ARL Announces AI Summit for Build-to-Rent Sector in Manchester

Three adults examining a house for rent sign outdoors, depicting diverse and inclusive interest in rental properties. Photo: Ivan S/Pexels

A new summit has been announced by the Association for Rental Living, marking the latest step in its efforts to promote AI development in the Build-to-Rent sector, with the event set to take place in Manchester.

Scheduled for Monday, 28 September 2026, at the XYZ Building in Spinningfields, this one-day gathering will look into the transformative impact of AI on the Build-to-Rent lifecycle, encompassing aspects such as investment opportunity identification, community design, lease-up acceleration, resident experience enhancement, operational performance improvement, and long-term asset strategy formulation.

Expert Lineup and Focus Areas

Given Manchester’s prominence in the UK’s Build-to-Rent revolution, the summit will convene local and national experts in one of the nation’s most established Build-to-Rent markets, with a focus on the city’s leadership role. The opening keynote will be delivered by AI expert Antony Slumbers, followed by a discussion on designing smarter communities, led by ARL Chief Executive Brendan Geraghty, alongside Gensler’s John Badman, Millie Dodd from Shared Voice, and Quod’s Richard Frudd.

Subsequent presentations will feature Roundhill Capital’s Tom France and Tom Leggatt from Rund, exploring the role of AI in smarter investments, and a Manchester market spotlight session with senior leaders from Greystar, Planit, L&G, and Chapman Taylor. Two sessions, chaired by headline sponsor Yardi, will examine leasing and stabilisation through an AI lens, with input from Verbaflo, Colby River, and Trowers & Hamlins, and operational excellence via AI, with experts from Livingway, VervLife, urbanbubble, and Ark Workplace Risk, culminating in a final session on the future of AI-enabled Build-to-Rent lifecycle.

This summit follows the recent publication of the Association for Rental Living’s Second Edition of its Guide to AI in Rental Living and the successful ARL AI Tech Conference in London earlier this year. The Manchester AI in Build-to-Rent Summit 2026 is anticipated to be a key event for regional rental living professionals, open to both Association for Rental Living members and non-members.

According to Brendan Geraghty, Chief Executive of the Association for Rental Living, “The Summit has been intentionally designed to create an engaging and valuable learning experience. Bringing together AI experts and senior leaders from across the rental living sector, the summit will connect the people influencing investment decisions with those responsible for operational strategy and the adoption of new technologies, supporting a joined-up approach that acknowledges the rapidly evolving role of AI in BtR.”