Send us a text As the year winds down, the Mara Poling finance team is hard at work behind the scenes. In this episode, Lauren Torres and Lauren Messina share how asset managers prepare for year-end — from reviewing property performance and reconciling financials to producing tax returns and K-1s. We'll discuss all the to-do's that have to happen to ensure investors receive all they need to file their taxes accurately and on-time.

Send us a text In this episode of the Multifamily Real Estate Investing Podcast by Mara Poling, hosts Lauren Torres and Lauren Messina break down what these year-end reconciliations really mean, why they matter, and how they influence cash flow. You’ll learn: How escrow accounts for property taxes are analyzed at year-endWhy unexpected tax assessments changes can affect cash flowHow proactive review can prevent surprises in 2026Whether you’re an operator preparing budgets or an investor looki...

Send us a text This Halloween, we’re digging up one of multifamily’s scariest stories — The Curse of Deferred Maintenance. You know the type: a property that looked great on paper, the numbers checked out, and due diligence was a breeze… until that first summer exposed a graveyard of hidden issues. Plumbing issues and failing HVACs — suddenly your “light value-add” becomes a financial nightmare. In this episode, we uncover how deferred maintenance quietly haunts properties, drains cash ...

Send us a text Ever wondered how multifamily budgets are built—and what goes into those line items that drive performance? In this episode, The Laurens break down the annual budgeting process for Mara Poling’s portfolio. Lauren Torres explains how property teams, asset managers, and the finance department collaborate to forecast expenses and revenues. Lauren Messina takes a closer look at property tax and insurance projections—two major variables in today’s market. Together, they share how bu...

Send us a text Leasing slows. Residents get busy. But The Laurens are here to turn the holiday slump into a strategy win. In this episode, Lauren Torres and Lauren Messina share tips on boosting renewals, creating smart leasing incentives, engaging your community, and managing operations so your properties finish the year strong—and start Q1 even stronger.

Send us a text In this episode of Multifamily Real Estate Investing from Mara Poling, we’re taking you inside the engine room of multifamily operations with John Jones, COO at Mara Poling. While most conversations center around financials and investor strategy, this week we focus on where performance truly happens: onsite execution. John shares what a typical week looks like overseeing property management, construction, vendor relationships, and the countless moving parts that keep assets run...

Send us a text What happens when you put two multifamily investors on the spot with 20 rapid-fire questions? In this episode of Multifamily Speed Dating, Lauren Torres and Lauren Messina tackle everything from their favorite markets and biggest red flags to crazy tenant stories, value-add strategies, and the biggest mistakes they see new investors make. It’s fast, fun, and full of quick insights you can use on your own investing journey.

Send us a text Due diligence can make or break a multifamily investment. In this episode of Due Diligence Done Right, The Laurens unpack the critical items lenders and insurers zero in on — from structural issues and life-safety systems to hidden environmental risks. Learn how to identify red flags before closing, avoid costly repair escrows, and set your property up for long-term cash flow success.

Send us a text They say nothing is certain except death and taxes — and in multi-family real estate, property taxes are often the single biggest expense you can’t escape. In this episode, we sit down with Tyler Dowell and Kyle Moon from KE Andrews, one of the nation’s leading property tax consulting firms, to unpack how owners can fight rising assessments, navigate appeals, and protect their NOI. From understanding how valuations are set to learning strategies that actually work in protests, ...

Send us a text The Struggle is Real: Turning Around a Property with Occupancy & Cash Flow Challenges Join The Laurens as they take you behind the scenes of asset management at Mara Poling. Not every property runs smoothly all the time — so what happens when occupancy dips and cash flow tightens? In this episode, Lauren Torres and Lauren Messina share how they diagnose the issues, partner with property managers, and implement creative leasing and collections strategies to get performance ...

Send us a text The Multifamily Real Estate Investing presented by Mara Poling podcast has two new voices at the mic — meet your hosts, Lauren Torres (CFO) and Lauren Messina (Investment Manager), aka The Laurens. Kicking off Season 10, in this episode they share what’s ahead for the show — from expert guest interviews to deep dives on trends shaping the multifamily real estate industry. Questions? Have a hot topic you'd like us to discuss? Are you a multifamily real estate SME or invest...

Send us a text Excited to share the news. After 400 episodes and 9 seasons, we are thrilled to announce the all new Multifamily Real Estate Investing presented by Mara Poling. New content, new hosts, guests, interviews and so many other updates. Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for more on this - we announce the new launch date next week.

Send us a text Join Pat for a 3 part discussion of the State of The Nation's Housing in 2025 as prepared by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. This week in Part 3 Rental Housing Overall Housing Challenges The Outlook Is Uncertain

Send us a text Join Pat for a 3 part discussion of the State of The Nation's Housing in 2025 as prepared by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. This week in Part 2 Demographics driving the home ownership and rental housing markets Home Ownership Rates are Faltering

Send us a text Join Pat for a 3 part discussion of the State of The Nation's Housing in 2025 as prepared by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. This week in Part 1 What is this report and who is JCHS? Big Picture - Home Prices are Up, as are Inventories, Barriers to Home Ownership Rise, Rental Demand is Strong, Housing Costs are Up Across the Board...The Future Is Uncertain The Housing Markets

Send us a text Reaching back into our archives we visit one of our most popular episodes - Goldilocks and the Three Classes of Multifamily Real Estate. Every wonder what an A is ? or a C? and why we invest in B? Then join Pat for a look back at one of our most popular episodes ever.

Send us a text As an investor, do I focus on earnings, cash flow for my retirement? or growth for my estate? Join Pat for a discussion of how multifamily real estate can provide income for your retirement and serve as a cornerstone of your estate plan.

Send us a text As multifamily real estate investors we want to grow average revenue per unit (ARPU). Lower vacancy rates with stable rents generate higher revenue...and...higher rents with stable vacancy also generate higher revenues. Which is better? Join Pat for a discussion of the interactions between vacancy and rent in the optimization of ARPU.

Send us a text Fortunes have been made, and some lost, investing in stocks, bonds, gold, even real estate. But never has anyone lost money improving their knowledge and experience as an investor. No where is this more true than Multifamily Real Estate. Join Pat for a look at 5 ways to build your real estate investing knowledge base and one that is guaranteed to make you a better investor.

Send us a text How many households rent? Who rents? How much do they spend on rent? Join Pat for a discussion of the most current multifamily rental data for 2025.