📘 Episode Summary In this premiere episode of the Tough Talk series from Student Housing Insight, host John Barr (Director of Leasing & Innovation, The Dinerstein Companies) sits down with JT Bailey, VP and GM of Student at RealPage. Together, they dive into the nuances of AI integration in student housing, the importance of keeping human interaction at the forefront, and the irreplaceable value of site-level experience. JT reflects on his journey from leasing desks to product development at RealPage, delivers a bold “spicy take” on AI, and shares some nostalgic chaos from turn season—including flying furniture. This episode kicks off a full summer series of candid conversations with industry leaders recorded live at the Interface conference.   ⏱️ Time-Stamps 00:00:00 – Introduction + Sponsor Message from Campus Technologies 00:01:30 – About Student Housing Insight & Ambassador Program 00:03:00 – Guest Intro: John Barr from Dinerstein 00:04:00 – The Innovation Role Explained 00:06:30 – Exploring Site Team Challenges & Testing New Tech 00:08:00 – Ambassador Content Creation + Tough Talks Series Concept 00:10:00 – Preview of Upcoming Interviews in the Series 00:17:00 – JT Bailey Interview Begins 00:20:00 – JT’s Role at RealPage & Focus on CRM Integration 00:22:00 – “Spicy Take” on AI in Student Housing 00:25:00 – Why Human Connection Still Matters 00:26:30 – Turn Season Nostalgia & JT’s Wildest Turn Story 00:28:00 – Advice to Young Professionals in the Industry 00:30:00 – The Power of Speaking Up & Career Exploration 00:33:00 – Reflections from Wes Deese & Preview of Next Episode 🙌 Episode Sponsor Campus Technologies For nearly 25 years, Campus Technologies has been the go-to provider for fast, reliable internet infrastructure in student housing. Their solutions go far beyond basic connectivity, offering fully managed IT services and support tailored to the unique demands of student living environments.   🖱️ Download their latest white paper or learn more at campustechnologies.com   🔗 Resources & Mentions Student Housing Insight Ambassadors – Learn more: StudentHousingInsight.com Shop Talk Webinars – Sign up: ShopTalk.info BISNOW Student Housing Summits – Bisnow Events Page   Stay subscribed for more insightful, candid conversations from top voices in the student housing industry.