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Robert Dell'Osso

President/Principal Property Manager – MasterKey Property Management & Triple Win Mentor - Second Nature

Robert Dell’Osso is the CEO and Broker/Owner at MasterKey Property Management in Cary, North Carolina. With decades of experience in real estate and property management, and as an investor himself, Robert is highly involved in the industry. He holds an RPM designation, served as president on the Triangle NARPM Chapter, has been a Governmental Affairs Committee Member, and is Vice Chair for the NARPM Capitol Summit.

My Top Takeaways from the 2026 NARPM Capitol Summit

Last month was the 2026 NARPM® Capitol Summit, and I’m still feeling the energy and excitement from our time in Washington, D.C. In this article, I want to cover a few of the biggest takeaways I had, and give a preview of where the summit is headed in 2027. What is NARPM Capitol Summit? The Capitol Summit is an opportunity for people in the property management industry to directly influence federal housing policy. We gather in Washington to share ideas, learn about current issues, and meet with lawmakers and their staff to shape the future of housing legislation. The event starts with two days of speakers and mastermind groups. One of the best things about the conference is that every mastermind session is repeated so that you can attend all four of them and not miss any key content. We also had speakers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, speaking on topics like fair housing legislation and housing choice voucher programs, the COO of NARPM talking about implications of the Chevron Doctrine on our industry, and more. We also had a vendor exhibitor hall with a small group of vendors who were truly invested in the conference. They participated in mastermind sessions, networked with PMs, and joined us for the third day of the summit—our day on the hill. Who is the Capitol Summit for? Capitol Summit isn’t intended to be a huge conference with thousands of attendees. Instead, it’s focused on people who are particularly interested in governmental affairs, and those who want to be. In some cases, that means well-established property managers who have been attending for years and years. They’re the kinds of people you’ll often hear referred to as “advanced operators.” They know their way around housing policy and have the experience to know how they want it shaped in the future. On the other hand, you also get a lot of people who are newer to the industry and looking to learn. Maybe they’re especially interested in policy, or maybe they want a chance to network with some of those more experienced PMs to learn from them. Overall, the summit is meant for anyone who wants to help with guiding legislation to make sure that it doesn’t adversely affect the property management industry. Want articles like these in your inbox? 5 Takeaways from the Capitol Summit 1. The west coast continues to lead on state regulatory changes One of the mastermind sessions at this year’s summit was focused on trends in state legislation, and one of the things that was immediately clear is that the west coast states—California, Oregon, and Washington—continue to implement some of the strictest regulatory changes in the country. This includes things like rent control, but also requirements for air conditioning and more. One big factor that we discussed is that tenant rights groups in these states are particularly well organized and growing, which is why NARPM partnering with other organizations like NAA and NAR, who have the membership and lobbying power to make an impact. 2. Federal regulatory changes are vitally important It’s not just state-level changes that are shaping the industry. One of our other mastermind sessions was focused on federal policy changes, most notably the CARES act and lead-based paint certifications. The CARES Act’s 30 day notice to vacate provision was one of the biggest talking points at the summit. During COVID, the federal government implemented a law as part of the CARES Act that stated that property managers must give a 30 day notice to vacate for any property with a federally backed mortgage. This effectively overruled state statutes, which varied from as little as 5 days to as many as 30. Unfortunately, while everything else in the CARES Act was scheduled to sunset, this particular requirement was not, so it’s officially still in effect. We talked about how this is playing out in different jurisdictions, especially the Iowa Supreme Court ruling from early last year, and how this requirement adversely affects mom and pop investors. The other main topic was how to approach the EPA about removing requirements for property managers to be certified in lead-based paint and repair. This requirement poses challenges for hiring and retaining employees, and makes life difficult for business owners. We’re working to change this at a policy level so that property managers have to jump through fewer hoops. 