so that we can be proactive rather than reactive. It allows us to see the data in real time and project forward-looking trends so that we can stop problems before they occur.” For OneWall’s asset management team, this means analysts can oversee more properties efficiently, focusing on interpretation and relationships rather than manual data pulling.

Kutas draws a firm line on operational functions like leasing, maintenance, and community management, where human interaction is essential. OneWall’s resident app and onboarding platform aim to free on-site teams from administrative tasks, allowing them to spend more time building community. “It allows our on-site teams to spend more time being resident-facing,” Kutas said, “rather than pulling information, sitting behind a desk, constantly answering questions, looking over data.”

The company’s rapid growth—adding 16 properties since October—has not led to headcount cuts. Instead, Kutas invested in learning and development, hiring a dedicated head to ensure new employees are effective immediately. He also acknowledged a personal management shift: learning to prioritize for his team rather than overwhelming them. “If everything is a priority, nothing’s a priority,” he noted, emphasizing clarity and support in one-on-one meetings.

Kutas sees a broader industry implication: operators who adopt AI will thrive, while those who cut corners on people and data will struggle. “The first disruption that happens is that workers and people who understand AI are going to replace workers who don’t,” he said. For OneWall, adaptation means using technology to enhance its owner-operator mentality, treating residents as neighbors and building communities. That, Kutas argues, is something no algorithm can replace.

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