The folly of over-automating property management

With the advent of artificial intelligence, business leaders are increasingly thinking in terms of automating processes of all types — with the goal of increasing efficiency and, perhaps, employing a lighter workforce. Not so fast, says Tyler Christiansen, at least with regard to property management. Christiansen is CEO of Funnel, a market intelligence platform. He points out that the property management business is quickly moving toward the idea of fully autonomous property management, with AI increasingly capable of handling everything from leasing and resident communication to maintenance coordination and back-office tasks. But, he argues, there’s an important distinction getting lost in the conversation. (10/2026)