How Amenities, Technology, and Hospitality Enhance the Resident Experience, According to ESRT’s Jackie Renton

On Oct. 28, Bisnow held its New York Multifamily Development & Operations Conference with experts across the multifamily sector. ESRT’s EVP, Co-Head of Real Estate, Chief Operation Officer Jackie Renton joined Jarrod Whitaker of RXR, Micah Parker of AvalonBay, James Hannah of Parity, and moderator Michael Weiss of Andrena for the “Leveraging Technology, Sustainability, & Data to Enhance Operational Efficiency Across Multifamily Buildings” panel discussion to share her expertise.

See some highlights from the panel below!

On Energy and Cost Savings:

“What sets ESRT apart from our competitors is our long-term ownership mindset. We dedicate significant time and resources to strategic, long-term capital planning, and we only pursue projects that demonstrate a clear payback. For sustainability initiatives, we carefully evaluate energy, manpower, and maintenance savings. While our tenants pay their own electricity bills, we actively encourage participation in programs like Grid Rewards, which help reduce demand and lower their energy costs. These efforts not only support sustainability but also strengthen our tenant relationships by improving their operating efficiency and ability to manage expenses.”

On How ESRT Prioritizes Amenities:

“What we’ve seen over the last decade is a bit of an amenities arms race and a lot of the new product out there is just throwing spaghetti at the wall. What we’ve learned is that some of them make sense, some of them don’t, and it’s very expensive to maintain these amenities if the residents don’t use them. It makes sense in today’s economy to have co-working space, plenty of outlets and common spaces, and private rooms for people to have a Zoom call away from their roommates. Thoughtfully designed gyms are very important. You never want to wait for a machine, but [landlords] don’t necessarily need to offer classes. People have their specialized gyms and studios that they go to for those. Outdoor space is also very important – that’s not going anywhere. A nice rooftop lounge or a setback that you can make into a common area is an important box to check.”