Jamauri Bogan, a 28-year-old developer in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has a pretty simple strategy for finding out what young apartment tenants want. He calls his friends. Although the college running back-turned-multifamily developer hopes to avoid calls from his friends about broken sinks and other snafus at his properties, Bogan welcomes feedback about the next steps for his business. “When I first started in the business in 2020, I would text my friends and ask them, ‘What would you want in an apartment?’” Bogan said. “‘What would an apartment need to have to get you to stay in Kalamazoo?’” That feedback makes its way into his projects, like the recently opened Zone 32, a 14-unit property with a childcare center for tenants and a second phase in the works. Like so many other developers, Bogan is chasing a younger generation of apartment dwellers who, due to challenges in the housing market, see themselves as being renters for much longer than older generations. Bogan believes it’s just common sense for developers to think more about the consumer. 
“When I was purchasing an engagement ring for my fiance, I didn't just go to the jewelry store and purchase something for her. Rather, I asked her what she wanted,” he said. “I think that’s the same thing developers have to do.” The multifamily industry already made a significant effort to… Read the full story here. | 