3. AI is still top of mind Our third mastermind session was all about artificial intelligence and how it’s being used in the industry today. The overall takeaway is that AI is useful, but that every PMC owner needs to put a policy in place to keep control over it. It’s great to have an AI chat bot on your website to make life easier for potential residents, but you also need to make sure it’s following things like fair housing laws. If an applicant asks about moving in with kids, you don’t want AI to say “no,” because then you’ll be in a lot of trouble. Similarly, we got guidance on how to leverage AI in writing documents, and cautions against having it author lease agreements without tight oversight. Property managers remain hopeful and excited about AI, but it was helpful to have experts remind us of the importance of guardrails. 4.The networking opportunities are invaluable While the Capitol Summit is primarily about effecting change in governmental affairs, there are also plenty of natural networking opportunities on-site, and attendees took full advantage. In one instance, I happened into a conversation in a hallway with some folks about North Carolina legislation. They were talking specifically about making rental application fraud a criminal offense, which is something I feel strongly about. This kind of legislative action would enable the attorney general of the state to go after organizations who are helping fraudsters with false documents. As a result, I’m now having a meeting with the North Carolina Association of Realtors, eviction attorney Chris Loebsack, and others to get the ball rolling on this. We’re also reaching out to apartment associations to get them involved to help keep momentum. These are the kinds of conversations I may never have had if I hadn’t been there in person at the Capitol Summit, chatting with other people who feel strongly about legislation. 5. Legislators want to support small investors One of the most important takeaways I had this year—and one that’s particularly relevant for people who are considering coming to a Capitol Summit in the future—came during our day on the hill. A day on the hill can seem pretty intimidating to newcomers, but NARPM provides coaching ahead of time and sends more experienced people as members of each group. It’s rare that we meet with elected officials themselves, and instead we meet with the staffers who are responsible for housing. They’re the subject matter experts, and elected officials lean on them for help on housing-related issues, so it’s actually more valuable to meet with them. One of the biggest lessons that comes from participating in a day on the hill is that people genuinely want to hear from you. They listen intently, they take notes, and they ask questions. They recognize that the mom and pop real estate investors we represent are their constituents. When we introduce ourselves as representatives for the little guy—not big corporate landlords—it immediately changes the temperature of the conversation. They appreciate the work we’re doing, and they engage with us in a more welcoming way. And sometimes it’s nice just to be recognized and heard. Looking ahead to 2027 I’m extremely excited to be chairing the committee for the 2027 Capitol Summit. We’re already in the planning stages for next February, and we have a survey out to this year’s attendees so we can gauge what went well and what could use improvement. We won’t know until November, but we could have a very different looking Congress by next year. We could see one or both houses flip. Priorities could be very different. But the work that we do is bipartisan. Lead-based paint and housing affordability cross the political aisle. Residents and investors come from all walks of life. So we’ll be carrying on the work we’ve started into 2027, and if you haven’t had the chance already, I hope you’ll experience it with us.

