What happens when 100% of energy engineers agree on the most impactful resident action—yet most properties still struggle to get residents to do it?

That’s the question tackled by Christopher Laughman, Senior Director of Energy & Sustainability at Greystar and member of Gatby’s Advisory Board, in a recent episode of the Omnidian+ The Future of CRE Sustainability Podcast. In his wide-ranging conversation, Laughman pulls back the curtain on what’s actually driving energy savings across more than 1 million apartment units—and why behavioral science is as important as engineering in the sustainability playbook.

💡 Want to dive deeper? Check out the full episode of the Omnidian+ Future of CRE Sustainability Podcast with Christopher Laughman (Greystar): Watch/Listen here.

Education Isn’t Enough

For decades, sustainability programs in multifamily housing have leaned heavily on education—move-in packets, flyers, or email reminders. But as Laughman notes, education alone rarely changes behavior.

Residents aren’t disengaged because they don’t care; they’re busy, overwhelmed, and often motivated by comfort over cost savings. Behavioral science explains this through the concept of bounded rationality: people make the best decisions they can with limited time, attention, and information.

The Case for Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM)

Laughman champions Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) as a smarter, resident-first approach. CBSM focuses on:

• Reducing friction so sustainable actions are easy, or better yet, the default.
• Identifying barriers—like why thermostats go unused—and designing solutions around them.
• Providing intuitive feedback, such as simple red/green signals for energy use, instead of complex rate charts.
• Listening sessions that reveal what residents actually value, whether it’s comfort, convenience, or community.

The lesson: sustainability succeeds when it’s designed around how people actually behave.

Data, Dollars, and Building Performance Standards

As Building Performance Standards (BPS) gain traction nationwide, property managers face a new era of active performance management. Partnering with experienced firms like Specialized Property Management helps owners and investors translate sustainability goals into actionable, data-driven operations that align with both compliance and NOI growth. Success depends on high-quality data—scrubbed, benchmarked, and trusted by asset managers and investors.

The financial impact is immediate:

• Cutting waste boosts Net Operating Income (NOI) right away.
• Solar and renewables act as a hedge against rising costs.
• Compliance pressure will push some properties to trade hands, creating value-add opportunities for investors.

Sustainability is now as much a financial strategy as an environmental one.

Toilets, Thermostats, and Smarter Waste Management

Not all breakthroughs are flashy. Laughman highlights a few of the most impactful, resident-facing fixes:

• Toilets: Often the biggest water wasters. Correct flush valve retrofits can cut water bills by up to 65%, with paybacks in just months.
• Thermostats: The single most impactful tool for reducing resident energy use, particularly in HVAC-driven loads.
• Waste management: Smarter scheduling and composting reduce both costs and emissions, avoiding half-empty dumpster hauls.

Practical, scalable changes add up to major enterprise-level impact.

Looking Ahead: Scope 3 and the Grid

The conversation also touches on the challenge of Scope 3 emissions—everything from supply chain partners to embodied carbon in building materials. Tackling these requires a step-by-step approach, but the end goal is clear: aligning resident behavior, data quality, and asset strategy to reduce grid stress while building long-term value.

Final Takeaway

Behavioral science is reshaping sustainability in multifamily housing. As Laughman reminds us, it’s not just about installing new tech or mandating compliance. It’s about listening to residents, designing around their behavior, and making sustainable choices the easiest choices.👉 Listen to the full episode here