How Multifamily Operators Should Plan for 2026: The Complete Annual Guide

The new year comes with a surge of motivation; multifamily operators want to stay organized, learn from past mistakes, and outperform the previous year.  But strong performance doesn’t happen by accident, it’s the result of intentional planning, clear goals, and well-defined processes.

The beginning of the year is about setting yourself up for success and making sure the right mechanisms are in place. During leasing season, you need to make sure your team is properly supported and data is being effectively collected.Then, during budget season, you’ll look back at your performance.

Annual planning keeps you ahead of the season to make the most of the year. Here’s what that should look like:

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Complete 2026 Planning Guide for Multifamily Operators (January- December)

January: Lay the Foundation

Take this time to set yourself up for success while leasing is still slow.

1. Refresh on your benchmarks. Identify your most crucial KPIs and where they should be throughout the year.
2. Review your leasing-demand timeline. When does lead volume and leasing velocity typically start to ramp up? Don’t let the start of the leasing season catch you off guard.

3. Review occupancy targets and lease expirations. Know where you have the most exposure and for what unit types. Strategize how you and your leasing team will minimize vacancy in times of high availability.

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February – March: Prepare for Momentum

Lead volume will start to pick up here. Make sure your systems are in place for the height of the leasing season.

1. Test your leasing tech. Make sure all your automations and handoffs are working and sending out accurate information.
2. If you shop your leasing team, now’s the best time to do it. It will help them be motivated for the upcoming season and give you the opportunity to address training needs.
3. Evaluate your spend, channels, and messaging.

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Related: 2026 Multifamily Market: Record Supply, Rising Vacancy & What Operators Need to Know

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April – May: Strengthen Your Support Systems

Now that the leasing season has started, prepare your support mechanisms for your busiest months ahead.

1. Evaluate staffing needs for leasing. If you’re bringing in seasonal help, make sure to have your team lined up with time to spare.
2. Ensure maintenance is set up for success. Understand your maintenance team’s capacity and expectations for turnover schedules (including if they'll need third-party vendors for painting, cleaning, etc.).

3. Make yourself as available as possible. Get ready to pause non-critical projects to provide attention to leasing, renewal, and move-in processes.

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June – August: Capture High Value Data

It’s easy to get caught up in all the leasing activity, but summer is when you’re getting some of your most valuable property and portfolio data. Stay on top of reporting and tracking.

1. Leasing data: Leasing velocity, closing ratios, lead-to-tour ratios, and lead volume.
2. Move-in data: Make-ready timelines, time on market, work orders for new move-ins, and repeat issues with the move-in process.

3. Renewal data: Retention numbers by unit type and floorplan, renewal tracking mechanisms, reasons for move-outs, and average stay of non-renewing residents.

4. Marketing data: Source, spend, and messaging efficacy.  

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Read Also: 4 Essential KPI Types for Smarter Multifamily Rent Pricing

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September – November: Analyze and Plan Ahead

After a well-earned sigh of relief, audit occupancy and performance compared to your current budget. That will help you plan for the next year.

1. Review your data and take account of what worked and didn’t work this leasing season. Did you underspend on marketing, have too many turnovers in one month, or get bogged down by unoptimized PropTech?
2. Review your year-end contracts and start getting pricing for next year. Know the ROI of each service/product, align with all relevant stakeholders, and schedule meetings to negotiate 2027 rates.

3. Read our blog post on building smarter multifamily budgets.

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December: Reflect and Reset

December is the time to align Q1 expectations with Q4 outcomes. Take advantage of the slow season by auditing your property performance over the past year. (Learn how in our Multifamily Year-End Audits blog post.)

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Set Your Multifamily Property Up for Success

By systematically breaking the year up into phases with specific goals and tasks, you keep the year from getting away from you. A year spent led by solid annual planning is one that comes with steadier execution, and fewer surprises. 

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