TC AM 001 - The Power AI Offers in Multifamily
Discover more from Transforming Cities AM
TC AM 001 - The Power AI Offers in Multifamily
Tips on using Midjourney, plus mass timber development.
Good Morning 👋 – Chris here.
Welcome to the Transforming Cities A.M. Edition.
A simple Saturday read in under 5 minutes.
Recently, there's been a lot of speculation around chat and imaginative AI tools.
Maybe a few too many posts about it, if I'm being honest.
But seriously, I've found myself in both camps already: this is silly and won't go anywhere, but also, wow, this stuff is quite potent.
John Gonzalez was one of the first who poked around with AI art. And he got me thinking.
How can this tool help us do our jobs better? Or is it all just fluff?
Enter Midjourney.
There are a few tools out there (Midjourney, DALL·E 2) that do similar things, but at their core, they use a massive database of images and styles to generate "new" versions of art.
The software can be used in a variety of ways. Using the lens of multifamily development:
Ideating on architectural styles
Finding moods/vibes for interior designs
Creating new patterns
Imagining layouts "in the style of"
This doesn't even touch on ChatGPT and the possibilities around language for marketing teams. But that's another conversation entirely.
I've found these tools are only as innovative as those using them.
Prompting, as we're beginning to see, may become a new skill requirement on design and marketing teams.
Example 1: "James Bond themed apartment lobby"
One of my favorite starting points with AI is to lob something big at it. You never know what you're going to get, so starting macro offers a low barrier to entry.
Here's what it gave me.
Without an emphasis on style, color, or mood, it determined that I was seeking something evocative and masculine. It makes sense.
But what if I get more specific?
Example 2: "Ornate hotel lobby with a coffee bar, study space, and midcentury modern furniture"
By default, Midjourney supplies a user with four individual "takes" on the prompt. From there, you can continue refinding or even select one, in particular, to upscale.
Take a look.
Stunning, right?
Imagine being on a design team tasked with finding inspiration for a lobby to fit the bill of this prompt.
You'd spend hours looking through galleries, Pinterest collections, etc. A lot of time for what is essentially a mood board.
Instead, Midjourney gave me "exactly" what I was looking for. And if I felt it didn't, I could simply adjust the prompt even further.
What comes next?
I never rely on a crystal ball, but I sense this is here to stay. Unless we see a drastic legal stance taken that ultimately blocks tools like this, I don't see a scenario where teams won't begin relying on chat and art AI solutions daily.
My team is already playing around with AI art in marketing and website design mockups to avoid the laborious step of finding stock photos.
The designs are better and more tailored than they would have ever been.
Is that a bad thing?
Find Your Voice on LinkedIn
I've had 10's of people reach out to ask about my approach and best practices.
The #1 question: How do I find my voice? How do I find the time?
It's become clear that many of you want a roadmap in the real estate industry – in your own way and in your own voice, of course.
So, what are you looking for? A few freebie tips and suggestions? A full series or course?
Reply to this email and let me know.
This week, Transforming Cities Live - a LinkedIn Live version of the Transforming Cities podcast - became a reality.
I was fortunate enough to host Andrew Katz, Founder of Katz Development. Andrew is currently developing the largest Mass Timber structure in Denver, Colorado: a 12-story multifamily building called Return to Form.
The likes of Ascent MKE (Milwaukee) and Platte Fifteen (Denver) are just a few examples of well-executed mass timber projects already in the air.
Catch this (now recorded) live event and be on the lookout for his full podcast in the coming weeks.
That's all for this Saturday.
If you enjoy this newsletter and its added value for you, the best compliment you could pay me would be to share it with one person and encourage them to join us.
My eyes are open for feedback, too. Let me know what content you enjoy and want more of. And, of course, what you find less valuable.
See you again next week.
When the time is right, I can help in a few ways:
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My team at Authentic thinks of a multifamily brand as building a business asset. Get in touch if you're ready for a premier approach to brand identity, marketing, web, and lease-ups.