From Rent Check to Industry Leader: A Conversation with Stephanie Linton
In the latest episode of Resident Experts Viewpoints, Entrata CRO Amanda Fumo sat down with Stephanie Linton, Director of Marketing at Princeton Management. Their discussion covered personal growth, creativity, and what it really takes to succeed in multifamily. Stephanie shared practical insights and personal stories that offer value to anyone in the industry—whether you're just starting out or looking to lead.
A Career That Started with a Simple Question
At the beginning of her career, Stephanie didn’t plan to work in multifamily. After living abroad in Italy, she moved to Michigan for the first time and needed to pay rent. She walked into a rental office, asked if they were hiring and that’s how it all started.
What kept her in the industry? The variety, the people and the fast pace. From surprising resident stories (yes, including chickens in apartments) to the complex structure of multifamily teams, Stephanie found herself hooked and motivated to keep learning.
Learning Beyond the Job
One of Stephanie’s core beliefs is that learning shouldn’t be limited to your own field. She joined organizations like the American Marketing Association to get exposure to how marketing works in other industries, like healthcare, sports, legal, and applied those lessons to multifamily.
Her creativity comes from those outside experiences. She tells her team that creativity isn’t always something you can teach. It comes from being curious, stepping outside your routine, and paying attention to how the world works.
Discipline Over Motivation
Stephanie gets up at 4 AM every day. For her, discipline is key. Books, conferences, and advice can help, but what really matters is showing up consistently and putting in the work.
She also encourages others to find their own style. Not everyone will thrive at large networking events. For her, smaller committees and one-on-one conversations have been more effective. She’s been able to build strong relationships by showing up, listening, and following through.
Making Philanthropy Part of the Job
At Princeton, Stephanie has helped build a culture where philanthropy is integrated into the work. Whether it’s collecting socks for Soldiers’ Angels during a military-themed leasing boot camp or hosting a canned food drive with a circus twist, she makes sure these efforts connect back to the teams and residents.
The Value of Cross-Functional Skills
Amanda introduced the idea of T-shaped professionals—people with deep expertise in one area and a good understanding of others. Stephanie agreed that this kind of range is essential. She makes a point to connect with every department in her company, even if it’s just saying good morning.
Why? Because marketing doesn’t work in a vacuum. You need support from every team across the organization and building trust with those groups makes everything smoother.
The Retention Problem
One of the most important topics they touched on was retention. Too often, the resident experience becomes transactional after move-in. Stephanie believes that’s where companies need to do more.
“We’re not renting apartments. We’re renting homes,” she said. The focus should stay on building a strong community and keeping residents engaged beyond that initial lease.
Want to hear more from Stephanie?
Watch the full webinar for a deeper dive into her experiences, advice for new leaders, and why creativity starts outside the office.
