United States
Podcast Episode
Rethinking Multifamily: Build-to-Rent, Modular, and Beyond
August 28, 2026
What will multifamily housing look like in the next decade? Join experts from Layton Construction and PEG as they explore the trends reshaping multifamily development, from build-to-rent communities and live-work environments to modular construction and off-site prefabrication. Along the way, they share real-world lessons and discuss why flexibility, collaboration, and building the right product in the right location are essential for long-term success.
Key Takeaways
- Build-to-rent (BTR) continues to expand beyond its original demographics, offering residents more space and privacy while maintaining access to amenities traditionally associated with multifamily communities.
- There is no one-size-fits-all approach to multifamily development. Product type, amenities, parking, density, and design must respond to the specific market and location.
- Amenities have become an increasingly important part of the resident experience, with gyms, pools, walking paths, pet-friendly spaces, live-work areas, and community spaces helping turn housing into a lifestyle.
- Multifamily development is increasingly focused on creating communities rather than simply providing a place to live.
- Market conditions require owners and builders to remain flexible as demand shifts between traditional multifamily, BTR, mixed-use, townhomes, and other housing types.
- Early collaboration between owners, contractors, designers, municipalities, and trade partners can help teams navigate permitting, constructability, supply chain, labor, and scheduling challenges.
- Lessons learned from completed projects can inform future phases, allowing teams to adjust unit mixes, design decisions, sequencing, and project strategies based on real-world performance.
- Live-work environments and office-to-residential conversions represent additional opportunities as housing responds to changing work and lifestyle patterns.
- Prefabrication and modular construction could play a growing role in multifamily, particularly in markets where labor availability, coordination, weather, and schedule are major challenges.
- Off-site construction can improve quality control, productivity, safety, and speed to market by shifting more work into controlled manufacturing environments.
- The future of multifamily will include a greater mix of product types within individual developments as owners respond to increasingly diverse resident needs.
Highlights In This Episode
The panel introduces the conversation and discusses how multifamily housing has evolved over the last decade and where the industry may be headed next.
The group explores the rise of build-to-rent (BTR) communities, how the product has expanded beyond niche demographics, and why renters are drawn to the combination of privacy and shared amenities.
From urban high-rises to suburban apartments and BTR communities, the discussion highlights how successful developments are shaped by local market needs, demographics, and lifestyle preferences.
The conversation examines how amenities, gathering spaces, and community programming are transforming multifamily developments into places where people want to live, work, and connect.
PEG shares how development strategies vary across the country and why collaboration with municipalities and local stakeholders is essential to creating projects that fit their communities.
The panel discusses supply chain disruptions, material procurement issues, labor constraints, and the importance of proactive planning to keep projects on schedule.
Real-world examples show how owners, builders, designers, and municipalities can work together to solve challenges, improve project delivery, and create better outcomes.
The group explores how remote and hybrid work have influenced housing design, driving demand for flexible living environments and integrated workspaces.
From fitness centers and walking trails to pet-friendly features and valet trash service, the discussion highlights amenities that are improving the rental experience and boosting resident retention.
The panel shares predictions about future housing trends, including shifts in housing preferences, greater product diversity, and the continued growth of BTR communities.
Experts discuss how modular construction, panelized systems, and prefabrication could reduce labor demands, improve quality, and accelerate project delivery.
The conversation explores how developers are increasingly blending housing types and uses within a single project to create more dynamic and resilient communities.
PEG explains how development and operations teams use market insights and resident feedback to refine product offerings and maintain strong occupancy levels.
The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of trust, transparency, and collaboration between owners, developers, designers, and contractors in delivering successful multifamily projects.
Closing Summary
In this episode, experts from Layton Construction and PEG examine how multifamily housing is evolving in response to changing markets, resident expectations, and construction practices. The conversation explores the growth of build-to-rent communities, the increasing importance of amenities and lifestyle-driven design, and the need to select the right housing product for each individual market. The group also discusses the challenges shaping multifamily development today, including labor availability, supply chain uncertainty, permitting, changing market demand, and regional differences. Through project examples and lessons learned, they emphasize the value of early collaboration and maintaining flexibility throughout the development and construction process. Looking ahead, the conversation highlights prefabrication and modular construction as important opportunities for improving productivity, quality, safety, and speed to market. While the exact future of multifamily may be difficult to predict, the group agrees that the sector will continue to become more sophisticated, diverse, and responsive to the way people want to live.
Host
Cris Bryant
Executive Vice President, Healthcare and Mission Critical
Layton Construction
Cris Bryant has worked with Layton Construction for 17 years and has worked across multiple markets, market sectors, and geographic locations. With more than a decade of experience in the multifamily sector, Chris brings a broad perspective on how housing has evolved and where the market may be headed next.
Guests
Jeremy Hobbs
Vice President of Operations, Healthcare
Layton Construction
Jeremy Hobbs has been with Layton Construction for 26 years and has spent the last several years increasingly focused on multifamily construction. His experience across construction markets provides insight into project delivery, collaboration, prefabrication, and the changing demands of the multifamily sector.
Cooper Sharpe
Project Manager, Healthcare
Layton Construction
Cooper Sharpe focuses on multifamily and apartment housing at Layton Construction. His experience includes build-to-rent and other emerging multifamily product types, with a focus on matching development strategies to individual markets and bringing proven construction processes and technologies into the multifamily sector.
Scott Stringfellow
Director of Construction
PEG Companies
Scott Stringfellow leads the construction management efforts at PEG, transforming approved developments into reality. With a keen focus on efficiency, quality, and seamless execution, he ensures that each project is delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest standards. As Director of Construction Management, Scott is instrumental in overseeing all construction activities across PEG’s projects. His strategic approach to managing complex, large-scale developments drives the firm’s success, ensuring projects meet both operational and quality expectations while maintaining the firm’s strong reputation for excellence.
With over 28 years of construction experience across the United States, Scott has developed a versatile skill set that enables him to manage construction in diverse environments. His background in industrial construction and expertise in contract administration, quality control, pre-construction design, project forecasting, and budgeting have positioned him as a leader in the field.
Scott’s portfolio includes a wide range of high-profile projects, including hospitality and multifamily developments, mixed-use facilities, office buildings, parking structures, and more. Notable among his achievements is the Utah Olympic Ski Jumps Summer Training Park, where he oversaw the development of a million-gallon landing pool used by international ski teams.  Scott earned his AAS degree in Surveying from Salt Lake Community College and his BS degree in Construction Management from Weber State University.
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