Calendar icon March 12, 2026

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What It Takes to Meet Applicant Expectations in 2026

Pretty much any property manager can tell you, it’s taking longer to rent properties these days than it did a few years ago. The reality is that price is key, and even new construction homes are starting to compete on price, rather than just quality. But there are some other key steps you can take to make your listings pop, get more residents scheduled for showings, and still fill vacancies at a price point that your investor will be happy with. Listing expectations have changed The expectations of prospective applicants are higher than they’ve ever been. If you want to capture attention and drive applications, you need your listings to be as professional, clear, and complete as possible. Here are some of the key features you’ll need in order for your listing to stand out: Professional photographs: Leasing agents have been using professional photography for years, but it’s more important than ever. You should be hiring a professional to take listing pictures, or potentially bringing that expertise in-house and hiring someone with the skills and technology to do the job. Floor plans: Detailed floor plans with measurements help searchers better understand the size of the property, how they might arrange furniture, and how they’ll live their lives. Quality floor plans make applicants feel like your company goes the extra mile and is highly professional. Virtual tours: Virtual tours have really taken off in the last few years, and for good reason. They allow applicants to virtually walk through a property right from their computer, allowing them to picture exactly what it’s like to live there. Zillow-compatible virtual tours will rank higher in search results on Zillow. It’s not just about delighting the people who click on your listing; it’s about getting more eyes on it in the first place. Personally, I find virtual tours to be better than video walkthroughs. It’s crisper and more professional looking than shooting a video on your phone. People can take it at their own speed rather than having to try to pause the video to look at particular details. There are vendors that make these kinds of listing details very affordable, and if a property rents a week faster because of a virtual tour or a floor plan, then it's paid for itself. Plus, if you aren’t making material changes to the property, you can use these things for two or three years, so it’s an investment that gets repeated payoff. In my experience, you’ll get 30-40% more traffic with professional photos, virtual tours, and floor plans. We see it all the time with investors who resist spending the extra money, but after a couple of weeks of vacancy they’ll decide to give it a try, and all of the sudden they’re getting more tours and more applications. Third-party listing companies are valuable Personally, I find that leveraging a third-party company for showings and listings is incredibly valuable. In a landscape where SEO models and Zillow algorithms are constantly changing, it’s worth it to me to have an expert that can keep up with ranking changes. The agency that I use is always updating their tools and strategies to make sure that my listings perform well, and I never have to worry about them. Want more insights like this? Subscribe now! Self-guided tours save money and provide flexibility At MasterKey, we allow self-showings from 7:00AM to 8:00PM every day of the week. It opens up flexibility so that more applicants can see a property faster, helping us get the right residents in place more quickly. Once we hit about 40 or 50 properties, we moved to a fully self-guided showing model. If a property is in an association or condo building with controlled access, we’ll have a staff member there to grant access, but otherwise all of our showings are exclusively self-scheduled and self-guided. Not only has this change freed up time and resources for our team to dedicate to other work; it also helps us identify the right applicants. To me, applicants who struggle to navigate a self showing are also likely to struggle navigating a resident portal, submitting maintenance requests properly, and following processes. Some property managers and leasing agents are concerned that, without more hands-on interaction, they’ll struggle to answer applicants’ questions and close the deal. The good news is that modern showing software has guided help through AI agents, and if a resident has questions that AI can’t answer, it will connect them right to a member of your team. Quality of the home is essential In a lot of markets—like mine—single family investors are competing against a wave of new construction. That’s one of the reasons we’ve seen rent growth slowing; if a renter can live in a brand new home for the same price, why would they choose your rental that’s 20 years older? Sure, some residents might prefer more established neighborhoods with more mature trees, but they aren’t typically willing to pay more for it. The reality is, the quality of the home has to match resident expectations. Reinvesting is worth it Of course you can’t make a 20 year old home a new construction again, but you can bring it up to date. In order to get maximum rent, the home needs to be in top condition. If a room has been touched up three or four times, it’s time to repaint. If the carpet’s been there through several different residents, it’s time to replace it. The good news is, a lot of these updates can be cheaper than you’d expect. In my experience, it’s often cheaper to just repaint, because a professional painter can roll out a whole wall faster than they can do touchups. If your carpet is at the end of its life, consider investing in high-quality LVP that will last 20 years, rather than cheap carpet that might only last 5. Other quick updates can include refinishing cabinets. Instead of dated wood finishes, update to a clean, modern white. In our area, painters can typically refinish cabinets in an average kitchen for about $1500. That’s a relatively small investment if it means competing with homes at the top of the rent range. You should also consider updating things like laminate countertops. You might be surprised how much more affordable granite has gotten in recent years, and it can take a kitchen from looking like it was done in the ‘90s to looking brand new. Don’t forget curb appeal Curb appeal is one area where you can often beat out new builds, especially if your property has more mature bushes or trees. If it’s a single family home, fresh mulch and a quick trim of the bushes can really make a place pop. That first impression can make all the difference, and looks great in those professional listing photos. Final thoughts It’s a tight market right now. Rent growth has slowed, margins are tighter, and investors are still expecting top dollar for their properties. Whether you’re upping the quality of your listings, making updates to a home, or both, you need to be taking concrete steps to get more eyes on your properties and residents in the door faster. It isn’t rocket science, but it does take some investment and dedication. Learn more about what today's residents are looking for in our all-new research report!

Calendar icon February 26, 2026

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